final four years of his reign, 853–848 B.C. Joram (Jehoram) became king of Israel
reigns of Jehoram, Jehu, and Jehoahaz in Israel and Ahaziah, Athaliah, and Joash in Judah.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:16 fifth year. C. 848 B.C., the year Jehoshaphat of Judah died. Joram. An alternate name for the king referred to as Jehoram previously (1:17; 3:1–6). See notes on 2 Chron. 21:4–20.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:17 eight years. 848–841 B.C. See notes on 2 Chron. 21:4– 20. Jehoram of Judah served as co-regent with his father Jehoshaphat for the final four years of his reign, 853–848 B.C. Joram (Jehoram) became king of Israel during the second year of this co-regency, 852 B.C. (see notes on 1:17; 3:1). Jehoram of Judah ruled alone for eight years after his father's death, until 841
B.C. (cf. 2 Chron. 21:15). Most likely, Obadiah prophesied during his reign.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:18 as the house of Ahab. Jehoram officially sanctioned Baal worship in Judah as Ahab had in Israel (1 Kings 16:31–33). the daughter of Ahab. Jehoram was married to Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel (2 Kings 8:26). Just as Jezebel incited Ahab to do evil in the sight of the Lord (1 Kings 21:25), so Athaliah influenced Jehoram. Athaliah's wicked actions are recorded in 2 Kings 11:1–16 and 2 Chron. 22:10–23:15.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:19 a lamp . . . forever. See note on 1 Kings 11:36.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:20 Edom revolted. Edom had been a vassal of the united kingdom, and of the southern kingdom of Judah since David's reign (2 Sam. 8:13–14).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:21 Zair. The exact location is unknown.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:22 Edom revolted . . . to this day. During the reign of Jehoram, Edom defeated the Judean army, took some border lands, and became independent of Judah's rule. The continuing sovereignty of Edom proved that none of the future kings of Judah recorded in 2 Kings was the anticipated Messiah because he would possess Edom (cf. Num. 24:18). Libnah. A town located in the Shephelah on the border with Philistia, about 20 miles southwest of Jerusalem (Josh. 15:42; 21:13). The revolt of Libnah was probably connected with that of the Philistines and Arabians recounted in 2 Chron. 21:16–17.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:25–29 The reign of Ahaziah (c. 841 B.C.) is not to be confused with that of Israel's King Ahaziah (1 Kings 22:51–2 Kings 1:8). See
notes on 2 Kings 9:27 and 2 Chron. 22:1–9.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:26 Athaliah. See note on v. 18.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:27 as the house of Ahab. Like his father, Jehoram, Ahaziah continued the official sanctioning of Baal worship in Judah (see note on v. 18).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:28 Ramoth-gilead. See note on 1 Kings 22:3.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 8:29 went down to see Joram. Ahaziah's travel to visit the recuperating Joram (also called Jehoram) king of Israel placed him in Jezreel (west of the Jordan, southwest of the Sea of Galilee) during Jehu's purge of the house of Omri (see 9:21–29).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:2 Jehu. The Lord had previously told Elijah that Jehu would become king over Israel and kill those involved in the worship of Baal (cf. 1 Kings 19:17). The fulfillment of the prophecy is recorded from 2 Kings 9:1– 10:31. inner chamber. A private room that could be closed off to the public. Elisha commissioned one of the younger prophets to anoint Jehu alone behind closed doors. The rite was to be a secret affair without Elisha present so that Jehoram would not suspect that a coup was coming.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:3 anoint you king over Israel. The anointing with olive oil by a prophet of the Lord confirmed that God himself had earlier chosen that man to be king (cf. 1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13). This action of anointing by a commissioned prophet indicated divine investiture with God's sovereign power to Jehu. flee; do not linger. The need for haste by the young prophet underscored the danger of the assignment. A prophet in the midst of Israel's army camp would alert the pro-Jehoram elements to the possibility of the coup.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:7 avenge . . . the blood. Jehu was to be the Lord's avenger (cf. Num. 35:12) for the murders of the Lord's prophets (1 Kings 18:4) and of people like Naboth who served the Lord (1 Kings 21:1–16).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:9 like the house of Jeroboam . . . Baasha. God would thoroughly annihilate Ahab's line in the same way as Jeroboam's dynasty and Baasha's dynasty had previously ended violently (1 Kings 15:27–30; 16:8–13).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:10 dogs shall eat. Dogs were considered scavengers in the ancient Near East and they would devour the corpse of Jezebel. Jezreel.
Formerly the area of Naboth's vineyard (1 Kings 21:1–16). none shall bury her. In Israel, the failure to be buried indicated disgrace (see note on 1 Kings 13:22).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:11 this mad fellow. The soldier demonstrated his disdain for Elisha's servant (vv. 1, 4) by referring to him as crazy or demented. In Jer. 29:26 and Hos. 9:7 this same term was used as a derogatory term for prophets whose messages were considered crazy. Jehu's response referred to the prophet's "talk," not his behavior.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:12 Thus and so. This refers to the repeating of the prophecy in vv. 4–10.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:13 blew the trumpet. Having laid their cloaks under Jehu's feet with the steps of the house serving as a makeshift throne, the officers blew trumpets acclaiming Jehu as king. A trumpet often heralded such a public proclamation and assembly, including the appointment of a king (cf. 11:14; 2 Sam. 15:10; 1 Kings 1:34).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:15 let no one . . . go and tell the news in Jezreel. For Jehu to succeed in his revolt and to avoid a civil conflict, it was important to take Joram totally by surprise. Therefore, Jehu ordered the city of Ramoth-gilead where he had been anointed (vv. 2–3) to be sealed lest someone loyal to Joram escape and notify the king.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:16 to Jezreel. From Ramoth-gilead, Jezreel was straight west across the Jordan, north of Mount Gilboa.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:21 Naboth the Jezreelite. Providentially, the kings of Israel and Judah met Jehu at the very place where Ahab and Jezebel had Naboth killed (1 Kings 21:1–16). The alarmed king, aware by then of impending disaster, summoned his forces and, accompanied by Ahaziah, met Jehu as Jehu's men ascended the slope up to the city from the northern side.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:22 What peace. Joram wished to know if Jehu's coming meant peace, apparently unsure of Jehu's rebellious plans. Jehu replied that there could be no true peace in Israel because of Jezebel's influence. "whorings," a common biblical metaphor for idolatry, and "sorceries," i.e., seeking information from demonic forces, described the nature of Jezebel's influence. Idolatry had lured Israel into demonic practices.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:25 Bidkar his aide. "Aide" originally referred to the third man in a chariot, besides the driver and a warrior; it was his task to hold the shield and arms of the warrior. The term was eventually applied to a highranking official (cf. 7:2). Jehu and Bidkar either rode together in one chariot as part of the chariot team or were in different chariots behind Ahab when Elijah gave his prediction to Ahab recorded in 1 Kings 21:17–24. the Lord made this pronouncement against him. The term "pronouncement" referred to a prophetic oracle, the prophetic utterance of Elijah recorded in 1 Kings 21:19, 20–24. Jehu viewed himself as God's avenging agent fulfilling Elijah's prediction.