UNROLL
Early dawn from the hill country of Samaria: a valley road winds north toward hazy green hills, a round stone watchtower stands in a terraced vineyard, and far off on the horizon a low brown haze of dust hangs where an army marches.

The Book of

2 Kings 15

Seven kings in one chapter. Four of Israel’s five are murdered, and Assyria comes over the northern hills.

38 verses≈ 8 min5 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

Tap any post to go deeper

In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–8ElishaThe prophet's double portion
  2. 9–12JehuThe house of Ahab falls
  3. 13–17Last kings of IsraelSamaria fallsChapter 15
  4. 18–20HezekiahTrust in the LORD
  5. 21–23JosiahThe Book found
  6. 24–25ExileJerusalem falls

Azariah Reigns in Judah

Judah

Azariah of Judah · 52 years

  1. Jeroboam’s 27th year

    Azariah becomes king

    In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah.

  2. Sixteen, and fifty-two years

    He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years.

  3. His mother Jecoliah

    His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

  4. did right

    Right, as Amaziah had done

    And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.

  5. The high places remain

    Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

Late afternoon in Jerusalem: old King Azariah, white-bearded, in a plain robe with his forearms wrapped in linen, sits alone in the doorway of a small stone house apart behind a low wall, looking across the rooftops toward the palace.

And 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.

As 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?

And Azariah rested with his fathers and was buried near them in the City of David. And his son Jotham reigned in his place.

Reflect

Right, yet the high places stayed

Azariah did right for fifty-two years, yet the high places stayed, and Chronicles says pride brought him low at the end. What has God blessed in your life that could tempt you to pride? What ‘high place’, an old habit everyone tolerates, would a whole heart take away?

Zechariah Reigns in Israel

Israel

Zechariah of Israel · 6 months

  1. Azariah’s 38th year

    Zechariah son of Jeroboam

    In 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.

  2. did evil

    As his fathers had done

    And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his fathers had done.

  3. The sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat

    He did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

Then Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah, struck him down and killed him in front of the people, and reigned in his place.

As for the rest of the acts of Zechariah, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.

So the word of the LORD spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”

2 Kings 15:12

Shallum Reigns in Israel

Israel

Shallum of Israel · 1 month

  1. Uzziah’s 39th year

    One full month in Samaria

    In the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah’s reign over Judah, Shallum son of Jabesh became king, and he reigned in Samaria one full month.

  2. Menahem comes up from Tirzah

    Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria, struck down and killed Shallum son of Jabesh, and reigned in his place.

  3. His conspiracy on record

    As 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.

At 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

Israel

Menahem of Israel · 10 years

  1. Azariah’s 39th year

    Menahem king in Samaria

    In 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.

  2. did evil

    All his days in Jeroboam’s sins

    And 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.

As 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?

And Menahem rested with his fathers, and his son Pekahiah reigned in his place.

Question

Quick question

An Assyrian army came into the land, and Israel’s king paid.

What did Menahem give Pul king of Assyria?

Pekahiah Reigns in Israel

Israel

Pekahiah of Israel · 2 years

  1. Azariah’s 50th year

    Pekahiah son of Menahem

    In the fiftieth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel and reigned in Samaria two years.

  2. did evil

    In the sins of Jeroboam

    And 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.

Then 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.

As 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

To DamascusNaphtaliGileadIjonAbel-beth-maacahJanoah (site uncertain)KedeshHazorSamaria

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

Tiglath-pileser takes the north

Tiglath-pileser came down from the north through the towns of the upper Jordan valley, Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor, took all the land of Naphtali and Galilee, and Gilead east of the Jordan, and carried their people to Assyria. Israel was left with little more than the hill country around Samaria. Janoah’s site is uncertain.

Israel

Pekah of Israel · 20 years

  1. Azariah’s 52nd year

    Pekah son of Remaliah

    In 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.

  2. did evil

    In the sins of Jeroboam

    And 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.

Morning in the green hills of Galilee, seen from far off: a long thin line of walking families with bundles, donkeys and a few sheep winds away along a valley road below the great mound of Hazor, small Assyrian soldiers with spears walking beside them.

In 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.

0:15

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Then 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.

As 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.

Israel’s last kings

his sonkilled bykilled byhis sonkilled bykilled byJeroboamII41 yearsZechariah6 monthsShallum1 monthMenahem10 years · paidAssyriaPekahiah2 yearsPekah20 years ·Galilee lostHoshea9 years · thelast

Whiteboard

Jehu’s line ended with Zechariah, as the LORD had said. After him the throne passed by the sword: four of these five kings were killed by the man who followed. Each time Assyria came closer, and Hoshea would be the last.

Jotham Reigns in Judah

Judah

Jotham of Judah · 16 years

  1. Pekah’s 2nd year

    Jotham son of Uzziah

    In the second year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah.

  2. Twenty-five, and sixteen years

    He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years.

  3. His mother Jerusha, Zadok’s daughter

    His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.

  4. did right

    Right, as Uzziah had done

    And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.

  5. The high places remain

    Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.

Bright morning in Jerusalem's temple court: masons set the last dressed stones of a new limestone gateway with heavy cedar doors while King Jotham watches with a builder; beyond the court wall stands the temple, a long plain flat-roofed stone house with two bronze pillars before its porch.

Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.

As 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?

(In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.)

And 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.

Pray

He keeps His word

“So the word of the LORD spoken to Jehu was fulfilled.” Thank the LORD that He keeps His word to every generation, in mercy and in judgment. Pray for leaders who do what is right and do not grow proud. And pray for your own land, that it would not trust in silver and strong allies, but turn to Him before the dust is on the horizon.

You’ve experienced

2 Kings 15

0 of 25 chapters read

A verse to carry with you

So the word of the LORD spoken to Jehu was fulfilled: “Four generations of your sons will sit on the throne of Israel.”

2 Kings 15:12

or swipe left