2 Kings 15:19,2 Kings 15:20

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

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 2 Kings 15:19

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

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 2 Kings 15:19

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

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 15:1-38

REIGNS OF AZARIAH AND JOTHAM OVER JUDAH ; AND OF ZACHARIAH , SHALLUM , MENAHEM , PEKAHIAH , AND PEKAH OVER ISRAEL . read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 15:1-38

Some lessons from the history of kings. "In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam," etc. The mighty Governor of the universe is represented as saying to the Jewish nation, "I gave thee a king in mine anger" ( Hosea 13:2 ). And truly, with a certain number of exceptions here and there through the ages, kings have proved malific scourges of the race. In this chapter there are mentioned no less than seven of those men who are called kings, but who, instead of having one grain of moral... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 15:8-22

Anarchy in Israel. With rapid descent the kingdom of Israel, which had risen to great external prosperity under Jeroboam II ; hastened to its fall. The prophets give us vivid pictures of the corruption of the times. The bonds of social life were loosened, oppression was rampant, the fear of God seemed to have died out of the land; there was no confidence, peace, or good will among any classes, in the nation. As a consequence, the throne was a prey to any adventurer who had power to seize... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 15:8-31

Worldly prosperity not infrequently the ruin of kingdoms. I. EXAMPLE OF SAMARIA . Scarcely ever was there a more prosperous reign than that of Jeroboam II .—a reign of forty-one years of continual success, uncheckered by a misfortune-Syria defeated, the old border everywhere recovered, Hamath occupied, Damascus brought into a subject condition. As usual, where there is military success, wealth flowed in, and with wealth, luxury. "Great houses" were built ( Amos 3:15 ), "ivory... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 15:16-22

REIGN OF MENAHEM , AND EXPEDITION OF PUL AGAINST SAMARIA . Two events only of Menahem's reign receive notice from the writer. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - 2 Kings 15:19

And Pul, the King of Assyria came against the land. There is no connective in the Hebrew text, and it has been proposed to supply one; but there can be little doubt that the best emendation is that suggested by Thenius, who changes the כָּל־יָמָיו of 2 Kings 15:18 into בְיָמָיו , and attaches that word to 2 Kings 15:19 . 2 Kings 15:19 will then read thus: "In his days Pul the King of Assyria came against the laud"—and no connective will be wanted. The greatest doubt has been... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - 2 Kings 15:19

This 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 Assyrian suzerainty, and consented that... read more

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