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:26 Naboth . . . sons. Although their deaths are not expressly mentioned in the record concerning Naboth, they are plainly implied in the confiscation of his property (see 1 Kings 21:16).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:27 Ahaziah the king of Judah . . . died. Jehu and his men pursued Ahaziah and wounded him at the ascent of Gur by Ibleam. According to 2 Chron. 22:9, Ahaziah reached Samaria, where he hid for awhile. Ahaziah then fled north to Megiddo, about 12 miles north of Samaria, where he died.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:29 eleventh year. C. 841 B.C. Cf. 8:25, "twelfth year." In 8:25, the non-accession-year system of dating was used, so that Joram's accession year was counted as the first year of his reign (see note on 12:6). Here, the accession-year dating system was used, where Joram's accession year and his second year were counted as the first year of his reign.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:30 painted her eyes. The painting of the eyelids with a black powder mixed with oil and applied with a brush, darkened them to give an enlarged effect. Jezebel's appearance at the window gave the air of a royal audience to awe Jehu.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:31 Zimri. In referring to Jehu by that name, Jezebel sarcastically alluded to the previous purge of Zimri (1 Kings 16:9–15). Since Zimri died seven days after beginning to reign, Jezebel was implying that the same fate awaited Jehu.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:32 eunuchs. Some of Jezebel's own officials threw her out of a second-story window, after which Jehu drove his horses and chariots over her body.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:34 a king's daughter. Jehu recognized Jezebel's royalty, while denying that she deserved to be the queen of Israel.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 9:36 This is the word of the Lord. Where and how Jezebel died fulfilled Elijah's prophetic oracle (1 Kings 21:23).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:1 seventy sons. These were the male descendants of Ahab, both sons and grandsons. Ahab had a number of wives (1 Kings 20:5) and therefore many descendants. Since these living relatives could avenge a dead kinsman by killing the person responsible for his death (cf. Num. 35:12), Jehu's life was in jeopardy while Ahab's male descendants survived. Samaria. Ahab's surviving family members were living in the capital city of the northern kingdom, located about 25 miles south of Jezreel. rulers . . . elders . . . guardians. Jehu sent the same message (2 Kings 10:2–3) in a number of letters to: 1) the royal officials, who had probably fled from Jezreel to Samaria; 2) the leaders of the tribes of Israel; and 3) those appointed as the custodians and educators of the royal children.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:3 fight for your master's house. Realizing potential conflict existed between himself and Ahab's family, Jehu was demanding that Ahab's appointed officials either fight to continue the royal line of Ahab or select a new king from Ahab's descendants who would fight Jehu in battle to decide which family would rule Israel (cf. 1 Sam. 17:8–9; 2 Sam. 2:9).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:5 he who was over the palace . . . city. These two officials were the palace administrator and the city governor, probably the commander of the city's fighting force. We are your servants. These officials and leaders transferred their allegiance from the house of Omri to Jehu.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:6 the heads of your master's sons. As a tangible sign of their surrender, Jehu required the officials to decapitate all of Ahab's male descendants and bring their heads to Jehu at Jezreel by the next day.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:7 heads in baskets. Out of fear, the officials obeyed Jehu by decapitating Ahab's male descendants. However, they did not personally go to Jehu in Jezreel, probably fearing that a similar fate would await them.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:8 two heaps. The practice of piling the heads of conquered subjects at the city gate was common in the ancient Near East, especially by the Assyrians. The practice was designed to dissuade rebellion.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:9 I who conspired . . . killed. Jehu is referring to his murder of Joram (9:14–24).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:10 word of the Lord. God had prophesied through Elijah
the destruction of Ahab's house (1 Kings 21:17–24).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:11 Jehu struck down all. Jehu went beyond God's mandate and executed all of Ahab's officials, a deed for which God later judged Jehu's house (cf. Hos. 1:4).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:13 relatives of Ahaziah. Since the brothers of Ahaziah, the slain king of Judah (9:27–29), had been previously killed by the Philistines (2 Chron. 21:17), these must have been relatives of Ahaziah in a broader sense, like nephews and cousins.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:14 This slaughter by Jehu was because these people might have stimulated and strengthened those who were still loyal to the family of Ahab.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:15 Jehonadab the son of Rechab. This man was a faithful follower of the Lord and a strict observer of the Mosaic law, leading a life of austerity and abstinence. According to Jer. 35:1–16, the Rechabites did not plant fields or drink wine. They shook hands, indicating a pledge of support for Jehu from this influential man.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:18–19 Ahab served Baal a little, but Jehu will serve him much. Though it was in fact a ruse (v. 19), Jehu promised to outdo Ahab's devotion to Baal. The people of Samaria might have thought that Jehu was seeking a military, not a religious, reformation. If so, Jehu was seeking Baal's blessing on his reign as king (v. 20).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:21 house of Baal. The idolatrous worship center that Ahab had built in Samaria (1 Kings 16:32). All the worshipers could fit into that one edifice because the number of Baal devotees had been reduced by the influence of Elijah and Elisha and by the neglect and discontinuance of Baal worship under Joram.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:26 pillar. These were wooden idols distinct from the main image "pillar" of Baal (v. 27).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:27 a latrine. Lit., "place of dung." This desecration of the site discouraged any rebuilding of the temple of Baal.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:28 wiped out Baal from Israel. Jehu rid the northern
kingdom of royally sanctioned Baal worship. It was done, however, not from spiritual and godly motives, but because Jehu believed that Baalism was inextricably bound to the dynasty and influence of Ahab. By its extermination, he thought he would kill all the last vestiges of Ahab loyalists and incur the support of those in the land who worshiped the true God. Jehonadab didn't know of that motive, so he concurred with what Jehu did.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:29 the sins of Jeroboam. However, Jehu did continue to officially sanction other idolatry introduced into the northern kingdom by Jeroboam I (cf. 1 Kings 12:28–33).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:33 from the Jordan eastward. Because Jehu failed to keep the Lord's law wholeheartedly (v. 31), the Lord punished him by giving Israel's land east of the Jordan River to Syria. This lost region was the homeland of the tribes of Gad, Reuben, and half of Manasseh (Num. 32:1–42).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 10:36 twenty-eight years. 841–814 B.C.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:1 Athaliah. A granddaughter of Omri (8:26) and daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. She was zealous to rule after the death of her son, Ahaziah (9:27) and was dedicated to seeing the worship of Baal officially sanctioned in Judah (see note on 8:18). She reigned for six years (11:3) c. 841–835 B.C. See note on 2 Chron. 