(27-31) THE REIGN OF PEKAH, SON OF REMALIAH, IN SAMARIA.
(27) Reigned twenty years.--This does not agree with the duration assigned to the reign of Jotham (2 Kings 15:33), and the year assigned as the beginning of Hoshea's reign (2 Kings 17:1). For, according to 2 Kings 15:32, Pekah had reigned about two years when Jotham succeeded in Judah, and Jotham reigned sixteen years; and, according to 2 Kings 17:1, Pekah was succeeded by Hoshea in the twelfth year of Jotham's successor, Ahaz. These data make the duration of Pekah's reign from twenty-eight to thirty years. We must, therefore, either assume, with Thenius, that "the numeral sign for 30 () has been corrupted into 20 ()," or, with Ewald, that "and nine" has been accidentally omitted after "twenty."
(29) Tiglath-pileser.--This Assyrian sovereign, who reigned from 745 to 727 B.C. , is called in his own inscriptions, Tukulti- (or Tuklat) 'abal-Esarra, which Schrader renders, "my trust is Adar"--literally, Trust is the son of the temple of Sarra. (See Note on 1 Chronicles 5:26.) "The idea we get of this king from the remains of these inscriptions corresponds throughout to what we know of him from the Bible. Everywhere he is presented as a powerful warrior-king, who subjugated the entire tract of anterior Asia, from the frontier mountains of Media in the east to the Mediterranean sea in the west, including a part of Cappadocia" (Schrader, K.A.T., p. 247).
Took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah . . . all the land of Naphtali.--Comp. 1 Kings 15:20.
Janoah.--Not the border-town between Ephraim and Manasseh (Joshua 16:6), as the context requires a place in the northernmost part of Israel.
Kedesh.--On the western shore of the waters of Merom (Joshua 21:37).
Gilead.--See 2 Kings 14:25; 1 Chronicles 5:26. It was no long time since Jeroboam II. had recovered it for Israel. According to Schrader (K.A.T., pp. 254, seq.) the reference of the verse is to Tiglath Pileser's expedition in B.C. 734, called in the Eponym list an expedition to the land of Pilista (Philistia). With this Schrader connects a fragment of the annals which begins with a list of towns conquered by Tiglath, and ends thus: . . . "the town of Gaal (ad) . . . (A) bil . . . of the upper part of the land of Beth-Omri (i.e., Samaria) . . . in its whole extent I annexed to the territory of Assyria; my prefects the sagans I appointed over them." The fragment goes on to mention the flight of Han-n, king of Gaza, to Egypt, and the carrying off of his goods and his gods by the conqueror. It is added, "The land of Beth-Omri . . . the whole body of his men, their goods, to the land of Assyria I led away, Pakaha (i.e., Pekah) their king I slew (so Schrader;? 'they slew'), and A-u-si-ha (i.e., Hoshea) . . . over them I appointed. Ten (talents of gold, 1,000 talents of silver) 1 received from them."
(30) Hoshea . . . slew him, and reigned in his stead.--See the inscription of Tiglath Pileser, quoted in the last Note, from which, as Schrader remarks, it is clear that Hoshea only secured his hold on the crown by recognition of the suzerainty of Assyria. The brief record of Kmgs does not mention this; but 2 Kings 17:3 represents Hoshea as paying tribute to Shalmaneser IV., the successor of Tiglath.
In the twentieth year of Jotham.--This is a suspicious statement, as not agreeing with 2 Kings 15:33, according to which Jotham reigned sixteen years only.
Verses 27-31. - REIGN OF PEKAH. The writer is again exceedingly brief. Pekah's reign was a remarkable one, and might have furnished much material to the historian. In conjunction with Rezin of Damascus, he made war upon Judaea, defeated Ahaz with great loss (2 Chronicles 28:6), and laid siege to Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:1). Ahaz called in the aid or' Assyria, and Tiglath-pileser made two expeditions into Palestine - the one mentioned in ver. 29, and another some years afterwards. In the latter he seems to have had the assistance of Hoshea, who, with his sanction, slew Pekah, and became king. The scanty notices of our author must be supplemented from 2 Chronicles 28; Isaiah 7:1-9; Isaiah 8:1-8; and the Assyrian inscriptions. Verse 27. - In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah King of Judah; rather, in the thirty-ninth or thirty-eighth year (see the comment on ver. 23). Pekahiah's "two years" may not have been complete. Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years. The Assyrian records make this number impossible. Tiglath-pileser's entire reign lasted only eighteen years, yet it more than covered the entire reign of Pekah. When he first invaded the kingdom of Samaria, Menahem was upon the throne ('Eponym Canon,' p. 120, line 29); when he last attacked it, probably in B.C. 730 - two years before his death in B.C. 728 - he set up Hoshea, or, at any rate, sanctioned his usurpation (ibid., pp. 123, 124, lines 15-18). Pekah's entire reign must have come in the interval, which is certainly not more than one of fifteen, probably not more than one of ten years.
