“In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.”
Twentieth. Houbigant endeavours to shew it should be, “the 14th;” Capellus says, the 17th; (Haydock) and others have suspected that the number is incorrectly printed. (Grotius, &c.) — But this expedient ought only to be adopted when no other can give satisfaction; and this difficulty may be obviated by saying, that Jeroboam’s reign with his father continued six years, and that after he had held the septre nineteen years alone, Azarias commenced; (Calmet; Usher) or, that there was an interregnum of eleven years, which is not probable. (Capel) — Azarias; otherwise called Ozias; (Challoner) and this was his real name. (Grotius) See chap. xiv. 21. (Haydock)
“Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem.”
Israel. Absalom rises early for wickedness. He assumes the character of a most zealous and disinterested judge, as if to contrast his conduct with the remissness of some appointed by the king; though the Holy Ghost bears witness to the integrity of David, chap. viii. 15. Who would not be deceived by such appearances, if the arts of hypocrites had not taught us to examine things to the bottom, and to be upon our guard? If thy eye be evil, thy whole body will be darksome. [Matthew vi. 23.] The intention decides all. (Haydock)
“And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;”
Lord. Many laudable actions are specified, 2 Paralipomenon xxvi. 4. But at last, forgetting the instructions of the prophet Zacharias, he opened his heart to pride, the bane of great souls, and would arrogate to himself the rights of the priesthood, which brought on his leprosy. (Calmet)
“Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.”
But. In this he was not different from his father, chap. xiv. 4.
“And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land.”
A leper. In punishment of his usurping the priestly functions, 2 Paralipomenon xxvi. 19. (Challoner) (Worthington) — The priests boldly remonstrated with him, but to no effect; till the king perceived himself stricken with the leprosy. Josephus ([Antiquities?] ix. 10.) says, a dreadful earthquake was felt at the same time, which is supposed to be that mentioned [in] Amos i. 1., and Zacharias xiv. 5; (St. Jerome, &c.) though Usher produces some chronological difficulties against this opinion: but they are founded on error. (Calmet) — Free. Paralipomenon apart; at a distance from all. (Haydock) — The like rules were observed in cities, as in the camp, Leviticus xiii. 46. (Menochius) — Ozias was in a manner dead to all civil transactions; and Isaias (vi. 1.) probably refers to this event. Syriac and Arabic, “he remained hidden.” Josephus (ibid.[ix. 10.]) says, “leading a private life.” Thus aiming at too much, he lost all! (Haydock)
“And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?”
Enticed. Hebrew, “stole.” The people were not aware of his designs. (Calmet) — Absalom rendered them dissatisfied with the present government, and led them to expect better days, under his administration. (Haydock)
“So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.”
David: or, Ozias slept….and they buried him in the field of the royal sepulchre, because he was a leper, and Joatham, &c., 2 Paralipomenon xxvi. 23. (Haydock) — Such an aversion had people for lepers, that they would not even bury them with others. (Calmet) — Yet he was treated with some honour. (Worthington)
“In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.”
Thirtieth. Usher would place an interregnum of eleven years and a half, after the death of Jeroboam, to make the first year of Zacharias correspond with the 38th of Azarias, during which, he supposes, the troubles mentioned [in] Amos vii., and viii., happened. But this interregnum has no foundation, ver. 5. (Calmet) — Capellus says it would have lasted above 22 years. He and Houbigant would read, 28th: the latter adds ten years to the reign of Zacharias. The transcriber might easily omit the years, as they end in the same manner as months. Arabic has “six years;” whence we may infer, that the copies formerly varied. The exploits of Zacharias require a longer space than six months. (Chron. sac. p. 107, 110.)
“And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.”
Place, having before taken his measures with the conspirators; (ver. 15.) so that he had not to fear the resentment of the people. He cut off the last king of the family of Jehu; (Haydock) probably at Jezrahel, Osee i. 5. (Calmet)
“And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.”
Design. Their hearts had been stolen, ver. 6. They only meant to do honour to the prince, but by no means to join in his rebellion, like the rest. (Calmet)
“This was the word of the LORD which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.”
Achitophel, the grandfather of Bethsabee; to revenge whose dishonour, he had instigated the young prince to revolt, and had planned his rebellion; (Salien) so that he was every ready to lend his assistance. (Calmet)
“Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. Uzziah: Gr. Ozias a full: Heb. a month of days”
Absalom. How came they to abandon a king, appointed by heaven, and adorned with so many virtues? God was resolved to punish him. Many are always desirous of novelty. David had lately been guilty of two scandalous crimes. Joab remained unpunished, and arrogant; the judges neglected their duty, &c., ver. 3. Some had still a partiality for the family of Saul. (Calmet) (Grotius)
“For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.”
Manahem, general of Zacharias, revenged his death, and then returning to Tharsa[Thersa?], treated it and the neighbouring city, Thapsa, with the utmost fury. So Josephus, [Antiquities?] ix. 11. But his conjectures are to be received with caution.
“Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.”
Concubines. That is, wives of an inferior degree, (Challoner; Genesis xxv.; Worthington) who might perhaps have some influence to pacify the rioters.
“In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.”
Ten years. Dating from the time that he was enabled to enjoy the throne in peace, after a struggle of eleven months. (Usher, the year of the world 3233.) — Phul rendered him this service, having received presents, and one of the golden calves, (Osee x. 6., and xiii.) besides 1000 talents, ver. 19.
