2 Kings 1
The LORD’s Judgment on Ahaziah
1After Ahab’s death, Moaba rebelled against Israel. 2Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers,b saying to them, “Go and consult Baal-Zebub,c the god of Ekron,d to see if I will recovere from this injury.”
3But the angelf of the LORD said to Elijahg the Tishbite, “Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, ‘Is it because there is no God in Israelh that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?’ 4Therefore this is what the LORD says: ‘You will not leavei the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!’ ” So Elijah went.
5When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, “Why have you come back?”
6“A man came to meet us,” they replied. “And he said to us, ‘Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, “This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending messengers to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leavej the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” ’ ”
7The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?”
8They replied, “He had a garment of hair,k and had a leather belt around his waist.”
The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”
9Then he sentl to Elijah a captainm with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, “Man of God, the king says, ‘Come down!’ ”
10Elijah answered the captain, “If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then firen fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.
11At this the king sent to Elijah another captain with his fifty men. The captain said to him, “Man of God, this is what the king says, ‘Come down at once!’ ”
12“If I am a man of God,” Elijah replied, “may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!” Then the fire of God fell from heaven and consumed him and his fifty men.
13So the king sent a third captain with his fifty men. This third captain went up and fell on his knees before Elijah. “Man of God,” he begged, “please have respect for my lifeo and the lives of these fifty men, your servants! 14See, fire has fallen from heaven and consumed the first two captains and all their men. But now have respect for my life!”
15The angelp of the LORD said to Elijah, “Go down with him; do not be afraidq of him.” So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
16He told the king, “This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult that you have sent messengersr to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Because you have done this, you will never leaves the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!” 17So he died,t according to the word of the LORD that Elijah had spoken.
Because Ahaziah had no son, Joram,u succeeded him as king in the second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah. 18As for all the other events of Ahaziah’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel?
2 Kings 2
Elijah Taken Up to Heaven
1When the LORD was about to takea Elijah up to heaven in a whirlwind,b Elijah and Elishac were on their way from Gilgal.d 2Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here;e the LORD has sent me to Bethel.”
But Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”f So they went down to Bethel.
3The companyg of the prophets at Bethel came out to Elisha and asked, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” Elisha replied, “so be quiet.”
4Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here, Elisha; the LORD has sent me to Jericho.h”
And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So they went to Jericho.
5The companyi of the prophets at Jericho went up to Elisha and asked him, “Do you know that the LORD is going to take your master from you today?”
“Yes, I know,” he replied, “so be quiet.”
6Then Elijah said to him, “Stay here;j the LORD has sent me to the Jordan.”k
And he replied, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.”l So the two of them walked on.
7Fifty men from the company of the prophets went and stood at a distance, facing the place where Elijah and Elisha had stopped at the Jordan. 8Elijah took his cloak,m rolled it up and struckn the water with it. The water dividedo to the right and to the left, and the two of them crossed over on dryp ground.
9When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha, “Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?”
“Let me inherit a doubleq portion of your spirit,”r Elisha replied.
10“You have asked a difficult thing,” Elijah said, “yet if you see me when I am taken from you, it will be yours—otherwise, it will not.”
11As they were walking along and talking together, suddenly a chariot of fires and horses of fire appeared and separated the two of them, and Elijah went up to heavent in a whirlwind.u 12Elisha saw this and cried out, “My father! My father! The chariotsv and horsemen of Israel!” And Elisha saw him no more. Then he took hold of his garment and torew it in two.
13Elisha then picked up Elijah’s cloak that had fallen from him and went back and stood on the bank of the Jordan. 14He took the cloakx that had fallen from Elijah and strucky the water with it. “Where now is the LORD, the God of Elijah?” he asked. When he struck the water, it divided to the right and to the left, and he crossed over.
15The companyz of the prophets from Jericho, who were watching, said, “The spirita of Elijah is resting on Elisha.” And they went to meet him and bowed to the ground before him. 16“Look,” they said, “we your servants have fifty able men. Let them go and look for your master. Perhaps the Spiritb of the LORD has picked him upc and set him down on some mountain or in some valley.”
“No,” Elisha replied, “do not send them.”
17But they persisted until he was too embarrassedd to refuse. So he said, “Send them.” And they sent fifty men, who searched for three days but did not find him. 18When they returned to Elisha, who was staying in Jericho, he said to them, “Didn’t I tell you not to go?”
Healing of the Water
19The people of the city said to Elisha, “Look, our lord, this town is well situated, as you can see, but the water is bad and the land is unproductive.”
20“Bring me a new bowl,” he said, “and put salt in it.” So they brought it to him.
21Then he went out to the spring and threwe the salt into it, saying, “This is what the LORD says: ‘I have healed this water. Never again will it cause death or make the land unproductive.’ ” 22And the water has remained puref to this day, according to the word Elisha had spoken.
Elisha Is Jeered
23From there Elisha went up to Bethel. As he was walking along the road, some boys came out of the town and jeeredg at him. “Get out of here, baldy!” they said. “Get out of here, baldy!” 24He turned around, looked at them and called down a curseh on them in the namei of the LORD. Then two bears came out of the woods and mauled forty-two of the boys. 25And he went on to Mount Carmelj and from there returned to Samaria.
2 Kings 3
Moab Revolts
1Joram,a son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned twelve years. 2He did evilb in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his fatherc and mother had done. He got rid of the sacred stoned of Baal that his father had made. 3Nevertheless he clung to the sinse of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.
4Now Mesha king of Moabf raised sheep, and he had to pay the king of Israel a tribute of a hundred thousand lambsg and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. 5But after Ahab died, the king of Moab rebelledh against the king of Israel. 6So at that time King Joram set out from Samaria and mobilized all Israel. 7He also sent this message to Jehoshaphat king of Judah: “The king of Moab has rebelled against me. Will you go with me to fighti against Moab?”
“I will go with you,” he replied. “I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses.”
8“By what route shall we attack?” he asked.
“Through the Desert of Edom,” he answered.
9So the king of Israel set out with the king of Judah and the king of Edom.j After a roundabout march of seven days, the army had no more water for themselves or for the animals with them.
10“What!” exclaimed the king of Israel. “Has the LORD called us three kings together only to deliver us into the hands of Moab?”
11But Jehoshaphat asked, “Is there no prophet of the LORD here, through whom we may inquirek of the LORD?”
An officer of the king of Israel answered, “Elishal son of Shaphat is here. He used to pour water on the hands of Elijah.,m”
12Jehoshaphat said, “The wordn of the LORD is with him.” So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat and the king of Edom went down to him.
13Elisha said to the king of Israel, “Why do you want to involve me? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.”
“No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to deliver us into the hands of Moab.”
14Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not pay any attention to you. 15But now bring me a harpist.”o
While the harpist was playing, the handp of the LORD came on Elisha 16and he said, “This is what the LORD says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. 17For this is what the LORD says: You will see neither wind nor rain, yet this valley will be filled with water,q and you, your cattle and your other animals will drink. 18This is an easyr thing in the eyes of the LORD; he will also deliver Moab into your hands. 19You will overthrow every fortified city and every major town. You will cut down every good tree, stop up all the springs, and ruin every good field with stones.”
20The next morning, about the times for offering the sacrifice, there it was—water flowing from the direction of Edom! And the land was filled with water.t
21Now all the Moabites had heard that the kings had come to fight against them; so every man, young and old, who could bear arms was called up and stationed on the border. 22When they got up early in the morning, the sun was shining on the water. To the Moabites across the way, the water looked red—like blood. 23“That’s blood!” they said. “Those kings must have fought and slaughtered each other. Now to the plunder, Moab!”
24But when the Moabites came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and fought them until they fled. And the Israelites invaded the land and slaughtered the Moabites. 25They destroyed the towns, and each man threw a stone on every good field until it was covered. They stopped up all the springs and cut down every good tree. Only Kir Haresethu was left with its stones in place, but men armed with slings surrounded it and attacked it.
26When the king of Moab saw that the battle had gone against him, he took with him seven hundred swordsmen to break through to the king of Edom, but they failed. 27Then he took his firstbornv son, who was to succeed him as king, and offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. The fury against Israel was great; they withdrew and returned to their own land.
2 Kings 4
The Widow’s Olive Oil
1The wife of a man from the companya of the prophets cried out to Elisha, “Your servant my husband is dead, and you know that he revered the LORD. But now his creditorb is coming to take my two boys as his slaves.”
2Elisha replied to her, “How can I help you? Tell me, what do you have in your house?”
“Your servant has nothing there at all,” she said, “except a small jar of olive oil.”c
3Elisha said, “Go around and ask all your neighbors for empty jars. Don’t ask for just a few. 4Then go inside and shut the door behind you and your sons. Pour oil into all the jars, and as each is filled, put it to one side.”
5She left him and shut the door behind her and her sons. They brought the jars to her and she kept pouring. 6When all the jars were full, she said to her son, “Bring me another one.”
But he replied, “There is not a jar left.” Then the oil stopped flowing.
7She went and told the man of God,d and he said, “Go, sell the oil and pay your debts. You and your sons can live on what is left.”
The Shunammite’s Son Restored to Life
8One day Elisha went to Shunem.e And a well-to-do woman was there, who urged him to stay for a meal. So whenever he came by, he stopped there to eat. 9She said to her husband, “I know that this man who often comes our way is a holy man of God. 10Let’s make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for him. Then he can stayf there whenever he comes to us.”
11One day when Elisha came, he went up to his room and lay down there. 12He said to his servant Gehazi, “Call the Shunammite.”g So he called her, and she stood before him. 13Elisha said to him, “Tell her, ‘You have gone to all this trouble for us. Now what can be done for you? Can we speak on your behalf to the king or the commander of the army?’ ”
She replied, “I have a home among my own people.”
14“What can be done for her?” Elisha asked.
Gehazi said, “She has no son, and her husband is old.”
15Then Elisha said, “Call her.” So he called her, and she stood in the doorway. 16“About this timeh next year,” Elisha said, “you will hold a son in your arms.”
“No, my lord!” she objected. “Please, man of God, don’t mislead your servant!”
17But the woman became pregnant, and the next year about that same time she gave birth to a son, just as Elisha had told her.
18The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.i 19He said to his father, “My head! My head!”
His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.” 20After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died. 21She went up and laid him on the bedj of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.
22She called her husband and said, “Please send me one of the servants and a donkey so I can go to the man of God quickly and return.”
23“Why go to him today?” he asked. “It’s not the New Moonk or the Sabbath.”
“That’s all right,” she said.
24She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, “Lead on; don’t slow down for me unless I tell you.” 25So she set out and came to the man of God at Mount Carmel.l
When he saw her in the distance, the man of God said to his servant Gehazi, “Look! There’s the Shunammite! 26Run to meet her and ask her, ‘Are you all right? Is your husband all right? Is your child all right?’ ”
“Everything is all right,” she said.
27When she reached the man of God at the mountain, she took hold of his feet. Gehazi came over to push her away, but the man of God said, “Leave her alone! She is in bitter distress,m but the LORD has hidden it from me and has not told me why.”
28“Did I ask you for a son, my lord?” she said. “Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’?”
29Elisha said to Gehazi, “Tuck your cloak into your belt,n take my staffo in your hand and run. Don’t greet anyone you meet, and if anyone greets you, do not answer. Lay my staff on the boy’s face.”
30But the child’s mother said, “As surely as the LORD lives and as you live, I will not leave you.” So he got up and followed her.
31Gehazi went on ahead and laid the staff on the boy’s face, but there was no sound or response. So Gehazi went back to meet Elisha and told him, “The boy has not awakened.”
32When Elisha reached the house, there was the boy lying dead on his couch.p 33He went in, shut the door on the two of them and prayedq to the LORD. 34Then he got on the bed and lay on the boy, mouth to mouth, eyes to eyes, hands to hands. As he stretchedr himself out on him, the boy’s body grew warm. 35Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven timess and opened his eyes.t
36Elisha summoned Gehazi and said, “Call the Shunammite.” And he did. When she came, he said, “Take your son.”u 37She came in, fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. Then she took her son and went out.
Death in the Pot
38Elisha returned to Gilgalv and there was a faminew in that region. While the company of the prophets was meeting with him, he said to his servant, “Put on the large pot and cook some stew for these prophets.”
39One of them went out into the fields to gather herbs and found a wild vine and picked as many of its gourds as his garment could hold. When he returned, he cut them up into the pot of stew, though no one knew what they were. 40The stew was poured out for the men, but as they began to eat it, they cried out, “Man of God, there is death in the pot!” And they could not eat it.
41Elisha said, “Get some flour.” He put it into the pot and said, “Serve it to the people to eat.” And there was nothing harmful in the pot.x
Feeding of a Hundred
42A man came from Baal Shalishah,y bringing the man of God twenty loavesz of barley breada baked from the first ripe grain, along with some heads of new grain. “Give it to the people to eat,” Elisha said.
43“How can I set this before a hundred men?” his servant asked.
But Elisha answered, “Give it to the people to eat.b For this is what the LORD says: ‘They will eat and have some left over.c’ ” 44Then he set it before them, and they ate and had some left over, according to the word of the LORD.
2 Kings 5
Naaman Healed of Leprosy
1Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram.a He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.,b
2Now bands of raidersc from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophetd who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
4Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5“By all means, go,” the king of Aram replied. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.e 6The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
7As soon as the king of Israel read the letter,f he tore his robes and said, “Am I God?g Can I kill and bring back to life?h Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarreli with me!”
8When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophetj in Israel.” 9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, “Go, washk yourself seven timesl in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”
11But Naaman went away angry and said, “I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his handm over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the watersn of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.o
13Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father,p if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 14So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times,q as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restoredr and became clean like that of a young boy.s
15Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of Godt. He stood before him and said, “Now I knowu that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a giftv from your servant.”
16The prophet answered, “As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused.w
17“If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earthx as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD. 18But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaningy on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this.”
19“Go in peace,”z Elisha said.
After Naaman had traveled some distance, 20Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORDa lives, I will run after him and get something from him.”
21So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked.
22“Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.’ ”b
23“By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. 24When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left.
25When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?”
“Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered.
26But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the timec to take money or to accept clothes—or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves?d 27Naaman’s leprosye will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazif went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous—it had become as white as snow.g
2 Kings 6
An Axhead Floats
1The companya of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us. 2Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to meet.”
And he said, “Go.”
3Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?”
“I will,” Elisha replied. 4And he went with them.
They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees. 5As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh no, my lord!” he cried out. “It was borrowed!”
6The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threwb it there, and made the iron float. 7“Lift it out,” he said. Then the man reached out his hand and took it.
Elisha Traps Blinded Arameans
8Now the king of Aram was at war with Israel. After conferring with his officers, he said, “I will set up my camp in such and such a place.”
9The man of God sent word to the kingc of Israel: “Beware of passing that place, because the Arameans are going down there.” 10So the king of Israel checked on the place indicated by the man of God. Time and again Elisha warnedd the king, so that he was on his guard in such places.
11This enraged the king of Aram. He summoned his officers and demanded of them, “Tell me! Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel?”
12“None of us, my lord the kinge,” said one of his officers, “but Elisha, the prophet who is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the very words you speak in your bedroom.”
13“Go, find out where he is,” the king ordered, “so I can send men and capture him.” The report came back: “He is in Dothan.”f 14Then he sentg horses and chariots and a strong force there. They went by night and surrounded the city.
15When the servant of the man of God got up and went out early the next morning, an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city. “Oh no, my lord! What shall we do?” the servant asked.
16“Don’t be afraid,”h the prophet answered. “Those who are with us are morei than those who are with them.”
17And Elisha prayed, “Open his eyes, LORD, so that he may see.” Then the LORD opened the servant’s eyes, and he looked and saw the hills full of horses and chariotsj of fire all around Elisha.
18As the enemy came down toward him, Elisha prayed to the LORD, “Strike this army with blindness.”k So he struck them with blindness, as Elisha had asked.
19Elisha told them, “This is not the road and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will lead you to the man you are looking for.” And he led them to Samaria.
20After they entered the city, Elisha said, “LORD, open the eyes of these men so they can see.” Then the LORD opened their eyes and they looked, and there they were, inside Samaria.
21When the king of Israel saw them, he asked Elisha, “Shall I kill them, my father?l Shall I kill them?”
22“Do not kill them,” he answered. “Would you kill those you have capturedm with your own sword or bow? Set food and water before them so that they may eat and drink and then go back to their master.” 23So he prepared a great feast for them, and after they had finished eating and drinking, he sent them away, and they returned to their master. So the bandsn from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory.
Famine in Besieged Samaria
24Some time later, Ben-Hadado king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siegep to Samaria. 25There was a great famineq in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods,r for five shekels.
26As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”
27The king replied, “If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?” 28Then he asked her, “What’s the matter?”
She answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ 29So we cooked my son and ates him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him.”
30When the king heard the woman’s words, he toret his robes. As he went along the wall, the people looked, and they saw that, under his robes, he had sackclothu on his body. 31He said, “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if the head of Elisha son of Shaphat remains on his shoulders today!”
32Now Elisha was sitting in his house, and the eldersv were sitting with him. The king sent a messenger ahead, but before he arrived, Elisha said to the elders, “Don’t you see how this murdererw is sending someone to cut off my head?x Look, when the messenger comes, shut the door and hold it shut against him. Is not the sound of his master’s footsteps behind him?” 33While he was still talking to them, the messenger came down to him.
The king said, “This disaster is from the LORD. Why should I waity for the LORD any longer?”
2 Kings 7
1Elisha replied, “Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekela at the gate of Samaria.”
2The officer on whose arm the king was leaningb said to the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgatesc of the heavens, could this happen?”
“You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eatd any of it!”
The Siege Lifted
3Now there were four men with leprosy,e at the entrance of the city gate. They said to each other, “Why stay here until we die? 4If we say, ‘We’ll go into the city’—the famine is there, and we will die. And if we stay here, we will die. So let’s go over to the camp of the Arameans and surrender. If they spare us, we live; if they kill us, then we die.”
5At dusk they got up and went to the camp of the Arameans. When they reached the edge of the camp, no one was there, 6for the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the soundf of chariots and horses and a great army, so that they said to one another, “Look, the king of Israel has hiredg the Hittiteh and Egyptian kings to attack us!” 7So they got up and fledi in the dusk and abandoned their tents and their horses and donkeys. They left the camp as it was and ran for their lives.
8The men who had leprosyj reached the edge of the camp, entered one of the tents and ate and drank. Then they took silver, gold and clothes, and went off and hid them. They returned and entered another tent and took some things from it and hid them also.
9Then they said to each other, “What we’re doing is not right. This is a day of good news and we are keeping it to ourselves. If we wait until daylight, punishment will overtake us. Let’s go at once and report this to the royal palace.”
10So they went and called out to the city gatekeepers and told them, “We went into the Aramean camp and no one was there—not a sound of anyone—only tethered horses and donkeys, and the tents left just as they were.” 11The gatekeepers shouted the news, and it was reported within the palace.
12The king got up in the night and said to his officers, “I will tell you what the Arameans have done to us. They know we are starving; so they have left the camp to hidek in the countryside, thinking, ‘They will surely come out, and then we will take them alive and get into the city.’ ”
13One of his officers answered, “Have some men take five of the horses that are left in the city. Their plight will be like that of all the Israelites left here—yes, they will only be like all these Israelites who are doomed. So let us send them to find out what happened.”
14So they selected two chariots with their horses, and the king sent them after the Aramean army. He commanded the drivers, “Go and find out what has happened.” 15They followed them as far as the Jordan, and they found the whole road strewn with the clothing and equipment the Arameans had thrown away in their headlong flight.l So the messengers returned and reported to the king. 16Then the people went out and plunderedm the camp of the Arameans. So a seah of the finest flour sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley sold for a shekel,n as the LORD had said.
17Now the king had put the officer on whose arm he leaned in charge of the gate, and the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died,o just as the man of God had foretold when the king came down to his house. 18It happened as the man of God had said to the king: “About this time tomorrow, a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”
19The officer had said to the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgatesp of the heavens, could this happen?” The man of God had replied, “You will see it with your own eyes, but you will not eat any of it!” 20And that is exactly what happened to him, for the people trampled him in the gateway, and he died.
2 Kings 8
The Shunammite’s Land Restored
1Now Elisha had said to the womana whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famineb in the land that will last seven years.”c 2The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.
3At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to appeal to the king for her house and land. 4The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, “Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done.” 5Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restoredd the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to appeal to the king for her house and land.
Gehazi said, “This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life.” 6The king asked the woman about it, and she told him.
Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, “Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now.”
Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad
7Elisha went to Damascus,e and Ben-Hadadf king of Aram was ill. When the king was told, “The man of God has come all the way up here,” 8he said to Hazael,g “Take a gifth with you and go to meet the man of God. Consulti the LORD through him; ask him, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”
9Hazael went to meet Elisha, taking with him as a gift forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. He went in and stood before him, and said, “Your son Ben-Hadad king of Aram has sent me to ask, ‘Will I recover from this illness?’ ”
10Elisha answered, “Go and say to him, ‘You will certainly recover.’j Nevertheless, the LORD has revealed to me that he will in fact die.” 11He stared at him with a fixed gaze until Hazael was embarrassed.k Then the man of God began to weep.l
12“Why is my lord weeping?” asked Hazael.
“Because I know the harmm you will do to the Israelites,” he answered. “You will set fire to their fortified places, kill their young men with the sword, dashn their little childreno to the ground, and rip openp their pregnant women.”
13Hazael said, “How could your servant, a mere dog,q accomplish such a feat?”
“The LORD has shown me that you will become kingr of Aram,” answered Elisha.
14Then Hazael left Elisha and returned to his master. When Ben-Hadad asked, “What did Elisha say to you?” Hazael replied, “He told me that you would certainly recover.” 15But the next day he took a thick cloth, soaked it in water and spread it over the king’s face, so that he died.s Then Hazael succeeded him as king.
Jehoram King of Judah
8:16-24pp — 2Ch 21:5-10,20
16In the fifth year of Joramt son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoramu son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. 17He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 18He followed the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughterv of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 19Nevertheless, for the sake of his servant David, the LORD was not willing to destroyw Judah. He had promised to maintain a lampx for David and his descendants forever.
20In the time of Jehoram, Edom rebelled against Judah and set up its own king.y 21So Jehoram went to Zair with all his chariots. The Edomites surrounded him and his chariot commanders, but he rose up and broke through by night; his army, however, fled back home. 22To this day Edom has been in rebellionz against Judah. Libnaha revolted at the same time.
23As for the other events of Jehoram’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 24Jehoram rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.
Ahaziah King of Judah
8:25-29pp — 2Ch 22:1-6
25In the twelfthb year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, Ahaziah son of Jehoram king of Judah began to reign. 26Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His mother’s name was Athaliah,c a granddaughter of Omrid king of Israel. 27He followed the ways of the house of Ahabe and did evilf in the eyes of the LORD, as the house of Ahab had done, for he was related by marriage to Ahab’s family.
28Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth Gilead.g The Arameans wounded Joram; 29so King Joram returned to Jezreelh to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him at Ramoth in his battle with Hazaeli king of Aram.
Then Ahaziahj son of Jehoram king of Judah went down to Jezreel to see Joram son of Ahab, because he had been wounded.
2 Kings 9
Jehu Anointed King of Israel
1The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the companya of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt,b take this flask of olive oilc with you and go to Ramoth Gilead.d 2When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room. 3Then take the flask and pour the oile on his head and declare, ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ Then open the door and run; don’t delay!”
4So the young prophet went to Ramoth Gilead. 5When he arrived, he found the army officers sitting together. “I have a message for you, commander,” he said.
“For which of us?” asked Jehu.
“For you, commander,” he replied.
6Jehu got up and went into the house. Then the prophet poured the oilf on Jehu’s head and declared, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anoint you king over the LORD’s people Israel. 7You are to destroy the house of Ahab your master, and I will avengeg the blood of my servantsh the prophets and the blood of all the LORD’s servants shed by Jezebel.i 8The whole housej of Ahab will perish. I will cut off from Ahab every last malek in Israel—slave or free. 9I will make the house of Ahab like the house of Jeroboaml son of Nebat and like the house of Baasham son of Ahijah. 10As for Jezebel, dogsn will devour her on the plot of ground at Jezreel, and no one will bury her.’ ” Then he opened the door and ran.
11When Jehu went out to his fellow officers, one of them asked him, “Is everything all right? Why did this maniaco come to you?”
“You know the man and the sort of things he says,” Jehu replied.
12“That’s not true!” they said. “Tell us.”
Jehu said, “Here is what he told me: ‘This is what the LORD says: I anoint you king over Israel.’ ”
13They quickly took their cloaks and spreadp them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpetq and shouted, “Jehu is king!”
Jehu Kills Joram and Ahaziah
9:21-29pp — 2Ch 22:7-9
14So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth Gileadr against Hazael king of Aram, 15but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recovers from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.) Jehu said, “If you desire to make me king, don’t let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.” 16Then he got into his chariot and rode to Jezreel, because Joram was resting there and Ahaziaht king of Judah had gone down to see him.
17When the lookoutu standing on the tower in Jezreel saw Jehu’s troops approaching, he called out, “I see some troops coming.”
“Get a horseman,” Joram ordered. “Send him to meet them and ask, ‘Do you come in peace?v’ ”
18The horseman rode off to meet Jehu and said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’ ”
“What do you have to do with peace?” Jehu replied. “Fall in behind me.”
The lookout reported, “The messenger has reached them, but he isn’t coming back.”
19So the king sent out a second horseman. When he came to them he said, “This is what the king says: ‘Do you come in peace?’ ”
Jehu replied, “What do you have to do with peace? Fall in behind me.”
20The lookout reported, “He has reached them, but he isn’t coming back either. The driving is likew that of Jehu son of Nimshi—he drives like a maniac.”
21“Hitch up my chariot,” Joram ordered. And when it was hitched up, Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah rode out, each in his own chariot, to meet Jehu. They met him at the plot of ground that had belonged to Nabothx the Jezreelite. 22When Joram saw Jehu he asked, “Have you come in peace, Jehu?”
“How can there be peace,” Jehu replied, “as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft of your mother Jezebely abound?”
23Joram turned about and fled, calling out to Ahaziah, “Treachery,z Ahaziah!”
24Then Jehu drew his bowa and shot Joram between the shoulders. The arrow pierced his heart and he slumped down in his chariot. 25Jehu said to Bidkar, his chariot officer, “Pick him up and throw him on the field that belonged to Naboth the Jezreelite. Remember how you and I were riding together in chariots behind Ahab his father when the LORD spoke this prophecyb against him: 26‘Yesterday I saw the blood of Nabothc and the blood of his sons, declares the LORD, and I will surely make you pay for it on this plot of ground, declares the LORD.’ Now then, pick him up and throw him on that plot, in accordance with the word of the LORD.”d
27When Ahaziah king of Judah saw what had happened, he fled up the road to Beth Haggan. Jehu chased him, shouting, “Kill him too!” They wounded him in his chariot on the way up to Gur near Ibleam,e but he escaped to Megiddof and died there. 28His servants took him by chariotg to Jerusalem and buried him with his ancestors in his tomb in the City of David. 29(In the eleventhh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah had become king of Judah.)
Jezebel Killed
30Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she put on eye makeup,i arranged her hair and looked out of a window. 31As Jehu entered the gate, she asked, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri,j you murderer of your master?”
32He looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him. 33“Throw her down!” Jehu said. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot.k
34Jehu went in and ate and drank. “Take care of that cursed woman,” he said, “and bury her, for she was a king’s daughter.”l 35But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. 36They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the LORD that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogsm will devour Jezebel’s flesh.,n 37Jezebel’s body will be like dungo on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel.’ ”
2 Kings 10
Ahab’s Family Killed
1Now there were in Samariaa seventy sonsb of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel,,c to the elders and to the guardiansd of Ahab’s children. He said, 2“You have your master’s sons with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons. Now as soon as this letter reaches you, 3choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”
4But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”
5So the palace administrator, the city governor, the elders and the guardians sent this message to Jehu: “We are your servantse and we will do anything you say. We will not appoint anyone as king; you do whatever you think best.”
6Then Jehu wrote them a second letter, saying, “If you are on my side and will obey me, take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me in Jezreel by this time tomorrow.”
Now the royal princes, seventy of them, were with the leading men of the city, who were rearing them. 7When the letter arrived, these men took the princes and slaughtered all seventyf of them. They put their headsg in baskets and sent them to Jehu in Jezreel. 8When the messenger arrived, he told Jehu, “They have brought the heads of the princes.”
Then Jehu ordered, “Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate until morning.”
9The next morning Jehu went out. He stood before all the people and said, “You are innocent. It was I who conspired against my master and killed him, but who killed all these? 10Know, then, that not a word the LORD has spoken against the house of Ahab will fail. The LORD has done what he announcedh through his servant Elijah.”i 11So Jehuj killed everyone in Jezreel who remained of the house of Ahab, as well as all his chief men, his close friends and his priests, leaving him no survivor.k
12Jehu then set out and went toward Samaria. At Beth Eked of the Shepherds, 13he met some relatives of Ahaziah king of Judah and asked, “Who are you?”
They said, “We are relatives of Ahaziah,l and we have come down to greet the families of the king and of the queen mother.m”
14“Take them alive!” he ordered. So they took them alive and slaughtered them by the well of Beth Eked—forty-two of them. He left no survivor.n
15After he left there, he came upon Jehonadabo son of Rekab,p who was on his way to meet him. Jehu greeted him and said, “Are you in accord with me, as I am with you?”
“I am,” Jehonadab answered.
“If so,” said Jehu, “give me your hand.”q So he did, and Jehu helped him up into the chariot. 16Jehu said, “Come with me and see my zealr for the LORD.” Then he had him ride along in his chariot.
17When Jehu came to Samaria, he killed all who were left there of Ahab’s family;s he destroyed them, according to the word of the LORD spoken to Elijah.
Servants of Baal Killed
18Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab servedt Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. 19Now summonu all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the servants of Baal.
20Jehu said, “Call an assemblyv in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it. 21Then he sent word throughout Israel, and all the servants of Baal came; not one stayed away. They crowded into the temple of Baal until it was full from one end to the other. 22And Jehu said to the keeper of the wardrobe, “Bring robes for all the servants of Baal.” So he brought out robes for them.
23Then Jehu and Jehonadab son of Rekab went into the temple of Baal. Jehu said to the servants of Baal, “Look around and see that no one who serves the LORD is here with you—only servants of Baal.” 24So they went in to make sacrifices and burnt offerings. Now Jehu had posted eighty men outside with this warning: “If one of you lets any of the men I am placing in your hands escape, it will be your life for his life.”w
25As soon as Jehu had finished making the burnt offering, he ordered the guards and officers: “Go in and killx them; let no one escape.”y So they cut them down with the sword. The guards and officers threw the bodies out and then entered the inner shrine of the temple of Baal. 26They brought the sacred stonez out of the temple of Baal and burned it. 27They demolished the sacred stone of Baal and tore down the templea of Baal, and people have used it for a latrine to this day.
28So Jehub destroyed Baal worship in Israel. 29However, he did not turn away from the sinsc of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit—the worship of the golden calvesd at Bethele and Dan.
30The LORD said to Jehu, “Because you have done well in accomplishing what is right in my eyes and have done to the house of Ahab all I had in mind to do, your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”f 31Yet Jehu was not carefulg to keep the law of the LORD, the God of Israel, with all his heart. He did not turn away from the sinsh of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit.
32In those days the LORD began to reducei the size of Israel. Hazaelj overpowered the Israelites throughout their territory 33east of the Jordan in all the land of Gilead (the region of Gad, Reuben and Manasseh), from Aroerk by the Arnonl Gorge through Gilead to Bashan.
34As for the other events of Jehu’s reign, all he did, and all his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annalsm of the kings of Israel? Photo
35Jehu rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king. 36The time that Jehu reigned over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
2 Kings 11
Athaliah and Joash
11:1-21pp — 2Ch 22:10–23:21
1When Athaliaha the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family. 2But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joashb son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.c 3He remained hidden with his nurse at the temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
4In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Caritesd and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the LORD. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the LORD. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5He commanded them, saying, “This is what you are to do: You who are in the three companies that are going on duty on the Sabbathe—a third of you guarding the royal palace,f 6a third at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard, who take turns guarding the temple— 7and you who are in the other two companies that normally go off Sabbath duty are all to guard the temple for the king. 8Station yourselves around the king, each of you with weapon in hand. Anyone who approaches your ranks is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes.”
9The commanders of units of a hundred did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each one took his men—those who were going on duty on the Sabbath and those who were going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10Then he gave the commanders the spears and shieldsg that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple of the LORD. 11The guards, each with weapon in hand, stationed themselves around the king—near the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
12Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him; he presented him with a copy of the covenanth and proclaimed him king. They anointedi him, and the people clapped their handsj and shouted, “Long live the king!”k
13When Athaliah heard the noise made by the guards and the people, she went to the people at the temple of the LORD. 14She looked and there was the king, standing by the pillar,l as the custom was. The officers and the trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets.m Then Athaliah toren her robes and called out, “Treason! Treason!”o
15Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of units of a hundred, who were in charge of the troops: “Bring her out between the ranks and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the templep of the LORD.” 16So they seized her as she reached the place where the horses enterq the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.r
17Jehoiada then made a covenants between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.t 18All the people of the land went to the templeu of Baal and tore it down. They smashedv the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priestw of Baal in front of the altars.
Then Jehoiada the priest posted guards at the temple of the LORD. 19He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites,x the guards and all the people of the land, and together they brought the king down from the temple of the LORD and went into the palace, entering by way of the gate of the guards. The king then took his place on the royal throne. 20All the people of the land rejoiced,y and the city was calm, because Athaliah had been slain with the sword at the palace.
21Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.
2 Kings 12
Joash Repairs the Temple
12:1-21pp — 2Ch 24:1-14; 24:23-27
1In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash,a became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. 2Joash did what was rightb in the eyes of the LORD all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3The high places,c however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
4Joash said to the priests, “Collectd all the money that is brought as sacred offeringse to the temple of the LORD—the money collected in the census,f the money received from personal vows and the money brought voluntarilyg to the temple. 5Let every priest receive the money from one of the treasurers, then use it to repairh whatever damage is found in the temple.”
6But by the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests still had not repaired the temple. 7Therefore King Joash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and asked them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage done to the temple? Take no more money from your treasurers, but hand it over for repairing the temple.” 8The priests agreed that they would not collect any more money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.
9Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it beside the altar, on the right side as one enters the temple of the LORD. The priests who guarded the entrancei put into the chest all the moneyj that was brought to the temple of the LORD. 10Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal secretaryk and the high priest came, counted the money that had been brought into the temple of the LORD and put it into bags. 11When the amount had been determined, they gave the money to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. With it they paid those who worked on the temple of the LORD—the carpenters and builders, 12the masons and stonecutters.l They purchased timber and blocks of dressed stone for the repair of the temple of the LORD, and met all the other expenses of restoring the temple.
13The money brought into the temple was not spent for making silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets or any other articles of goldm or silver for the temple of the LORD; 14it was paid to the workers, who used it to repair the temple. 15They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty.n 16The money from the guilt offeringso and sin offerings,p was not brought into the temple of the LORD; it belongedq to the priests.
17About this time Hazaelr king of Aram went up and attacked Gath and captured it. Then he turned to attack Jerusalem. 18But Joash king of Judah took all the sacred objects dedicated by his predecessors—Jehoshaphat, Jehoram and Ahaziah, the kings of Judah—and the gifts he himself had dedicated and all the gold found in the treasuries of the temple of the LORD and of the royal palace, and he sents them to Hazael king of Aram, who then withdrewt from Jerusalem.
19As for the other events of the reign of Joash, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20His officialsu conspired against him and assassinatedv him at Beth Millo,w on the road down to Silla. 21The officials who murdered him were Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.
2 Kings 13
Jehoahaz King of Israel
1In the twenty-third year of Joash son of Ahaziah king of Judah, Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned seventeen years. 2He did evila in the eyes of the LORD by following the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit, and he did not turn away from them. 3So the LORD’s angerb burned against Israel, and for a long time he kept them under the powerc of Hazael king of Aram and Ben-Hadadd his son.
4Then Jehoahaz soughte the LORD’s favor, and the LORD listened to him, for he sawf how severely the king of Aram was oppressingg Israel. 5The LORD provided a delivererh for Israel, and they escaped from the power of Aram. So the Israelites lived in their own homes as they had before. 6But they did not turn away from the sinsi of the house of Jeroboam, which he had caused Israel to commit; they continued in them. Also, the Asherah pole,j remained standing in Samaria.
7Nothing had been leftk of the army of Jehoahaz except fifty horsemen, ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers, for the king of Aram had destroyed the rest and made them like the dustl at threshing time.
8As for the other events of the reign of Jehoahaz, all he did and his achievements, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 9Jehoahaz rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria. And Jehoash his son succeeded him as king.
Jehoash King of Israel
10In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash son of Jehoahaz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned sixteen years. 11He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he continued in them.
12As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, all he did and his achievements, including his war against Amaziahm king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annalsn of the kings of Israel? 13Jehoash rested with his ancestors, and Jeroboamo succeeded him on the throne. Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
14Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariotsp and horsemen of Israel!”
15Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,”q and he did so. 16“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands.
17“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!”r Elisha said, and he shot. “The LORD’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.”s
18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”t
20Elisha died and was buried.
Now Moabite raidersu used to enter the country every spring. 21Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a band of raiders; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to lifev and stood up on his feet.
22Hazael king of Aram oppressedw Israel throughout the reign of Jehoahaz. 23But the LORD was gracious to them and had compassion and showed concern for them because of his covenantx with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To this day he has been unwilling to destroyy them or banish them from his presence.z
24Hazael king of Aram died, and Ben-Hadada his son succeeded him as king. 25Then Jehoash son of Jehoahaz recaptured from Ben-Hadad son of Hazael the towns he had taken in battle from his father Jehoahaz. Three timesb Jehoash defeated him, and so he recoveredc the Israelite towns.
2 Kings 14
Amaziah King of Judah
14:1-7pp — 2Ch 25:1-4,11-12
14:8-22pp — 2Ch 25:17–26:2
1In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem. 3He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. 4The high places,a however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.
5After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executedb the officialsc who had murdered his father the king. 6Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Lawd of Moses where the LORD commanded: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”,e
7He was the one who defeated ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Saltf and captured Selag in battle, calling it Joktheel, the name it has to this day.
8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: “Come, let us face each other in battle.”
9But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistleh in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot. 10You have indeed defeated Edom and now you are arrogant.i Glory in your victory, but stay at home! Why ask for trouble and cause your own downfall and that of Judah also?”
11Amaziah, however, would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel attacked. He and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth Shemeshj in Judah. 12Judah was routed by Israel, and every man fled to his home.k 13Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the walll of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gatem to the Corner Gaten—a section about four hundred cubits long. 14He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace. He also took hostages and returned to Samaria.
15As for the other events of the reign of Jehoash, what he did and his achievements, including his waro against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 16Jehoash rested with his ancestors and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. And Jeroboam his son succeeded him as king.
17Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. 18As for the other events of Amaziah’s reign, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
19They conspiredp against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish,q but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there. 20He was brought back by horser and was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors, in the City of David.
21Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,,s who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. 22He was the one who rebuilt Elatht and restored it to Judah after Amaziah rested with his ancestors.
Jeroboam II King of Israel
23In the fifteenth year of Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboamu son of Jehoash king of Israel became king in Samaria, and he reigned forty-one years. 24He did evil in the eyes of the LORD and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.v 25He was the one who restored the boundaries of Israel from Lebo Hamathw to the Dead Sea,,x in accordance with the word of the LORD, the God of Israel, spoken through his servant Jonahy son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher.
26The LORD had seen how bitterly everyone in Israel, whether slave or free,z was suffering;,a there was no one to help them.b 27And since the LORD had not said he would blot outc the name of Israel from under heaven, he savedd them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
28As for the other events of Jeroboam’s reign, all he did, and his military achievements, including how he recovered for Israel both Damascuse and Hamath,f which had belonged to Judah, are they not written in the book of the annalsg of the kings of Israel? 29Jeroboam rested with his ancestors, the kings of Israel. And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.
2 Kings 15
Azariah King of Judah
15:1-7pp — 2Ch 26:3-4,21-23
1In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah,a son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. 2He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jekoliah; she was from Jerusalem. 3He did what was rightb in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done. 4The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Map: Assyrian Campaigns Against Israel and Judah
5The LORD afflictedc the king with leprosy until the day he died, and he lived in a separate house.,d Jothame the king’s son had charge of the palacef and governed the people of the land.
6As for the other events of Azariah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 7Azariah restedg with his ancestors and was buried near them in the City of David. And Jothamh his son succeeded him as king.
Zechariah King of Israel
8In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned six months. 9He did evili in the eyes of the LORD, as his predecessors had done. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.
10Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah. He attacked him in front of the people, assassinatedj him and succeeded him as king. 11The other events of Zechariah’s reign are written in the book of the annalsk of the kings of Israel. 12So the word of the LORD spoken to Jehu was fulfilled:l “Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation.”
Shallum King of Israel
13Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samariam one month. 14Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzahn up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinatedo him and succeeded him as king.
15The other events of Shallum’s reign, and the conspiracy he led, are written in the book of the annalsp of the kings of Israel.
16At that time Menahem, starting out from Tirzah, attacked Tiphsahq and everyone in the city and its vicinity, because they refused to openr their gates. He sacked Tiphsah and ripped open all the pregnant women.
Menahem King of Israel
17In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years. 18He did evils in the eyes of the LORD. During his entire reign he did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.
19Then Pul,t king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom. 20Menahem exacted this money from Israel. Every wealthy person had to contribute fifty shekels of silver to be given to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria withdrewu and stayed in the land no longer.
21As for the other events of Menahem’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 22Menahem rested with his ancestors. And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.
Pekahiah King of Israel
23In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah son of Menahem became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned two years. 24Pekahiah did evilv in the eyes of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit. 25One of his chief officers, Pekahw son of Remaliah, conspired against him. Taking fifty men of Gilead with him, he assassinatedx Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh, in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria. So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.
26The other events of Pekahiah’s reign, and all he did, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.
Pekah King of Israel
27In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahy son of Remaliahz became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years. 28He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.
29In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pilesera king of Assyria came and took Ijon,b Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali,c and deportedd the people to Assyria. 30Then Hosheae son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinatedf him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.
31As for the other events of Pekah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annalsg of the kings of Israel?
Jotham King of Judah
15:33-38pp — 2Ch 27:1-4,7-9
32In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel, Jothamh son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign. 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. 34He did what was righti in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done. 35The high places,j however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gatek of the temple of the LORD.
36As for the other events of Jotham’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 37(In those days the LORD began to send Rezinl king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.) 38Jotham rested with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David, the city of his father. And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.
2 Kings 16
Ahaz King of Judah
16:1-20pp — 2Ch 28:1-27
1In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah, Ahaza son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. 2Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. Unlike David his father, he did not do what was rightb in the eyes of the LORD his God. 3He followed the ways of the kings of Israelc and even sacrificed his sond in the fire, engaging in the detestablee practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 4He offered sacrifices and burned incensef at the high places, on the hilltops and under every spreading tree.g
5Then Rezinh king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel marched up to fight against Jerusalem and besieged Ahaz, but they could not overpower him. 6At that time, Rezini king of Aram recovered Elathj for Aram by driving out the people of Judah. Edomites then moved into Elath and have lived there to this day.
7Ahaz sent messengers to say to Tiglath-Pileserk king of Assyria, “I am your servant and vassal. Come up and savel me out of the hand of the king of Aram and of the king of Israel, who are attacking me.” 8And Ahaz took the silver and gold found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace and sent it as a giftm to the king of Assyria. 9The king of Assyria complied by attacking Damascusn and capturing it. He deported its inhabitants to Kiro and put Rezin to death.
10Then King Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria. He saw an altar in Damascus and sent to Uriahp the priest a sketch of the altar, with detailed plans for its construction. 11So Uriah the priest built an altar in accordance with all the plans that King Ahaz had sent from Damascus and finished it before King Ahaz returned. 12When the king came back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it and presented offerings,q on it. 13He offered up his burnt offeringr and grain offering,s poured out his drink offering,t and splashed the blood of his fellowship offeringsu against the altar. 14As for the bronze altarv that stood before the LORD, he brought it from the front of the temple—from between the new altar and the temple of the LORD—and put it on the north side of the new altar.
15King Ahaz then gave these orders to Uriah the priest: “On the large new altar, offer the morningw burnt offering and the evening grain offering, the king’s burnt offering and his grain offering, and the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their grain offering and their drink offering. Splash against this altar the blood of all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. But I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance.”x 16And Uriah the priest did just as King Ahaz had ordered.