15:8-31 This history shows Israel in confusion. Though Judah was not without troubles, yet that kingdom was happy, compared with the state of Israel. The imperfections of true believers are very different from the allowed wickedness of ungodly men. Such is human nature, such are our hearts, if left to themselves, deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. We have reason to be thankful for restraints, for being kept out of temptation, and should beg of God to renew a right spirit within us.
In the fifty second year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria,.... Which was the last year of the reign of Azariah:
and reigned twenty years; which was a long reign for an usurper and murderer.
(27) Reigned twenty years.--This does not agree with the duration assigned to the reign of Jotham (2 Kings 15:33), and the year assigned as the beginning of Hoshea's reign (2 Kings 17:1). For, according to 2 Kings 15:32, Pekah had reigned about two years when Jotham succeeded in Judah, and Jotham reigned sixteen years; and, according to 2 Kings 17:1, Pekah was succeeded by Hoshea in the twelfth year of Jotham's successor, Ahaz. These data make the duration of Pekah's reign from twenty-eight to thirty years. We must, therefore, either assume, with Thenius, that "the numeral sign for 30 () has been corrupted into 20 ()," or, with Ewald, that "and nine" has been accidentally omitted after "twenty."
(29) Tiglath-pileser.--This Assyrian sovereign, who reigned from 745 to 727 B.C. , is called in his own inscriptions, Tukulti- (or Tuklat) 'abal-Esarra, which Schrader renders, "my trust is Adar"--literally, Trust is the son of the temple of Sarra. (See Note on 1 Chronicles 5:26.) "The idea we get of this king from the remains of these inscriptions corresponds throughout to what we know of him from the Bible. Everywhere he is presented as a powerful warrior-king, who subjugated the entire tract of anterior Asia, from the frontier mountains of Media in the east to the Mediterranean sea in the west, including a part of Cappadocia" (Schrader, K.A.T., p. 247).
Took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah . . . all the land of Naphtali.--Comp. 1 Kings 15:20.
Janoah.--Not the border-town between Ephraim and Manasseh (Joshua 16:6), as the context requires a place in the northernmost part of Israel.
Kedesh.--On the western shore of the waters of Merom (Joshua 21:37).
Hazor.--See 1 Kings 9:15.
Gilead.--See 2 Kings 14:25; 1 Chronicles 5:26. It was no long time since Jeroboam II. had recovered it for Israel. According to Schrader (K.A.T., pp. 254, seq.) the reference of the verse is to Tiglath Pileser's expedition in B.C. 734, called in the Eponym list an expedition to the land of Pilista (Philistia). With this Schrader connects a fragment of the annals which begins with a list of towns conquered by Tiglath, and ends thus: . . . "the town of Gaal (ad) . . . (A) bil . . . of the upper part of the land of Beth-Omri (i.e., Samaria) . . . in its whole extent I annexed to the territory of Assyria; my prefects the sagans I appointed over them." The fragment goes on to mention the flight of Han-n, king of Gaza, to Egypt, and the carrying off of his goods and his gods by the conqueror. It is added, "The land of Beth-Omri . . . the whole body of his men, their goods, to the land of Assyria I led away, Pakaha (i.e., Pekah) their king I slew (so Schrader;? 'they slew'), and A-u-si-ha (i.e., Hoshea) . . . over them I appointed. Ten (talents of gold, 1,000 talents of silver) 1 received from them."
(30) Hoshea . . . slew him, and reigned in his stead.--See the inscription of Tiglath Pileser, quoted in the last Note, from which, as Schrader remarks, it is clear that Hoshea only secured his hold on the crown by recognition of the suzerainty of Assyria. The brief record of Kmgs does not mention this; but 2 Kings 17:3 represents Hoshea as paying tribute to Shalmaneser IV., the successor of Tiglath.
In the twentieth year of Jotham.--This is a suspicious statement, as not agreeing with 2 Kings 15:33, according to which Jotham reigned sixteen years only.
and reigned twenty years; which was a long reign for an usurper and murderer.