22:10–23:21. destroyed all the royal family. The previous deaths of Jehoram's brothers (2 Chron. 21:4) and Ahaziah's brothers and relatives (2 Kings 10:12–14; 2 Chron. 21:17) left only her grandchildren for Athaliah to put to death to destroy the Davidic line. Though the Lord had promised that the house of David would rule over Israel and Judah forever (2 Sam. 7:16), Athaliah's purge brought the house of David to the brink of extinction.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:2 Jehosheba. She was probably the daughter of Jehoram by a wife other than Athaliah, and so a half-sister of Ahaziah, who was married to the high priest, Jehoida (2 Chron. 22:11). Joash. The grandson of Athaliah who escaped her purge. bedroom. Lit., "the room of the beds." It was either the palace storeroom where servants kept the bedding or a room in the living quarters of the temple priests.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:3 in the house of the Lord. The temple in Jerusalem. six years. 841–835 B.C.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:4 seventh year. The beginning of Athaliah's seventh year of reign, 835 B.C. Jehoiada. The high priest during Athaliah's reign (see note on 2 Chron. 24:15–16). He was the husband of Jehosheba (2 Kings 11:2; 2 Chron. 22:11). captains of the Carites and of the guards. These were the commanders of each 100 soldier unit; 2 Chron. 23:1–2 names five of these commanders. The bodyguards were "Carites" associated with the Pelethites (2 Sam. 20:23), who were mercenary soldiers serving as royal bodyguards. The escorts, lit. "runners," were probably another unit of royal bodyguards who provided palace security (see 1 Kings 14:27). Jehoiada received an agreement of support from the royal guards, sealed with an oath of allegiance, and then presented Joash to them. The military leaders supported the plan to dispose of Athaliah and make Joash king.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:5–8 Jehoiada outlined his plan to crown Joash as the king. On a selected Sabbath, the royal guards coming on duty, including priests and Levites (2 Chron. 23:4), would guard the palace as usual. They would especially make sure that no word concerning the coup in the temple courtyard reached Athaliah and those loyal to her. The companies going off duty would not return to their quarters as usual, but would instead report to the temple to form a tight security ring around the young potential king. The successful accomplishment of Jehoiada's plan is recorded in 2 Kings 11:9–12.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:6 the gate Sur. The exact location of this gate is unknown. Verse 19 implies that this gate connected the temple with the palace.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:10 spears and shields. These were probably part of the plunder David captured from King Hadadezer of Zobah (2 Sam. 8:3–12). Dedicated to the Lord by David (2 Sam. 8:7–11), these articles were stored in the temple. Since the soldiers were already armed, these additional ancient weapons symbolically reassured the soldiers that the temple authorities approved of their actions.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:12 the testimony. This was a copy of the whole law (Ps. 119:88). According to Deut. 17:18–20, a copy of the law was to be kept with the king always so that it became his guide for life. anointed. A priest or prophet customarily anointed kings, as here (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:13; 1 Kings 1:39; 2 Kings 9:6).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:14 pillar. Either one of the two pillars, Jachin or Boaz, on the temple's front porch (1 Kings 7:21), or a raised platform in the court of the
temple (cf. 2 Chron. 6:13). people of the land. Probably Jehoiada chose to stage his coup on the Sabbath during one of the major religious festivals, when those from Judah who were loyal to the Lord would be in Jerusalem.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:16 king's house, and there she was put to death. Execution was not appropriate in the temple area since it was a place of worship (cf. 2 Chron. 24:20–22). Thus, the soldiers seized Athaliah and put her to death at one of the entrances to the palace grounds.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:17 a covenant. The renewal of the agreement between the people and the Lord and between the house of David and the people was appropriate because of the disruption under Athaliah. A similar ceremony was held later, during the reign of Josiah (23:1–3). See notes on Ex. 24:4–8.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:18 the house of Baal. A temple that had been built in Jerusalem and used by Athaliah to promote the worship of Baal in Judah. As Jezebel had promoted Baalism in Israel, her daughter Athaliah had sought its sanction in Judah. During Athaliah's reign as queen, Baalism gained its strongest foothold in Judah. This purge of Baalism in Judah paralleled the earlier purge of Baalism led by Jehu in the northern kingdom (10:18–29).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 11:21 Jehoash. Jehoash and Joash are variants of the same name, meaning "The Lord gave." See notes on 2 Chron. 24:1–27.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:1 seventh year. 835 B.C. Jehu of Israel began his reign in 841 B.C. (see notes on 9:29; 10:36). forty years. 835–796 B.C.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:2 all his days . . . Jehoiada . . . instructed him. Joash did what pleased the Lord while Jehoida served as his parental guardian and tutor. After Jehoida died, Joash turned away from the Lord (see note on 2 Chron. 24:17–18a).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:3 the high places. See note on 1 Kings 3:2. As with most kings of Judah, Joash failed to remove these places of worship where, contrary to the Mosaic law, the people sacrificed and burned incense to the Lord (cf. Deut. 12:2–14).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:4–16 See 2 Chron. 24:5–14.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:4 the holy things. Lit., "holy gifts." These offerings were
given to the priests and used to support the temple. These three main offerings were the half a shekel assessed from every male 20 years old and above whenever a census was taken (Ex. 30:11–16), the payments of personal vows (Lev. 27:1–8), and voluntary offerings (Lev. 22:18–23; Deut. 16:10).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:5 his donor. This person would be a friend of the priest who either gave offerings or collected the offerings for the priest. However, some interpret the Hebrew term to mean "treasurer." This understanding views the individual as a member of the temple personnel who assisted the priests with the valuation of sacrifices and offerings brought to the temple. repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered. During the reign of Athaliah, the temple had suffered major damages and temple articles had been taken for use in the temple of Baal (2 Chron. 24:7). Joash ordered the priests to channel the temple offerings to fund the needed repairs. This was to be in addition to the normal temple expenses.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:6 twenty-third year. C. 813 B.C. Judah seems to have used the non-accession-year system during the reigns of Athaliah and Joash (see note on 13:1), which did not count the first year of the reign but began with the second. This is how we count ages today, starting with the beginning of the second year as one. Joash was 29 years of age.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:7–8 The plan of Joash did not work. Either the revenue from these sources was inadequate to support the priests and Levites and also to pay for the temple repairs, or the priests for some unknown reason would not fund the temple repairs. Therefore, the priests no longer received the offerings from the people, nor did they fund the temple repairs from the income they had already received.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:9–16 Joash instituted a new plan. First, a single collection box was to receive all incoming offerings. When the chest was full, only the royal secretary and high priest would be authorized to empty it. Second, from the funds thus generated, men were hired to supervise and pay the carpenters, builders, masons, and stonecutters who worked on the temple repairs. The men involved were so trustworthy that no accounting was taken of them (v. 15).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:9 priests who guarded the threshold. These were priests who normally screened the people to keep unclean worshipers from entering the temple (25:18; Jer. 52:24). These priests took the offerings from the worshipers,
