◄ 2 Kings 15:14 ►
Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria, struck down and killed Shallum son of Jabesh, and reigned in his place.
Study Bible
Then Menahem son of Gadi went up from Tirzah to Samaria
Menahem's journey from Tirzah to Samaria signifies a transition of power. Tirzah was an earlier capital of the northern kingdom of Israel before Samaria. This move indicates a strategic shift, as Samaria was the political and administrative center of the northern kingdom at this time. The act of "going up" suggests a deliberate and possibly aggressive move, as Samaria was located on a hill, making it a fortified city. This phrase highlights the political instability and frequent changes in leadership during this period, reflecting the broader theme of Israel's disobedience and the resulting chaos.

struck down and killed Shallum son of Jabesh
The assassination of Shallum by Menahem is a continuation of the violent power struggles that characterized the northern kingdom. Shallum had himself seized the throne by killing King Zechariah, indicating a cycle of violence and betrayal. This act of regicide was not uncommon in the history of Israel and Judah, where kings often came to power through conspiracy and murder. The instability of the monarchy during this time is a reflection of the spiritual decline of Israel, as the people and their leaders turned away from God's commandments.

and reigned in his place
Menahem's reign, which lasted ten years, is marked by brutality and oppression, as further detailed in the subsequent verses. His rule is a continuation of the pattern of kings who did evil in the sight of the Lord, failing to lead the people back to covenant faithfulness. This phrase underscores the temporary and often illegitimate nature of power when it is seized through violence and without divine sanction. Menahem's reign is a reminder of the consequences of Israel's departure from God's ways, leading to internal strife and eventual judgment.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Menahem son of Gadi
Menahem is the central figure in this verse, who becomes king by force. His actions are a reflection of the turbulent times in Israel's history.

2. Shallum son of Jabesh
Shallum was the king of Israel for a very short period, having himself seized the throne through violence. His reign ended when Menahem killed him.

3. Tirzah
This was a city in the northern kingdom of Israel. It was an earlier capital before Samaria and is significant as Menahem's starting point.

4. Samaria
The capital of the northern kingdom of Israel at this time, where Menahem killed Shallum and took the throne.

5. Event of Regicide
The act of Menahem killing Shallum to take the throne is a significant event, highlighting the instability and violence in the leadership of Israel during this period.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Violence and Unrighteousness
The cycle of violence in Israel's leadership serves as a warning against the use of force and unrighteous means to achieve power. It leads to instability and further violence.

The Importance of Godly Leadership
Leadership should be established and maintained through righteousness and God's guidance, not through human ambition and violence.

Trust in God's Sovereignty
Despite the chaos and human failings, God remains sovereign. Believers are encouraged to trust in His ultimate plan and justice.

The Dangers of Power without Accountability
The account of Menahem and Shallum illustrates the dangers of unchecked power and the need for accountability in leadership.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the cycle of violence in Israel's leadership during this period reflect the consequences of turning away from God?

2. In what ways can we apply the lessons of godly leadership from this passage to our own lives and communities today?

3. How does the account of Menahem and Shallum illustrate the principle found in Hosea 8:4 about the illegitimacy of leaders not chosen by God?

4. What are some modern examples of leadership that reflect the unrighteousness seen in this passage, and how can Christians respond to such situations?

5. How can we, as believers, ensure that our pursuit of goals and ambitions aligns with God's will and righteousness, avoiding the pitfalls seen in 2 Kings 15:14?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 15:10
This verse describes Shallum's own violent rise to power, providing context for the cycle of violence and instability in Israel's leadership.

Hosea 8:4
This verse speaks to the illegitimacy of kings who rise without God's approval, reflecting the chaotic and ungodly nature of Israel's leadership transitions.

Proverbs 16:12
This verse emphasizes the importance of righteousness in leadership, contrasting with the unrighteous actions of Menahem and Shallum.
Sermons
Some Lessons from the History of KingsD. Thomas 2 Kings 15:1-38
Anarchy in IsraelJ. Orr 2 Kings 15:8-22
People
Abel, Ahaz, Amaziah, Amram, Aram, Argob, Arieh, Azaliah, Azariah, David, Elah, Gadi, Gileadites, Hoshea, Jabesh, Jecholiah, Jecoliah, Jehu, Jeroboam, Jerusha, Jotham, Maacah, Menahem, Naphtali, Nebat, Pekah, Pekahiah, Pul, Remaliah, Rezin, Shallum, Tappuah, Tiglathpileser, Tirzah, Uzziah, Zachariah, Zadok, Zechariah
Places
Abel-beth-maacah, Assyria, Damascus, Galilee, Gilead, Hazor, Ibleam, Ijon, Janoah, Jerusalem, Kedesh, Samaria, Syria, Tirzah
Topics
Assassinated, Attacked, Attacking, Death, Gadi, Jabesh, Killed, Menahem, Men'ahem, Putteth, Reigned, Reigneth, Samaria, Sama'ria, Shallum, Slew, Smiteth, Smote, Stead, Struck, Succeeded, Tirzah
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 15:1-38

     5366   king

Library
The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Meditations Before Dinner and Supper.
Meditate that hunger is like the sickness called a wolf; which, if thou dost not feed, will devour thee, and eat thee up; and that meat and drink are but as physic, or means which God hath ordained, to relieve and cure this natural infirmity and necessity of man. Use, therefore, to eat and to drink, rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature, than to satisfy the sensuality and delights of the flesh. Eat, therefore, to live, but live not to eat. There is no service so base, as for a man …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

A Living Book
[Illustration: (drop cap T) Symbol of "Asshur", the principal Assyrian idol.] There is only one Book that never grows old. For thousands of years men have been writing books. Most books are forgotten soon after they are written; a few of the best and wisest are remembered for a time. But all at last grow old; new discoveries are made; new ideas arise; the old books are out of date; their usefulness is at an end. Students are the only people who still care to read them. The nations to which the …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making

In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
"If any one wishes to be rich, let him go north; if he wants to be wise, let him come south." Such was the saying, by which Rabbinical pride distinguished between the material wealth of Galilee and the supremacy in traditional lore claimed for the academies of Judaea proper. Alas, it was not long before Judaea lost even this doubtful distinction, and its colleges wandered northwards, ending at last by the Lake of Gennesaret, and in that very city of Tiberias which at one time had been reputed unclean! …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Prophet Micah.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Micah signifies: "Who is like Jehovah;" and by this name, the prophet is consecrated to the incomparable God, just as Hosea was to the helping God, and Nahum to the comforting God. He prophesied, according to the inscription, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We are not, however, entitled, on this account, to dissever his prophecies, and to assign particular discourses to the reign of each of these kings. On the contrary, the entire collection forms only one whole. At …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Prophet Hosea.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. That the kingdom of Israel was the object of the prophet's ministry is so evident, that upon this point all are, and cannot but be, agreed. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prophet was a fellow-countryman of those to whom he preached, or was called by God out of the kingdom of Judah. The latter has been asserted with great confidence by Maurer, among others, in his Observ. in Hos., in the Commentat. Theol. ii. i. p. 293. But the arguments …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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