Azariah Reigns in Judah
The name Uzziah means Yahweh is my strength....
The name Uzziah means Yahweh is my strength.
fifty-two years: Uzziah reigned from 792 to 740 BC. During this time, Assyria was weakening, and Israel and Judah had friendly relations. Uzziah's strong faith brought God's blessing, leading to Judah's greatest prosperity since Solomon's time (2 Chronicles 26:9–10).
The name Uzziah means Yahweh is my strength.
fifty-two years: Uzziah reigned from 792 to 740 BC. During this time, Assyria was weakening, and Israel and Judah had friendly relations. Uzziah's strong faith brought God's blessing, leading to Judah's greatest prosperity since Solomon's time (2 Chronicles 26:9–10).
1In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Azariah† son of Amaziah became king of Judah. 2He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 3And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
4Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.
5And the LORD afflicted the king with leprosy† until the day he died, so that he lived in a separate house while his son Jotham had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land.
6As for the rest of the acts of Azariah, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
7And Azariah rested with his fathers and was buried near them† in the City of David. And his son Jotham reigned in his place.
Zechariah Reigns in Israel
Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam II, was not...
Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam II, was not as skilled as his father. Zechariah continued the wrongdoings that the first Jeroboam had led Israel to commit. God had promised Jehu a royal line lasting four generations (2 Kings 10:30). Zechariah's six-month reign completed that promise.
8In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria six months. 9And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done. He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
10Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, struck him down and killed him in front of the people,† and reigned in his place.
11As for the rest of the acts of Zechariah, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel. 12So the word of the LORD spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”
Shallum Reigns in Israel
13In the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah’s† reign over Judah, Shallum son of Jabesh became king, and he reigned in Samaria one full month.
14Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria, struck down and killed Shallum son of Jabesh, and reigned in his place.
15As for the rest of the acts of Shallum, along with the conspiracy he led, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
16At that time Menahem, starting from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsah and everyone in its vicinity, because they would not open their gates. So he attacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.
Menahem Reigns in Israel
17In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. 18And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and throughout his reign he did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
Pul: This is another name for the Assyrian...
Pul: This is another name for the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (see 2 Kings 15:29; 16:6). The name Pul is taken from the Babylonian language. Tiglath-pileser III took the throne of Assyria in 744 BC and led effectively until he died in 727 BC.
When Tiglath-pileser started the western campaign to reclaim land from Aram, Menahem paid him a large tribute of thirty-seven tons of silver to prevent him from invading Israel.
Although Menahem’s name means comfort, the unstable conditions in the northern kingdom offered little relief for God's people during his rule from 752 to 742 BC.
Pul: This is another name for the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (see 2 Kings 15:29; 16:6). The name Pul is taken from the Babylonian language. Tiglath-pileser III took the throne of Assyria in 744 BC and led effectively until he died in 727 BC.
When Tiglath-pileser started the western campaign to reclaim land from Aram, Menahem paid him a large tribute of thirty-seven tons of silver to prevent him from invading Israel.
Although Menahem’s name means comfort, the unstable conditions in the northern kingdom offered little relief for God's people during his rule from 752 to 742 BC.
19Then Pul† king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver† in order to gain his support and strengthen his own grip on the kingdom. 20Menahem exacted this money from each of the wealthy men of Israel—fifty shekels of silver† from each man—to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrew and did not remain in the land.
21As for the rest of the acts of Menahem, along with all his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
22And Menahem rested with his fathers, and his son Pekahiah reigned in his place.
Pekahiah Reigns in Israel
Menahem’s son Pekahiah ruled for only two years...
Menahem’s son Pekahiah ruled for only two years before Pekah plotted to kill him. Pekahiah followed the sinful religious practices started by Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12:26–33). Pekah, an army commander, had likely been competing for the throne for a while.
23In the fiftieth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel and reigned in Samaria two years. 24And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
25Then his officer, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him along with Argob, Arieh, and fifty men of Gilead. And at the citadel of the king’s palace in Samaria, Pekah struck down and killed Pekahiah and reigned in his place.
26As for the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, along with all his accomplishments, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
Pekah Reigns in Israel
27In the fifty-second year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty years. 28And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
During his second western campaign from 734 to...
During his second western campaign from 734 to 732 BC, Tiglath-pileser attacked Israel again. Pekah had joined forces with King Rezin of Aram in a poorly planned anti-Assyrian alliance (see Isaiah 9:1). As a result, Tiglath-pileser captured much of Israel’s northern and eastern lands.
Pekah’s failed political strategies caused unrest in Israel, leading to his assassination by Hoshea. Hoshea likely acted to appease the Assyrian king and save the northern kingdom. In his records, Tiglath-pileser claimed he placed Hoshea on the throne and received a large tribute from him.
The twentieth year of Jotham, starting from his co-regency with his father Uzziah in Judah, was 732 BC, the year he died.
During his second western campaign from 734 to 732 BC, Tiglath-pileser attacked Israel again. Pekah had joined forces with King Rezin of Aram in a poorly planned anti-Assyrian alliance (see Isaiah 9:1). As a result, Tiglath-pileser captured much of Israel’s northern and eastern lands.
Pekah’s failed political strategies caused unrest in Israel, leading to his assassination by Hoshea. Hoshea likely acted to appease the Assyrian king and save the northern kingdom. In his records, Tiglath-pileser claimed he placed Hoshea on the throne and received a large tribute from him.
The twentieth year of Jotham, starting from his co-regency with his father Uzziah in Judah, was 732 BC, the year he died.
29In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria.
30Then Hoshea son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. In the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah, Hoshea attacked Pekah, killed him, and reigned in his place.
31As for the rest of the acts of Pekah, along with all his accomplishments, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
Jotham Reigns in Judah
In the second year of King Pekah's reign,...
In the second year of King Pekah's reign, Jotham began his first full year as an independent ruler. He had been co-ruler with his father for the previous ten years.
sixteen years: This period spans from when Jotham began co-ruling with his father Uzziah in 750 BC until his son Ahaz became the main ruler of Judah in 735 BC.
32In the second year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah. 33He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha† daughter of Zadok.
Jotham did what pleased the Lord, but he...
Jotham did what pleased the Lord, but he let people continue worshiping at pagan shrines.
rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD: The prosperity from Uzziah’s reign continued under Jotham. Jotham expanded Jerusalem’s wall at the hill of Ophel and worked on many sites in Judea (2 Chronicles 27:3–4). He also defeated the rebellious Ammonites (2 Chronicles 27:5), whom Uzziah had previously subdued (2 Chronicles 26:8).
Jotham did what pleased the Lord, but he let people continue worshiping at pagan shrines.
rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD: The prosperity from Uzziah’s reign continued under Jotham. Jotham expanded Jerusalem’s wall at the hill of Ophel and worked on many sites in Judea (2 Chronicles 27:3–4). He also defeated the rebellious Ammonites (2 Chronicles 27:5), whom Uzziah had previously subdued (2 Chronicles 26:8).
34And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.
35Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.
36As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
37(In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.)
38And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David his father. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place.