who then personally watched the priests drop them into the chest.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:16 money from the guilt offerings and . . . sin offerings. The income from these offerings was distinct from the income mentioned in v. 4 and so was not used in the repair of the temple, but remained the property of the priests (see Lev. 4:1–6:7). The temple repairs did not deprive the priests of their income (Lev. 7:7).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:17 Hazael. See notes on 8:8–15. Gath. One of the five major Philistine cities (1 Sam. 5:8), located about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem. Gath had previously belonged to Judah (2 Chron. 11:8).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:18 all the sacred gifts. When Joash's army was defeated by Hazael and his leading men killed (2 Chron. 24:23–24), he averted further attacks against Jerusalem by sending tribute to the king of Syria. This tribute included gifts donated to the temple in Jerusalem by kings of Judah (cf. 1 Kings 15:15–18).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:19 acts of Joash. A more complete account of the reign of Joash is found in 2 Chron. 22:10–24:27.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:20 a conspiracy. Some of the officials of Joash conspired against him because he had killed the high priest Zechariah, the son of the priest Jehoiada (2 Chron. 24:20–22). house of Millo. Probably a house built on a landfill north of David's city of Jerusalem and south of the temple mount. Cf. 2 Chron. 24:25. Silla. Possibly a ramp that descended from the landfill to the Kidron Valley.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 12:21 Amaziah. See 14:1–22 for the reign of Amaziah.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:1 twenty-third year. 814 B.C. Joash of Judah began his reign in 835 B.C. (see note on 12:1) and Jehu of Israel died in 814 B.C. (see note on 10:36). Thus the twenty-third year of Joash of Judah was calculated according to the non-accession-year system (see notes on 12:6; 13:10). seventeen years. 814–798 B.C., i.e., part of 17 calendar years, with the actual reign counted as 16 years.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:2 Jeroboam. For his sins, see notes on 1 Kings 12:25–32. This description of Jeroboam as one who "made Israel to sin" occurs in 2 Kings 13:6, 11; 1 Kings 14:16; 15:30; 16:31; 2 Kings 3:3; 10:29, 31; 14:24; 15:9, 18,
24, 28; 17:21, 22.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:2–7 The record of the reign of Jehoahaz, the king of Israel, has literary and verbal similarities to the book of Judges: 1) Jehoahaz did evil in the sight of the Lord (2 Kings 13:2; cf. Judg. 2:11–13; 3:7); 2) the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel and he delivered them over to their enemies (2 Kings 13:3; cf. Judg. 2:14–15; 3:8); 3) Jehoahaz cried out to the Lord who saw their oppression (2 Kings 13:4; cf. Judg. 2:18; 3:9); 4) the Lord raised up a deliverer for Israel who rescued them out of the hand of their enemies (2 Kings 13:5; cf. Judg. 2:16–18; 3:9); and 5) Israel continued in her evil ways with the result of further oppression (2 Kings 13:6–7; cf. Judg. 2:19; 3:12–14).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:3 Hazael. See notes on 8:8–15. Ben-hadad. Either Benhadad II or, more likely, III (see note on 1 Kings 15:18). His reign as king of Syria began c. 801 B.C. The length of his rule is unknown.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:5 a savior. The deliverer was not specifically named. This deliverer was: 1) the Assyrian king Adad-Nirari III (c. 810–783 B.C.), whose attack on the Syrians or Arameans, enabled the Israelites to break Syria's control over Israelite territory (see v. 25; 14:25); or 2) Elisha, who as the leader of Israel's military successes (see 13:14; cf. 6:13, 16–23) commissioned Joash to defeat the Syrians (13:15–19); or 3) Jeroboam II (c. 793–753 B.C.), who was able to extend Israel's boundaries back into Syrian territory (14:25–27).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:6 sins . . . of Jeroboam. See note on v. 2. Asherah. This idol representing Asherah, a Canaanite goddess and a consort of Baal, had been set up by Ahab (1 Kings 16:33) and had escaped destruction by Jehu when he purged Baal worship from Samaria (2 Kings 10:27–28). Along with the other idolatrous religion of Jeroboam II, there were still remnants of Baal worship in the northern kingdom.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:7 an army. Syria was able to dominate Israel militarily because the Lord had left Jehoahaz only a small army with very few chariots. dust at threshing. The army of Israel was so inconsequential, particularly when compared to the armies of Syria and Assyria, that it was likened to the dust left over after grain had been winnowed at a threshing floor.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:10 thirty-seventh year. C. 798 B.C. Joash of Judah began his reign in 835 B.C. (see note on 12:1). There is a change here to the accession-
year system of dating for the reign of Joash of Judah (see note on 13:1). This explains how Jehoahaz of Israel could reign 16 years with only a 15-year advance on Joash of Judah's regnal years (cf. v. 1). Jehoash. This king of Israel had the same name as his contemporary, the king of Judah (see note on 11:21). sixteen years. 798–782 B.C.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:12 fought against Amaziah. See notes on 14:8–14.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:14 Elisha. The last previous reference to Elisha the prophet was in 9:1 when Jehu was anointed king of Israel. Since Jehu and Jehoahaz reigned from 841–798 B.C. (see notes on 10:36; 13:1), nothing was recorded for over 40 years of Elisha's life. Elisha began ministering with Elijah during the kingship of Ahab c. 874–853 B.C. (1 Kings 19:19–21) and so must have been over 70 years of age when these final events of his life took place. My father. Jehoash humbly voiced his great respect for Elisha and his dependence upon his counsel (see note on 2:12). The chariots of Israel and its horsemen. Jehoash acknowledged through this metaphor that the Lord, through Elisha, was the real strength and power of Israel against all her adversaries (see note on 2:11).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:16 Elisha laid his hands on the king's hands. This symbolic act indicated that Jehoash would exert power against the Syrians that came from the Lord through his prophet.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:17 window eastward. This window opened toward the east to the Transjordan region controlled by Syria (10:32–33). The Lord's arrow of victory. When Jehoash obeyed Elisha by shooting an arrow out the window, the prophet interpreted the meaning of the action. The shot symbolized the Lord's deliverance for Israel through the defeat of the Syrian army by Jehoash (cf. 13:5). Aphek. See note on 1 Kings 20:26.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:19 three times. Further, Elisha commanded Jehoash to shoot the remaining arrows into the ground (v. 18). Jehoash shot only three arrows into the ground instead of emptying the entire quiver. Because of his lack of faith, Jehoash would win only three victories over the Syrians instead of completely destroying them. The account of these victories is given in v. 25.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:20 spring. The prophet, who was Israel's defense (v. 14), was dead and it was the season for war campaigns to begin after the rains of