17King Ahaz cut off the side panels and removed the basins from the movable stands. He removed the Sea from the bronze bulls that supported it and set it on a stone base.y 18He took away the Sabbath canopy that had been built at the temple and removed the royal entryway outside the temple of the LORD, in deference to the king of Assyria.z
19As for the other events of the reign of Ahaz, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 20Ahaz resteda with his ancestors and was buried with them in the City of David. And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
2 Kings 17
Hoshea Last King of Israel
17:3-7pp — 2Ki 18:9-12
1In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah, Hosheaa son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned nine years. 2He did evilb in the eyes of the LORD, but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
3Shalmaneserc king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea, who had been Shalmaneser’s vassal and had paid him tribute.d 4But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor, for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt,e and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year. Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.f 5The king of Assyria invaded the entire land, marched against Samaria and laid siegeg to it for three years. 6In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyriah captured Samariai and deportedj the Israelites to Assyria. He settled them in Halah, in Gozank on the Habor River and in the towns of the Medes. Photo
Israel Exiled Because of Sin
7All this took place because the Israelites had sinnedl against the LORD their God, who had brought them up out of Egyptm from under the power of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They worshiped other gods 8and followed the practices of the nationsn the LORD had driven out before them, as well as the practices that the kings of Israel had introduced. 9The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified cityo they built themselves high places in all their towns. 10They set up sacred stonesp and Asherah polesq on every high hill and under every spreading tree.r 11At every high place they burned incense, as the nations whom the LORD had driven out before them had done. They did wicked things that aroused the LORD’s anger. 12They worshiped idols,s though the LORD had said, “You shall not do this.” 13The LORD warnedt Israel and Judah through all his prophets and seers:u “Turn from your evil ways.v Observe my commands and decrees, in accordance with the entire Law that I commanded your ancestors to obey and that I delivered to you through my servants the prophets.”w Map: Exile of the Northern Kingdom
14But they would not listen and were as stiff-neckedx as their ancestors, who did not trust in the LORD their God. 15They rejected his decrees and the covenanty he had made with their ancestors and the statutes he had warned them to keep. They followed worthless idolsz and themselves became worthless.a They imitated the nationsb around them although the LORD had ordered them, “Do not do as they do.”
16They forsook all the commands of the LORD their God and made for themselves two idols cast in the shape of calves,c and an Asherahd pole. They bowed down to all the starry hosts,e and they worshiped Baal.f 17They sacrificedg their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced divination and sought omensh and soldi themselves to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousing his anger.
18So the LORD was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence.j Only the tribe of Judah was left, 19and even Judah did not keep the commands of the LORD their God. They followed the practices Israel had introduced.k 20Therefore the LORD rejected all the people of Israel; he afflicted them and gave them into the hands of plunderers,l until he thrust them from his presence.m
21When he toren Israel away from the house of David, they made Jeroboam son of Nebat their king.o Jeroboam enticed Israel away from following the LORD and caused them to commit a great sin.p 22The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them 23until the LORD removed them from his presence,q as he had warnedr through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homelands into exile in Assyria, and they are still there.
Samaria Resettled
24The king of Assyriat brought people from Babylon, Kuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaimu and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns. 25When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD; so he sent lionsv among them and they killed some of the people. 26It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”
27Then the king of Assyria gave this order: “Have one of the priests you took captive from Samaria go back to live there and teach the people what the god of the land requires.” 28So one of the priests who had been exiled from Samaria came to live in Bethel and taught them how to worship the LORD.
29Nevertheless, each national group made its own gods in the several townsw where they settled, and set them up in the shrinesx the people of Samaria had made at the high places.y 30The people from Babylon made Sukkoth Benoth, those from Kuthah made Nergal, and those from Hamath made Ashima; 31the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burned their children in the fire as sacrifices to Adrammelekz and Anammelek, the gods of Sepharvaim.a 32They worshiped the LORD, but they also appointed all sortsb of their own people to officiate for them as priests in the shrines at the high places. 33They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought.
34To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the LORD nor adhere to the decrees and regulations, the laws and commands that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.c 35When the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worshipd any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.e 36But the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt with mighty power and outstretched arm,f is the one you must worship. To him you shall bow down and to him offer sacrifices. 37You must always be carefulg to keep the decreesh and regulations, the laws and commands he wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. 38Do not forgeti the covenant I have made with you, and do not worship other gods. 39Rather, worship the LORD your God; it is he who will deliver you from the hand of all your enemies.”
40They would not listen, however, but persisted in their former practices. 41Even while these people were worshiping the LORD,j they were serving their idols. To this day their children and grandchildren continue to do as their ancestors did.
2 Kings 18
Hezekiah King of Judah
18:2-4pp — 2Ch 29:1-2; 31:1
18:5-7pp — 2Ch 31:20-21
18:9-12pp — 2Ki 17:3-7
1In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiaha son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. 2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.b His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah. 3He did what was rightc in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Davidd had done. 4He removede the high places,f smashed the sacred stonesg and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snakeh Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.) Photo
5Hezekiah trustedi in the LORD, the God of Israel. There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him. 6He held fastj to the LORD and did not stop following him; he kept the commands the LORD had given Moses. 7And the LORD was with him; he was successfulk in whatever he undertook. He rebelledl against the king of Assyria and did not serve him. 8From watchtower to fortified city,m he defeated the Philistines, as far as Gaza and its territory.
9In King Hezekiah’s fourth year,n which was the seventh year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Shalmaneser king of Assyria marched against Samaria and laid siege to it. 10At the end of three years the Assyrians took it. So Samaria was captured in Hezekiah’s sixth year, which was the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel. 11The kingo of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria and settled them in Halah, in Gozan on the Habor River and in towns of the Medes.p 12This happened because they had not obeyed the LORD their God, but had violated his covenantq—all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded.r They neither listened to the commandss nor carried them out.
13In the fourteenth yeart of King Hezekiah’s reign, Sennacherib king of Assyria attacked all the fortified cities of Judahu and captured them. 14So Hezekiah king of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish:v “I have done wrong.w Withdraw from me, and I will pay whatever you demand of me.” The king of Assyria exacted from Hezekiah king of Judah three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. 15So Hezekiah gavex him all the silver that was found in the temple of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace.
16At this time Hezekiah king of Judah stripped off the gold with which he had covered the doorsy and doorposts of the temple of the LORD, and gave it to the king of Assyria.
Sennacherib Threatens Jerusalem
18:13,17-37pp — Isa 36:1-22
18:17-35pp — 2Ch 32:9-19
17The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander,z his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool,a on the road to the Washerman’s Field. 18They called for the king; and Eliakimb son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebnac the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.
19The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah:
“ ‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidenced of yours? 20You say you have the counsel and the might for war—but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me? 21Look, I know you are depending on Egypt,e that splintered reed of a staff,f which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him. 22But if you say to me, “We are depending on the LORD our God”—isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed, saying to Judah and Jerusalem, “You must worship before this altar in Jerusalem”?
23“ ‘Come now, make a bargain with my master, the king of Assyria: I will give you two thousand horses—if you can put riders on them! 24How can you repulse one officerg of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen? 25Furthermore, have I come to attack and destroy this place without word from the LORD?h The LORD himself told me to march against this country and destroy it.’ ”
26Then Eliakim son of Hilkiah, and Shebna and Joah said to the field commander, “Please speak to your servants in Aramaic,i since we understand it. Don’t speak to us in Hebrew in the hearing of the people on the wall.”
27But the commander replied, “Was it only to your master and you that my master sent me to say these things, and not to the people sitting on the wall—who, like you, will have to eat their own excrement and drink their own urine?”
28Then the commander stood and called out in Hebrew, “Hear the word of the great king, the king of Assyria! 29This is what the king says: Do not let Hezekiah deceivej you. He cannot deliver you from my hand. 30Do not let Hezekiah persuade you to trust in the LORD when he says, ‘The LORD will surely deliver us; this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.’
31“Do not listen to Hezekiah. This is what the king of Assyria says: Make peace with me and come out to me. Then each of you will eat fruit from your own vine and fig treek and drink water from your own cistern,l 32until I come and take you to a land like your own—a land of grain and new wine, a land of bread and vineyards, a land of olive trees and honey. Choose lifem and not death!
“Do not listen to Hezekiah, for he is misleading you when he says, ‘The LORD will deliver us.’ 33Has the godn of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? 34Where are the gods of Hamatho and Arpad?p Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah? Have they rescued Samaria from my hand? 35Who of all the gods of these countries has been able to save his land from me? How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?”q
36But the people remained silent and said nothing in reply, because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.”
37Then Eliakimr son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went to Hezekiah, with their clothes torn,s and told him what the field commander had said.
2 Kings 19
Jerusalem’s Deliverance Foretold
19:1-13pp — Isa 37:1-13
1When King Hezekiah heard this, he torea his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. 2He sent Eliakimb the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests,c all wearing sackcloth,d to the prophet Isaiahe son of Amoz. 3They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the momentf of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. 4It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridiculeg the living God, and that he will rebukeh him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnanti that still survives.”
5When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, 6Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the LORD says: Do not be afraidj of what you have heard—those words with which the underlings of the king of Assyria have blasphemedk me. 7Listen! When he hears a certain report,l I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.m’ ”
8When the field commander heard that the king of Assyria had left Lachish,n he withdrew and found the king fighting against Libnah.o
9Now Sennacherib received a report that Tirhakah, the king of Cush, was marching out to fight against him. So he again sent messengers to Hezekiah with this word: 10“Say to Hezekiah king of Judah: Do not let the god you dependp on deceiveq you when he says, ‘Jerusalem will not be given into the hands of the king of Assyria.’ 11Surely you have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all the countries, destroying them completely. And will you be delivered? 12Did the gods of the nations that were destroyed by my predecessors deliverr them—the gods of Gozan,s Harran,t Rezeph and the people of Eden who were in Tel Assar? 13Where is the king of Hamath or the king of Arpad? Where are the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena and Ivvah?”u
Hezekiah’s Prayer
19:14-19pp — Isa 37:14-20
14Hezekiah received the letterv from the messengers and read it. Then he went up to the temple of the LORD and spread it out before the LORD. 15And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “LORD, the God of Israel, enthroned between the cherubim,w you alonex are God over all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. 16Give ear,y LORD, and hear;z open your eyes,a LORD, and see; listen to the words Sennacherib has sent to ridicule the living God.
17“It is true, LORD, that the Assyrian kings have laid waste these nations and their lands. 18They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not godsb but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.c 19Now, LORD our God, deliverd us from his hand, so that all the kingdomse of the earth may knowf that you alone, LORD, are God.”
Isaiah Prophesies Sennacherib’s Fall
19:20-37pp — Isa 37:21-38
19:35-37pp — 2Ch 32:20-21
20Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heardg your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. 21This is the word that the LORD has spoken againsth him:
“ ‘Virgin Daughteri Zion
despisesj you and mocksk you.
Daughter Jerusalem
tosses her headl as you flee.
22Who is it you have ridiculed and blasphemed?m
Against whom have you raised your voice
and lifted your eyes in pride?
Against the Holy Onen of Israel!
23By your messengers
you have ridiculed the Lord.
And you have said,o
“With my many chariotsp
I have ascended the heights of the mountains,
the utmost heights of Lebanon.
I have cut downq its tallest cedars,
the choicest of its junipers.
I have reached its remotest parts,
the finest of its forests.
24I have dug wells in foreign lands
and drunk the water there.
With the soles of my feet
I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”
25“ ‘Have you not heard?r
Long ago I ordained it.
In days of old I planneds it;
now I have brought it to pass,
that you have turned fortified cities
into piles of stone.t
26Their people, drained of power,u
are dismayedv and put to shame.
They are like plants in the field,
like tender green shoots,w
like grass sprouting on the roof,
scorchedx before it grows up.
27“ ‘But I knowy where you are
and when you come and go
and how you rage against me.
28Because you rage against me
and because your insolence has reached my ears,
I will put my hookz in your nose
and my bita in your mouth,
and I will make you returnb
by the way you came.’ Photo
29“This will be the signc for you, Hezekiah:
“This year you will eat what grows by itself,d
and the second year what springs from that.
But in the third year sow and reap,
plant vineyardse and eat their fruit.
30Once more a remnantf of the kingdom of Judah
will take rootg below and bear fruit above.
31For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant,h
and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors.i
“The zealj of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.
32“Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning the king of Assyria:
“ ‘He will not enter this city
or shoot an arrow here.
He will not come before it with shield
or build a siege ramp against it.
33By the way that he came he will return;k
he will not enter this city,
declares the LORD.
34I will defendl this city and save it,
for my sake and for the sake of Davidm my servant.’ ”
35That night the angel of the LORDn went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies!o 36So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew.p He returned to Ninevehq and stayed there.
37One day, while he was worshiping in the temple of his god Nisrok, his sons Adrammelekr and Sharezer killed him with the sword,s and they escaped to the land of Ararat.t And Esarhaddonu his son succeeded him as king.
2 Kings 20
Hezekiah’s Illness
20:1-11pp — 2Ch 32:24-26; Isa 38:1-8
1In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.”
2Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 3“Remember,a LORD, how I have walkedb before you faithfullyc and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.
4Before Isaiah had left the middle court, the word of the LORD came to him: 5“Go back and tell Hezekiah, the ruler of my people, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of your father David, says: I have heardd your prayer and seen your tears;e I will heal you. On the third day from now you will go up to the temple of the LORD. 6I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and this city from the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defendf this city for my sake and for the sake of my servant David.’ ”
7Then Isaiah said, “Prepare a poultice of figs.” They did so and applied it to the boil,g and he recovered.
8Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, “What will be the sign that the LORD will heal me and that I will go up to the temple of the LORD on the third day from now?”
9Isaiah answered, “This is the LORD’s signh to you that the LORD will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?”
10“It is a simplei matter for the shadow to go forward ten steps,” said Hezekiah. “Rather, have it go back ten steps.”
11Then the prophet Isaiah called on the LORD, and the LORD made the shadow go backj the ten steps it had gone down on the stairway of Ahaz.
Envoys From Babylon
20:12-19pp — Isa 39:1-8
20:20-21pp — 2Ch 32:32-33
12At that time Marduk-Baladan son of Baladan king of Babylon sent Hezekiah letters and a gift, because he had heard of Hezekiah’s illness. 13Hezekiah received the envoys and showed them all that was in his storehouses—the silver, the gold, the spices and the fine olive oil—his armory and everything found among his treasures. There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.
14Then Isaiah the prophet went to King Hezekiah and asked, “What did those men say, and where did they come from?”
“From a distant land,” Hezekiah replied. “They came from Babylon.”
15The prophet asked, “What did they see in your palace?”
“They saw everything in my palace,” Hezekiah said. “There is nothing among my treasures that I did not show them.”
16Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD: 17The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.k Nothing will be left, says the LORD. 18And some of your descendants,l your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”m
19“The word of the LORD you have spoken is good,” Hezekiah replied. For he thought, “Will there not be peace and security in my lifetime?”
20As for the other events of Hezekiah’s reign, all his achievements and how he made the pooln and the tunnelo by which he brought water into the city, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 21Hezekiah rested with his ancestors. And Manasseh his son succeeded him as king. Photo Article: Hezekiah’s Tunnel and Water Projects
2 Kings 21
Manasseh King of Judah
21:1-10pp — 2Ch 33:1-10
21:17-18pp — 2Ch 33:18-20
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.a 2He did evilb in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practicesc of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 3He rebuilt the high placesd his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baale and made an Asherah pole,f as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hostsg and worshiped them. 4He built altarsh in the temple of the LORD, of which the LORD had said, “In Jerusalem I will put my Name.”i 5In the two courtsj of the temple of the LORD, he built altars to all the starry hosts. 6He sacrificed his own sonk in the fire, practiced divination,l sought omens, and consulted mediums and spiritists.m He did much evil in the eyes of the LORD, arousingn his anger.
7He took the carved Asherah poleo he had made and put it in the temple,p of which the LORD had said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my Nameq forever. 8I will not againr make the feet of the Israelites wander from the land I gave their ancestors, if only they will be careful to do everything I commanded them and will keep the whole Law that my servant Mosess gave them.” 9But the people did not listen. Manasseh led them astray, so that they did more evilt than the nationsu the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites.
10The LORD said through his servants the prophets: 11“Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evilv than the Amoritesw who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols.x 12Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disastery on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle.z 13I will stretch out over Jerusalem the measuring line used against Samaria and the plumb linea used against the house of Ahab. I will wipeb out Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. 14I will forsakec the remnantd of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies; 15they have done evile in my eyes and have arousedf my anger from the day their ancestors came out of Egypt until this day.”
16Moreover, Manasseh also shed so much innocent bloodg that he filled Jerusalem from end to end—besides the sin that he had caused Judahh to commit, so that they did evil in the eyes of the LORD.
17As for the other events of Manasseh’s reign, and all he did, including the sin he committed, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 18Manasseh rested with his ancestors and was buried in his palace garden,i the garden of Uzza. And Amon his son succeeded him as king.
Amon King of Judah
21:19-24pp — 2Ch 33:21-25
19Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem two years. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz; she was from Jotbah. 20He did evilj in the eyes of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. 21He followed completely the ways of his father, worshiping the idols his father had worshiped, and bowing down to them. 22He forsookk the LORD, the God of his ancestors, and did not walkl in obedience to him.
23Amon’s officials conspired against him and assassinatedm the king in his palace. 24Then the people of the land killedn all who had plotted against King Amon, and they made Josiaho his son king in his place.
25As for the other events of Amon’s reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 26He was buried in his tomb in the gardenp of Uzza. And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.
2 Kings 22
The Book of the Law Found
22:1-20pp — 2Ch 34:1-2,8-28
1Josiaha was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.b 2He did what was rightc in the eyes of the LORD and followed completely the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the rightd or to the left.
3In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphane son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD. He said: 4“Go up to Hilkiahf the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collectedg from the people. 5Have them entrust it to the men appointed to supervise the work on the temple. And have these men pay the workers who repairh the temple of the LORD— 6the carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also have them purchase timber and dressed stone to repair the temple.i 7But they need not account for the money entrusted to them, because they are honest in their dealings.”j
8Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Lawk in the temple of the LORD.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 9Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: “Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple.” 10Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king.l
11When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law,m he tore his robes. 12He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikamn son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:o 13“Go and inquirep of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD’s angerq that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.” Photo
14Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophetr Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.
15She said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me, 16‘This is what the LORD says: I am going to bring disasters on this place and its people, according to everything written in the bookt the king of Judah has read. 17Because they have forsakenu me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all the idols their hands have made, my anger will burn against this place and will not be quenched.’ 18Tell the king of Judah, who sent you to inquirev of the LORD, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says concerning the words you heard: 19Because your heart was responsive and you humbledw yourself before the LORD when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people—that they would become a curse,x and be laid wastey—and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I also have heard you, declares the LORD. 20Therefore I will gather you to your ancestors, and you will be buried in peace.z Your eyesa will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place.’ ”
So they took her answer back to the king.
2 Kings 23
Josiah Renews the Covenant
23:1-3pp — 2Ch 34:29-32
23:4-20Ref — 2Ch 34:3-7,33
23:21-23pp — 2Ch 35:1,18-19
23:28-30pp — 2Ch 35:20–36:1
1Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. 2He went up to the temple of the LORD with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He reada in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant,b which had been found in the temple of the LORD. 3The king stood by the pillarc and renewed the covenantd in the presence of the LORD—to followe the LORD and keep his commands, statutes and decrees with all his heart and all his soul, thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book. Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
4The king ordered Hilkiah the high priest, the priests next in rank and the doorkeepersf to removeg from the temple of the LORD all the articles made for Baal and Asherah and all the starry hosts. He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron Valley and took the ashes to Bethel. 5He did away with the idolatrous priests appointed by the kings of Judah to burn incense on the high places of the towns of Judah and on those around Jerusalem—those who burned incenseh to Baal, to the sun and moon, to the constellations and to all the starry hosts.i 6He took the Asherah pole from the temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valleyj outside Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to powderk and scattered the dust over the gravesl of the common people.m 7He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutesn that were in the temple of the LORD, the quarters where women did weaving for Asherah.
8Josiah brought all the priests from the towns of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Gebao to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He broke down the gateway at the entrance of the Gate of Joshua, the city governor, which was on the left of the city gate. 9Although the priests of the high places did not servep at the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests.
10He desecrated Topheth,q which was in the Valley of Ben Hinnom,r so no one could use it to sacrifice their sons or daughter in the fire to Molek. 11He removed from the entrance to the temple of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judaht had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the room of an official named Nathan-Melek. Josiah then burned the chariots dedicated to the sun.u
12He pulled downv the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roofw near the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had built in the two courtsx of the temple of the LORD. He removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley.y 13The king also desecrated the high places that were east of Jerusalem on the south of the Hill of Corruption—the ones Solomonz king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the vile goddess of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the vile god of Moab, and for Molek the detestablea god of the people of Ammon.b 14Josiah smashedc the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles and covered the sites with human bones.d
15Even the altare at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboamf son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin—even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. 16Then Josiahg looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordanceh with the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.
17The king asked, “What is that tombstone I see?”
The people of the city said, “It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it.”
18“Leave it alone,” he said. “Don’t let anyone disturb his bonesi.” So they spared his bones and those of the prophetj who had come from Samaria.
19Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria and that had aroused the LORD’s anger. 20Josiah slaughteredk all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bonesl on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
21The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passoverm to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.”n 22Neither in the days of the judges who led Israel nor in the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah had any such Passover been observed. 23But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem.o
24Furthermore, Josiah got rid of the mediums and spiritists,p the household gods,q the idols and all the other detestabler things seen in Judah and Jerusalem. This he did to fulfill the requirements of the law written in the book that Hilkiah the priest had discovered in the temple of the LORD. 25Neither before nor after Josiah was there a king like him who turneds to the LORD as he did—with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his strength, in accordance with all the Law of Moses.t
26Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger,u which burned against Judah because of all that Manassehv had done to arouse his anger. 27So the LORD said, “I will removew Judah also from my presencex as I removed Israel, and I will rejecty Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.’”
28As for the other events of Josiah’s reign, and all he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?
29While Josiah was king, Pharaoh Nechoz king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River to help the king of Assyria. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle, but Necho faced him and killed him at Megiddo.a 30Josiah’s servants brought his body in a chariotb from Megiddo to Jerusalem and buried him in his own tomb. And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.
Jehoahaz King of Judah
23:31-34pp — 2Ch 36:2-4
31Jehoahazc was twenty-three years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Hamutald daughter of Jeremiah; she was from Libnah. 32He did evile in the eyes of the LORD, just as his predecessors had done. 33Pharaoh Necho put him in chains at Riblahf in the land of Hamathg so that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and he imposed on Judah a levy of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34Pharaoh Necho made Eliakimh son of Josiah king in place of his father Josiah and changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt, and there he died.i 35Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho the silver and gold he demanded. In order to do so, he taxed the land and exacted the silver and gold from the people of the land according to their assessments.j
Jehoiakim King of Judah
23:36–24:6pp — 2Ch 36:5-8
36Jehoiakimk was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years. His mother’s name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah; she was from Rumah. 37And he did evill in the eyes of the LORD, just as his predecessors had done.
1 1:8 Or He was a hairy man
2 1:17 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram
1 3:1 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verse 6
2 3:11 That is, he was Elijah’s personal servant.
1 5:1 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verses 3,6,7,11 and 27.