“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.”
Days. During which Jeroboam or Manahem swayed the sceptre. (Calmet) — The Septuagint refer all his days to the following verse, (Haydock) which seems to intimate that the tribute was required annually, as may be gathered from the Vulgate veniebat. (Menochius) — But Phul probably received the talents only once, to indemnify him for his trouble. He was perhaps the father of Sardanapalus, Anacindaraxes, &c. Phul was the first of the Assyrian monarchs who came into the land of Israel, where we shall find them too often in the sequel. He probably repented on the preaching of Jonas, and averted the scourge (Calmet) which fell upon the city during the reign of his son. (Haydock)
“And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.”
Ethai. Many assert that he was the son of Achis, and had embraced the true religion. (Menochius) — King; Absalom, who will not molest you. (Haydock) — Some translate the Hebrew, “Return from the king.” (Syriac [and] Arabic)
“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. exacted: Heb. caused to come forth”
Rich. The lower classes were not perhaps entirely exempted.
“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.”
Cedron. Hebrew nachal Kidron, may signify, “the shady torrent,” or “vale,” as it is styled by Josephus. It does not take its name from cedars. It is dry in summer, and when filled with water, in only three steps across. (Doubdan xxvii.) — Desert, of Bethel, (Calmet) or of Jericho, where St. John the Baptist and our Saviour dwelt for some time. David passed over Kedron, only after he had dismissed the priests. (Menochius)
“And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.”
Went up to the ark, or along with the rest. (Calmet)
“But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites : and he killed him, and reigned in his room.”
Near. Hebrew, “may be along with Argob, &c.” who were in the conspiracy. (Chaldean, Septaugint, &c.) (Calmet)
“And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.”
Israel. This book is lost. (Haydock) — The Paralipomenon takes no notice of these kings; but relates only the transactions of the kings of Juda after Joas gained the victory; which greatly abridged their power, chap. xiv. 14.
“In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned twenty years.”
Romelia. St. Jerome (ep. 142.) places the birth of Romulus in this year, which preceded the famous Olympiads. But Salien differs that event 14 years. (The year before Christ 769.) (Haydock)
“In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglathpileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abelbethmaachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.”
Assyria, at the invitation of Achaz, chap. xvi. 7. — Theglathphalasar is probably the same who is called Ninus the younger, or Thilgam, (Ælian. animal. xii. 21.) by profane writers. He re-established the kingdom of Nineve in part, after the city had been taken, under his father Sardanapalus, by Arbaces, founder of the empire of the Medes, and by Belesus, Narbonassar, or Baladan, who reigned at Babylon. Such was the state of the eastern empires at this time. (Calmet) — Aion, or Ahion, (3 Kings xv. 20.) perhaps the Enan of Ezechiel xlviii. 1. (Haydock) — Maacha, whither Seba had retreatd, 2 Kings xx. 14. Hebrew Abel-beth-maacha. — Galaad, comprising all the east of the Jordan. (Calmet) — Nephthali, to the north-west. (Haydock) — Thus the Galileans and Nephthali were transported into Assyria, to repeople it after the late ravages. The tribe in Galaad were fixed on the river Gozan, 1 Paralipomenon v. 26.
“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.”
In the twentieth year of Joatham. That is, in the twentieth year from the beginning of Joatham’s reign. The sacred writer chooses rather to follow here this date, than to speak of the years of Achaz, who had not yet been mentioned. (Challoner) — But Joatham reigned only 16 years, (ver. 33.) so that this was the fourth year of Achaz. (Haydock) — Usher says that Osee did not ascend the throne till nine years after the death of Phacee, as he is asserted to have commenced his reign in the twelfth year of Achaz, chap. xvii. 1. But another difficulty arises from the mention of this 20th year, as Phacee would have reigned 22, instead of 20; (ver. 27.) for Joatham only commenced in the second year of Phacee. To reconcile these passages, we may conclude that Osee conspired against the king of Israel in the 18th year of Joatham, gained possession of part of the kingdom in the 20th of the same prince, and of the whole in the 12th of Achaz. (Calmet) — The pretended interregnum ought to be rejected, as the murderer of the late king would not delay to ascend the throne. Houbigant adds 10 years to the reign of Phacee, as well as to that of Zacharias: the dates assigned to the kings of Israel being otherwise so much deficient, p. 113.
“And 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.”
Infatuate: “render useless;” (Theodotion) “dissipate,” Septuagint. (Calmet) — God hindered the wise counsel of Achitophel from being regarded. (Haydock)
“In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.”
The Lord, before he lost sight of the holy city, where the ark was kept. (Calmet) — Arachite, a convert, (Menochius) from Arach, or Edessa. (St. Jerome, Trad. in Genesis x.)
“Five and twenty years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok.”
To me, as he was perhaps advanced in years, though very prudent. (Menochius)
“And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD: he did according to all that his father Uzziah had done.”
Did he. Yet he did not imitate his presumption. God gave great success to his enterprises, 2 Paralipomenon xxvii. 2.
“Howbeit the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of the LORD.”
Gate, repairing that on the east. Jeremias (xxvi. 10.) mentions the new gate. Joatham also made great additions to the walls of Jerusalem. (Paralipomenon)
“In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.”
Began. Achaz was much more infested by these princes.