Bible Commentaries

The throne of Judah was occupied by Azariah, the Uzziah of Isaiah. In the main, his reign was characterized by obedience to the divine will, yet the people continued in sin, and the king was smitten with leprosy.

Going back to Israel, we find Zechariah succeeded Jeroboam. His life and reign were characterized by sin. Now begins a period the most terrible, in some respects, of all Israel's history. To the throne of Israel man succeeded man by way of murder. Zechariah was slain by Shallurn, who thus became king. Shallum, after one month's occupancy of the throne, was slain by Menahem, who, in turn, reigned evilly for ten years.

During this period the Assyrians invaded the land under Pul. Menahem bought them off, and thus became a vassal of Assyria. He was at last succeeded by Pekahiah, his son, who, after reigning for two years in persistent evil, was slain by Pekah. Pekah occupied the throne for twenty years, during which the Assyrians under Tiglathpileser invaded the land, and carried away a section of the people into captivity. At last he was slain by Hoshea.

Can anything be more terrible than this story? What a commentary it is on that first clamor for a king, in which, as Samuel had warned the people, they had rejected God from the place of immediate government. Israel was now practically under a military despotism, downtrodden and oppressed, and yet sinning with high hand against God. The whole situation was terrible in the extreme.

The state of affairs was very little better in Judah than in Israel. Jotham followed Azariah on the throne. Generally, his reign was right, but still evil was permitted in the kingdom. During this time Syria and Israel, under Rezin and Pekah, respectively, made war on Judah. Jotham was followed by Ahaz.