2 5:5 That is, about 750 pounds or about 340 kilograms
3 5:5 That is, about 150 pounds or about 69 kilograms
4 5:22 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
1 6:25 That is, about 2 pounds or about 920 grams
2 6:25 That is, probably about 1/4 pound or about 100 grams
4 6:25 That is, about 2 ounces or about 58 grams
1 7:1 That is, probably about 12 pounds or about 5.5 kilograms of flour; also in verses 16 and 18
2 7:1 That is, about 2/5 ounce or about 12 grams; also in verses 16 and 18
3 7:1 That is, probably about 20 pounds or about 9 kilograms of barley; also in verses 16 and 18
4 7:3 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin; also in verse 8.
1 8:10 The Hebrew may also be read Go and say, ‘You will certainly not recover,’ for.
2 8:21 Hebrew Joram, a variant of Jehoram; also in verses 23 and 24
3 8:29 Hebrew Ramah, a variant of Ramoth
1 9:8 Or Israel—every ruler or leader
2 9:15 Hebrew Jehoram, a variant of Joram; also in verses 17 and 21-24
4 9:27 Or fled by way of the garden house
5 9:31 Or “Was there peace for Zimri, who murdered his master?”
1 10:1 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts and Vulgate of the city
1 11:2 Hebrew Joram, a variant of Jehoram
2 11:8 Or approaches the precincts
3 11:15 Or out from the precincts
4 11:21 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash
5 11:21 In Hebrew texts this verse (11:21) is numbered 12:1.
1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-21 is numbered 12:2-22.
2 12:1 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash; also in verses 2,4,6,7 and 18
3 12:16 Or purification offerings
1 13:6 That is, a wooden symbol of the goddess Asherah; here and elsewhere in 2 Kings
2 13:9 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 12-14 and 25
1 14:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 13,23 and 27
3 14:13 That is, about 600 feet or about 180 meters
4 14:21 Also called Uzziah
5 14:25 Hebrew the Sea of the Arabah
6 14:26 Or Israel was suffering. They were without a ruler or leader, and
1 15:1 Also called Uzziah; also in verses 6,7,8,17,23 and 27
2 15:5 The Hebrew for leprosy was used for various diseases affecting the skin.
3 15:5 Or in a house where he was relieved of responsibilities
4 15:10 Hebrew; some Septuagint manuscripts in Ibleam
6 15:19 Also called Tiglath-Pileser
7 15:19 That is, about 38 tons or about 34 metric tons
8 15:20 That is, about 1 1/4 pounds or about 575 grams
2 16:18 Or the dais of his throne (see Septuagint)
1 17:4 So is probably an abbreviation for Osorkon.
1 18:2 Hebrew Abi, a variant of Abijah
2 18:4 Nehushtan sounds like the Hebrew for both bronze and snake.
3 18:14 That is, about 11 tons or about 10 metric tons
4 18:14 That is, about 1 ton or about 1 metric ton
1 19:9 That is, the upper Nile region
1 22:17 Or by everything they have done
2 22:19 That is, their names would be used in cursing (see Jer. 29:22); or, others would see that they are cursed.
1 23:11 The meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
3 23:33 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
4 23:33 That is, about 75 pounds or about 34 kilograms
1:1 After Ahab’s death. See 1Ki 22:37; see also Jos 1:1; Jdg 1:1; 2Sa 1:1 and notes. Moab rebelled. Moab had been brought into subjection by David (2Sa 8:2), but when the northern and Transjordan tribes rebelled and made Jeroboam their king, political domination of Moab probably also shifted to the northern kingdom. An inscription of Mesha king of Moab (see photo and chart) indicates that during the reign of Omri’s “son” (probably a reference to his grandson Joram, not to Ahab) the Moabites were able to free the area of Medeba from Israelite control (see map).
1:2 Ahaziah. See 1Ki 22:51–53. Baal-Zebub. One of the chief gods of the Philistines (see note on Jdg 10:6). Ekron. The northernmost of the five major Philistine cities (see Jos 13:3; 1Sa 5:10 and notes). if I will recover. Ahaziah appears to have feared that his injury would be fatal. He turned to the pagan deity for a revelatory message, not for healing.
1:3 angel of the LORD. See 1Ki 19:7; see also note on Ge 16:7. The Lord usually spoke directly to the consciousness of the prophet (1Ki 17:2, 8; 18:1; 19:9; 21:17). Perhaps the means of revelation was changed in this instance to heighten the contrast between the messengers of Ahaziah (vv. 2–3,5) and the angel (which means “messenger”) of the Lord. Elijah the Tishbite. See note on 1Ki 17:1. king of Samaria. See note on 1Ki 21:1.
1:4 You will certainly die! Ahaziah will receive the message he sought, but it will come from the Lord through Elijah, not from Baal-Zebub.
1:5 Why have you come back? Ahaziah realized the messengers could not have traveled so quickly to Ekron and back.
1:8 garment of hair. Elijah’s cloak (1Ki 19:19) was probably of sheepskin or camel’s hair, tied with a simple leather strap (cf. Mt 3:4). His dress contrasted sharply with the fine linen clothing (Jer 13:1) of his wealthy contemporaries and constituted a protest against the materialistic attitudes of the king and the upper classes (cf. Mt 11:7–8; Lk 7:24–25). That was Elijah the Tishbite. Ahaziah was familiar with Elijah’s appearance because of the prophet’s many encounters with Ahab, his father. See 1Ki 17:1 and note.
1:9–12 The judgment in these verses may seem harsh, but by this time Elijah was well enough known in Israel that any military captain and his soldiers would have realized they were countering the word of the Lord by going against his prophet.
1:10 fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men. Another link between the ministries of Elijah and Moses (Lev 10:2; Nu 16:35). At stake in this incident was the question of who was sovereign in Israel. Would Ahaziah recognize that the king in Israel was only a vice-regent under the authority and kingship of the Lord, or would he exercise despotic power, like pagan kings (see notes on 1Sa 12:14–15)? At Mount Carmel the Lord had revealed himself and authenticated his prophet by fire from heaven (1Ki 18:38–39). Now this previous revelation is confirmed to Ahaziah.
1:11 the king sent to Elijah another captain. Ahaziah refused to submit to the word of the Lord in spite of the dramatic revelation of God’s power.
1:13 fell on his knees before Elijah. The third captain, recognizing that Elijah was the bearer of the word of the Lord, feared for his life and bowed before him with a humble request.
1:15 The angel of the LORD said to Elijah. See note on v. 3.
1:17 died, according to the word of the LORD. In the end Ahaziah was punished for turning away from the God of Israel to a pagan deity, and the word of the Lord was shown to be both reliable and beyond the power of the king to annul. Joram. Ahaziah’s younger brother (3:1; 1Ki 22:51). second year of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat. Jehoram’s reign overlapped that of his father, Jehoshaphat, from 853 to 848 bc (see note on 8:16; see also chart). The reference here is to the second year of that coregency. The 18th year of Jehoshaphat (3:1) is therefore the same as the second year of Jehoram’s coregency (852).
2:1 Gilgal. Probably not the well-known town west of the Jordan River, since they “went down” from it to Bethel (v. 2; see also 4:38); rather, it is more likely the Gilgal located some eight miles north of Bethel.
2:2 I will not leave you. Elisha was aware that Elijah’s ministry was almost finished and that his departure was near (v. 5). He was determined to accompany him until the moment the Lord took him. His commitment to Elijah and to Elijah’s ministry was unfailing (v. 9; 1Ki 19:21).
2:3 company. See note on 1Ki 20:35. During the days of Elijah and Elisha, companies of prophets were located at Bethel (here), Jericho (v. 5) and Gilgal (4:38). It appears that Elijah journeyed by divine instruction to Gilgal (v. 1), Bethel (v. 2) and Jericho (v. 4) for a last meeting with each of these companies.
2:7 Fifty men. Witnesses of the miracle by which Elijah and Elisha crossed the river.
2:8 Elijah took his cloak . . . and struck the water with it. Elijah used his cloak much as Moses had used his staff at the time of Israel’s passage through the Red Sea (Ex 14:16, 21,26).
2:9 Let me inherit a double portion. Elisha was not expressing a desire for a ministry twice as great as Elijah’s, but he was using terms derived from inheritance law to express his desire to carry on Elijah’s ministry. Inheritance law assigned a double portion of a father’s possessions to the firstborn son (see Dt 21:17 and note).
2:10 difficult thing. Although Elijah had previously been told to anoint Elisha as his successor (1Ki 19:16,19–21), Elijah’s response clearly showed that the issue rested solely with the Lord’s sovereign good pleasure. if you see me . . . it will be yours—otherwise, it will not. Elijah left the answer to Elisha’s request in the Lord’s hands.
2:11 chariot of fire and horses of fire. The Lord’s heavenly host has accompanied and supported Elijah’s ministry (as it had that of Moses; see Ex 15:1–10), and now at his departure Elisha is allowed to see it (cf. 6:17). Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind. Elijah, like Enoch before him (see Ge 5:24 and note), was “taken” (vv. 9–10) to heaven bodily without experiencing death; like Moses (Dt 34:4–6), he was outside the promised land when he was taken away.
2:12 chariots and horsemen of Israel! Elisha depicted Elijah as embodying the true strength of the nation. He, rather than the apostate king, is the Lord’s representative. The same description was later used of Elisha (see 13:14 and note). tore it. See Ge 44:13 and note.
2:13 Elisha . . . picked up Elijah’s cloak. See note on v. 8. Possession of Elijah’s cloak symbolized Elisha’s succession to Elijah’s ministry (1Ki 19:19).
2:14 When he struck the water, it divided. See v. 8. The Lord authenticated Elisha’s succession to Elijah’s ministry and demonstrated that the same divine power that had accompanied Elijah’s ministry was now operative in the ministry of Elisha. In crossing the Jordan as Joshua had before him, Elisha is shown to be Elijah’s “Joshua” (Elisha and Joshua are very similar names, Elisha meaning “God saves” and Joshua “The LORD saves”).
2:15 bowed to the ground before him. Indicated their recognition of Elisha’s succession to Elijah’s position. Elisha was now the Lord’s official representative in this time of royal apostasy.
2:16 Perhaps the Spirit of the LORD has picked him up and set him down. Obadiah expressed the same idea years earlier (1Ki 18:12). do not send them. Elisha knew their search would be fruitless.
2:17 too embarrassed. Under pressure to allow the prophets to send men to look for Elijah, Elisha no longer had the heart to say no. Send them. When the company of prophets refused to be satisfied with Elisha’s answer, he permitted them to go so that the authority and truth of his words would be confirmed to them.
2:20 new bowl. That which was to be used in the service of the Lord was to be undefiled by profane use (Lev 1:3, 10; Nu 19:2; Dt 21:3; 1Sa 6:7). put salt in it. Elisha may have used salt because of its known preservative qualities, but it is more likely that he used it to symbolize the covenant faithfulness of the Lord (see note on Nu 18:19; see also 2Ch 13:5).
2:21 I have healed this water. Any idea of a magical effect of the salt in the purification of the water is excluded by the explicit statement that the Lord himself healed (purified) the water. In this symbolic way Elisha was able, as the first act of his ministry, to proclaim to the people that in spite of their disobedience the Lord was merciful and was still reaching out to them in his grace (13:23).
2:23 Get out of here. Since Bethel was the royal religious center of the northern kings (1Ki 12:29; Am 7:13) and Elijah and Elisha were known to frequent Samaria (perhaps even as their main residence; see note on 5:3), the youths (see 1Ki 11:17 and note) from Bethel no doubt assumed that Elisha was going up to Samaria to continue Elijah’s struggle against royal apostasy. baldy! Baldness was viewed negatively and luxuriant hair seems to have been viewed as a sign of strength and vigor (see note on 2Sa 14:26). By calling Elisha “baldy,” the youths from Bethel expressed that city’s utter disdain for the Lord’s representative, who, they felt, had no power.
2:24 called down a curse on them in the name of the LORD. Elisha pronounced a curse similar to the covenant curse of Lev 26:21–22. This is not a petty act of vindictiveness; it is a warning of the judgment that would come on the entire nation should it persist in disobedience and apostasy (2Ch 36:16). Thus Elisha’s first acts were indicative of his ministry that would follow: God’s covenant blessings would come to those who looked to him (vv. 19–22), but God’s covenant curses would fall on those who turned away from him (cf. 1Ki 19:17 and note).
3:1 Joram son of Ahab became king . . . in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat. See note on 1:17. twelve years. 852–841 bc.
3:2 not as his father and mother had done. Not as Ahab (see notes on 1Ki 16:30–34) and Jezebel (1Ki 18:4; 19:1–2; 21:7–15). sacred stone of Baal that his father had made. Apparently a reference to the stone representation of the male deity (see note on 1Ki 14:23) that Ahab placed in the temple he had constructed for Jezebel in Samaria (1Ki 16:32–33). From 10:27 it appears that this stone was later reinstated, perhaps by Jezebel, then destroyed by Jehu.
3:3 sins of Jeroboam . . . he had caused Israel to commit. See note on 1Ki 14:16.
3:4 Mesha king of Moab. See note on 1:1. a hundred thousand lambs and the wool of a hundred thousand rams. The heavy annual tribute (Isa 16:1) that Israel required from the Moabites as a vassal state.
3:5 king of Moab rebelled. See note on 1:1.
3:7 Will you go with me to fight against Moab? Joram wished to attack Moab from the rear (v. 8), but to do that his army had to pass through Judah. I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses. See 1Ki 22:4. Jehoshaphat had already been condemned by prophets of the Lord for his alliance with the northern kings Ahab (2Ch 18:1; 19:1–2) and Ahaziah (2Ch 20:35–37), yet he agreed to join with Joram against Moab. Perhaps he was disturbed by the potential danger to Judah posed by the growing strength of Moab (2Ch 20), and he may have considered Joram less evil than his predecessors (v. 2).
3:8 Through the Desert of Edom. This route of attack took the armies of Israel and Judah south of the Dead Sea, enabling them to circumvent the fortifications of Moab’s northern frontier and to avoid the possibility of a rearguard action against them by the Arameans of Damascus. The Edomites, who were subject to Judah, were in no position to resist the movement of Israel’s army through their territory.
3:9 king of Edom. Although here designated a king, he was in reality a governor appointed by Jehoshaphat (8:20; 1Ki 22:47).
3:11 Is there no prophet of the LORD here . . . ? See 1Ki 22:7. Only after the apparent failure of their own strategies did the three rulers seek the word of the Lord (v. 12). Elisha son of Shaphat is here. Since Elijah is reported to have sent a letter to Jehoshaphat’s son Jehoram after his father’s death (2Ch 21:12–15), it seems that Elisha accompanied the armies on this campaign as the representative of the aged Elijah. The event is narrated here after the account of Elisha’s initiation as Elijah’s successor and the two events that foreshadowed the character of his ministry. Following this introduction to Elisha’s ministry, the present episode is topically associated with the series of Elisha’s acts that now occupies the narrative.
3:13 Go to the prophets of your father and . . . mother. See 1Ki 22:6.
3:14 if I did not have respect for . . . Jehoshaphat . . . I would not pay any attention to you. Joram will share in the blessing of the word of God only because of his association with Jehoshaphat.
3:15 bring me a harpist. Perhaps to create a disposition conducive to receiving the word of the Lord. hand of the LORD. See note on Eze 1:3.
3:16 this valley. The Israelite armies were encamped in the broad valley (the Arabah) between the highlands of Moab on the east and those of Judah on the west, just south of the Dead Sea.
3:17 will be filled with water. The word of the Lord contained a promise and a directive. The Lord will graciously provide for his people, but they must respond to his word in faith and obedience (v. 16).
3:19 The two armies will devastate the rebellious country.
3:20 time for offering. See Ex 29:38–39; Nu 28:3–4. water flowing from the direction of Edom. Flash floods in the distant mountains of Edom caused water to flow north through the broad, usually dry, valley that sloped toward the Dead Sea (see note on v. 16).
3:23 Those kings must have . . . slaughtered each other. The Moabites would have good reason to suspect that an internal conflict had arisen between the parties of an alliance whose members had previously been mutually hostile.
3:25 Kir Hareseth. The capital city of Moab (Isa 16:7, 11; Jer 48:31,36), usually identified with present-day Kerak, located about 11 miles east of the Dead Sea and 15 miles south of the Arnon River (see map).
3:26 break through to the king of Edom. A desperate attempt by the king of Moab to induce Edom to turn against Israel and Judah.
3:27 offered him as a sacrifice on the city wall. King Mesha offered his oldest son, the crown prince, as a burnt offering (16:3; Jer 7:31) to the Moabite god Chemosh (1Ki 11:7; Nu 21:29; Jer 48:46) in an attempt to induce the deity to come to his aid. The fury against Israel was great. It seems that just when total victory appeared to be in Israel’s grasp, God’s displeasure with the Ahab dynasty showed itself in some way that caused the Israelite kings to give up the campaign.
4:1 company of the prophets. See notes on 2:3; 1Ki 20:35. take my two boys as his slaves. Servitude as a means of debt payment by labor was permitted in the Mosaic law (Ex 21:1–2; Lev 25:39–41; Dt 15:1–11). It appears that the practice was much abused (Ne 5:5, 8; Am 2:6; 8:6), even though the law limited the term of such bondage and required that those so held be treated as hired workers.
4:4 shut the door behind you and your sons. The impending miracle was not intended to be a public sensation but to demonstrate privately God’s mercy and grace to this widow (cf. Ps 68:5). She did not hesitate to respond in faith and obedience to the instructions of the Lord’s prophet.
4:9 holy man of God. The woman recognized that Elisha was a person set apart to the Lord’s work in a very special sense (see note on Ex 3:5). Nowhere else in the OT is the term “holy” applied to a prophet.
4:10 he can stay there whenever he comes to us. By her hospitality the woman was able to assist in sustaining the proclamation of God’s word through Elisha.
4:12 Gehazi. Referred to here for the first time; he appears to have served Elisha in some of the same ways as Elisha had served Elijah, though the two men were of drastically different character (5:19–27; 6:15).
4:13 I have a home among my own people. The Shunammite woman felt secure and content in the community of her own family and tribe, and she had no need or desire for favors from high government officials.
4:14 She has no son, and her husband is old. A great disappointment because it meant that the family’s name would cease and its land and possessions would pass on to others. It was also a great threat to this young wife’s future in that she faced the likelihood of many years as a widow with no provider or protector—children were a widow’s only social security in old age (see 8:1–6; see also note on 1Ki 17:22).
4:16 About this time next year. See Ge 17:21; 18:14. man of God, don’t mislead your servant! The woman’s response revealed the depths of her desire for a son and her fear of disappointment.
4:17 just as Elisha had told her. The trustworthiness of Elisha’s word was confirmed, and the birth of the son was shown to be the result of God’s gracious intervention in her behalf.
4:20 he died. The child, given as an evidence of God’s grace and the reliability of his word, was suddenly taken from the woman in a severe test of her faith. Her subsequent actions demonstrate the strength of her faith in the face of great calamity.
4:21 laid him on the bed of the man of God. In this way the woman concealed the child’s death from the rest of the household while she went to seek the prophet at whose word the child had been born.
4:26 Everything is all right. The woman was determined to share her distress with no one but the prophet from whom she had received the promise of the birth of her son.
4:28 Didn’t I tell you, ‘Don’t raise my hopes’? The woman struggled with the question of why the Lord would take from her that which she had been given as a special demonstration of his grace and the trustworthiness of his word.
4:29 Lay my staff on the boy’s face. It appears that Elisha expected the Lord to restore the boy’s life when the staff was placed on him. This does not suggest that Elisha attributed magical power to the staff but that he viewed it as a representation of his own presence and a symbol of divine power (see note on 2:8; cf. Ex 14:16; Ac 19:12).
4:30 I will not leave you. The woman was not convinced that Gehazi’s mission would be successful and insisted that Elisha himself accompany her to Shunem.
4:33 shut the door on the two of them and prayed. Just as Elijah had done in a similar situation years before (1Ki 17:20–22), Elisha first turned to the Lord in earnest prayer for restoration of life to the dead child. His prayer is clear evidence that his subsequent actions were not intended as a magical means of restoring life.
4:34 lay on the boy. See note on 1Ki 17:21. Perhaps Elisha was familiar with the earlier similar action of Elijah.
4:37 fell at his feet and bowed to the ground. The woman gratefully acknowledged the special favor granted to her by the Lord through Elisha, and silently reaffirmed the verbal confession of the widow of Zarephath (1Ki 17:24).
4:38 Gilgal. See note on 2:1. famine in that region. Perhaps the same famine mentioned in 8:1. Famine was a covenant curse (Lev 26:19–20, 26; Dt 28:18,23–24; 1Ki 8:36–37) and evidence of God’s anger with his people’s disobedience to their covenant obligations. company of the prophets. See note on 2:3.
4:41 flour. The flour itself did not make the stew edible (see 2:21 and note). It was simply a means by which the Lord provided for those who were faithful to the covenant, at a time when others suffered under the covenant curse.
4:42–44 The bread was multiplied at the word of the Lord through Elisha, anticipating Jesus’ even greater miracles of feeding the 5000 and the 4000 (Mk 6:30–44, 8:1–10).
5:1 king of Aram. Probably Ben-Hadad II (see notes on 8:7; 13:3; 1Ki 20:1). the LORD had given victory to Aram. Probably a reference to an otherwise undocumented Aramean victory over the Assyrians in the aftermath of the battle of Qarqar in 853 bc (see note on 1Ki 22:1). In the narrator’s theological perspective, this victory is attributable to the sovereignty of the God of Israel, who is seen as the ruler and controller of the destinies of all nations, not just that of Israel (Eze 30:24; Am 2:1–3; 9:7).
5:2 bands of raiders from Aram. Although Israel had concluded a peace treaty with the Arameans during the reign of Ahab (1Ki 20:34), minor border skirmishes continued between the two states in the aftermath of the battle for control of Ramoth Gilead, in which Ahab had been killed (see note on 1Ki 22:4; see also 1Ki 22:35). young girl from Israel. In sharp contrast to the Israelite king in Samaria, this young girl held captive in Damascus was very much aware of God’s saving presence with his people through his servant Elisha, and she selflessly shared that knowledge with her Aramean captors. The Hebrew phrase for “young girl” allows for a wide latitude in age, from infancy to young adulthood.
5:3 prophet who is in Samaria. Elisha, who maintained a residence in Samaria (v. 9; 2:25; 6:19).
5:5 I will send a letter to the king of Israel. The border skirmishes had not nullified the official peace between the two nations as established by treaty. The king of Israel was Joram (1:17; 3:1; 9:24). ten talents of silver. See NIV text note. An idea of the relative value of this amount of silver can be seen by comparing it with the price Omri paid for the hill of Samaria (1Ki 16:24).
5:6 so that you may cure him of his leprosy. Ben-Hadad (king of Aram) assumed that the prophet described by the Israelite slave girl was subject to the authority of the king and that his services could be bought with a sufficiently large gift. He thought he could buy with worldly wealth one of the chief blessings of God’s saving presence among his people.
