2 Kings 15:20

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

18But Menahem did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. During his entire reign, he refused to turn from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had led Israel to commit. 19Then 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. Menahem extorted the money from the rich of Israel, demanding that each of them pay fifty pieces of silver to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned from attacking Israel and did not stay in the land. 21The rest of the events in Menahem’s reign and everything he did are recorded in The Book of the History of the Kings of Israel. 22When Menahem died, his son Pekahiah became the next king.

2 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 23:35In order to get the silver and gold demanded as tribute by Pharaoh Neco, Jehoiakim collected a tax from the people of Judah, requiring them to pay in proportion to their wealth.
• Ruth 2:1Now there was a wealthy and influential man in Bethlehem named Boaz, who was a relative of Naomi’s husband, Elimelech.
• 2 Samuel 19:32He was very old—eighty years of age—and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim.
• Job 1:3He owned 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 teams of oxen, and 500 female donkeys. He also had many servants. He was, in fact, the richest person in that entire area.
• 2 Kings 15:29During Pekah’s reign, King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria attacked Israel again, and he captured the towns of Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, and Hazor. He also conquered the regions of Gilead, Galilee, and all of Naphtali, and he took the people to Assyria as captives.
• 2 Kings 17:3King Shalmaneser of Assyria attacked King Hoshea, so Hoshea was forced to pay heavy tribute to Assyria.
• 2 Kings 18:14King Hezekiah sent this message to the king of Assyria at Lachish: “I have done wrong. I will pay whatever tribute money you demand if you will only withdraw.” The king of Assyria then demanded a settlement of more than eleven 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

• Menahem
• Money
• Tax

In the dictionaries

• Assyria
• Israel
• Captivity
• Menahem
• Exact
• Immanuel
• Pekahiah
• Tax; Taxing
• Uzziah; (azariah)
• Arieh

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