English Standard Version
2 Kings 15:19
19Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power.
2 Kings 15:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
- New International Version (NIV)Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and strengthen his own hold on the kingdom.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Pul king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his control.
- New Living Translation (NLT)Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria invaded the land. But Menahem paid him thirty-seven tons of silver to gain his support in tightening his grip on royal power.
Context of 2 Kings 15:19
17In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah, Menahem the son of Gadi began to reign over Israel, and he reigned ten years in Samaria. 18And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord. He did not depart all his days from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin. Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power. 20Menahem 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. 21Now the rest of the deeds of Menahem and all that he did, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Read all of 2 Kings 152 Kings 15:19 word by word
בָּ֣א פ֤וּל מֶֽלֶךְ־אַשּׁוּר֙ עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיִּתֵּ֤ן מְנַחֵם֙ לְפ֔וּל אֶ֖לֶף כִּכַּר־כָּ֑סֶף לִהְי֤וֹת יָדָיו֙ אִתּ֔וֹ לְהַחֲזִ֥יק הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה בְּיָדֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Pulפּוּלpûl · PulH6322
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Assyriaאַשּׁוּר'ashshûr 'ashshûr · AssyriaH804
- cameבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
- against the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and Menahemמְנַחֵםmenachêm · MenahemH4505
- gaveנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
- a thousandאֶ֫לֶף'eleph · thousandH505
- talentsכִּכָּרkikâr · talentH3603
- of silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- that his handיָדyâd · hand: themselvesH3027
- might be with him to confirmחָזַקchâzaq · to strengthen: ensureH2388
- the kingdomמַמְלָכָהmamlâkâh · kingdomH4467
Cross-references for 2 Kings 15:19
- 1 Chronicles 5:25But they broke faith with the God of their fathers, and whored after the gods of the peoples of the land, whom God had destroyed before them.
- Isaiah 9:1But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
- 2 Kings 12:18Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred gifts that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah his fathers, the kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own sacred gifts, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house, and sent these to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.
- 2 Kings 16:8Ahaz also took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord and in the treasures of the king's house and sent a present to the king of Assyria.
- 2 Kings 17:3Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria. And Hoshea became his vassal and paid him tribute.
- 2 Kings 18:16At that time Hezekiah stripped the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord and from the doorposts that Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid and gave it to the king of Assyria.
- Hosea 5:13When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound, then Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to the great king. But he is not able to cure you or heal your wound.
- Hosea 8:9For they have gone up to Assyria, a wild donkey wandering alone; Ephraim has hired lovers.
- Hosea 10:6The thing itself shall be carried to Assyria as tribute to the great king. Ephraim shall be put to shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his idol.
- 2 Kings 14:5And as soon as the royal power was firmly in his hand, he struck down his servants who had struck down the king his father.
- Jeremiah 17:5Thus says the Lord: "Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart turns away from the Lord.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 15:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19Pul, the king of Assyria - This is the first time we hear of Assyria since the days of Nimrod, its founder, Genesis 10:11. Dean Prideaux supposes that this Pul was father of the famous Sardanapalus, the son himself being called Sardan; to which, as was frequent in those times, the father's name, Pul, was added, making Sardanpul of which the Greeks and Latins made Sardanapalus; and this Pul is supposed to be the same that reigned in Nineveh when Jonah…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19This is the first distinct mention which we find in Scripture of Assyria as an aggressive power. From the native monuments we learn that she had been for above a century pushing her conquests beyond the Euphrates, and seeking to reduce under her dominion the entire tract between that river and Egypt. Jehu had paid tribute. Some - arguing from the use of the phrase “confirmed the kingdom” (here, and in 2 Kings 14:5) - think that Jehoahaz had acknowledged…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
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1919. Pul the king of Assyria--This is the first Assyrian king after Nimrod who is mentioned in biblical history. His name has been recently identified with that of Phalluka on the monuments of Nineveh, and that of Menahem discovered also. came against the land--Elsewhere it is said "Ephraim [Israel] went to the Assyrian" [Ho 5:13]. The two statements may be reconciled thus: "Pul, of his own motion, induced, perhaps, by the expedition of Menahem against…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 15:19
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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries