II Kings 15:27-31 · Bible study
2 Kings 15:27-31 Commentary: Study: Pekah's Reign and Assyrian Invasion
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Study II Kings 15:27-31: chronological puzzles, Assyrian deportation of Naphtali/Galilee, and the sovereignty of God framing Isaiah's prophecies.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Pekah's reign begins the Assyrian deportation of the northern kingdom and sets the stage for Isaiah's prophecies of judgment and restoration.
- Key words: 'evil in Yahweh’s sight' (v28), 'turned aside' (sur, H5493, depart from), 'carried them captive' (galah, H1540, exile), 'conspiracy' (qesher, H7195, treasonous plot).
- Main debate: The chronological reconciliation of Pekah's 20-year reign with Jotham's 16-year reign and Hoshea's accession date.
- Theological theme: God's sovereignty over history, evil rulers and violent events serve His purposes of judgment and preservation of the remnant.
- Best use: Teaching the consequences of persistent sin and the hope of restoration announced in the very region first deported.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
27In the fifty-second year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria twenty years.
28And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.
29In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and he took the people as captives to Assyria.
30Then Hoshea son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah son of Remaliah. In the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah, Hoshea attacked Pekah, killed him, and reigned in his place.
31As for the rest of the acts of Pekah, along with all his accomplishments, they are indeed written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.
WEB World English Bible 2000
27In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria for twenty years.
28He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight. He didn’t depart from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
29In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali; and he carried them captive to Assyria.
30Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, attacked him, killed him, and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
31Now 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.
KJV King James Version 1769
27In 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.
28And 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.
29In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath–pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel–beth–maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
30And 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.
31And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
27In 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.
28And 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.
29In the days of Pekah king of Israel 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.
30And 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.
31Now 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.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
27In the fifty and second year of Azariah king of Judah, reigned hath Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, in Samaria--twenty years,
28and he doth the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, he hath not turned aside from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, that he caused Israel to sin.
29In the days of Pekah king of Israel hath Tiglath-Pileser king of Asshur come, and taketh Ijon, and Abel-Beth-Maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and removeth them to Asshur.
30And make a conspiracy doth Hoshea son of Elah against Pekah son of Remaliah, and smiteth him, and putteth him to death, and reigneth in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.
31And the rest of the matters of Pekah, and all that he did, lo, they are written on the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Israel.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
27In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, for twenty years.
28And he did evil in the sight of Jehovah: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
29In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, and Abel-Beth-Maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
30And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him and slew him; and he reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
31And 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.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
27In the two and fiftieth year of Azarias, king of Juda, reigned Phacee, the son of Romelia, over Israel, in Samaria, twenty years.
28And he did that which was evil before the Lord: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, the son of Nabat, who made Israel to sin.
29In the days of Phacee, king of Israel, came Theglathphalasar, king of Assyria, and took Aion, and Abel Domum Maacha, and Janoe, and Cedes, and Asor, and Galaad, and Galilee, and all the land of Nephthali: and carried them captives into Assyria.
30Now Osee, son of Ela, conspired, and formed a plot against Phacee, the son of Romelia, and struck him, and slew him: and reigned in his stead in the twentieth year of Joatham, the son of Ozias.
31But the rest of the acts of Phacee, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the words of the days of the kings of Israel?
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 15:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Pekah's reign marked a turning point in Israel's slide toward exile. The repeated formula, "he did that which was evil in Yahweh's sight… he didn't depart from the sins of Jeroboam", places him in the same unbroken line as his predecessors. Adam Clarke notes that the towns Tiglath-Pileser captured (Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, all Naphtali) had been regained by Jeroboam II and were now lost for good. Barnes and the Cambridge Bible emphasize that this Tiglath-Pileser (745, 727 BC) is the first Assyrian king clearly identified in ancient monuments, and his 734 BC campaign began the deportation of the northern tribes.
On the chronological puzzle, commentators disagree. Pekah is said to reign twenty years (v27), yet Jotham reigns sixteen years (v33), and Hoshea's accession is dated to Jotham's twentieth year (v30). Gill and Keil & Delitzsch suggest overlapping reckonings or co-regencies; Wesley takes the twentieth year of Jotham as the fourth year of Ahaz. The link to Isaiah 7, 9 is undisputed: Pekah, called "the son of Remaliah," and Rezin of Syria threaten Judah, and Isaiah's Immanuel prophecy frames the crisis. God's sovereignty over rulers and nations runs through both the Kings account and Isaiah's vision.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: High
Main views:
- Coregency view: Jotham may have served as co-regent with his father Uzziah after Uzziah's leprosy (2 Kings 15:5); 'Jotham's 20th year' could date from the beginning of that co-regency.
- Different reckoning systems: Israel may have used a non-accession year system (counting the accession year as year one) while Judah used accession-year reckoning; this could produce apparent discrepancies.
- Textual corruption possibility: Some have proposed scribal errors in the number '20' given for Pekah's reign, but no manuscript evidence supports this and major commentaries do not endorse it.
What is clear: Pekah was an evil king who continued Jeroboam's idolatry, his reign saw the first Assyrian deportation of Israel's territory, and these events frame the prophecies of Isaiah concerning both judgment and the coming Messiah.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Chronology of Pekah's reign | The biblical numbers present a problem when compared across Kings and Chronicles. | Some resolve it with co-regencies (Uzziah/Jotham overlapping); others propose different regnal-year counting methods; a few suggest scribal error. |
| Moral evaluation of Pekah | All traditions agree he did evil and continued Jeroboam's idolatry, leading to judgment. | None, this is uniform across Catholic, Protestant, and Orthodox interpretation. |
| Connection to Isaiah's prophecies | Pekah is the 'son of Remaliah' in Isaiah 7, 9, threatening Judah. | Some debate the precise date of the Syro-Ephraimite war relative to this account, but most see the events as concurrent. |
| Theological significance of the deportation | God used Assyria as an instrument of judgment on Israel's persistent sin. | Interpreters differ on whether this deportation fulfilled specific prophecies (e.g., Amos) or was a general punishment. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The mid-eighth century BC was a period of rapid change in the ancient Near East. Assyria, under Tiglath-Pileser II (745, 727 BC), was expanding westward. His annals, discovered in the Nimroud mound, describe campaigns against Syria, Phoenicia, and Israel. The towns listed in verse 29 lie along the main invasion route from the north: Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, and Janoah guarded the approach, while Kedesh and Hazor were major fortified cities in Naphtali. Gilead refers to the transjordan region already partly lost (1 Chronicles 5:26 notes that Pul and Tiglath-Pileser carried away Reuben, Gad, and half-Manasseh). Galilee, "all the land of Naphtali," was the region that would later be called "Galilee of the Gentiles" (Isaiah 9:1).
Pekah had come to power by assassinating his predecessor Pekahiah (v25), a pattern of violent usurpation that destabilized the northern kingdom. His own reign was marked by the Syro-Ephraimite war: he and Rezin attacked Judah (Isaiah 7:1; 2 Kings 15:37), seeking to force Ahaz into an anti-Assyrian coalition. Instead, Ahaz appealed to Tiglath-Pileser for help, leading to Assyrian intervention. The deportation of the northern territories was the first stage of the exile that culminated in Samaria's fall in 722 BC. Hoshea's murder of Pekah may have been prompted by Assyrian pressure; the Cambridge Bible notes that Assyrian inscriptions mention Hoshea as a vassal who paid tribute. The chronology remains disputed: Jotham reigned sixteen years (v33) but Hoshea's reign is dated to Jotham's twentieth year (v30). This may reflect a co-regency between Uzziah (Azariah) and Jotham after Uzziah's leprosy (2 Kings 15:5), or a different method of counting regnal years between Israel and Judah.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants for these verses. The main difficulty is chronological, not textual: the numbers in verses 27, 30, and 33 (Jotham's 16 years) appear to conflict. Gill and Keil & Delitzsch discuss possible resolutions without suggesting that the Hebrew text itself is corrupt. Some modern scholars have proposed emendations (e.g., changing '20' to '12' or '15'), but there is no manuscript support for such changes mentioned in the provided sources.
Reception History
Early church interpreters, building on Matthew 4:15-16, saw the deportation of Naphtali and Galilee (v29) as the darkness that would be pierced by the light of Christ, tying this event to the hope of restoration. Jerome, for example, connected the 'land of Naphtali' to the Messiah's ministry. Reformation-era commentators like John Calvin focused on the instability of power gained by violence: Pekah's own death mirrored his rise. In Jewish tradition, the deportation of the northern tribes (the 'Ten Lost Tribes') became a key episode; the Talmud (Sanhedrin 94a) discusses Tiglath-Pileser's role. Many modern evangelical readings emphasize the slow erosion of faithfulness that leads to exile, while also seeing in this very region, Galilee of the Gentiles, the promise of redemption through Jesus, who began His public ministry there.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The pattern of persistent sin. Verse 28 repeats the formula used for every northern king: evil in Yahweh's sight, no departure from Jeroboam's sins. Israel's slide toward judgment was steady, not sudden.
- The cost of covenant rebellion. Verse 29 records the first deportation of Israelite territory. Towns, land, and people were taken to Assyria, a concrete fulfillment of prophetic warnings (Leviticus 26:33; Deuteronomy 28:36).
- God's sovereignty over history. Hoshea's conspiracy (v30) happened in the context of Assyrian pressure, but the broader story shows God working through even violent events to accomplish His purposes, judgment for Israel and preservation of Judah for the Messiah's line.
Five-point outline
- Pekah's rise: a captain who murdered his king (v25).
- Pekah's reign: twenty years of evil and idolatry (vv27-28).
- Pekah's crisis: Assyrian invasion and deportation (v29).
- Pekah's death: conspiracy and assassination (v30).