5:7 he is trying to pick a quarrel with me! Joram concluded that the entire incident was an attempt by Ben-Hadad to create a pretext for a declaration of war. So blind was the king to God’s saving presence through Elisha that he could think only of international intrigue.
5:8 Why have you torn your robes? Elisha chided Joram for his fear (see note on 1Sa 17:11) and for his failure to consult the Lord’s prophet (see 3:13–14 for evidence of the tension that existed between Joram and Elisha).
5:9 with his horses and chariots. This proud military leader thought he could command the healing by his mighty presence.
5:10 wash yourself seven times in the Jordan. The instruction is designed to demonstrate to Naaman that healing would come by the power of the God of Israel, but only if he obeyed the word of the Lord’s prophet. Ritual washings were practiced among Eastern religions as a purification rite, and the number seven was generally known as a symbol of completeness.
5:11 wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Naaman expected to be healed by the magical technique of the prophet rather than by the power of God operative in connection with his own obedient response to God’s word.
5:12 Abana and Pharpar. The Abana was termed the Golden River by the Greeks. It is usually identified with the Barada River of today, rising in the Anti-Lebanon mountains and flowing through the city of Damascus. The Pharpar River flows east from Mount Hermon just to the south of Damascus (see map).
5:14 his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. Physically he was reborn (see also v. 15 and note). As he obeyed God’s word, Naaman received the gift of God’s grace. Naaman is here a sign to disobedient Israel that God’s blessing is found only in the path of trustful obedience. When his own people turn away from covenant faithfulness, God will raise up those who will follow his word from outside the covenant nation (see notes on 1Ki 17:9–24; see also Mt 8:10–12; Lk 4:27).
5:15 Now I know. Contrast Naaman’s anger in v. 11. no God in all the world except in Israel. Naaman’s confession put to shame the Israelites who continued to waver in their opinion on whether Baal and the Lord (Yahweh) were both gods or whether Yahweh alone was God (see note on 1Ki 18:21).
5:16 I will not accept a thing. Elisha did not seek monetary gain for proclaiming the word of the Lord (Mt 10:8). Naaman was healed solely by divine grace, not by the power of Elisha.
5:17 let me . . . be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry. In the ancient world it was commonly thought that a deity could be worshiped only on the soil of the nation to which he was bound (v. 15). For this reason Naaman wanted to take Israelite soil with him in order to have a place in Damascus for the worship of the Lord.
5:18 my master. Ben-Hadad, king of Aram. Rimmon. Also known as Hadad (and in Canaan and Phoenicia as Baal), this Aramean deity was the god of storm (“Rimmon” means “thunderer”) and war. The two names were sometimes combined (see note on Zec 12:11).
5:19 Go in peace. Elisha did not directly address Naaman’s problem of conscience (v. 18), but commended him to the leading and grace of God as he returned to his pagan environment and official responsibilities.
5:20 As surely as the LORD lives. An oath formula (see note on 1Sa 14:39,45).
5:22 company of the prophets. See note on 2:3. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing. Gehazi deceived Naaman in order to satisfy his desire for material gain. The evil of his lie was compounded in that it obscured the gracious character of the Lord’s work in Naaman’s healing and blurred the distinction between Elisha’s function as a true prophet of the Lord and the self-serving actions of false prophets and pagan soothsayers.
5:24 house. Presumably of Elisha (v. 9).
5:26 Is this the time to take money . . . ? Gehazi sought to use the grace of God granted to another individual for his own material advantage. This was equivalent to making merchandise of God’s grace (see note on 2Co 2:17). “Money” here and elsewhere in 2 Kings refers to gold or silver in various weights, not to coins, which were a later invention. clothes . . . female slaves. Evidently what Gehazi secretly hoped to acquire with the two talents of silver (see note on v. 5).
5:27 leprosy. See NIV text note on v. 1; for leprosy as judgment, see Nu 12:10 (Miriam) and 2Ch 26:16–23 (Uzziah). to you and to your descendants forever. For the extension of punishment to the children of an offender of God’s law, see Ex 20:5 and note; see also note on Jos 7:24. white as snow. See Ex 4:6; cf. Nu 12:10.
6:1 company of the prophets. See note on 2:3.
6:2 a place there for us to meet. Referring to some type of assembly hall. It is implied in 4:1–7 that there were separate dwellings for the members of the prophetic companies to live in (see note on 1Sa 19:18).
6:5 It was borrowed. At that time an iron axhead was a costly tool, too expensive for the members of the prophetic company to purchase. Having lost it, the borrower faced the prospect of having to work off the value as a bondservant.
6:6 Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float. The Lord demonstrated here his concern for the welfare of his faithful ones. Making the axhead float also demonstrated God’s power over Baal, the supposed god of rivers.
6:8 king of Aram. Probably Ben-Hadad II (see note on 5:1). war with Israel. A reference to border clashes rather than full-scale hostility (see v. 23; see also note on 5:2). Some indication of Israelite weakness and Aramean strength is seen in the ability of the Arameans to send forces to Dothan (only about 11 miles north of Samaria) without apparent difficulty (vv. 13–14).
6:9 man of God. Elisha (v. 10). king of Israel. Probably Joram (1:17; 3:1; 9:24).
6:11 Which of us is on the side of the king of Israel? Repeated evidence that Israel possessed advance knowledge of Aramean military plans led the king of Aram to suspect that there was a traitor among his top officials.
6:13 capture him. The king of Aram thought he could eliminate Elisha’s influence by denying him contact with Israel’s king. Dothan. Located on a hill about halfway between Jezreel and Samaria, where the main royal residences were (1:2; 3:1; 8:29; 9:15; 10:1; 1Ki 21:1; see map).
6:16 Those who are with us are more than those who are with them. Elisha knew that there was greater strength in the unseen reality of the hosts of heaven than in the visible reality of the Aramean forces (2Ch 32:7–8; Ps 34:7; 1Jn 4:4).
6:17 saw the hills full of horses and chariots. In response to Elisha’s prayer, his servant was able to see the protecting might of the heavenly hosts gathered around Elisha (see Ge 32:1–2; Ps 34:7; 91:11–12; Mt 18:10; 26:53; see also note on 2Ki 2:11).
6:18 Strike this army with blindness. Elisha had prayed for the eyes of his servant to be opened to the unseen reality of the heavenly hosts; now he prays for the eyes of the Aramean soldiers to be closed to earthly reality (Ge 19:11).
6:19 This is not the road and this is not the city. Elisha’s statement led the Aramean soldiers to believe that they were being directed to the city where Elisha could be found. Technically this statement was not an untruth, since Elisha accompanied them to Samaria, luring the Aramean soldiers into a trap inside Samaria, the fortress-like capital city of the northern kingdom (see Ex 1:19–20; Jos 2:6; 1Sa 16:1–2 for other instances of deception recorded in the OT).
6:20 there they were, inside Samaria. The power of the Lord operative through Elisha turned the intended captors into captives.
6:21 king of Israel. Joram (see note on v. 9).
6:22 Do not kill them. In reality the Aramean soldiers had been taken captive by the power of the Lord, not by Joram’s military prowess. The Lord’s purpose was to demonstrate to them and their king and to the Israelites and their king that Israel’s national security ultimately was grounded in the Lord, not in military forces or strategies.
6:23 bands from Aram stopped raiding Israel’s territory. See notes on v. 8; 5:2. Temporarily the Arameans recognized the futility of opposition to the power of the God of Israel.
6:24 Ben-Hadad. The same Ben-Hadad II who had besieged Samaria on a previous occasion (see note on 1Ki 20:1). This siege is probably to be dated c. 850 bc.
6:25 donkey’s head. According to Pentateuchal law the donkey was unclean and not to be eaten (Lev 11:2–7; Dt 14:4–8). The severity of the famine caused the inhabitants of Samaria to disregard the laws of uncleanness. Even the less desirable parts of an unclean animal were valuable. eighty shekels of silver. See NIV text note; see also note on 5:5.
6:27 If the LORD does not help you, where can I get help for you? Joram correctly recognized his own inability to assist the woman if the Lord himself did not act in Israel’s behalf.
6:28 tomorrow we’ll eat my son. The sins of the king and people were so great that the covenant curses of Lev 26:29 and Dt 28:53,57 were being inflicted (cf. La 4:10).
6:30 tore his robes. More an expression of anger toward Elisha and the Lord (v. 31) than one of repentance and sorrow for the sins that had provoked the covenant curse. sackcloth. A coarse cloth usually worn as a sign of mourning (see notes on Ge 37:34; Rev 11:3).
6:31 May God deal with me, be it ever so severely. A curse formula (see note on 1Sa 3:17). if the head of Elisha . . . remains on his shoulders today! Joram considered Elisha in some way responsible for the conditions in the city. Cf. Ahab’s attitude toward Elijah (1Ki 18:10, 16–17; 21:20).
6:32 elders. Leaders of the city (see notes on Ex 3:16; 2Sa 3:17). They sit with Elisha rather than with the king.
6:33 Why should I wait for the LORD any longer? Joram felt himself deceived by Elisha and abandoned by the Lord, whom he blamed for the disastrous conditions in the city.
7:1 a seah of the finest flour will sell for a shekel. See NIV text notes. This was about double the normal cost of flour, but a phenomenal improvement over the highly inflated prices the famine had caused.
7:3 entrance of the city gate. Pentateuchal law excluded persons with defiling skin diseases from residence in the community (Lev 13:46; Nu 5:2–3).
7:6 the Lord had caused the Arameans to hear the sound. See 2Sa 5:24 and note. Hittite . . . kings. Kings of small city-states ruled by dynasties of Hittite origin, which had arisen in northern Aram after the fall of the Hittite Empire c. 1200 bc.
7:12 what the Arameans have done to us. Joram’s unbelief caused him to conclude that the report of the four leprous men was part of an Aramean war strategy rather than an evidence of the fulfillment of Elisha’s prophecy (v. 1).
7:16–20 as the LORD had said . . . as the man of God had foretold . . . as the man of God had said . . . that is exactly what happened to him. Emphasizing the trustworthiness of the prophetic word spoken by Elisha. In the fulfillment of Elisha’s prophecy Israel was reminded that deliverance from their enemies was a gift of God’s grace and that rejection of God’s word provoked the wrath of divine judgment.
8:1 the LORD has decreed a famine. The famine should have been perceived by the people of the northern kingdom as a covenant curse sent on them because of their sin (see note on 4:38). seven years. It is not clear whether this famine began before or after the Aramean siege of Samaria (4:38; 6:24—7:20).
8:3 went to . . . the king. See note on 1Ki 3:16. appeal . . . for her house and land. Either someone had illegally occupied the woman’s property during her absence, or it had fallen to the domain of the king by virtue of its abandonment.
8:4 Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done. The king’s lack of familiarity with Elisha’s ministry is perhaps an indication that this incident occurred in the early days of the reign of Jehu rather than in the time of Joram, who had had numerous contacts with Elisha (3:13–14; 5:7–10; 6:10–23; 6:24—7:20). But see note on 5:7.
8:6 Give back everything that belonged to her. The widow and her son were living examples of the Lord’s provision and blessing for those who were obedient to the word of the Lord through his prophets.
8:7 Elisha went to Damascus. The time had come for Elisha to carry out one of the three tasks originally given to Elijah at Mount Horeb (see notes on 1Ki 19:15–16). The annals of the Assyrian ruler Shalmaneser III record Assyrian victories over Ben-Hadad II (Hadadezer) of Damascus in 846 bc and Hazael of Damascus in 842. Elisha’s visit to Damascus is to be dated c. 843.
8:8 Consult the LORD through him. In a reversal of the situation described in 1:1–4, a pagan king seeks a message from Israel’s God. Will I recover . . . ? The question is the same as that of Ahaziah in 1:2.
8:9 forty camel-loads of all the finest wares of Damascus. Damascus was the center for trade between Egypt, Asia Minor and Mesopotamia. Ben-Hadad evidently thought a generous gift would favorably influence Elisha’s message (cf. Naaman’s gift in 5:5). Your son Ben-Hadad. Use of father-son terminology is a tacit acknowledgment by Ben-Hadad of Elisha’s superiority (6:21; 1Sa 25:8).
8:10 You will certainly recover. An assertion that Ben-Hadad’s illness was not terminal. in fact die. By the hand of Hazael (vv. 14–15).
8:12 harm you will do to the Israelites. The Lord gave Elisha a clear picture of the severity of the judgment he was about to send on Israel by the hand of Hazael (9:14–16; 10:32; 12:17–18; 13:3,22). rip open their pregnant women. This vicious act was often carried out by victorious armies at that time (15:16; Hos 13:16; Am 1:13). Such an atrocity likely was intended to make sure that no male children would be born to provide a remnant of the conquered people, which could rise up again and reclaim the land. Elisha’s prophetic words are accompanied by his grief over the harm Hazael will inflict on Israel, indicating that God in no way sanctions it.
8:13 How could your servant, a mere dog, accomplish such a feat? See 2Sa 9:8 and note. Hazael did not show repulsion at these violent acts but saw no possibility to gain the power necessary to accomplish them. you will become king of Aram. Elisha’s prophecy suggests that Hazael was not a legitimate successor to Ben-Hadad. In an Assyrian inscription Hazael is designated “the son of a nobody” (i.e., a commoner) who usurped the throne.
8:15 died. Elisha’s prophecy of Hazael’s kingship did not legitimize the assassination. Hazael’s murder of Ben-Hadad, as well as his future acts of violence against Israel, were wicked acts arising out of his own sinful heart (Isa 10:5–19). He was followed by a son he named Ben-Hadad III (13:24).
8:16 fifth year of Joram. 848 bc. Jehoram had been coregent with his father since 853 (see note on 1:17), but he now began his reign as sole king (see chart).
8:17 reigned in Jerusalem eight years. Jehoram’s sole reign is to be dated 848–841 bc.
8:18 as the house of Ahab had done. Jehoram introduced Baal worship in Judah, as Ahab had done in the northern kingdom (11:18). Baal worship now spread to the southern kingdom at the same time it was being restricted in the northern kingdom by Ahab’s son Joram (3:1–2). married a daughter of Ahab. Jehoram’s wife was Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab but probably not of Jezebel (v. 26; 2Ch 18:1). Athaliah’s influence on Jehoram paralleled that of Jezebel on Ahab (1Ki 16:31; 18:4; 19:1–2; 2Ch 21:6).
8:19 lamp for David. See note on 1Ki 11:36; see also Ps 132:17. The Lord spared Judah and its royal house the judgment he brought on the house of Ahab because of the covenant he had made with David (2Sa 7:16, 29; 2Ch 21:7).
8:20 set up its own king. Previously Edom had been subject to Judah and had been ruled by a deputy (see note on 3:9; see also 1Ki 22:47).
8:22 To this day. Until the time of the writing of the account of Jehoram’s reign used by the author of 1,2 Kings (see Introduction to 1 Kings: Author, Sources and Date; see also note on 1Ki 8:8). Later, Amaziah of Judah was able to inflict a serious defeat on Edom (14:7), and his successor Azariah regained control of the trade route to Elath through Edomite territory (14:22; 2Ch 26:2). Libnah revolted at the same time. Libnah appears to have been located close to the Philistine border near Lachish (19:8). It is likely that this revolt was connected with that of the Philistines and Arabs described in 2Ch 21:16–17.
8:25 twelfth year of Joram. 841 bc. In 9:29 the first year of Joram’s reign was counted as his accession year and his second year as the first year of his reign, whereas here his accession year was counted as the first year of his reign (see Introduction to 1 Kings: Chronology; see also chart).
8:26 twenty-two years old when he became king. See note on 2Ch 22:2. Athaliah. See note on v. 18.
8:28 Ahaziah went with Joram . . . to war against Hazael . . . at Ramoth Gilead. As Jehoshaphat had joined Ahab in battle against the Arameans at Ramoth Gilead (1Ki 22), so now Ahaziah joined his uncle Joram in a similar venture. On the previous occasion Ahab met his death (1Ki 22:37). On this occasion Joram was wounded and, while recuperating in Jezreel (see note on 1Ki 21:1), both he and his nephew Ahaziah were assassinated by Jehu (9:14–28). Hazael. See note on 1Ki 19:15. He reigned 843–796 bc.
9:1 company of the prophets. See note on 2:3.
9:7 destroy the house of Ahab. Jehu learned that he was the divinely appointed agent to inflict the judgment Elijah had pronounced many years earlier in his own hearing against the house of Ahab (vv. 25–26; 1Ki 21:21–24). blood of all the LORD’s servants shed by Jezebel. See 1Ki 18:4; 21:13.
9:11 this maniac. Prophets often said or did things that seemed crazy to others (cf. 1Sa 21:13–15).
9:15 Jezreel. About 45 miles from Ramoth Gilead. Joram apparently had a summer palace there (see 1Ki 21:1 and note; see also map). don’t let anyone . . . go and tell the news in Jezreel. For the success of Jehu’s revolt and to avoid a civil conflict, it was important to take Joram totally by surprise.
9:16 Ahaziah . . . had gone down to see him. See 8:29.
9:26 in accordance with the word of the LORD. Jehu saw himself providentially placed in the position of fulfilling the prophecy of Elijah given years before (1Ki 21:18–24). Even though Ahab’s own blood was not shed on Naboth’s field (see 1Ki 21:29 and note), Jehu saw in Joram’s death the fulfillment of Elijah’s prophecy (see note on 1Ki 21:19).
9:27 Kill him too! There is no indication that Jehu was justified in extending the purge of Ahab’s house (see Hos 1:4) to the descendants of the house of David through Ahab’s daughter Athaliah (8:18,26).
9:31 Zimri, you murderer of your master. In bitter sarcasm Jezebel called Jehu by the name Zimri. About 45 years earlier Zimri had seized the throne from Elah by assassination and then had destroyed the whole house of Baasha. He ruled, however, for only seven days before Omri seized power (1Ki 16:8–20).
9:36 the word of the LORD that he spoke through his servant Elijah. In the manner of Jezebel’s death the word of the Lord was confirmed—the word she had defied during her life (1Ki 21:23).
10:1 Samaria. In order to consolidate his coup and establish control of the northern kingdom, Jehu still faced the formidable problems of taking the nearly impregnable fortress of Samaria (see note on 1Ki 16:24) and then of completing the destruction of Ahab’s house. seventy sons of the house of Ahab. The 70 could include both sons and grandsons. officials. Officers appointed by the king (1Ki 4:1–6). elders. Local leaders by virtue of their position in the tribal and family structure (see notes on Ex 3:16; 2Sa 3:17).
10:3 fight for your master’s house. Jehu’s strategy was to induce the leaders of Samaria into submission to his rule by bluffing a military confrontation.
10:4 terrified. The leaders of Samaria were completely intimidated by Jehu’s challenge. two kings. Joram and Ahaziah (9:24,27).
10:5 palace administrator. See note on 1Ki 4:6. city governor. Probably an official, appointed by the king, who served as commander of the militia of the capital city. the elders and the guardians. See notes on these in v. 1.
10:6 take the heads of your master’s sons and come to me. The wording of Jehu’s command contains what appears to be a deliberate ambiguity. The “heads of your master’s sons” could be understood as a reference to the leading figures among the 70 descendants of Ahab, such as the crown prince and several other sons of special ability and standing. On the other hand, the expression could be taken as a reference to the literal heads of all 70 princes.
10:7 slaughtered all seventy. The leaders of the city understood the communique in the literal sense, as Jehu most certainly had hoped they would. put their heads in baskets and sent them to Jehu. The leaders of Samaria did not carry the heads of the princes to Jezreel themselves as they had been ordered to do by Jehu (v. 6). It is likely that they feared for their lives.
10:8 Put them in two piles at the entrance of the city gate. To intimidate and warn others. This gruesome procedure imitated the barbaric practice of the Assyrian rulers Ashurnasirpal and Shalmaneser III, whose reigns were characterized by acts of terror.
10:9 It was I who . . . killed him. Jehu openly confessed his own part in the overthrow of the government of Joram. who killed all these? Because of the ambiguous communique Jehu sent to the leaders of Samaria (see note on v. 6), he can now deny any personal responsibility for the slaughter of the 70 sons of Ahab and can lay the blame for it on the leaders of Samaria.
10:10 what he announced through his servant Elijah. See 1Ki 21:20–24,29. Jehu implies a divine sanction not only for what had already been done but also for his intent to continue the purge of Ahab’s house and associates.
10:11 all his chief men, his close friends and his priests. Jehu went beyond the responsibility given to him (9:7; Hos 1:4) and acted solely on grounds of political self-interest. Not everyone who was in the service of Ahab was killed, only his closest advisers. It was common practice in the ancient Near East to kill any rival to the throne.
10:13 relatives of Ahaziah. See 2Ch 21:17. families of the king and of the queen mother. Members of the royal family from Judah who had not yet heard of the deaths of Joram and Jezebel.
10:15 Jehonadab son of Rekab. Jehonadab was the leader of a conservative movement among the Israelites that was characterized by strong opposition to Baalism, as well as to various practices of a settled agricultural society, including the building of houses, the sowing of crops and the use of wine. His followers still adhered to these principles over 200 years later and were known as Rekabites (Jer 35:6–10).
10:16 had him ride along. Public association with Jehonadab gave Jehu added credentials among the rural populace as a follower of the Lord.
10:18 Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much. After settling in Samaria, Jehu gave the appearance of having previously appealed to the word of the Lord as a mere political maneuver.
10:19 will no longer live. Jehu’s reputation made this no idle threat.
10:30 Because you have done . . . to the house of Ahab all I had in mind. Jehu was the Lord’s instrument to bring judgment on the house of Ahab, for which he was commended. But he was later condemned by the prophet Hosea for the killing of all Ahab’s associates, as well as Ahaziah of Judah and the 42 Judahite princes—the “massacre at Jezreel” (Hos 1:4). fourth generation. The restriction of this blessing to four generations is reflective of the qualified approval given to Jehu’s reign. Nevertheless, his dynasty survived longer than any other dynasty of the northern kingdom, lasting nearly 100 years. It included the reigns of Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam II and Zechariah (see note on 15:12).
10:31 was not careful to keep the law of the LORD . . . with all his heart. Jehu seems to have been driven more by a political desire to secure his own position on the throne of the northern kingdom than by a desire to serve the Lord. In this he was guilty of using God’s judgment on the house of Ahab to serve his self-interest.
10:32 the LORD began to reduce the size of Israel. The climax of the covenant curses enumerated in Lev 26 and Dt 28 was Israel’s expulsion from Canaan. During the rule of Jehu the northern kingdom experienced the beginnings of this curse (see 17:7–18 for its full realization).
10:33 All of Transjordan was lost to Hazael and the Arameans of Damascus.