winter.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:21 he revived. A dead man returned to life after touching Elisha's bones. This miracle was a sign that God's power continued to work in relationship to Elisha even after his death. What God had promised to Jehoash through Elisha when he was alive would surely come to pass after the prophet's death (cf. vv. 19, 25) in the defeat of the enemy, the recovery of the cities that had been taken, and their restoration to the kingdom of Israel (vv. 22–25).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:22 See note on 8:12.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 13:23 his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. During the wicked reign of Jehoahaz (vv. 2–7), the Lord was very patient and did not bring the ultimate military defeat that would lead to exile for Israel. This was because of his agreement with the patriarchs to give their descendants the land (Gen. 15:18–21; 26:2–5; 28:13–15). It was God's promise, not the Israelites' goodness, that motivated God to be merciful and compassionate toward Israel.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:1–15:38 This section quickly surveys the kings and selected events of the northern and southern kingdoms from 796 to 735 B.C. In contrast to the previous 19 chapters (1 Kings 17:1–2 Kings 13:25), which narrated 90 years of history (885–796 B.C.) with a concentration on the ministries of Elijah and Elisha during the final 65 years of that period (860–796 B.C.), 62 years are covered in these two chapters. The previous section concluded with a shadow of hope: officially sanctioned Baal worship had been eradicated in both Israel (10:18–28) and Judah (11:17–18); the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem had been repaired (12:9–15); and the Syrian threat to Israel had been overcome (13:25). However, this section emphasizes that the fundamental problems still remained: the false religion established by Jeroboam I continued in Israel even with the change of royal families (14:24–15:9, 18, 24, 28), and the high places were not removed in Judah even though there were only good kings there during those years (14:4; 15:4, 35).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:1 second year. 796 B.C. Amaziah. See notes on 2 Chron. 25:1–28.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:2 twenty-nine years. 796–767 B.C.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:3 not like David. David set a high standard of unswerving
devotion to the Lord for the kings of Judah who were his descendants to follow (cf. 1 Kings 11:4, 6; 15:3). Amaziah did not follow the Lord completely, as David had, because he, like his father Joash, did not remove the high places (2 Kings 14:4) where, in disregard for Mosaic law, the people worshiped the Lord (Deut. 12:2–7, 13–14). Further, according to 2 Chron. 25:14–16, Amaziah embraced the false gods of the Edomites.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:5–6 When firmly in control of the kingdom, Amaziah took revenge on Jozachar and Jehozabad, the officials who assassinated his father Joash (12:20–21). However, he spared the lives of their sons, in obedience to the Mosaic law that children were not to die for their fathers' sins (Deut. 24:16; cf. Ezek. 18:1–20).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:7 For an elaboration of Amaziah's war with Edom, see the notes on 2 Chron. 25:5–16. Edom had revolted in Joram's reign (see 2 Kings 8:20) so the king wanted them subjugated again. the Valley of Salt. Probably a marshy plain at the south end of the Dead Sea (see note on 2 Sam. 8:13). Sela . . . Joktheel. Sela (meaning "rock" in Hebrew) is best identified as Petra (meaning "rock" in Greek), a city carved out of sheer mountain walls located about 50 miles south of the Dead Sea, though some prefer to place it in northern Edom near Bozra on the King's Highway (Judg. 1:36). Renaming a captured city, as Amaziah did with the name Joktheel, implied his control over it.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:8 Jehoash . . . of Israel. See notes on 13:10–23. look one another in the face. Amaziah's challenge to Jehoash constituted a declaration of war. Amaziah, emboldened by his victory over Edom (14:10), thought he could defeat the stronger army of Israel (cf. 13:25). He was probably also upset by the refusal of Jehoash to establish a marriage alliance with him (14:9).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:9 thistle . . . cedar. In this parable (cf. Judg. 9:8–15) the thorn bush (Amaziah), an irritating and worthless plant, sought to become the equal of the majestic cedar (Jehoash), but a wild animal crushed the bush. Jehoash counseled Amaziah that he was overestimating his power and prominence and should not go to war with Israel lest he be crushed (2 Kings 14:10).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:11 Beth-shemesh. A town about 15 miles west of Jerusalem, where the armies of Israel and Judah faced each other in battle.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:13 Jehoash . . . captured Amaziah. Winning the battle, Jehoash also captured Amaziah. Jehoash probably took Amaziah back to Samaria as a hostage (v. 14). The king of Judah was forced to stay in Samaria until the death of Jehoash in 782 B.C. (v. 17). Ephraim Gate . . . Corner Gate. The Corner Gate (cf. Jer. 31:38; Zech. 14:10) was at the northwest corner of the wall around Jerusalem. The Ephraim Gate was in Jerusalem's northern wall facing Ephraim, 600 feet east of the Corner Gate. This northwestern section of the wall of Jerusalem, torn down by Jehoash, was the point where Jerusalem was most vulnerable.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:14 he seized. Jehoash plundered both the temple at Jerusalem and the palace of Amaziah. The value of the plundered articles was probably not great, because Jehoash of Judah had previously sent the temple and palace treasures to pay tribute to Hazael of Damascus (12:17–18). Jehoash probably took hostages from Jerusalem to Samaria to secure additional payments of tribute in view of the small war booty.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:17 fifteen years. 782–767 B.C.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:18 the deeds of Amaziah. His apostasy (2 Chron. 25:27), his disastrous war with Israel, the ruinous condition of Jerusalem, the plunder of the temple, and the loss of hostages lost him the respect of his people who rebelled and killed him.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:19 Lachish. A town about 25 miles southwest of Jerusalem to which Amaziah fled seeking to escape death.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:21 sixteen years old. Azariah, a.k.a. Uzziah (see note on 15:1) had actually begun to reign at the age of 16 in 790 B.C. when his father Amaziah was taken prisoner to Samaria (14:13). When Amaziah returned to Judah, Azariah ruled with him as coregent from 782–767 B.C. (v. 17). In 767 B.C. when Amaziah was killed (v. 19), Azariah began his sole rule (15:1). See notes on 2 Chron. 26:1–23.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:22 Elath. Elath was located on the northern coast of the Gulf of Aqabah and was closely associated with Ezion-geber, a seaport of Solomon (1 Kings 9:26). Azariah's restoration of Elath to Judah marked the first significant act of his sole rule; his further successes are summarized in 2 Chron. 26:6–15.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:23 fifteenth year. C. 782 B.C. This marked the beginning of the sole reign of Jeroboam II. Since his son Zechariah succeeded him in 753