- Pekah's legacy: a footnote in history, yet woven into God's prophetic plan through Isaiah.
Illustration hooks
- A row of dominoes, each one falling slightly faster than the last. Israel's kings from Jeroboam onward each committed the same sins; the collapse took centuries, but each king tilted the nation farther.
- A captain who assumes the wheel of a sinking ship. Pekah seized power by violence, but the ship was already taking on water; his ambitions could not stop the leak.
- The first cracks in a dam, a few north-country towns lost, then more, until the whole structure gives way. This text records those first cracks.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why did God allow the deportation of the northern tribes? Did He abandon them?
- How does a story about a violent king in 730 BC relate to my life today?
- What hope is there in a passage that only records judgment?
Leading a Discussion
This passage records a dark moment in Israel's history: the beginning of the Assyrian deportation. But it also sits just before the great prophecies of Isaiah, who spoke of hope for Galilee and a coming child. In your group, let the hard facts of judgment drive you toward the hope that God never abandons His people, even when they face exile.
Discussion questions
- Observation: What pattern do you see repeated in the descriptions of Israel's kings in 2 Kings 15?
- Observation: Look at the list of captured towns in verse 29. What regions are affected? How does that connect to later biblical history?
- Interpretation: Why do you think the writer includes the deportation as part of Pekah's story, rather than simply saying he was evil and was killed?
- Interpretation: How does the mention of Tiglath-Pileser and this deportation prepare us for Isaiah's prophecies (especially chapters 7, 9)?
- Interpretation: What does Hoshea's conspiracy (v30) suggest about the political climate in Israel? How does the biblical writer evaluate it?
- Application: The "sins of Jeroboam" were the golden calves, a religious compromise designed for political gain. What "sins of Jeroboam" might we be tempted to continue in our own faith communities?
- Application: How can this passage help us trust God's sovereignty when national events seem chaotic? Where do you see hope even in this story?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 15:2 | He was sixteen years old when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jecoliah of Jerusalem. |
| II Kings 15:8 | In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. |
| II Kings 15:13 | Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned for a month in Samaria. |
| II Kings 15:23 | In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria for two years. |
| II Kings 15:25 | Pekah the son of Remaliah, his captain, conspired against him and attacked him in Samaria, in the fortress of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh; and with him were fifty men of the Gileadites. He killed him, and reigned in his place. |
| II Kings 15:37 | In those days, Yahweh began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah. |
| II Chronicles 28:6 | For Pekah the son of Remaliah killed in Judah one hundred twenty thousand in one day, all of them valiant men, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers. |
| Isaiah 7:1 | In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah, 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. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke sorts through the historical identity of Tiglath-pileser, connecting him to the conspiracy against Sardanapalus, and notes that Pul and this king carried off the Transjordan tribes, never to return. He also wrestles with the conflicting dates for Hoshea's seizure of power, acknowledging the chronological difficulties scholars face.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes identifies Tiglath-Pileser as the first Assyrian king in Scripture that can be confirmed from the monuments, citing his reign from 745 to 727 BC. He explains the king's Assyrian name as "adoration," "son," and an uncertain word, and notes chronological confusion in the biblical accounts.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that Pekah is often called simply 'son of Remaliah,' implying that Remaliah was a well-known figure. It also details the northern cities conquered by Tiglath-pileser and observes a chronological discrepancy between Jotham's sixteen-year reign and the twentieth-year reference for Pekah's death.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that Pekah's twenty-year reign was unusually long for a usurper and murderer, and that his evil included idolatry with the golden calves. He also notes that Tiglath-pileser's invasion led to the first captivity of Israel, carrying away half the tribes, and that Hoshea's conspiracy against Pekah was an act of measure-for-measure justice.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB notes that Tiglath-pileser was likely an usurper because he never gives his own genealogy. He then clarifies the dating of Hoshea's reign: the "twentieth year of Jotham" means from the start of Jotham's reign, not its length, since Jotham ruled only sixteen years. Hoshea began reigning about nine or ten years after conspiring against Pekah.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch focus on the puzzle of Pekah's death being dated to the twentieth year of Jotham, who reigned only sixteen years. They argue this is not a textual error but arises because the narrative has not yet introduced Jotham's successor Ahaz. They reject proposed emendations as unnecessary.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange emphasizes that the author of Kings evaluates these kings not by political success but by their loyalty to the covenant with Jehovah. The chapter races through the crumbling northern kingdom, recording only what reveals each ruler's stance toward that fundamental law, because that alone determines the nation's fate.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Matthew Henry stresses that God's promise to Jehu was kept exactly as spoken: his dynasty lasted four generations, no more. The rapid succession of short-lived, violent kings that follows shows both the precision of divine judgment and how quickly a kingdom unravels once God's restraint lifts.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies a biblical chronology by explaining that the phrase "twentieth year" refers to the reign of Jotham, not the current king. He equates this with the fourth year of Ahaz, Jotham's son, resolving an apparent dating discrepancy.