10:34 other events of Jehu’s reign. The Black Obelisk of the Assyrian ruler Shalmaneser III (see photo) informs us that Jehu paid tribute to the Assyrians shortly after coming to the throne of the northern kingdom in 841 bc. In the Assyrian inscription Jehu is called the “son of Omri,” but this may simply be Shalmaneser’s way of identifying Jehu with Samaria (or Israel). annals of the kings of Israel. See note on 1Ki 14:19.
10:35 rested with his ancestors. See note on 1Ki 1:21. Jehoahaz his son succeeded him. For the reign of Jehoahaz, see 13:1–9.
10:36 twenty-eight years. 841–814 bc.
11:1 Athaliah. See note on 8:18. her son was dead. See 9:27. destroy the whole royal family. To secure the throne in Judah for herself. By this time the royal family in Judah had already been reduced to a mere remnant. Jehoram, the late husband of Athaliah and the father of Ahaziah, had killed all his brothers when he succeeded his father Jehoshaphat on the throne (2Ch 21:4). Jehu had slain another 42 members of the royal house of Judah, perhaps including many of the sons of Jehoram’s brothers (10:12–14; 2Ch 22:8–9), and the brothers of Ahaziah had been killed by marauding Arabs (2Ch 22:1). It is likely that Athaliah’s purge focused primarily on the children of Ahaziah, i.e., her own grandchildren. Ahaziah had died at the young age of 22 (8:26). This attempt to completely destroy the house of David was an attack on God’s redemptive plan—a plan that centered in the Messiah, which the Davidic covenant promised (see notes on 2Sa 7:11, 16; 1Ki 8:25).
11:2 daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah. It is likely that Jehosheba was the daughter of Jehoram by a wife other than Athaliah, and thus she was a half sister of Ahaziah. She was married to the high priest Jehoiada (2Ch 22:11). him and his nurse. The child was not more than a year old and had not yet been weaned (vv. 3,21).
11:4 seventh year. Of Athaliah’s rule. commanders of units of a hundred. 2Ch 23:1 lists the names of five commanders, all native Israelites. Carites. Mercenary soldiers from Caria in southwest Asia Minor who served as royal bodyguards. had them brought to him at the temple. 2Ch 23:2 includes the Levites and family leaders of Judah in the conspiracy.
11:10 shields that had belonged to King David and that were in the temple. David had taken gold shields as plunder in his battle with Hadadezer and then dedicated them to the Lord (2Sa 8:7–11). The temple and palace were plundered by Shishak, king of Egypt, during Rehoboam’s reign (1Ki 14:26). Apparently David’s shields had been hidden and were not taken.
11:12 covenant. Either (1) the Ten Commandments or (2) the entire Sinaitic covenant or (3) a document dealing more specifically with the covenant responsibilities of the king (see Dt 17:14–20; see also note on 1Sa 10:25). The third option is most likely. anointed him. See notes on 1Sa 2:10; 9:16; 1Ki 1:39. Long live the king! See note on Ps 62:4.
11:14 pillar. Apparently one of the two bronze pillars of the portico of the temple, named Jakin and Boaz by Solomon (23:3; 1Ki 7:15–22; 2Ch 23:13). all the people of the land. It is likely that Jehoiada had chosen to stage his coup on a Sabbath during one of the major religious festivals, when many from the realm who were loyal to the Lord would be in Jerusalem.
11:15 not be put to death in the temple. So as not to defile God’s holy house (see Ex 21:14 and note).
11:17 covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD’s people. A renewal of the Sinaitic covenant, by which Israel had been constituted as the Lord’s people (Ex 19:5–6; Dt 4:20). The years of apostasy, involving both the royal house and the people of Judah, necessitated a renewal of allegiance to the Lord at the time of an important new beginning for the southern kingdom (see notes on 1Sa 11:14–15; 12:14–15,24–25). covenant between the king and the people. Defined responsibilities and mutual obligations of king and people that were compatible with Israel’s covenant relationship with the Lord (see notes on 1Sa 10:25; 2Sa 5:3).
11:19 commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards. See note on v. 4.
11:21 See v. 3. The Lord had preserved a lamp for David in Jerusalem (1Ki 11:36).
12:1 seventh year of Jehu. 835 bc (see note on 10:36). forty years. 835–796.
12:2 all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. After Jehoiada died, Joash turned away from the Lord (2Ch 24:17–27).
12:3 high places . . . were not removed. These were high places where the Lord was worshiped rather than pagan deities (see note on 1Ki 15:14). They were nevertheless potential sources for the entrance of pagan practices into Israel’s worship (see note on 1Ki 3:2).
12:4 money . . . brought as sacred offerings to the temple. The money was derived from three different sources: (1) money collected in the census. At the age of 20, Israelite youths were required to register for military service and to make an offering of half a shekel (see note on 5:26) for use in the service of the central sanctuary (Ex 30:11–16; 38:25–26). (2) money received from personal vows. Various types of vows and their equivalence in monetary assessments are described in Lev 27:1–25. (3) money brought voluntarily to the temple. For voluntary offerings, see Lev 22:18–23; Dt 16:10.
12:5 treasurers. Temple functionaries who handled financial matters for the priests relative to the people’s sacrifices and offerings. whatever damage is found in the temple. Construction of the temple had been completed 124 years before the beginning of the reign of Joash (see notes on v. 1; 1Ki 6:38). In addition to deterioration due to age, it had fallen into disrepair and abuse during the rule of Athaliah (2Ch 24:7).
12:6 twenty-third year of King Joash. Joash may have instituted his plan for restoration of the temple a few years before the 23rd year of his reign. Now at age 30 he asserts his royal authority and takes charge of the temple repairs.
12:7 Take no more money from your treasurers. The proceeds from the sources of revenue mentioned in v. 4 were no longer to be given to the priests.
12:8 priests agreed. Apparently a compromise was reached: The priests would no longer take the money received from the people, but neither would they pay for the temple repairs from the money they had already received.
12:9 priests who guarded the entrance. Three high-ranking priests charged with protecting the temple from unlawful (profane) entry (25:18; Jer 52:24). put into the chest all the money. When the people were assured that all their offerings would be used for the temple restoration, they responded with greater generosity. See 22:3–7 for continuation (or renewal) of this practice in the reign of Josiah.
12:10 royal secretary. See note on 2Sa 8:17. Joash arranges for direct royal supervision of the temple’s monetary affairs.
12:11 men appointed. The whole matter is taken out of the hands of the priests.
12:13 articles of gold or silver for the temple. All the money was initially designated for the restoration of the temple. When the restoration was completed, additional funds were used for the acquisition of silver and gold articles for use in the temple service (2Ch 24:14).
12:16 money from the guilt offerings. See Lev 5:16; 6:5; Nu 5:7–10 for references to priestly income in connection with the bringing of a guilt offering.
12:17 About this time. These events must have taken place toward the end of Joash’s reign. From 2Ch 24:17–24 it is clear that the Aramean attack was occasioned by Joash’s turning away from the Lord after Jehoiada’s death. Joash’s apostasy reached its climax in the stoning of Jehoiada’s son Zechariah (2Ch 24:22). Probably because of Joash’s earlier zeal for the temple, the author of Kings did not choose to relate these matters. Hazael. See 8:7–15; 10:32–33; 13:3,22; see also note on 1Ki 19:15. Gath. One of the major Philistine cities (Jos 13:3) that David had conquered (1Ch 18:1) and that continued to be subject to Judah during the reign of Rehoboam (2Ch 11:8). In the latter years of the reign of Joash of Judah (835–796 bc) and during the reign of Jehoahaz of Israel (814–798; see 13:3,7), the Arameans had virtually overrun the northern kingdom, enabling them to advance against the Philistines and the kingdom of Judah with little resistance. he turned to attack Jerusalem. See 2Ch 24:23–24.
12:18 sacred objects . . . gold . . . he sent them to Hazael. Years earlier, Asa had sought to secure assistance from the Arameans with a similar gift (1Ki 15:18).
12:20 conspired against him. The conspiracy was aroused in response to Joash’s murder of Zechariah, son of Jehoiada (2Ch 24:25). Beth Millo. Beth means “house”; for the meaning of Millo see note on Jdg 9:6. Here the reference may be to a building (perhaps a kind of barracks) built on the “Millo” in the old City of David (see 2Sa 5:9 and note; 1Ki 11:27). Perhaps the king was staying there temporarily with his troops at the time of his assassination; Chronicles says he was killed “in his bed” (2Ch 24:25).
12:21 officials. Sons of Ammonite and Moabite mothers (2Ch 24:26), suggesting that they may have been mercenary military officers whose services could have been bought by others. buried with his ancestors. But see 2Ch 24:25. Amaziah his son succeeded him. For the reign of Amaziah, see 14:1–22.
13:4 the LORD listened to him. Although deliverance did not come during the lifetime of Jehoahaz (v. 22), the Lord was merciful to his people in spite of their sin, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (v. 23).
13:5 deliverer for Israel. Probably (1) the Assyrian ruler Adadnirari III (810–783 bc), whose attacks on the Arameans of Damascus in 806 and 804 enabled the Israelites to break Aramean control over Israelite territory (v. 25; 14:25); or (2) Jehoash, son of Jehoahaz (vv. 17,19,25); or (3) Jeroboam II, who was able to extend Israel’s boundaries far to the north (14:25,27) after the Assyrians had broken the military power of the Arameans.
13:6 Asherah pole remained standing. This idol had been set up by Ahab (1Ki 16:33) and either had escaped destruction by Jehu when he purged Baal worship from Samaria (10:27–28) or had been reintroduced during the reign of Jehoahaz.
13:7 ten chariots. Cf. the 2,000 chariots that Ahab was able to deploy against the Assyrians at the battle of Qarqar in 853 bc (see note on 1Ki 22:1). ten thousand foot soldiers. At the battle of Qarqar Ahab had supplied 10,000 foot soldiers to the coalition of forces opposing the Assyrians. At that time this would have represented only a contingent of Israel’s army, while now it represented the entire Israelite infantry. In 857 bc Ahab had inflicted 100,000 casualties on the Aramean foot soldiers in one day (1Ki 20:29).
13:10 thirty-seventh year of Joash. 798 bc (see note on 12:1). sixteen years. 798–782.
13:13 rested with his ancestors. See note on 1Ki 1:21. Jeroboam succeeded him. For the reign of Jeroboam II, see 14:23–29.
13:14 Elisha had been suffering. Ch. 9 contains the last previous reference to Elisha. Since Jehu had been anointed in 841 bc (see note on 10:36) and Jehoash began to reign in 798 (see note on v. 10), there is at least a 43-year period in which we are told nothing of Elisha’s activities. Based on Elisha’s relationship with Elijah, he must have been born prior to 880 and have lived to be more than 80 years of age. The chariots and horsemen of Israel! An expression of recognition by Jehoash that Elisha was of greater significance for Israel’s military success than Israel’s military forces were (see notes on 2:12; 6:13,16–23).
13:16 put his hands on the king’s hands. By this symbolic act Elisha indicated that Jehoash was to engage the Arameans in battle with the Lord’s blessing on him.
13:17 east window. Faced Transjordan, which was controlled by the Arameans (10:32–33). Aphek. About 60 years earlier Ahab had won a decisive victory at Aphek over the Arameans and Ben-Hadad II (see 1Ki 20:26–30 and note on 20:26).
13:18 struck it three times and stopped. The moderately enthusiastic response to Elisha’s directive reflected insufficient zeal for accomplishing the announced task.
13:19 defeat it only three times. Jehoash’s moderate enthusiasm in striking the ground with arrows symbolized the moderate success he would have against the Arameans. It would be left for Jeroboam II, son of Jehoash, to gain complete victory over them (14:25,28).
13:21 When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life. The life-giving power of the God Elisha represented is demonstrated once again in this last OT reference to Elisha (for previous demonstrations of this power, see 4:32–37 and 1Ki 17:17–24; for Elijah’s departure to heaven without dying, see 2:11–12).
13:23 To this day. Until the time of the writing of the source from which the author derived this account (see note on 1Ki 8:8; see also Introduction to 1 Kings: Author, Sources and Date). unwilling to destroy them or banish them. In his mercy and grace the Lord was long-suffering toward his people and refrained from full implementation of the covenant curse of exile from Canaan (see note on 10:32). This postponement of judgment provided Israel with the opportunity to repent and return to covenant faithfulness.
13:24 Ben-Hadad. See note on v. 3.
13:25 towns he had taken . . . from . . . Jehoahaz. Probably towns west of the Jordan, since the area east of the Jordan had been lost already in the time of Jehu (10:32–33). It was not until the time of Jeroboam II that the area east of the Jordan was fully recovered for Israel (14:25). Three times. In fulfillment of Elisha’s prophecy (v. 19).
14:1 second year of Jehoash. 796 bc (see note on 13:10).
14:2 twenty-nine years. 796–767. Amaziah’s 29-year reign included a 24-year coregency with his son Azariah (see notes on v. 21; 15:1–2; see also chart).
14:3 not as his father David. Amaziah did not remain completely free from involvement with the worship of pagan deities (see 2Ch 25:14–16). His loyalty to the Lord fell short of that of Asa and Jehoshaphat before him (see 1Ki 15:11, 14; 22:43; see also 1Ki 9:4; 11:4).
14:4 high places, however, were not removed. See note on 1Ki 15:14.
14:7 defeated ten thousand Edomites. Amaziah was able to regain temporarily (2Ch 28:17) some of Judah’s control over the Edomites, which had been lost during the reign of Jehoram (8:20–22). Valley of Salt. The same battlefield on which David had defeated the Edomites (2Sa 8:13; 1Ch 18:12; Ps 60 title), generally identified with the Arabah directly south of the Dead Sea. Sela. See notes on Isa 16:1; Ob 3. to this day. Until the time of the writing of the account of Amaziah’s reign used by the author (see note on 1Ki 8:8; see also Introduction to 1 Kings: Author, Sources and Date).
14:8 let us face each other in battle. A challenge amounting to a declaration of war. Perhaps it was provoked by the hostile actions of mercenary troops from the northern kingdom after their dismissal from the Judahite army (2Ch 25:10,13) and by the refusal of Jehoash to establish a marriage alliance with Amaziah (v. 9).
14:9 Jehoash . . . replied. For his reply Jehoash used a fable (Jdg 9:8–15) in which he represented himself as a strong cedar and Amaziah as an insignificant thistle that could easily be trampled underfoot.
14:13 Jehoash . . . captured Amaziah. It is likely that Amaziah was taken back to the northern kingdom as a prisoner, where he remained until being released to return to Judah after the death of Jehoash (see vv. 15–16; see also note on v. 21). Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. The Corner Gate (Jer 31:38; Zec 14:10) was at the northwest corner of the wall around Jerusalem. The Ephraim Gate was on the north side of Jerusalem (Ne 12:39), 600 feet east of the Corner Gate. This northwestern section of the wall of Jerusalem was the point at which the city was most vulnerable to attack.
14:14 gold and silver and all the articles found in the temple . . . and . . . the royal palace. The value of the plundered articles was probably not great, because Joash had previously stripped the temple and palace to pay tribute to Hazael of Damascus (12:17–18). took hostages. The hostages were probably intended to secure additional payments of tribute in view of the meager plunder taken in battle.
14:17 lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash. Jehoash died in 782 bc and Amaziah in 767.
14:19 conspired against him. 2Ch 25:27 connects the conspiracy against Amaziah with his turning away from the Lord, but it did not serve the purpose of the author of Kings to note this. Lachish. A fortress city in southern Judah 15 miles west of Hebron, presently known as Tell ed-Duweir (see 18:14; 2Ch 11:9; see also photos here, here, here, and here).
14:21 Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was. Or “Now all the people of Judah had taken Azariah, when he was.” See NIV text note and 15:13. made him king in place of his father Amaziah. It is likely that this occurred after Amaziah had been taken prisoner by Jehoash (v. 13). Thus Azariah’s reign substantially overlapped that of his father, Amaziah (see notes on v. 2; 15:2).
14:22 rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah. Azariah extended the subjection of the Edomites begun by his father (v. 7) and reestablished Israelite control over the important port city on the Gulf of Aqaba (1Ki 9:26). rested with his ancestors. See note on 1Ki 1:21.
14:23 fifteenth year of Amaziah. 782 bc (see note on v. 2). This was the beginning of Jeroboam’s sole reign. He had previously served as coregent with his father, Jehoash. forty-one years. 793–753 (including the coregency with his father). See chart.
14:25 from Lebo Hamath. See note on Eze 47:15. Jeroboam II was able to free the northern kingdom from the oppression it had suffered at the hands of Hazael and Ben-Hadad (10:32; 12:17; 13:3,22,25). He also extended Israelite political control over the Arameans of Damascus, an undertaking that had been begun by his father, Jehoash (13:25). Assyrian pressure on the Arameans, including attacks on Damascus by Shalmaneser IV in 773 bc and Ashur-Dan III in 772, had weakened the Arameans enough to enable Jeroboam II to gain the upper hand over them. Meanwhile, Assyria also became too weak to suppress Jeroboam’s expansion. Dead Sea. See NIV text note. According to Am 6:14 the southern limit of Jeroboam’s kingdom in Transjordan was the “valley of the Arabah”—probably to be connected with the Valley of Salt (see note on v. 7). If so, Jeroboam had also subdued Moab and the Ammonites. word of the LORD . . . spoken through . . . Jonah. Not found in the book of Jonah. However, mention of the prophet here helps to date his ministry to the first half of the eighth century bc (see Introduction to Jonah: Authorship and Date). Gath Hepher. Located in the tribe of Zebulun, northeast of Nazareth (Jos 19:13).
14:27 had not said. The sin of the Israelites had not yet reached its full measure, and the Lord mercifully extended to the nation an additional period of grace in which there was opportunity to repent (see note on 13:23). Persistence in apostasy, however, would bring certain judgment (Am 4:2–3; 6:14). saved them by the hand of Jeroboam. See note on 13:5.
14:28 all he did. During Jeroboam’s reign the northern kingdom enjoyed greater material prosperity than at any time since the rule of David and Solomon. Unfortunately, it was also a time of religious formalism and apostasy, as well as social injustice (see the books of Amos and Hosea, who prophesied during Jeroboam’s reign). Damascus and Hamath. See note on v. 25. annals of the kings of Israel. See note on 1Ki 14:19.
14:29 rested with his ancestors. See note on 1Ki 1:21. Zechariah his son succeeded him. For the reign of Zechariah, see 15:8–12.
15:1 twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam. 767 bc, based on dating the beginning of Jeroboam’s coregency with Jehoash in 793 (see note on 14:23). Azariah . . . began to reign. He began his sole reign, after a 24-year coregency with his father, Amaziah (see notes on v. 2; 14:2,21; see also chart). (His actual years were one less than his official years.)
15:2 fifty-two years. 792–740 bc (but he was coregent with his father, Amaziah, 792–767). See note on v. 1.
15:3 as his father Amaziah had done. See note on 14:3.
15:5 afflicted the king with leprosy. See NIV text note; a punishment for usurping the priestly function of burning incense on the altar in the temple (see 2Ch 26:16–21; cf. Lev 13:46). had charge of the palace and governed the people of the land. Jotham ruled for his father for the remainder of Azariah’s life (750–740 bc; see note on v. 33).
15:6 all he did. A more detailed account of Azariah’s accomplishments is found in 2Ch 26:1–15. annals of the kings of Judah. See note on 1Ki 14:29.
15:7 rested with his ancestors. See note on 1Ki 1:21. Jotham his son succeeded him. For the reign of Jotham, see vv. 32–38.
15:8 thirty-eighth year of Azariah. 753 bc (see note on v. 2).
15:12 word of the LORD . . . was fulfilled. See NIV text note. With the downfall of Jehu’s dynasty, the northern kingdom entered a period of political instability (Hos 1:4). The remaining five kings of the northern kingdom were all assassinated, with the exception of Menahem, who reigned ten years, and Hoshea, who was imprisoned by the Assyrians. From the strength and wealth of the reign of Jeroboam II, the decline and fall of the northern kingdom was swift.
15:13 thirty-ninth year of Uzziah. 752 bc (see note on v. 2). Uzziah is another name for Azariah (see NIV text note on 14:21).
15:14 Menahem . . . went from Tirzah up to Samaria. It is likely that Menahem was the commander of a military garrison at Tirzah, the former capital of the northern kingdom (1Ki 14:17; 15:21,33). succeeded him. For the reign of Menahem, see vv. 17–22.
15:16 Tiphsah. There was a Tiphsah located far to the north of Hamath (14:25) on the Euphrates River (1Ki 4:24). It is unlikely that this was the city intended. Some interpreters prefer the reading “Tappuah” of the Septuagint (the pre-Christian Greek translation of the OT). Tappuah was a city on the border between Ephraim and Manasseh (Jos 16:8; 17:7–8). Perhaps there was a Tiphsah in Israel not otherwise mentioned. ripped open all the pregnant women. This horrific action was a tragic but frequent part of ancient warfare (see 8:12 and note).
15:17 thirty-ninth year of Azariah. 752 bc (see note on v. 2). ten years. 752–742.
15:19 Pul. The Babylonian name (1Ch 5:26) of the Assyrian ruler Tiglath-Pileser III (745–727 bc; see NIV text note). invaded the land. Assyrian annals of Tiglath-Pileser III (see photo) indicate that he marched west with his army in 743 and took tribute from, among others, Carchemish, Hamath, Tyre, Byblos, Damascus, and Menahem of Samaria (see maps here, here, and here). thousand talents. See NIV text note. This was an enormous sum of money. For the relative value of a talent of silver, see note on 5:5. gain his support and strengthen his own hold. It appears that as a usurper Menahem still felt insecure on the throne. The opposition to his rule may have come from those following the leadership of Pekah, who favored an alliance with the Arameans of Damascus in order to resist the Assyrian threat (see note on v. 27). Hosea denounced the policy of seeking aid from the Assyrians and predicted that it would fail (Hos 5:13–15).
15:20 fifty shekels. See NIV text note. It would require approximately 60,000 men of means to provide the 1,000 talents of tribute. This gives some indication of the prosperity the northern kingdom had enjoyed during the reign of Jeroboam II.
15:23 fiftieth year of Azariah. 742 bc (see note on v. 2). two years. 742–740.
15:25 One of his chief officers. Pekah was probably the ranking official in the Transjordan provinces, but his allegiance to Menahem and Pekahiah may well have been more apparent than real (see note on v. 27). conspired against him. Differences over foreign policy probably played an important role in fomenting Pekah’s revolution. Pekahiah undoubtedly followed the policy of his father Menahem in seeking Assyria’s friendship (v. 20). Pekah advocated friendly relations with the Arameans of Damascus in order to counter potential Assyrian aggression (16:1–9; Isa 7:1–2,4–6).
15:27 fifty-second year of Azariah. 740 bc (see note on v. 2). twenty years. 752–732, based on the assumptions (which the data seem to require) that Pekah had established in Transjordan virtually a rival government to that of Menahem when Menahem assassinated Shallum (see notes on vv. 17,19,25) and that the number of regnal years given here includes this period of rival rule.
