◄ 2 Kings 15:17 ►
In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah's reign over Judah, Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria ten years.
Study Bible
In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah
Azariah, also known as Uzziah, was a king of Judah who reigned for 52 years. His reign is noted for prosperity and military success, as well as a period of spiritual decline due to his pride, which led to his affliction with leprosy (2 Chronicles 26:16-21). The reference to the thirty-ninth year of his reign provides a chronological anchor, situating Menahem's rise to power in the broader timeline of the divided monarchy. This period was marked by political instability and frequent changes in leadership, especially in the northern kingdom of Israel.

Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel
Menahem's ascent to the throne was marked by violence and usurpation. He came to power by assassinating Shallum, who had himself assassinated the previous king, Zechariah (2 Kings 15:10-14). This reflects the turbulent and often brutal nature of Israel's monarchy during this era, characterized by a series of short-lived reigns and political intrigue. Menahem's rule is noted for its harshness, including his brutal suppression of a rebellion in Tiphsah (2 Kings 15:16).

and he reigned in Samaria ten years
Samaria was the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel, established by King Omri (1 Kings 16:24). It served as the political and religious center of Israel, often associated with idolatry and apostasy, particularly the worship of Baal and the golden calves set up by Jeroboam (1 Kings 12:28-30). Menahem's ten-year reign was marked by his submission to Assyrian power, as he paid tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III to secure his throne (2 Kings 15:19-20). This act of paying tribute highlights the increasing influence of Assyria over Israel, setting the stage for the eventual fall of the northern kingdom.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Azariah (Uzziah)
King of Judah during whose reign Menahem became king of Israel. Known for his long reign and initially righteous leadership, but later punished with leprosy for his pride.

2. Menahem son of Gadi
Became king of Israel and reigned for ten years. His reign is marked by violence and oppression, as he seized power through assassination.

3. Samaria
The capital of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, where Menahem reigned. It was a center of political and religious activity.

4. Israel
The Northern Kingdom, distinct from Judah, often characterized by instability and idolatry during this period.

5. Judah
The Southern Kingdom, where Azariah reigned. It was generally more stable and faithful to God compared to Israel.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Sinful Leadership
Menahem's violent rise to power and oppressive rule serve as a reminder of the destructive nature of sin and the impact of ungodly leadership on a nation.

The Importance of Godly Leadership
Contrast Menahem's reign with Azariah's earlier years, emphasizing the blessings that come from leaders who seek to honor God.

The Role of Divine Sovereignty
Despite the chaos in Israel, God's sovereign plan continues. Believers can trust that God is in control, even when human leaders fail.

The Impact of Political Instability
Reflect on how political turmoil can lead to societal decay, and the importance of praying for stability and righteousness in leadership.

The Call to Personal Integrity
In a time of widespread corruption, individuals are called to maintain personal integrity and faithfulness to God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Menahem's rise to power reflect the spiritual state of Israel during this period?

2. In what ways can we see the consequences of ungodly leadership in today's world, and how should Christians respond?

3. How does the contrast between Azariah's and Menahem's reigns illustrate the importance of godly leadership?

4. What lessons can we learn from the political instability in Israel about the importance of seeking God's guidance in our own lives?

5. How can we maintain personal integrity and faithfulness to God in a society that often mirrors the moral decay seen in Israel during Menahem's reign?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 15:19-20
These verses describe Menahem's oppressive taxation to pay tribute to the Assyrian king, Pul. This highlights the political instability and external pressures faced by Israel.

2 Chronicles 26
Provides a parallel account of Azariah's reign, offering insights into his strengths and failures, which contrast with the instability in Israel.

Hosea 7:1-7
Hosea, a prophet during this time, speaks against the corruption and moral decay in Israel, which aligns with the events of Menahem's reign.
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
Azariah, Azari'ah, Gadi, Judah, Menahem, Men'ahem, Nine, Ninth, Reign, Reigned, Ruling, Samaria, Sama'ria, Ten, Thirtieth, Thirty, Thirty-ninth
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 15:1-38

     5366   king

2 Kings 15:17-18

     8739   evil, examples of

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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