B.C. (see 15:8), Jeroboam II must have had a coregency with his father Jehoash for 11 years, making a total reign of 41 years (793–753 B.C.), longer than any other king in the northern kingdom. Jeroboam. This was Jeroboam II, who like the other kings of Israel, followed the false religion of Jeroboam I. During the reign of Jeroboam II, the prophets Hosea (Hos. 1:1) and Amos (Amos 1:1) ministered to the northern kingdom. These prophets showed that Jeroboam II's reign was a time of great prosperity and greater spiritual apostasy in Israel.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:25 restored the border of Israel. Jeroboam II's greatest accomplishment was the restoration of Israel's boundaries to approximately their extent in Solomon's time, excluding the territory belonging to Judah. The northern boundary was the entrance of Hamath, the same as Solomon's (cf. 1 Kings 8:65) and the southern boundary was the Sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea (Josh. 3:16; 12:3). Jeroboam II took Hamath, a major city located on the Orontes River, about 160 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. He also controlled Damascus, indicating that the Transjordan territory south to Moab was also under his authority. These victories of Jeroboam II were accomplished because the Syrians had been weakened by attacks from the Assyrians, while Assyria herself was weak at this time, suffering from threats on her northern border, internal dissension, and a series of weak kings. Jonah. The territorial extension of Jeroboam II was in accordance with the will of the Lord as revealed through the prophet Jonah. This was the same Jonah who traveled to Nineveh with God's message of repentance for the Assyrians (see Introduction to Jonah). Gathhepher. A town located in the tribal area of Zebulun, about 14 miles west of the Sea of Galilee (Josh. 19:13).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:25–26 The explanation for Jonah's prophecy is given here. The Lord himself had personally witnessed the heavy, bitter affliction borne by all in Israel with no human help available (v. 26). Further, the Lord had not decreed Israel's final doom (v. 27). To "blot out the name of Israel from under heaven" meant to annihilate Israel totally, leaving no trace or memory of her (Deut. 9:14; 29:20). Thus, moved with compassion, the Lord himself used Jeroboam II's reign to rescue his suffering people. However, as the books of Hosea and Amos show, Israel did not respond to God's grace with repentance.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 14:28 Without devotion to the Lord, Jeroboam, by might and clever leadership, brought Israel more prosperity than the country had known
since Solomon. The people rested in their prosperity rather than God's power. Material blessing was no sign of God's blessing, since they had no commitment to him.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:1 twenty-seventh year. 767 B.C. This included the 11 years of Jeroboam II's coregency with Jehoash (see note on 14:23). Azariah. The name means "The Lord has helped" (14:21; 15:6–8, 17, 23, 27; 1 Chron. 3:12). He was also called Uzziah, meaning "The Lord is my strength" (15:13, 30, 32, 34; 2 Chron. 26:1–23; Isa. 1:1; 6:1; Hos. 1:1; Amos 1:1; Zech. 14:5). Isaiah the prophet began his public ministry during Azariah's reign (Isa. 1:1).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:2 fifty-two years. 790–739 B.C. Azariah was 16 when he began his coregency with his father Amaziah. Azariah's sole rule began in 767
B.C. (see note on v. 8).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:4 Cf. 12:3 and 14:4.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:5 leper. Azariah suffered from leprosy as punishment for usurping the priestly function of burning incense on the altar in the temple (see notes on 2 Chron. 26:16–20). The disease eventually killed him (see note on Isa. 6:1). separate house. Lit., "in a house of freedom." Azariah was relieved of all royal responsibilities. His son Jotham served as coregent until Azariah's death (750–739 B.C.; see notes on 15:2, 32). As coregent, Jotham specifically supervised the palace and governed the nation.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:8 thirty-eighth year. 753 B.C., making Azariah's co-reign with his father Amaziah (see notes on 14:21; 15:2) begin in 792–791 B.C. (accession year) or 790 B.C. (non-accession year). Zechariah. Zechariah was the fourth and final generation of the dynasty of Jehu (c. 753/752 B.C.). His death fulfilled the prophecy given by the Lord (cf. 15:12; 10:30).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:10 Shallum. Shallum killed Zechariah and replaced him as king of Israel. Assyrian records call Shallum "the son of nobody," indicating that he was not from the royal family.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:13 thirty-ninth year. 752 B.C. Zechariah's reign spanned the last months of Azariah's thirty-eighth year (v. 8) and the first months of the following year.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:14 Menahem. Menahem had probably been a military
commander under Zechariah. Tirzah. The former capital of the northern kingdom (1 Kings 14:17; 15:21, 33), located about 9 miles east of Samaria. Menahem was probably stationed with his troops at Tirzah.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:16 Tiphsah. Since Tiphsah was located on the Euphrates River about 325 miles north of Samaria (1 Kings 4:24), a majority of interpreters translate this term "Tappuah," a town 14 miles southwest of Tirzah (Josh. 17:8). ripped open. The ripping open of pregnant women was a barbarous practice and elsewhere associated only with foreign armies (2 Kings 8:12; Hos. 13:16; Amos 1:13). Menahem probably did this as a visible reminder of the city's failure to "open" up, or surrender, to his demands.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:17 thirty-ninth year. 752 B.C. ten years. 752–742 B.C. With Menahem, the northern kingdom changed from the non-accession to the accession-year system of computing reigns.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:19 Pul. Assyrian kings frequently had two names, a throne name for Assyria and another for Babylon. Pul was the Babylonian throne name of the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (cf. 1 Chron. 5:26) who reigned c. 745– 727 B.C.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:19–20 Tiglath-pileser III invaded Israel in 743 B.C. Menahem paid tribute of 1,000 talents of silver (c. 37 tons) raised from the wealthy men of Israel. Each of 60,000 men paid 20 oz. of silver to raise the required 37 tons of silver. For his tribute, Tiglath-pileser III supported Menahem's claim to the throne of Israel and withdrew his army. By this action, Menahem became a vassal of the Assyrian king.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:23 fiftieth year. 742 B.C. two years. 742–740 B.C.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:24 sins of Jeroboam. See notes on 13:2; 1 Kings 12:25– 32.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:25 Pekah. See note on 15:27. Pekah was one of Pekahiah's military officers, probably commanding Gilead, since 50 Gileadites accompanied him when he assassinated Pekahiah. Argob and Arieh were either Pekahiah's sons or loyal military officers. Pekah probably represented the antiAssyrian faction in Israel (cf. 16:5).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:27 fifty-second year. 740 B.C. twenty years. On the basis
of Assyrian records, it can be determined that Tilgath-pileser III deposed Pekah as king of Israel in 732 B.C., evidently using Hoshea as his instrument. Therefore, Pekah reigned c. 752–732 B.C., using the accession-year system of dating (that is, counting the first year as one). For an explanation of this dating system see 1 Kings Introduction: Interpretive Challenges. This included the years 752–740
B.C., when Pekah ruled in Gilead while Menahem (vv. 17–22) and Pekahiah (vv. 23–26) reigned in Samaria (the Jordan River being the boundary of the split kingdom). Verse 25 seems to indicate that Pekah had an alliance with Menahem and Pekahiah, ruling Gilead for them.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:29 Ijon . . . Naphtali. The areas of Galilee and Gilead are described here. When Pekah and Rezin, the king of Syria, sought to have Judah join their anti-Assyrian alliance, another invasion by Assyria was provoked (cf. 16:5–9) in 733/732 B.C. Tiglath-pileser III took Galilee and Gilead and converted them into three Assyrian provinces governed by royal appointees. He also was involved in replacing Pekah with Hoshea as king over the remaining area of Israel (see note on 15:27).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:30 twentieth year. Jotham of Judah began his reign in 750
