2 Kings 15

23. Pekahiah . . . son of Menahem began to reign--On comparing the date given with Azariah's reign, it seems that several months had intervened between the death of Menahem and the accession of Pekahiah, probably owing to a contest about the throne.

25. with Argob and Arieh, &c.--Many commentators view these as the captain's accomplices. But it is more probable that they were influential friends of the king, who were murdered along with him.

2 Kings 15:27-31 . PEKAH'S REIGN.

29. in the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser--This monarch, who succeeded Pul on the throne of Assyria, is the only one of all the kings who does not give his genealogy, and is therefore supposed to have been an usurper. His annals have been discovered in the Nimroud mound, describing this expedition into Syria. The places taken are here mentioned as they occurred and were conquered in the progress of an invasion.

30. Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy . . . and slew him--He did not, however, obtain possession of the kingdom till about nine or ten years after the perpetration of this crime [HALES].
in the twentieth year of Jotham--Jotham's reign lasted only sixteen years, but the meaning is that the reign of Hoshea began in the twentieth after the beginning of Jotham's reign. The sacred historian, having not yet introduced the name of Ahaz, reckoned the date by Jotham, whom he had already mentioned (see 2 Chronicles 27:8 ).

2 Kings 15:32-38 . JOTHAM'S REIGN OVER JUDAH.

33. Five and twenty years was he when he began to reign--that is, alone--for he had ruled as his father's viceroy ( 2 Kings 15:5 ).

35. the higher gate of the house of the Lord--not the temple itself, but one of its courts; probably that which led into the palace ( 2 Chronicles 23:20 ).

37. the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, &c.--This is the first intimation of the hostile feelings of the kings of Israel and Syria, to Judah, which led them to form an alliance and make joint preparations for war. war was not actually waged till the reign of Ahaz.