15:29 Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came. See note on v. 19; see also map. The historical background for this attack is found in 16:5–9; 2Ch 28:16–21; Isa 7:1–17. Ijon . . . Naphtali. Over 150 years earlier Ben-Hadad I of Damascus had taken this same territory from the northern kingdom in response to an appeal by a king of Judah (see notes on 1Ki 15:19–20). deported the people to Assyria. See 1Ch 5:26. The forced exile of Israelites from their homeland was a fulfillment of the covenant curse (see note on 10:32).
15:30 Hoshea . . . conspired against Pekah. Hoshea probably represented the faction in the northern kingdom that favored cooperation with Assyria rather than resistance. In one of his annals Tiglath-Pileser III claims to have placed Hoshea on the throne of the northern kingdom and to have taken ten talents of gold and 1,000 talents of silver as tribute from him. twentieth year of Jotham. 732 bc (see notes on vv. 32–33). Reference is to his 20th official year, which was his 19th actual year.
15:32 second year of Pekah. 750 bc (see note on v. 27).
15:33 sixteen years. 750–735 bc. Jotham was coregent with his father 750–740 (see note on v. 5). Jotham’s reign was in some sense terminated in 735, and his son Ahaz took over. However, Jotham continued to live until at least 732 (see notes on vv. 30,37).
15:34 as his father Uzziah had done. See note on v. 3; see also 2Ch 27:2.
15:37 This parenthetical statement concerning Jotham’s reign supports the idea of an overlap between the reigns of Jotham and Ahaz (see note on v. 33), since 16:5–12; 2Ch 28:5–21; Isa 7:1–17 all place the major effort of Rezin and Pekah in the time of Ahaz.
16:1 seventeenth year of Pekah. 735 bc (see note on 15:27). The reign of Ahaz apparently overlapped that of Jotham, with Ahaz serving as a senior partner beginning in 735 (see notes on 15:33,37; see also notes on 16:2; 17:1; cf. chart). Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah. In 1996 a clay seal impression reading “Belonging to Ahaz (son of) Jotham king of Judah” came to light, although its authenticity is debated.
16:2 twenty years old when he became king. Perhaps the age at which Ahaz became a senior coregent with his father, Jotham, in 735 bc (see note on v. 1). Otherwise, according to the ages and dates provided, Ahaz would have been 11 or 12 instead of 14 or 15 years old when his son Hezekiah was born (cf. 18:1–2). sixteen years. The synchronizations of the reigns of Ahaz and Hezekiah of Judah with those of Pekah and Hoshea of the northern kingdom present some apparent chronological difficulties (see notes on v. 1; 17:1; 18:1,9–10). It seems best to take the 16 years specified here as the number of years Ahaz reigned after the death of Jotham, thus 732–715 (see notes on 15:30,33). The beginning of his reign appears to be dated in a variety of ways in the biblical text: (1) in 744/743, which presupposes a coregency with his grandfather Azariah at the tender age of 11 or 12 (17:1); (2) in 735, when he became senior coregent with Jotham (v. 1); and (3) in 732, when he began his sole reign after the death of Jotham. Unlike David his father. Ahaz does not even receive the qualified approval given to Amaziah (14:3), Azariah (15:3) and Jotham (15:34).
16:4 high places. See 15:4,35; see also note on 1Ki 15:14. These high places appear to be those assimilated from pagan Baal worship and used by those who worshiped Baal even while also worshiping the Lord. under every spreading tree. Large trees were viewed as symbols of fertility by the pre-Israelite inhabitants of Canaan. Immoral pagan rites were performed at shrines located under such trees. Contrary to the explicit prohibition of the Mosaic covenant, the Israelites adopted this pagan custom (17:10; 1Ki 14:23; Dt 12:2; Jer 2:20; 3:6; 17:2; Eze 6:13; 20:28; Hos 4:13–14).
16:5 Rezin . . . and Pekah . . . marched up to fight against Jerusalem. See notes on 15:25,37. could not overpower. See Isa 7:1–17; 2Ch 28:5–21. Rezin and Pekah desired to replace Ahaz with someone else (see Isa 7:6) on the throne of the southern kingdom in order to gain another ally in their anti-Assyrian political policy (see notes on 15:19,25). The Lord delivered Judah and Ahaz from this threat in spite of their wickedness because of the promises of the Davidic covenant (1Ki 11:36; 2Sa 7:13; Isa 7:3–7,14). This invasion was the context of the famous prophecy about the virgin’s child in Isa 7:14.
16:6 Rezin king of Aram recovered Elath. See note on 14:22. Edomites then moved into Elath. See 2Ch 28:17. The Philistines also took this opportunity to avenge previous defeats (compare 2Ch 26:5–7 with 2Ch 28:18). to this day. See note on 1Ki 8:8.
16:7 Tiglath-Pileser. See notes on 15:19,29. your servant and vassal. Ahaz preferred to seek security for Judah by means of a treaty with Assyria rather than by obedience to the Lord and trust in his promises (Ex 23:22; Isa 7:10–16).
16:8 silver and gold found in the temple. The temple treasure must have been restored to some degree by Jotham (12:18; 14:14). The name “Jehoahaz of Judah” (Ahaz) appears on an inscription of Tiglath-Pileser that contains a list of rulers (including those of the Philistines, Ammonites, Moabites and Edomites) who brought tribute to him in 734 bc.
16:9 attacking Damascus and capturing it. In 732 bc Tiglath-Pileser III moved against Damascus and destroyed it (see the prophecies of Isa 7:16; Am 1:3–5). deported its inhabitants to Kir. The Arameans were sent back to the place from which they had come (Am 9:7) in fulfillment of the prophecy of Amos (Am 1:5). The location of Kir is unknown, though it is mentioned in connection with Elam in Isa 22:6.
16:10 Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-Pileser. As a vassal king to express his gratitude and loyalty to the victorious Assyrian ruler. altar in Damascus. Perhaps that of the god Rimmon (5:18; 2Ch 28:23), but more likely a royal altar of Tiglath-Pileser. Ahaz’s reproduction of such an altar would have been a further sign of submission to the Assyrians.
16:13 burnt offering . . . grain offering . . . drink offering . . . fellowship offerings. See chart. With the exception of the drink offering, these same sacrifices were offered at the dedication of the temple (1Ki 8:64).
16:14 north side of the new altar. Ahaz removed the bronze altar of burnt offering from its prominent place in front of the temple and gave it a place alongside the stone altar.
16:15 large new altar. Even though fire from heaven had inaugurated and sanctioned the use of the bronze altar for the worship of the Lord (2Ch 7:1), Ahaz now replaced it with an altar built on the pattern of the pagan altar from Damascus. Although the bronze altar was quite large (2Ch 4:1), the new altar was larger. morning burnt offering. See 3:20; Ex 29:38–39; Nu 28:3–4. evening grain offering. See note on 1Ki 18:29. king’s burnt offering and his grain offering. There is no other reference to these special offerings of the king in the OT, with the possible exception of Ezekiel’s depiction of the offerings of a future prince (Eze 46:12). I will use the bronze altar for seeking guidance. Seeking omens by the examination of the livers and other organ materials of sacrificed animals is well attested in ancient Near Eastern texts. Here Ahaz states his intention to follow an Assyrian divination technique in an attempt to secure the Lord’s guidance.
16:17 side panels and . . . basins from the movable stands. See 1Ki 7:27–39. removed the Sea from the bronze bulls. See 1Ki 7:23–26. Perhaps the bronze was needed for tribute required by Tiglath-Pileser III.
16:18 in deference to the king of Assyria. As a vassal of Tiglath-Pileser, Ahaz was forced to relinquish some of the symbols of his own royal power.
16:19 other events of the reign of Ahaz. See 2Ch 28, where, among other things, it is said that Ahaz went so far as to “shut the doors of the . . . temple” (2Ch 28:24). annals of the kings of Judah. See note on 1Ki 14:29.
17:3 Shalmaneser. Hoshea had become a vassal to Assyria under the rule of Tiglath-Pileser III (see note on 15:30). The latter was succeeded on the Assyrian throne by Shalmaneser V, who ruled 727–722 bc (see chart).
17:5 three years. 725–722 bc. Samaria was a strongly fortified city and extremely difficult to subdue (see note on 1Ki 16:24).
17:6 ninth year of Hoshea. 722 bc (see note on v. 1). king of Assyria captured Samaria. In the winter (December) of 722–721 Shalmaneser V died (possibly by assassination), and the Assyrian throne was seized by Sargon II (721–705). In his annals (see photos here and here) Sargon lays claim to the capture of Samaria at the beginning of his reign, but it was hardly more than a mopping-up operation. deported the Israelites. Because the northern kingdom refused to be obedient to its covenant obligations, the Lord brought on its citizens the judgment pronounced already by Ahijah during the reign of the northern kingdom’s first king, Jeroboam I (see note on 1Ki 14:15). In his annals Sargon II claims to have deported 27,290 Israelites. He then settled other captured people in the vacated towns of the northern kingdom (v. 24). Gozan on the Habor River. Gozan was an Assyrian provincial capital located on a tributary (the Habor) of the Euphrates River. towns of the Medes. Towns located in the area south of the Caspian Sea and northeast of the Tigris River.
17:7–23 A theological explanation for the downfall and exile of the northern kingdom (see map and accompanying text). Israel had repeatedly spurned the Lord’s gracious acts, had refused to heed the prophets’ warnings of impending judgment (vv. 13–14,23) and had failed to keep their covenant obligations (v. 15). The result was the implementation of the covenant curse precisely as it had been presented to the Israelites by Moses before they entered Canaan (Dt 28:49–68; 32:1–47).
17:13 warned Israel and Judah through all his prophets. Israel not only violated the requirements of the Sinaitic covenant but also spurned the words of prophets the Lord had graciously sent to call his people back to the covenant (see, e.g., 1Ki 13:1–3; 14:6–16; Jdg 6:8–10; 1Sa 3:19–21, as well as the ministries of Elijah, Elisha, Amos and Hosea). seers. See note on 1Sa 9:9.
17:16 two idols cast in the shape of calves. The golden calves of Bethel and Dan (1Ki 12:28–30). Asherah pole. See note on 1Ki 14:15. all the starry hosts. Israel had been commanded not to worship the stars like their pagan neighbors (Dt 4:19; 17:3). Although this form of idolatry is not mentioned previously in 1,2 Kings, the prophet Amos apparently alludes to its practice in the northern kingdom during the reign of Jeroboam II (see note on Am 5:26). It was later introduced in the southern kingdom during the reign of Manasseh (21:3,5) and abolished during the reformation of Josiah (see 23:4–5,12; see also Eze 8:16).
17:17 sacrificed their sons and daughters. See note on 16:3. practiced divination and sought omens. Such practices were forbidden in the Mosaic covenant (see note on 16:15; see also Lev 19:26; Dt 18:10 and note on 18:9).
17:18 removed them from his presence. The exile of the northern kingdom (see v. 6; 23:27; see also map). Only the tribe of Judah was left. The southern kingdom included elements of the tribes of Simeon and Benjamin, but Judah was the only tribe in the south to retain its complete integrity (see notes on 1Ki 11:31–32; see also note on 2Ki 19:4).
17:21 tore Israel away from the house of David. See 1Ki 11:11, 31; 12:24. It was the Lord’s will for the kingdom to be divided, but the division came to the nation as a punishment for its sins. Jeroboam . . . caused them to commit a great sin. See 1Ki 12:26–32; 13:33–34; see also note on Ge 20:9.
17:24 king of Assyria. Primarily Sargon II (721–705 bc; see photo), though later Assyrian rulers, including Esarhaddon (681–669) and Ashurbanipal (669–627), settled additional non-Israelites in Samaria (Ezr 4:2,9–10). Babylon, Kuthah. Babylon and Kuthah (located about eight miles northeast of Babylon) were forced to submit to Assyrian rule by Sargon II in 709. Avva. Probably the same as Ivvah (18:34; 19:13). Its association with Hamath and Arpad suggests a location somewhere in Aram (Syria). Hamath. Located on the Orontes River (see 14:25; 18:34; see also note on Eze 47:15). In 720 Sargon II made the kingdom of Hamath into an Assyrian province. Sepharvaim. See note on Isa 36:19. Samaria. Here a designation for the entire northern kingdom (see note on 1Ki 13:32).
17:25 did not worship the LORD. They worshiped their own national deities. sent lions among them. Lions had always been present in Canaan (1Ki 13:24; 20:36; Jdg 14:5; 1Sa 17:34; Am 3:12). In the aftermath of the disruption and depopulation caused by the conflict with the Assyrians, the lions greatly increased in number (Ex 23:29). This was viewed by the inhabitants of the land and the writer of Kings as a punishment from the Lord (Lev 26:21–22).
17:26 king of Assyria. Sargon II. what the god of that country requires. According to the religious ideas of that time, each regional deity required special ritual observances, which, if ignored or violated, would bring disaster on the land.
17:27 one of the priests. Probably a priest of the religion Jeroboam I established in the northern kingdom (see 1Ki 12:31 and note).
17:28 came to live in Bethel. Bethel continued to be the center for the apostate form of Yahweh worship that had been promoted in the northern kingdom since the time of Jeroboam I (see notes on 1Ki 12:28–30).
17:29 people of Samaria. The mixed population of the former territory of the northern kingdom. These people of mixed ancestry eventually came to be known as Samaritans. In later times the Samaritans rejected the idolatry of their polytheistic origins and followed the teachings of Moses, including monotheism. In NT times Jesus testified to a Samaritan woman (Jn 4:4–26), and many Samaritans were converted under the ministry of Philip (Ac 8:4–25).
17:33 They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods. A classic statement of a syncretistic (mixed) religion.
17:34 To this day. Until the time of the writing of 1,2 Kings. worship the LORD. Here used in the sense of faithful worship. In vv. 32–33 “worship the LORD” refers to a paganized worship.
17:35 Do not worship any other gods. The Mosaic covenant demanded exclusive worship of the Lord (Ex 20:5; Dt 5:9). This was the “first and greatest commandment” (Mt 22:38), and it was to distinguish Israel from all other peoples.
17:36 the LORD, who brought you up out of Egypt . . . you must worship. Here, as in v. 7 (see note there), the deliverance from Egypt is cited as the gracious act of the Lord par excellence that entitled him to exclusive claim on Israel’s loyalty.
17:41 To this day. See note on v. 34.
18:1 third year of Hoshea . . . Hezekiah . . . began to reign. 729 bc (17:1). Hezekiah was coregent with his father Ahaz from 729 to 715 (see notes on 16:2; Isa 36:1; see also chart). Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah. In 2015 a clay impression of a royal stamp seal was discovered that reads “Belonging to Hezekiah (son of) Ahaz, king of Judah” (see photo). It is the first such seal impression from a king of Israel or Judah to come to light in a scientific archaeological excavation.
18:2 became king. Became sole king of Judah. twenty-nine years. 715–686 bc. See also 2Ch 29–32 and Isa 36–39 for a description of the events of his reign, including a more detailed account of the reformation he led (2Ch 29–31). One of his first acts was to reopen the temple, which had been closed by his father, Ahaz (see note on 16:19; see also 2Ch 29:3).
18:3 did what was right . . . as his father David had done. Hezekiah is one of the few kings who is compared favorably with David. The others are Asa (1Ki 15:11), Jehoshaphat (1Ki 22:43) and Josiah (2Ki 22:2). A qualification is introduced, however, with both Asa and Jehoshaphat: They did not remove the high places (1Ki 15:14; 22:43).
18:4 removed the high places. Hezekiah was not the first king to destroy high places (see notes on 1Ki 3:2; 15:14), but he was the first to destroy high places dedicated to the worship of the Lord (12:3; 14:4; 15:4,35; 17:9; 1Ki 22:43). This became known even to the Assyrian king, Sennacherib (v. 22). sacred stones. See 3:2; 10:26–27; 17:10; see also note on 1Ki 14:23. Asherah poles. See 13:6; 17:10,16; 1Ki 16:23; see also note on 1Ki 14:15. Israelites had been burning incense to it. It is unlikely that the “bronze snake” had been an object of worship all through the centuries of Israel’s existence as a nation. Perhaps the idolatrous significance attached to it occurred during the reign of Hezekiah’s father, Ahaz (ch. 16). Snake worship of various types was common among ancient Near Eastern peoples. See note on Nu 21:8–9.
18:5 no one like him . . . either before him or after him. A difference of emphasis is to be seen in this statement when compared to that of 23:25. Hezekiah’s uniqueness is to be found in his trust in the Lord, while Josiah’s uniqueness is to be found in his scrupulous observance of the Mosaic law.
18:7 rebelled against the king of Assyria. Judah had become a vassal to Assyria under Ahaz (16:7)—which required at least formal recognition of Assyrian deities. Hezekiah reversed the policy of his father, Ahaz, and sought independence from Assyrian dominance. It is likely that sometime shortly after 705 bc, when Sennacherib replaced Sargon II on the Assyrian throne, Hezekiah refused to pay the annual tribute due the Assyrians.
18:8 defeated the Philistines. In a reversal of the conditions existing during the time of Ahaz, in which the Philistines captured Judahite cities in the hill country and Negev (2Ch 28:18), Hezekiah was able once again to subdue the Philistines. Probably Hezekiah tried to coerce the Philistines into joining his anti-Assyrian policy. In one of his annals Sennacherib tells of forcing Hezekiah to release Padi, king of the Philistine city of Ekron, whom Hezekiah held prisoner in Jerusalem. This occurred in connection with Sennacherib’s military campaign in 701 bc.
18:9 Hezekiah’s fourth year. 725 bc, the fourth year of Hezekiah’s coregency with Ahaz (see notes on v. 1; 17:1). Shalmaneser. See note on 17:3.
18:10 three years. See note on 17:5. ninth year of Hoshea. See note on 17:6.
18:11 king of Assyria deported Israel. See note on 17:6.
18:12 violated his covenant. A restatement of the reason for the exile (17:7–23) and also a summary of the theme of 1,2 Kings. Disobedience results in judgment, obedience in blessing.
18:13 fourteenth year. Of Hezekiah’s sole reign: 701 bc (see note on v. 2). Sennacherib . . . attacked. See map. Verses 13–16 correspond very closely with Sennacherib’s own account of his 701 campaign against Phoenicia, Judah and Egypt. captured them. In his annals, Sennacherib claims to have captured 46 of Hezekiah’s fortified cities, as well as numerous open villages, and to have taken 200,150 of the people captive. He says he made Hezekiah “a prisoner in Jerusalem his royal residence, like a bird in a cage,” but he does not say he took Jerusalem (19:35–36).
18:14 Lachish. See notes on 14:19; Isa 36:2; see also photos here and here. three hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. See NIV text notes. The Assyrian and biblical reports of the amount of tribute paid by Hezekiah to Sennacherib agree with respect to the 30 talents of gold, but Sennacherib claims to have received 800 talents of silver rather than the 300 specified in the biblical text.
18:19 great king. A frequently used title of the Assyrian rulers—and occasionally of the Lord (Ps 47:2; 48:2; 95:3; Mal 1:14; Mt 5:35). says. The following address is a masterpiece of calculated intimidation and psychological warfare designed to destroy the morale of the inhabitants of Jerusalem (see vv. 26–27; cf. note on Jos 6:5).
18:22 isn’t he the one whose high places and altars Hezekiah removed . . . ? The Assyrians cleverly attempted to drive a wedge between Hezekiah and the people. They attempted to exploit any resentment that may have existed among those who opposed Hezekiah’s reformation and his destruction of the high places (see note on v. 4).
18:23 if you can put riders on them! With this sarcastic taunt, the Assyrians undoubtedly accurately suggest that the Judahites were so weak in military personnel that they could not even take advantage of such a generous offer. In contrast with the Assyrians, the army of Judah at the time consisted largely of foot soldiers. The city under siege would have contained few chariots, and it is not known whether the Israelites ever employed mounted men in combat.
18:26 Aramaic. Had become the international language of the Near East, known and used by those engaged in diplomacy and commerce. It is surprising that an Assyrian official was able to speak the Hebrew dialect of the common people of Judah (2Ch 32:18). It is also a testimony to Assyria’s diplomatic expertise.
18:27 people sitting on the wall. The Assyrian strategy was to negotiate in the hearing of the people in order to demoralize them and turn them against Hezekiah. eat their own excrement and drink their own urine. A vivid portrayal of the potential hardship of a prolonged siege.
18:29 the king says. The Assyrian officials now address their remarks directly to the populace rather than to the officials of Hezekiah, as in vv. 19–27. Do not let Hezekiah deceive you. Here and in vv. 30–31 the people are urged three times to turn against Hezekiah.
18:30 this city will not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hezekiah could say this on the basis of God’s promise to him (see 20:6; see also note on Isa 38:6).
18:31 eat fruit from your own vine and fig tree and drink water from your own cistern. Depicting peaceful and prosperous times (1Ki 4:25; Mic 4:4; Zec 3:10).
18:32 until I come and take you to a land like your own. Ultimately surrender meant deportation, but Sennacherib pictured it as something desirable. Choose life and not death! The alternatives depicted for the people are: (1) Trust in the Lord and Hezekiah and die, or (2) trust in the Assyrians and enjoy prosperity and peace. These words directly contradict the alternatives placed before Israel by Moses in Dt 30:15–20.
18:33–35 Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria? . . . How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand? The flaw in the Assyrian reasoning was to equate the one true and living God with the no-gods (Dt 32:21) of the pagan peoples the Assyrians had defeated (19:4,6; 2Ch 32:13–19; Isa 10:9–11).
18:36 because the king had commanded, “Do not answer him.” The Assyrian attempt to stir up a popular revolt against the leadership and authority of Hezekiah had failed.
19:2 palace administrator. See note on 1Ki 4:6. secretary. See note on 2Sa 8:17. leading priests. Probably the oldest members of various priestly families (Jer 19:1). The crisis involved not only the city of Jerusalem but also the temple. prophet Isaiah. The first reference to Isaiah in the book of Kings, though he had been active in the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham and Ahaz (Isa 1:1).
19:3 as when children come to the moment of birth and there is no strength to deliver them. Depicts the critical nature of the threat facing the city.
19:4 living God. In contrast to the no-gods of 18:33–35. See 1Sa 17:26, 36,45 for another example of ridiculing the living and true God. pray. Intercessory prayer was an important aspect of the ministry of the prophets (see, e.g., the intercession of Moses and Samuel: Ex 32:31–32; 33:12–17; Nu 14:13–19; 1Sa 7:8–9; 12:19,23; Ps 99:6; Jer 15:1). remnant. Those left in Judah after Sennacherib’s capture of many towns and numerous people (see note on 18:13; cf. Isa 10:28–32). Archaeological evidence reveals that many Israelites fled the northern kingdom during the Assyrian assaults and settled in Judah, so that the nation of Judah became the remnant of all Israel.
