God’s Word Translation
2 Kings 15:20
20Menahem raised the money from all the wealthy men in Israel. Each gave 20 ounces of silver for the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria left the country.
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
18He did what the Lord considered evil. During his entire life he never turned away from the sins that Jeroboam (Nebat’s son) led Israel to commit. 19King Pul of Assyria came to ⌞attack⌟ the country. So Menahem gave Pul 75,000 pounds of silver to gain his support and help strengthen his hold on the kingdom. Menahem raised the money from all the wealthy men in Israel. Each gave 20 ounces of silver for the king of Assyria. Then the king of Assyria left the country. 21Isn’t everything else about Menahem—everything he did—written in the official records of the kings of Israel? 22Menahem lay down in death with his ancestors, and his son Pekahiah succeeded him as king.
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 23:35Jehoiakim gave Pharaoh the silver and the gold. But he had to tax the country to pay the silver Pharaoh had demanded. He taxed each person according to his wealth so that he could get the silver and gold from the people of the land and give it to Pharaoh Necoh.
- Ruth 2:1Naomi had a relative. He was from Elimelech’s side of the family. He was a man of outstanding character named Boaz.
- 2 Samuel 19:32Barzillai was an elderly man, 80 years old. Because he was a very rich man, he had provided the king with food while he was staying at Mahanaim.
- Job 1:3He owned 7,000 sheep and goats, 3,000 camels, 1,000 oxen, 500 donkeys, and a large number of servants. He was the most influential person in the Middle East.
- 2 Kings 15:29In the days of King Pekah of Israel, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, and the entire territory of Naphtali. He also took the people away to Assyria as captives.
- 2 Kings 17:3King Shalmaneser of Assyria defeated Hoshea, who became his servant and was required to make annual payments to him.
- 2 Kings 18:14Then King Hezekiah of Judah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. Go away, and leave me alone. I’ll pay whatever penalty you give me.” So the king of Assyria demanded that King Hezekiah of Judah pay 22,500 pounds of silver and 2,250 pounds 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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