Bible Commentaries

2 Kings 15:1. Azariah; that is, Uzziah, as below, and Isaiah 6:1. He was a good man under affliction, brought several of the ten tribes under the wings of his defence, extended his empire to the Red sea, and sent a fleet round Africa.

2 Kings 15:5. The king was a leper. See on 2 Chronicles 26:21.

2 Kings 15:12. The fourth generation. God kept his promise with the house of Jehu, though his sons kept no faith with Him who placed them on the throne.

2 Kings 15:14. Menahem—smote Shallum, even as Shallum had killed his master Zachariah. Unhappy is that government when generals dream that they can kill their sovereigns, and then usurp their thrones. Greece had its senate in the Areopagus; the Romans had their senate also; but alas, the Hebrews now had no idea of senates and parliaments.

2 Kings 15:19. Pul the king of Assyria. See the list of those kings, Genesis 11. This prince is the first of eight others. 1. Son of Sardan, Pul or Sardanapalus. 2. Tiglath-Pileser. 3. Salmaneser. 4. Sennacherib. 5. Asar- hadan. 6. Berodach. 7. Ben-Berodach. 8. Nebuchadnezzar. This strong kingdom had not much troubled the Jews, except as in Judges 3., when they oppressed them for eight years. From this time God was about to employ them as “the rod of his anger.” Isaiah 10:5.

2 Kings 15:22. Menahem. In the Jewish writings this is a favourite name of the Messiah, because it designates consolation. Luke 2:25. But this good name was not realized in the life of this king.

2 Kings 15:29. Tiglath. He conquered all Gilead east of the Jordan, and all the northern parts of Israel, as stated by Isaiah 9:1-5.

2 Kings 15:32. Jotham, a valiant prince, who, like his father, continued to raise his country. The leprosy of Uzziah did not affect Jotham.