Pekah (2 Kings 15:25; 2 Kings 15:27–28; 2 Kings 15:29; 2 Kings 15:30–31; 2 Kings 15:32; 2 Kings 15:37; 2 Kings 16:1–9; 2 Chronicles 28:5–8; Isaiah 7:1–9; Isaiah 8:5–8)

King of Israel, son of Remaliah

The captain of Pekahiah who conspired against him and reigned in his stead over Israel, in whose days Tiglath-pileser took the land of Naphtali, who went up with Rezin against Ahaz at Jerusalem, and who was slain by Hoshea.

Pekah first appears as an officer of the king of Israel: “Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the castle of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites: and he slew him, and reigned in his stead” (2 Kings 15:25). He reigned twenty years in Samaria (2 Kings 15:27), and the text's verdict is that “he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin” (2 Kings 15:28). None of his own words is recorded.

In his days “came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maacah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria” (2 Kings 15:29). Of the same days it says, “Jehovah began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah” (2 Kings 15:37). The two kings “came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him” (2 Kings 16:5). Chronicles adds that “Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 28:6). Isaiah names him with Rezin as going up to Jerusalem (Isaiah 7:1), then speaks of him only as “the son of Remaliah” (Isaiah 7:4): “the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah” (Isaiah 7:4), and the word given for Ahaz says “the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son” (Isaiah 7:9).

Of his end the text says only, “Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead” (2 Kings 15:30). The rest of his acts, it says, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel (2 Kings 15:31).

Weaknesses

• Conspired against his king
• Did evil in the sight of the LORD
• Purposed evil against Judah

Themes

• Conspiracy
• Kings of Israel
• War against Judah
• Syria and Ephraim
• Assyria in the land

Conspires against Pekahiah (2 Kings 15:23–26)

Pekah, the captain of King Pekahiah, conspires against him in Samaria with fifty men of the Gileadites, slays him, and reigns in his stead.

Conspires against Pekahiah

“In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned two years” (2 Kings 15:23). Of him too the text says, “he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah” (2 Kings 15:24).

“And Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the castle of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites: and he slew him, and reigned in his stead” (2 Kings 15:25).

The text gives no reason for the conspiracy.

Reigns twenty years in Samaria (2 Kings 15:27–28)

Pekah begins to reign over Israel in the two and fiftieth year of Azariah, reigns twenty years, and does evil in the sight of the LORD.

Tiglath-pileser takes the land (2 Kings 15:29)

In the days of Pekah the king of Assyria comes, takes cities and all the land of Naphtali, and carries the people captive to Assyria.

Sent against Judah with Rezin (2 Kings 15:37; 2 Kings 16:1–6)

The LORD begins to send Rezin of Syria and Pekah against Judah; in Pekah's seventeenth year Ahaz begins to reign, and the two kings besiege him at Jerusalem but cannot overcome him.

Slays a hundred and twenty thousand in Judah (2 Chronicles 28:5–8)

Chronicles says Ahaz was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, and Pekah slew a hundred and twenty thousand valiant men of Judah in one day.

Slays a hundred and twenty thousand in Judah

Of Ahaz, Chronicles says, “Wherefore Jehovah his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria” (2 Chronicles 28:5); “And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter” (2 Chronicles 28:5).

“For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah a hundred and twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men; because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 28:6). The reason the text gives concerns those who were slain; it gives none of Pekah's own.

“And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria” (2 Chronicles 28:8). This the text says of the children of Israel, not of Pekah by name.

The word to Ahaz about the son of Remaliah (Isaiah 7:1–9; Isaiah 8:5–8)

Rezin and Pekah go up to Jerusalem but cannot prevail; the LORD sends Isaiah to Ahaz with word that the purpose of Syria, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah will not stand, and later speaks of a people that rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son.

The word to Ahaz about the son of Remaliah

“Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up to Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it” (Isaiah 7:1). Ahaz heard “Syria is confederate with Ephraim” (Isaiah 7:2), and “his heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest tremble with the wind” (Isaiah 7:2).

The LORD sent Isaiah to meet Ahaz with this: “Take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither let thy heart be faint, because of these two tails of smoking firebrands, for the fierce anger of Rezin and Syria, and of the son of Remaliah” (Isaiah 7:4). The purpose is stated: “Syria, Ephraim, and the son of Remaliah, have purposed evil against thee, saying, Let us go up against Judah, and vex it, and let us make a breach therein for us, and set up a king in the midst of it, even the son of Tabeel” (Isaiah 7:5-6). The word answers: “It shall not stand, neither shall it come to pass” (Isaiah 7:7).

“The head of Ephraim is Samaria, and the head of Samaria is Remaliah’s son. If ye will not believe, surely ye shall not be established” (Isaiah 7:9). Later the LORD spoke of “this people” (Isaiah 8:6) who “rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah’s son” (Isaiah 8:6) and of the king of Assyria coming up like the waters of the River (Isaiah 8:6-7). Isaiah does not record any answer from Pekah.

Ahaz sends to Assyria (2 Kings 16:7–9)

Ahaz asks Tiglath-pileser to save him from the king of Syria and the king of Israel; the king of Assyria takes Damascus and slays Rezin.

Slain by Hoshea (2 Kings 15:30–31)

Hoshea the son of Elah makes a conspiracy against Pekah, smites and slays him, and reigns in his stead.

Slain by Hoshea

“And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah” (2 Kings 15:30).

“Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel” (2 Kings 15:31). The same chapter also says, “In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign” (2 Kings 15:32), and that Jotham “reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem” (2 Kings 15:33); the text sets these reckonings down without explaining how they fit together. It says nothing of Pekah's burial.

Pekahiah (2 Kings 15:23–25)

Son of Menahem and king of Israel, whose captain Pekah conspired against him, smote him in Samaria, and slew him.

The fifty Gileadites (2 Kings 15:25)

Fifty men of the Gileadites were with Pekah when he smote Pekahiah.

Rezin (2 Kings 15:37; 2 Kings 16:5; Isaiah 7:1)

King of Syria, sent by the LORD against Judah together with Pekah, and with him at the siege of Jerusalem.

Ahaz (2 Kings 16:5; 2 Chronicles 28:5–6; Isaiah 7:1)

King of Judah, whom Rezin and Pekah besieged at Jerusalem, and whom the LORD delivered into the hand of the king of Israel.

Tiglath-pileser (2 Kings 15:29)

King of Assyria, who in the days of Pekah came, took the land of Naphtali, and carried the people captive to Assyria.

Hoshea (2 Kings 15:30)

Son of Elah, who made a conspiracy against Pekah, smote and slew him, and reigned in his stead.

The LORD (2 Kings 15:28; 2 Kings 15:37; Isaiah 7:3–9)

Pekah's evil was in his sight; he began to send Pekah against Judah, and sent Isaiah to Ahaz with word of the son of Remaliah.

Major sections

• 2 Kings 15:23–31
• 2 Kings 15:37–16:9
• 2 Chronicles 28:1–8
• Isaiah 7:1–9

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