And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. In which, no doubt, an account of the cause of the conspiracy, and of the persons assisting to him in it, was given, with other things done in his short reign. read more
Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah ,.... The Jewish writers commonly take this Tiphsah to be without the land of Israel, the same with that in 1 Kings 4:24 on the borders of Syria, and near the Euphrates; but it seems to be some place nearer Samaria, and Tirzah; according to Bunting F20 Travels, &c.; p. 169. , it was but six miles from Samaria: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it ; they refused to open... read more
In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel ,.... Shallum reigning but one month, both their reigns began the same year. read more
And he did that which was evil ,.... The same character is given of him as of those before him, 2 Kings 15:9 . read more
And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land ,.... The land of Israel, he invaded it; a Jewish chronologer F21 David Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 2. fol. 5. 2. calls him Pulbelicho; and he is generally thought to be the same with Belochus or Belesis, governor of Babylon, who, with Arbaces the Mede, slew Sardanapalus, said to be the last of the Assyrian kings, and translated the empire to the Chaldeans; he ruling over Babylon and Nineveh, and Arbaces over the Medes and Persians; but... read more
And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth ,.... Who were most able to pay it, by which means he eased the poor, and might thereby attach them to him: of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria : that is, he required them to pay fifty shekels apiece to make up the above sum as a present to Pul; though the words in the original text lie more naturally thus, "to give to the king of Assyria fifty shekels of silver for one man";... read more
Pul , 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 preached the terrors of the... read more
Each man fifty shekels of silver - Upwards of five pounds sterling a man. read more
REIGNS OF AZARIAH AND JOTHAM OVER JUDAH ; AND OF ZACHARIAH , SHALLUM , MENAHEM , PEKAHIAH , AND PEKAH OVER ISRAEL . read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Kings 15:8-31
The best days of the kingdom of Israel were while the government was in Jehu's family. In his reign, and the next three reigns, though there were many abominable corruptions and miserable grievances in Israel, yet the crown went in succession, the kings died in their beds, and some care was taken of public affairs; but, now that those days are at an end, the history which we have in these verses of about thirty-three years represents the affairs of that kingdom in the utmost confusion... read more