19:7 report. Some interpreters link this report with the challenge to Sennacherib from Tirhakah of Egypt (v. 9). Others regard it as disturbing information from Sennacherib’s homeland. make him want to return. Because of a spirit of insecurity and fear. cut down with the sword. See v. 37. Here the eventual murder of Sennacherib is connected with his blasphemy against the living God.
19:9 Tirhakah. See note on Isa 37:9. Cush. See NIV text note.
19:12 Gozan. See note on 17:6. Harran. See note on Ge 11:31. It is not known just when Harran was taken by the Assyrians. Rezeph. Located south of the Euphrates River and northeast of Hamath. Eden. A district along the Euphrates River south of Harran (Eze 27:23; Am 1:5), not to be confused with the Garden of Eden. It was incorporated into the Assyrian Empire by Shalmaneser III in 855 bc.
19:20 heard your prayer. On this occasion Isaiah’s message to Hezekiah was unsolicited by the king (contrast v. 2).
19:21–28 The arrogance of the Assyrians and their ridicule of the Israelites and their God are countered with a derisive pronouncement of judgment (cf. Ps 2) on the misconceived Assyrian pride (Isa 10:5–34).
19:22 Holy One of Israel. A designation of the God of Israel characteristic of the book of Isaiah (see Lev 11:44; Isa 1:4 and notes).
19:23 Lebanon . . . its tallest cedars. See note on 1Ki 5:6.
19:24 dried up all the streams of Egypt. A presumptuous boast for one who had not even conquered Egypt.
19:25 I ordained it . . . now I have brought it to pass. The God of Israel is the ruler of all nations and history. The Assyrians attributed their victories to their own military superiority. However, Isaiah said that God alone ordained these victories (see Isa 10:5–19; cf. Eze 30:24–26).
19:28 hook in your nose. At the top of an Assyrian obelisk an Assyrian king (probably Esarhaddon, 681–669 bc) is pictured holding ropes attached to rings in the noses of four of his enemies (see photo). Here Isaiah portrays the same thing happening to Sennacherib (see note on Isa 37:29; cf. Eze 38:4; Am 4:2).
19:29 This year you will eat what grows by itself. Sennacherib had apparently either destroyed or confiscated the entire harvest that had been sown the previous fall. The people would only have use of the later, second growth that came from seeds dropped from the previous year’s harvest (Lev 25:5). This suggests that Sennacherib came to Judah in March or April, about the time of harvest. the second year what springs from that. Sennacherib’s departure would be too late in the fall for new crops to be planted for the coming year. In the Holy Land, crops are normally sown in September and October. in the third year sow and reap. The routine times for sowing and harvesting could be observed in the following year. The third year is likely a reference to the third year of harvests detrimentally affected by the Assyrian presence.
19:30–31 remnant. See note on v. 4. For use of the term “remnant” as a designation for those who will participate in the future unfolding of God’s redemptive program, see Isa 11:11, 16; 28:5; Mic 4:7; Ro 11:5.
19:32 not enter this city. Sennacherib, who was presently at Libnah (see v. 8; see also note on 8:22), would not be able to carry out his threats against Jerusalem (see note on 18:13).
19:35 angel of the LORD. See note on Ge 16:7. a hundred and eighty-five thousand. See Isa 37:36 and note.
19:36 Nineveh. The capital of the Assyrian Empire.
19:37 his sons Adrammelek and Sharezer. Ancient records refer to the murder of Sennacherib by an unnamed son in the 23rd year of Sennacherib’s reign. Ararat. See note on Ge 8:4. Esarhaddon his son succeeded him. And reigned 681–669 bc (see chart). Assyrian inscriptions speak of a struggle among Sennacherib’s sons for the right of succession to the Assyrian throne. Sennacherib’s designation of Esarhaddon as heir apparent, even though he was younger than several of his brothers, may have sparked the abortive attempt at a coup by Adrammelek and Sharezer.
20:1 In those days. Hezekiah’s illness (vv. 1–11), as well as his reception of envoys from Babylon (vv. 12–19), must have preceded the Assyrian campaign in 701 bc (see v. 6; see also notes on vv. 12–13). Babylonian records indicate that Marduk-Baladan (v. 12) died in Elam after being expelled from Babylon in 703. Put your house in order. Arrangements of a testamentary nature needed to be made, especially with respect to throne succession. you are going to die. A surprising announcement since Hezekiah was not yet an old man. Assuming that he was 25 years old in 715 when he began his sole reign (18:2) and that his illness occurred a little more than 15 years prior to his death (see note on v. 6), Hezekiah would have been 37 or 38 years old at this time.
20:3 walked before you faithfully . . . and have done what is good. Hezekiah’s prayer expresses the realization that the Lord graciously favors those who earnestly serve him (see note on 2Sa 22:21).
20:5 I will heal you. God is the one who sovereignly ordains all that comes to pass (Ps 139:16; Eph 1:11). Hezekiah’s petition and God’s response demonstrate that (1) divine sovereignty does not make prayer inappropriate but, on the contrary, establishes it, and (2) both prayer and the divine response to prayer are to be included in one’s conception of God’s sovereign plan (1Ki 21:29; Eze 33:13–16).
20:6 add fifteen years to your life. Hezekiah died in 686 bc. The beginning of the extension of his life is thus to be placed no later than 701. for my sake and for the sake of my servant David. See 19:34; see also note on 1Ki 11:13.
20:7 poultice of figs. A healing compress applied to a wound or sore. The Lord healed Hezekiah (v. 5), but divine healing does not necessarily exclude the use of known remedies.
20:10 simple matter . . . go forward. Because that was the natural direction of the shadow’s movement. Hezekiah chose the more difficult movement to make sure the sign was from the Lord.
20:11 made the shadow go back. The miracle does not require the earth to have reversed its rotation. God may simply have changed the location of the shadow. stairway of Ahaz. Possibly refers to one leading to his house or to some kind of instrument used to measure time.
20:12 Marduk-Baladan. Means “[The god] Marduk has given me a male heir.” He ruled in Babylon c. 722–710 bc before being forced to submit to Assyrian domination by Sargon II of Assyria. Sometime after Sargon’s death in 705, Marduk-Baladan briefly reestablished Babylonian independence and ruled in Babylon until Sennacherib forced him to flee in 703 (see note on v. 1). sent Hezekiah letters and a gift. It is likely that Marduk-Baladan was attempting to draw Hezekiah into an alliance against Assyria. Although Hezekiah rejected the pro-Assyrian policies of his father, Ahaz (16:7), and rebelled against Assyria (18:7), he erred in seeking to strengthen Israel’s security by friendship with Babylon and Egypt (see 2Ch 32:31; Isa 30–31; see also notes on 1Sa 17:11; 1Ki 15:19).
20:13 received the envoys and showed them all. Hezekiah’s reception of the delegation from Babylon was overly hospitable. Perhaps it was an attempt to bolster Judah’s security by impressing the Babylonians with the wealth and power of his kingdom as a basis for mutual cooperation against the Assyrians. In principle this was a denial of the covenantal nature of the royal office in Israel (see note on 2Sa 24:1). silver . . . olive oil. The presence of these treasures in Jerusalem is evidence that this incident occurred before the payment of tribute to Sennacherib in 701 bc (18:15–16).
20:14 What did those men say . . . ? Hezekiah gave no response to Isaiah’s question concerning the diplomatic purpose of the Babylonian envoys.
20:17 carried off to Babylon. Hezekiah’s reception of the Babylonians would bring the exact opposite of what he desired and expected. Isaiah’s prediction of Babylonian exile at least 115 years before it happened is all the more remarkable because, when he spoke, it appeared that Assyria rather than Babylonia was the world power from whom Judah had the most to fear.
20:18 some of your descendants . . . will be taken away. Hezekiah’s own son Manasseh was taken by the Assyrians and held prisoner for a while in Babylon (2Ch 33:11); later, many more from the house of David were to follow (see 24:15; 25:7; Da 1:3).
20:19 word . . . is good. Hezekiah’s statement may be a selfish expression of relief that he himself would not experience the announced adversity, or it may simply be a humble acceptance of the Lord’s judgment (2Ch 32:26) with gratefulness for the intervening time of peace that the Lord was granting to his people.
20:20 the pool and the tunnel. See Jn 9:7 and note. Hezekiah built a tunnel from the Gihon spring (1Ki 1:33,38) to a cistern (2Ch 32:30) inside the city’s walls (see map). This greatly reduced Jerusalem’s vulnerability to siege by guaranteeing a continuing water supply. In 1880 an inscription (the Siloam Inscription; see photos) was found in the rock wall near the southern exit of this tunnel, describing the method of its construction. The tunnel, cut through solid rock, is about 1,750 feet long; its height varies from 4 feet to 12 feet and it averages 2 feet in width. annals of the kings of Judah. See note on 1Ki 14:29.
21:1 twelve years old. Thus Manasseh was born c. 709 bc. fifty-five years. 697–642 bc, including a ten-year coregency (697–686) with Hezekiah (see chart). This was the longest reign of any king in either Israel or Judah; he was arguably the most wicked of them all. The name Manasseh has been found on a contemporary seal reading “Belonging to Manasseh Son of the King.” If this is the same Manasseh, the seal was probably used by him during the coregency.
21:2 detestable practices. Manasseh reversed the religious policies of his father, Hezekiah (18:3–5), and reverted to those of Ahaz (16:3).
21:12 disaster on Jerusalem. Fulfilled in the final destruction of the city by the Babylonians in 586 bc (ch. 25). Because of the later reign of the good and godly King Josiah, the Lord delayed the destruction until then (see 22:2–3 and notes). ears of everyone . . . will tingle. See Jer 19:3 and note.
21:13 measuring line . . . plumb line. Instruments normally associated with construction are used here as symbols of destruction (Isa 34:11; Am 7:7–9, 17).
21:15 The history of Israel was a history of covenant breaking. With the reign of Manasseh the cup of God’s wrath overflowed, and the judgment of exile (see note on 17:7–23) became inevitable (24:1–4).
21:16 innocent blood. A reference to godly people who were martyred for opposition to Manasseh’s evil practices (see vv. 10–11). According to a Jewish tradition (The Ascension of Isaiah—not otherwise substantiated), Isaiah was sawed in two during Manasseh’s reign (see Introduction to Isaiah: Author; cf. Heb 11:37 and note).
21:17 other events of Manasseh’s reign. For the surprising account of his repentance after being exiled by the Assyrians, see 2Ch 33:12–19. annals of the kings of Judah. See note on 1Ki 14:29.
21:18 rested with his ancestors. See note on 1Ki 1:21. Uzza. Probably a shortened form of Uzziah (see NIV text note on 14:21; see also 2Ch 26:1 and note).
21:19 two years. 642–640 bc. Jotbah. Some identify it with the Jotbathah of Nu 33:33–34 and Dt 10:7, near Ezion Geber. Others, including the church father Jerome, have located it in Judah.
21:20 did evil. Amon did not share in the change of heart that characterized his father, Manasseh, in the last days of his life (2Ch 33:12–19). He must have restored the idolatrous practices that Manasseh abolished because these were again in existence in the time of Josiah (23:5–7,12).
21:23 conspired against him. Whether this palace revolt was motivated by religious or political considerations is not known.
22:1 thirty-one years. 640–609 bc (see note on 21:19). Bozkath. Located in Judah in the vicinity of Lachish (Jos 15:39).
22:2 ways of his father David. See note on 18:3. Josiah was the last godly king of the Davidic line prior to the exile. Jeremiah, who prophesied during the reign of Josiah (Jer 1:2), spoke highly of him (Jer 22:15–16). Zephaniah also prophesied in the early days of his reign (Zep 1:1).
22:3 eighteenth year. 622 bc. Josiah was then 26 years old (v. 1). He had begun to serve the Lord faithfully at the age of 16 (the 8th year of his reign, 2Ch 34:3). When he was 20 years old (the 12th year of his reign, 2Ch 34:3), he had already begun to purge the land of its idolatrous practices. secretary, Shaphan. See note on 2Sa 8:17. Two additional individuals are mentioned as accompanying Shaphan in 2Ch 34:8.
22:4 Hilkiah. Father of Azariah and grandfather of Seraiah, the high priest executed at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians (25:18–21). It is unlikely that this Hilkiah was also the father of Jeremiah (Jer 1:1). money . . . the doorkeepers have collected. Josiah used the method devised by Joash for collecting funds for the restoration of the temple (12:1–16; 2Ch 34:9).
22:8 Book of the Law. Some interpreters hold that this refers to a copy of the entire Pentateuch, while others understand it as a reference to a copy of part or all of Deuteronomy alone (Dt 31:24, 26; 2Ch 34:14).
22:11 tore his robes. See notes on 18:37; Jos 7:6; contrast Josiah’s reaction with that of Jehoiakim to the words of the scroll written by Jeremiah (Jer 36:24). Perhaps the covenant curses of Lev 26 and/or Dt 28, climaxing with the threat of exile, were the statements that especially disturbed Josiah.
22:12 Ahikam son of Shaphan. This official’s name has been found on a seal impression dating to the time of Jeremiah (see photo). Ahikam was the father of Gedaliah, who was later to be appointed governor of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar (25:22; Jer 39:14). He was also the protector of Jeremiah when his life was threatened during the reign of Jehoiakim (Jer 26:24). Akbor. His son Elnathan is mentioned in 24:8; Jer 26:22; 36:12. Shaphan the secretary. See note on v. 3.
22:14 prophet Huldah. Female prophets ministered among the Israelites; for other examples, see notes on Ex 15:20; Jdg 4:4. Shallum . . . keeper of the wardrobe. Perhaps the same Shallum who was the uncle of Jeremiah (Jer 32:7). New Quarter. A section of the city probably located in a newly developed area between the first and second walls in the northwest part of Jerusalem (see 2Ch 33:14; 34:22; Ne 11:9 and note; Zep 1:10).
22:16 this place. Jerusalem.
22:19 your heart was responsive. See v. 11.
22:20 gather you to your ancestors. See note on Ge 25:8. you will be buried in peace. In a time of peace for the nation. This prediction refers to Josiah’s death before God’s judgment on Jerusalem through Nebuchadnezzar and so is not contradicted by his death in battle with Pharaoh Necho of Egypt (23:29–30). Josiah was assured that the final judgment on Judah and Jerusalem would not come in his own days.
23:2 Book of the Covenant. Although this designation is used in Ex 24:7 with reference to the contents of Ex 20–23, it is here applied to either all or part of the book of Deuteronomy or the entire Mosaic law. Whatever else the scroll contained, it clearly included the covenant curses of Lev 26 and/or Dt 28 (see notes on v. 21; 22:8,11).
23:3 pillar. See note on 11:14. renewed the covenant. Josiah carries out the function of covenant mediator; cf. Moses (Ex 24:3–8; Deuteronomy), Joshua (Jos 24), Samuel (1Sa 11:14—12:25) and Jehoiada (2Ki 11:17). follow the LORD. See notes on 1Sa 12:14,20. pledged themselves to the covenant. A ratification rite in which the people participated and pledged by oath to be loyal to their covenant obligations.
23:4 doorkeepers. See 12:9. Baal and Asherah. See note on 1Ki 14:15. starry hosts. See note on 17:16. Kidron Valley. See note on Isa 22:7 and map; see also 1Ki 15:13 and note. took the ashes to Bethel. See vv. 15–16. Bethel was located just over the border between Judah and the former northern kingdom in territory nominally under Assyrian control. With a decline in Assyrian power, Josiah was able to exert his own influence in the north. He apparently deposited the ashes at Bethel in order to desecrate (see note on v. 14) the very place where golden calf worship had originally polluted the land (see notes on 1Ki 12:28–30).
23:5 idolatrous priests. See Hos 10:5; Zep 1:4. kings of Judah. A reference to Manasseh and Amon, and perhaps to Ahaz before them. high places. See note on 18:4.
23:6 Asherah pole. See note on 1Ki 14:15. The Asherah poles destroyed by Hezekiah (18:4) were reintroduced by Manasseh (21:7). When Manasseh turned to the Lord, it is likely that he too got rid of the Asherah poles (2Ch 33:15) and that they were then again reintroduced by Amon (2Ki 21:21; 2Ch 33:22). scattered the dust over the graves of the common people. Intended as a defilement of the goddess, not as a desecration of the graves of the poor (Jer 26:23).
23:8 desecrated the high places. See note on 18:4. Geba to Beersheba. Geba was on the northern border of the southern kingdom (1Ki 15:22), and Beersheba was on its southern border (see note on 1Sa 3:20).
23:9 ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests. Although not permitted to serve at the temple altar, these priests were to be sustained by a share of the priestly provisions (Lev 2:10; 6:16–18). They occupied a status similar to that of priests with physical defects (Lev 21:16–23).
23:10 Topheth . . . Molek. See note on 1Ki 11:5. Topheth was an area in the Valley of Hinnom where altars used for child sacrifice were located (see Isa 30:33; Jer 7:31; 19:5–6 and notes). sacrifice their son or daughter. See 17:17; 21:6; see also note on 16:3.
23:11 horses . . . dedicated to the sun. Dedicating horses to the sun appears to have been a distinctively Assyrian practice. However, an Ugaritic liturgy also establishes a connection between horses and the sun. Small images of horses have been found in a pagan shrine just outside one of the ancient walls of Jerusalem. Nathan-Melek. Perhaps the official in charge of the chariots.
23:13 high places . . . Solomon . . . had built. See note on 1Ki 11:5.
23:14 covered the sites with human bones. The bones would defile these sites and make them unsuitable for pagan use in the future (Nu 19:16).
23:15 altar at Bethel. See 1Ki 12:32–33. Nothing is said of the golden calf, which undoubtedly had been sent to Assyria as tribute at the time of the captivity of the northern kingdom (Hos 10:5–6).
23:16 tombs. Of the priests of the Bethel sanctuary (1Ki 13:2). burned on the altar to defile it. See notes on vv. 6,14. the man of God who foretold these things. See 1Ki 13:1–2,32.
23:18 prophet who had come from Samaria. See 1Ki 13:31–32. Samaria is here not to be understood as the city by that name since the prophet came from Bethel (1Ki 13:11). Rather, it is to be taken as a designation for the entire area of the former northern kingdom (see notes on 17:24,29; 1Ki 13:32).
23:20 slaughtered all the priests of those high places. These were non-Levitical priests of the apostate worship practiced in the area of the former northern kingdom (see notes on 17:27–28,33–34). They were treated like the pagan priests of Judah (v. 5) in contrast to Josiah’s treatment of the priests at the high places in Judah (vv. 8–9). Josiah’s actions in this matter conformed to the requirements of Dt 13; 17:2–7.
23:21 Celebrate the Passover. A more complete description of this observance is found in 2Ch 35:1–19. as it is written in this Book of the Covenant. See note on v. 2. This appears to refer to Dt 16:1–8, where the Passover is described in a communal setting at a sanctuary (Ex 23:15–17; 34:23–24; Lev 23:4–14) rather than in the family setting of Ex 12:1–14,43–49.
23:22 The uniqueness of Josiah’s Passover celebration seems to be in the fact that all the Passover lambs were slaughtered exclusively by the Levites (see 2Ch 35:1–19; cf. 2Ch 30:2–3,17–20 for the Passover observed in the time of Hez-ekiah).
23:25 was there a king like him. See note on 18:5. with all his heart . . . soul and . . . strength. See Dt 6:5.
23:26 Nevertheless, the LORD did not turn away from the heat of his fierce anger. The judgment against Judah and Jerusalem was postponed but not rescinded because of Josiah’s reformation (see notes on 21:15; 22:20).
23:27 as I removed Israel. See 17:18–23. Jerusalem, the city I chose. See 21:4,7,13. this temple, about which I said, ‘My Name shall be there.’ See note on 1Ki 8:16.
23:29 Pharaoh Necho king of Egypt. Ruled 610–595 bc. help the king of Assyria. Pharaoh Necho intended to help Ashur-Uballit II, the last Assyrian king, in his struggle against the rising power of Babylon under Nabopolassar. The Assyrian capital, Nineveh, had already fallen to the Babylonians and Medes in 612 (see the book of Nahum). The remaining Assyrian forces had regrouped at Harran, but in 609 they were forced west of the Euphrates. It appears to be at this time that the Egyptians under Necho were coming to the Assyrians’ aid. King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle. Perhaps Josiah opposed the passage of Necho’s army through the pass at Megiddo (2Ch 35:20–24) because he feared that the growth of either Egyptian or Assyrian power would have adverse results for the continued independence of Judah. Megiddo. See note on Jdg 5:19.
23:30 buried him in his own tomb. See 2Ch 35:24–25. people of the land. See note on 21:24. Jehoahaz son of Josiah. Jehoahaz’s name was originally Shallum (1Ch 3:15; Jer 22:11), which was probably changed to Jehoahaz at the time of his accession to the throne. Perhaps Jehoahaz was chosen by the people over Jehoiakim because it was known that Jehoiakim favored a pro-Egyptian policy instead of the anti-Egyptian policy of Josiah and Jehoahaz. anointed him. See note on 1Sa 9:16.
23:31 three months. In 609 bc. Jeremiah. Not the prophet (see Jer 15:17; 16:2 and notes). Libnah. See note on 8:22.
23:33 in chains at Riblah. By either deception or overt force the Egyptians were able to take Jehoahaz captive and impose tribute on Judah (2Ch 36:3). Jehoahaz was imprisoned at Necho’s military headquarters, established at Riblah on the Orontes River. Nebuchadnezzar was later to make his headquarters at the same place (25:6,20).
23:34 Eliakim son of Josiah. Eliakim was an older brother of Jehoahaz (1Ch 3:15). Perhaps he had been bypassed earlier as a successor to Josiah because of a pro-Egyptian political stance. changed Eliakim’s name to Jehoiakim. The meaning of these two names is similar (Eliakim, “God has established”; Jehoiakim, “Yahweh has established”). Perhaps Necho wanted to use the name change to imply that his actions were sanctioned by Yahweh, the God of Judah (18:25; 2Ch 35:21). In any case, the change in name indicated that Jehoiakim was subject to Necho’s authority. took Jehoahaz . . . to Egypt, and there he died. See 2Ch 36:4; Jer 22:10–12.
23:35 from the people of the land. The tribute for Necho was raised by a graduated tax placed on the very people who had supported the kingship of Jehoahaz (see v. 30 and note on 21:24). Menahem of the northern kingdom had used a similar method of raising funds for tribute (15:20).
23:36 eleven years. 609–598 bc.
23:37 did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Jehoiakim was responsible for the murder of the prophet Uriah from Kiriath Jearim (Jer 26:20–24), and his rule was characterized by dishonesty, oppression and injustice (Jer 22:13–19). He reintroduced idolatrous worship in the temple (Eze 8:5–17) and refused to accept the word of the Lord through Jeremiah (Jer 36). his predecessors. Manasseh (21:1–18) and Amon (21:19–26).