B.C. (see note on 15:32). His twentieth year was 732 B.C., according to the nonaccession-year system. Assyrian records confirm that Hoshea began to rule Israel in 732 B.C. (see notes on 15:27; 2 Chron. 27:1–9).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:32 second year. 750 B.C., the year of Pekah's second year of rule in Gilead, according to the accession-year system (see note on 15:27).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:33 sixteen years. 750–735 B.C. According to v. 30, Jotham reigned until 731 B.C. Jotham was probably replaced as a functioning king of Judah by a pro-Assyrian faction who established Ahaz as ruler (see notes on 15:1–2) while leaving Jotham as a powerless coregent. Isaiah (Isa. 1:1) and Micah (Micah 1:1) the prophets ministered to Judah during Jotham's reign.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:35 the upper gate. Probably the upper Benjamin Gate, which stood along the north side of the temple complex facing the territory of Benjamin (cf. Jer. 20:2; Ezek. 9:2; Zech. 14:10). Other accomplishments of Jotham are noted in 2 Chron. 27:3–6.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 15:37 Rezin . . . Pekah. See notes on 16:5–9.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:1–17:41 At this point the narrative turns to the defeat and
exile of Israel by Assyria. In 17:7–23, the prophetic writer states the reasons why Israel was punished by the Lord. A major reason was the sinful religion established by Jeroboam I (17:21–23), which was followed by every king in Israel. Ominously, the section begins with the narrative concerning Ahaz of Judah who "walked in the way of the kings of Israel" (16:3). The kind of punishment that came upon Israel would come later upon Judah for the same reason (17:19–20).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:1 seventeenth year. 735 B.C., since Pekah's reign began in 752 B.C. (see note on 15:27). Although Jotham, the father of Ahaz, was still alive (see note on 15:30), Ahaz exercised the sovereign authority in Judah from 735
B.C. to Jotham's death in c. 731 B.C. Isaiah (Isa. 1:1–7:1) and Micah (Mic. 1:1) the prophets continued to minister to Judah during the reign of Ahaz. See notes on 2 Chron. 28:1–27.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:2 sixteen years. 731–715 B.C. The principle of "dual dating" was followed here. See 1 Kings Introduction: Interpretive Challenges for an explanation of this principle. In 2 Kings 16:1 and 17:1, Ahaz was recognized as king in the year he came to the throne as a coregent, but the year of his official accession was determined as the year when he began to reign alone. Ahaz shared royal power with Azariah (to 739 B.C.) and Jotham from 744 to 735 B.C. (see note on 17:1); he exercised total authority as coregent with Jotham from 735–731 B.C. (see note on 16:1); he was sole king from 731 to 729 B.C. and was coregent with his son Hezekiah from 729 to 715 B.C. (see note on 18:1).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:3 walked in the way of the kings of Israel. This does not necessarily mean that Ahaz participated in the calf worship introduced by Jeroboam I at Bethel and Dan, but that he increasingly brought pagan, idolatrous practices into the worship of the Lord in Jerusalem. These are specified in vv. 10–16 and parallel those of Jeroboam I in the northern kingdom. This included idols to Baal (2 Chron. 28:2). burned his son as an offering. As a part of the ritual worship of Molech, the god of the Moabites, children were sacrificed by fire (cf. 2 Kings 3:27). This horrific practice was continually condemned in the OT (Lev. 18:21; 20:2–5; Deut. 18:10; Jer. 7:31; 19:5; 32:35). despicable practices of the nations. See note on Deut. 18:9–12.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:4 the high places. Ahaz was the first king in the line of David since Solomon who was said to have personally worshiped at the high places. While all the other kings of Judah had tolerated the high places, Ahaz
actively participated in the immoral Canaanite practices that were performed at the "high places" on hilltops under large trees (cf. Hos. 4:13).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:5 Rezin . . . Pekah. The kings of Syria and Israel wanted to overthrow Ahaz in order to force Judah into their anti-Assyrian coalition. The two kings with their armies besieged Jerusalem, seeking to replace Ahaz with their own king (cf. Isa. 7:1–6). The Lord delivered Judah and Ahaz from this threat because of his promise to David (cf. Isa. 7:7–16).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:6 Elath. The Syrians did displace Judah from Elath (see note on 14:22). Later this important port town on the Gulf of Aqabah was captured by the Edomites.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:7 Tiglath-pileser. See notes on 15:19–29. your servant and your son. Ahaz willingly became a vassal of the Assyrian king in exchange for his military intervention. This was a pledge that Judah would serve Assyria from this point on. In support of his pledge, Ahaz sent Tiglath-pileser III silver and gold from the temple and from the palace treasuries (16:8). Evidently the prosperous reigns of Azariah and Jotham had replenished the treasures plundered by Jehoash of Israel 50 years earlier during Amaziah's reign (14:14).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:9 the king of Assyria listened to him. According to Assyrian records, in 733 B.C. Tiglath-pileser III's army marched against Damascus, the Syrian capital, laid siege for two years, and captured it. The victorious Assyrian king executed Rezin and deported his subjects to Kir, whose location is unknown.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:10 the altar. When Ahaz traveled to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser III, he saw a large altar (v. 15) which was most likely Assyrian. Ahaz sent a sketch of this altar to Uriah the high priest in Jerusalem and Uriah built an altar just like it. The serious iniquity in this was meddling with and changing, according to personal taste, the furnishings of the temple, the design for which had been given by God (Ex. 25:40; 26:30; 27:1–8; 1 Chron. 28:19). This was like building an idol in the temple, done to please the pagan Assyrian king, whom Ahaz served instead of God.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:12–13 offering. As did Solomon and Jeroboam before him (1 Kings 8:63; 12:32), Ahaz dedicated the new altar by offering sacrifices.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:14–16 bronze altar. Feeling confident about his alterations
in the temple, Ahaz moved the old bronze altar dedicated by Solomon (1 Kings 8:22, 54, 64), which stood in front of the temple between the new altar and the temple itself (16:14). Ahaz had the bronze altar moved to a spot north of the new altar, thereby relegating it to a place of secondary importance. All offerings from then on were to be given on the altar dedicated by Ahaz, while Ahaz reserved the bronze altar for his personal use in seeking guidance (v. 15). The term "inquire" probably referred here to pagan divination through religious rituals. Deut. 18:9– 14 expressly forbade such divination in Israel.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:17–18 Ahaz made further changes in the temple at Jerusalem. First, he removed the side panels ("frames") and "basin" from the portable stands (cf. 1 Kings 7:27–29, 38–39). Second, he removed the large ornate reservoir called "the sea" from atop the 12 bronze bulls to a new stone base (cf. 1 Kings 7:23–26). Third, he removed the "covered way," probably some sort of canopy used by the king on the Sabbath. Fourth, he removed "the outer entrance," probably a special entrance to the temple used by the king on Sabbaths and feast days (cf. 1 Kings 10:5).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:18 because of the king of Assyria. Both items mentioned here were moved from the temple in hope that if the king of Assyria laid siege to Jerusalem, Ahaz could secure the entrance of the temple from him.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 16:20 Hezekiah. For his reign, see 18:1–20:21.
