EasyEnglish Bible 2018
2 Kings 15:20
20Menahem made all the rich people in Israel pay taxes to him. Every rich man had to pay 50 silver coins. Menahem gave that money to the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria went away. He did not stay any longer in Israel.
2 Kings 15:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not there in the land.
- New International Version (NIV)Menahem 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 withdrew and stayed in the land no longer.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Menahem exacted the money from Israel, that is, from all the wealthy men, fifty shekels of silver from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back and did not stay there in the land.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Menahem exacted the money from Israel, from all the very wealthy, from each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and did not stay there in the land.
Context of 2 Kings 15:20
18Menahem did things that the Lord said were evil. He did not turn away from the bad things that Nebat's son Jeroboam had done. Jeroboam had caused many people in Israel to do those sins. 19Then Pul, the king of Assyria, attacked the land of Israel. Menahem paid him 34 tons of silver to help him to rule Israel with greater power. Menahem made all the rich people in Israel pay taxes to him. Every rich man had to pay 50 silver coins. Menahem gave that money to the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria went away. He did not stay any longer in Israel. 21The other things that happened while Menahem was king are written in a book. The book is called ‘The history of Israel's kings’. It tells about the things that Menahem did. 22Menahem died and his son, Pekahiah, became king after him.
Read all of 2 Kings 152 Kings 15:20 word by word
וַיֹּצֵא֩ מְנַחֵ֨ם אֶת־הַכֶּ֜סֶף עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל עַ֚ל כָּל־גִּבּוֹרֵ֣י הַחַ֔יִל לָתֵת֙ לְמֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר חֲמִשִּׁ֧ים שְׁקָלִ֛ים כֶּ֖סֶף לְאִ֣ישׁ אֶחָ֑ד וַיָּ֙שָׁב֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר וְלֹא־עָ֥מַד שָׁ֖ם בָּאָֽרֶץ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Menahemמְנַחֵםmenachêm · MenahemH4505
- exactedיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- the moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- of all the mighty menגִּבּוֹרgibbôr gibbôr · mighty manH1368
- of wealthחַ֫יִלchayil · strength: richH2428
- of eachאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
- manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- fiftyחֲמִשִּׁיםchămishshîym · fiftyH2572
- shekelsשֶׁ֫קֶלsheqel · shekelH8255
- to giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- to the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
- turned backשׁוּבshûb · to return: returnH7725
- and stayedעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
- not there in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for 2 Kings 15:20
- 2 Kings 23:35King Jehoiakim paid Pharaoh Necho all the silver and gold that he asked for. But King Jehoiakim had to make the people of Judah pay taxes so that he could pay Pharaoh Necho. Each person in Judah had to pay what was right, if they were rich or if they were poor.
- Ruth 2:1Boaz was a rich and important man who lived in Bethlehem. He was from the family of Naomi's husband, Elimelech.
- 2 Samuel 19:32But Barzillai was a very old man, 80 years old. He had taken care of David when David was living in Mahanaim. He had helped David with many gifts, because he was a very rich man.
- Job 1:3He had 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels. He had 500 pairs of oxen and 500 donkeys. He also had many servants. He was the richest person in the east part of the world.
- 2 Kings 15:29While Pekah was the king of Israel, the king of Assyria, Tiglath-Pileser, attacked towns in Israel. He took these places for himself: Ijon, Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee and all of Naphtali's land. He took the people that lived in those places as prisoners to Assyria.
- 2 Kings 17:3Shalmaneser, the king of Assyria, came to attack Hoshea in Samaria. Hoshea agreed to accept Shalmaneser's authority. Israel had to pay a lot of money as taxes to Shalmaneser each year.
- 2 Kings 18:14So King Hezekiah of Judah sent a message to the king of Assyria, who was in Lachish. Hezekiah said, ‘What I did was wrong. Please take your army out of Judah. Then I will pay you everything that you ask me to pay.’ The king of Assyria told King Hezekiah that he must pay ten tons of silver and one ton of gold.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 15:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Each man fifty shekels of silver - Upwards of five pounds sterling a man.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 20Menahem exacted the money - The kings of Israel had no such ready resource in difficulties as that possessed by the kings of Judah in the temple treasury 2 Kings 12:18; 2 Kings 16:8. Hence, the forced contribution from the people, the odium of which was diminished by confining the levy to the comparatively rich. Each man fifty shekels - As the silver talent contained 3,000 shekels, the levy of fifty shekels a head must have extended to 60,000 persons.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-31Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19-20Pul: This is another name for the Assyrian king Tiglath-pileser III (see 2 Kings 15:29; 16:6). The name Pul is taken from the Babylonian language. Tiglath-pileser III took the throne of Assyria in 744 BC and led effectively until he died in 727 BC. When Tiglath-pileser started the western campaign to reclaim land from Aram, Menahem paid him a large tribute of thirty-seven tons of silver to prevent him from invading Israel. Although Menahem’s name means…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 15:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 15
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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