2 Kings 15

King James Version

Full text for 2 Kings Chapter 15

1¶ In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.

2Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Jecholiah of Jerusalem.

3And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;

4Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.

5And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son [was] over the house, judging the people of the land.

6And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

7So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.

8¶ In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.

9And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

10And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

11And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they [are] written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

12This [was] the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth [generation]. And so it came to pass.

13Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.

14For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

15And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they [are] written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

16Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that [were] therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not [to him], therefore he smote [it; and] all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.

17In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, [and reigned] ten years in Samaria.

18And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

19[And] Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

20And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, [even] of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.

21And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

22And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.

23In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] two years.

24And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

25But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.

26And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they [are] written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

27In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] twenty years.

28And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

29In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.

30And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

31And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they [are] written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

32¶ In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.

33Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.

34And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.

35Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.

36Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

37In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.

38And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Second Kings chapter 15 details the reigns of several kings in both Judah and Israel, highlighting a period of significant instability in the northern kingdom. In Judah, Azariah (also known as Uzziah) reigns for 52 years, doing right in the sight of the LORD but failing to remove the high places, and is smitten with leprosy. His son Jotham reigns after him, also doing right but maintaining the high places. Conversely, Israel experiences a rapid succession of five kings—Zachariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, and Pekah—all of whom do evil and are overthrown by conspiracy, fulfilling a prophecy concerning Jehu's house and demonstrating the kingdom's moral decay and vulnerability to external powers like Assyria.

Medium Summary

The chapter opens with Azariah (Uzziah) beginning his long reign in Judah, generally doing what was right before the LORD, though the high places persisted. For his transgressions, the LORD smote him with leprosy until his death, leading his son Jotham to govern the kingdom. In stark contrast, the kingdom of Israel endures a tumultuous period marked by rapid changes in leadership, all through violent means. Zachariah, the last king of Jehu's dynasty, reigns only six months before being assassinated by Shallum, fulfilling the prophecy given to Jehu. Shallum himself reigns for only one month before Menahem overthrows him. Menahem then reigns for ten years, marked by his evil deeds and the brutal sacking of Tiphsah, and pays tribute to Pul, king of Assyria, to secure his throne. His son Pekahiah reigns briefly before being assassinated by Pekah, who then reigns for twenty years, during which Tiglathpileser of Assyria invades and carries away captives from several Israelite territories. Pekah is eventually assassinated by Hoshea, bringing the chapter to a close with Jotham's reign in Judah, who, like his father, does right but does not remove the high places, and faces the beginning of Syrian and Israelite aggression.

Long Summary

Second Kings chapter 15 provides a chronological account of the reigns of several kings in both the southern kingdom of Judah and the northern kingdom of Israel, emphasizing the stark differences in their stability and spiritual adherence. In Judah, Azariah, also called Uzziah, begins his reign at sixteen and rules for an extensive fifty-two years. He is generally described as doing that which was right in the sight of the LORD, following the example of his father Amaziah, but he failed to remove the high places where the people continued to sacrifice and burn incense. Consequently, the LORD smote Azariah with leprosy, causing him to dwell in a separate house until his death, with his son Jotham overseeing the kingdom. After Azariah's death, Jotham reigns in his stead, also doing right in the sight of the LORD and building the higher gate of the house of the LORD, yet he too did not remove the high places. Meanwhile, the kingdom of Israel experiences extreme political volatility and moral decline. Zachariah, the son of Jeroboam II, reigns for only six months before Shallum conspires against him and slays him, fulfilling the LORD's word to Jehu that his sons would sit on the throne to the fourth generation. Shallum's reign is even shorter, lasting only one full month before Menahem, son of Gadi, overthrows and slays him. Menahem reigns for ten years, continuing in the sins of Jeroboam, and brutally sacks Tiphsah, ripping up pregnant women. He also pays a thousand talents of silver to Pul, the king of Assyria, to secure his kingdom, exacting this tribute from the wealthy men of Israel. Menahem's son, Pekahiah, reigns for only two years before Pekah, a captain, conspires against him and slays him in the king's palace. Pekah then reigns for twenty years, also persisting in the sins of Jeroboam, and during his reign, Tiglathpileser, king of Assyria, invades and carries away many Israelite territories and their inhabitants captive to Assyria. Finally, Hoshea conspires against Pekah, slays him, and reigns in his stead, concluding a period of rapid and violent successions in Israel, all marked by their evil in the sight of the LORD.

Core Concepts

  • Succession and Instability in IsraelThe chapter highlights the rapid and violent turnover of kings in the northern kingdom of Israel, with five different rulers in a relatively short period, all coming to power through assassination and conspiracy.
  • Sin of JeroboamA recurring theme for all the Israelite kings mentioned is their persistent adherence to 'the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin,' indicating a continued state of idolatry and disobedience to the LORD.
  • Assyrian DominanceThe growing power of the Assyrian Empire becomes evident as Menahem pays tribute to Pul, and later Tiglathpileser invades Israel, taking territories and captives, signaling the beginning of the end for the northern kingdom.
  • High PlacesDespite the generally righteous reigns of Azariah and Jotham in Judah, both kings failed to remove the high places, indicating a persistent compromise in the worship practices of the southern kingdom.
  • Divine Judgment and ProphecyAzariah is smitten with leprosy by the LORD, and the rapid succession of Israelite kings through violence fulfills the prophecy given to Jehu regarding his dynasty's limited duration.
  • Conspiracies and AssassinationsThe primary method of regime change in Israel throughout this chapter is through violent conspiracies and assassinations, illustrating the internal chaos and lack of legitimate succession.