The Fall of Samaria and Deportation of Israelites
722 B.C.
During the reign of Hoshea of Israel, Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked Israel and made it a vassal kingdom. Later, however, Hoshea conspired against Assyria, refusing to pay the tribute and appealing to Egypt for help, so the Assyrians came and besieged Samaria until it fell. Many Israelites were exiled far from Israel to the area near Gozan and the cities of the Medes, and foreign peoples from other parts of the empire were relocated to Israel in an effort to prevent revolt. This signaled the end of the northern kingdom of Israel.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:1 twelfth year. 732 B.C. This date for the accession of Hoshea as king of Israel is well established according to biblical and extrabiblical data (see note on 15:27). Therefore, Ahaz of Judah must have become coregent with his father Jotham, who was himself coregent with his father, Azariah, at that time (see notes on 15:30, 33), in 744 B.C. (see note on 16:2). nine years. 732–722 B.C. according to the accession-year system. Hoshea was imprisoned (v. 4) during the siege of Samaria by Assyria in 724–722 B.C. (v. 5).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:2 he did what was evil. Though Hoshea was characterized as a wicked king, it is not stated that he promoted the religious practices of Jeroboam I. In this way, he was some improvement on the kings of Israel who had gone before him. However, this slight improvement did not offset the centuries of sin by Israel's kings nor divert her inevitable doom.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:3 Shalmaneser. Shalmaneser V succeeded his father Tiglath-pileser III as king of Assyria and reigned from 727–722 B.C. During the siege of Samaria, when the Assyrians began the destruction and captivity of the northern kingdom, Shalmaneser V died and was succeeded by Sargon II (see Isa. 20:1), who completed the siege, captured the city, destroyed the nation of Israel, and exiled the inhabitants (2 Kings 17:6). Sargon II reigned as king from 722– 705 B.C. See note on Hos. 10:14.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:4 So, king of Egypt. Instead of paying his yearly tribute owed as a vassal of Assyria, Hoshea tried to make a treaty with Osorkon IV (c. 727–716 B.C.), king of Egypt. This was foolish because Assyria was powerful. It was also against God's will, which forbade such alliances with pagan rulers (cf. Deut. 7:2). This rebellion led to Israel's destruction (2 Kings 17:5–6).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:5 Samaria . . . besieged. In 724 B.C., Shalmaneser V invaded Israel and quickly conquered the land and captured Hoshea. However, the capital city of Samaria resisted the Assyrian invaders until 722 B.C. Like all major cities, Samaria had an internal water supply and plenty of stored food that allowed her to endure the siege for three years.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:6 king of Assyria. Sargon II (see note on v. 3). carried the Israelites away. The capture of Samaria marked the end of the northern kingdom. According to Assyrian records, the Assyrians deported 27,290 inhabitants of Israel to distant locations. The relocation of populations was characteristic of Assyrian policy during that era. The Israelites were resettled in the upper Tigris-Euphrates Valley and never returned to the Promised Land. "Halah" was a city northeast of Nineveh. The "Habor" River was a northern tributary of the Euphrates. The "cities of the Medes" were northeast of Nineveh. Samaria was resettled with foreigners (v. 24). God did what he said he would do in Deut. 28. The Jews were carried as far east as Susa, where the book of Esther later took place.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:7–23 In these verses, the writer departs from quoting his written sources and gives his own explanation for the captivity of Israel. Judah is included, though her captivity did not occur until 605/604–586 B.C. at the hands of the Babylonians. Her sins were the same. Here is a very full and impressive vindication of God's action in punishing his privileged but rebellious and apostate people. In v. 7, he begins by stating that the Israelites had sinned against the Lord who had redeemed them from Egypt. Gross perversion of the worship
of God and national propensity to idolatry finally exhausted divine patience. The idolatry of Israel is described in vv. 7–12. In response to Israel's actions, the Lord sent his prophets to Israel and Judah with a message of repentance (v. 13). However, the people failed to respond to the prophets' messages, because, like their fathers, they did not have faith in the Lord (v. 14). Their lack of faith resulted in disobedience to the Lord's commands and the further pursuit of idolatry (vv. 15–17). The idolatry of Israel (and Judah) brought forth the anger of the Lord, which resulted in exile (v. 18). The "great sin" of both Israel and Judah was their continual following of the sinful pattern of Jeroboam I, departing from the Lord and practicing idolatry, thus bringing down the judgment of captivity predicted by the prophets (vv. 19–23).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:7 feared other gods. The primary cause of Israel's exile was the worship of other gods. The fear of the Lord led to listening to his word and obeying his ordinances and statutes (Deut. 4:10; 5:29; 6:24), but the fear of the gods of Canaan led Israel to obey the laws of the Canaanite gods (2 Kings 17:8). The result of this obedience to false gods is recorded in vv. 9–12, 16–17.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:8 walked in the customs of the nations. This was expressly forbidden in Lev. 18:3 and 20:23.
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:9 built . . . high places. In addition to their private sins ("secret"), judgment came for public wickedness and idolatry. These were not the high places utilized by Israel for worshiping God before the building of the temple (see note on 1 Kings 3:2). In direct disobedience to Deut. 12:1–4, the Israelites built new raised altars in the Canaanite pattern after the temple was constructed. These "high places" were in all the habitations of Israel, from small fortified structures to large garrison cities, i.e., from the smallest to largest towns. The altars were on wooded hills with images representing the false gods (2 Kings 17:10; cf. Deut. 16:21–22).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:13 Turn from your evil ways. The prophets continually called the people to repentance (cf. Jer. 7:3–5; 18:11; Ezek. 33:11).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:14 stubborn. A stubborn refusal to respond (see note on Deut. 9:6; cf. Ex. 32:9; 33:3–5; 34:9; Acts 7:51).
2 KINGS—NOTE ON 17:16 metal images of two calves. Worship of these idols was instituted by Jeroboam (see 1 Kings 12:25–33). an Asherah. Built by