II Kings 15:37

In those days the Lord began to send against Judah Rezin, etc. It is evident from the position of this verse at the close of the account of Jotham, that the incursions of the allied Syrians and Israelites into Judah under the command of Rezin and Pekah commenced in the closing years of Jotham, so that these foes appeared before Jerusalem at the very beginning of the reign of Ahaz. - It is true that the Syrians had been subjugated by Jeroboam II (Kg2 14:28); but in the anarchical condition of the Israelitish kingdom after his death, they had no doubt recovered their independence. They must also have been overcome by the Assyrians under Pul, for he could never have marched against Israel without having first of all conquered Syria. But as the power of the Assyrians was greatly weakened for a time by the falling away of the Medes and Babylonians, the Syrians had taken advantage of this weakness to refuse the payment of tribute to Assyria, and had formed an alliance with Pekah of Israel to conquer Judah, and thereby to strengthen their power so as to be able to offer a successful resistance to any attack from the side of the Euphrates. - But as Kg2 16:6. and 2 Kings 17 show, it was otherwise decreed in the counsels of the Lord.

In this chapter, I. The history of two of the kings of Judah is briefly recorded: - 1. Of Azariah, or Uzziah (Kg2 15:1-7). 2. Of Jotham his son (Kg2 15:32-38). II. The history of many of the kings of Israel that reigned at the same time is given us in short, five in succession, all of whom, except one, went down slain to the pit, and their murders were their successors. 1. Zachariah, the last of the house of Jehu, reigned six months, and then was slain and succeeded by Shallum (Kg2 15:8-12). 2. Shallum reigned one month, and then was slain and succeeded by Menahem (Kg2 15:13-15). 3. Menahem reigned ten years, or tyrannised rather, such were his barbarous cruelties (Kg2 15:16) and unreasonable exactions (Kg2 15:20), and then died in his bed, and left his son to succeed him first, and then suffer for him (Kg2 15:16-22). 4. Pekahiah reigned two years, and then was slain and succeeded by Pekah (Kg2 15:23-26). 5. Pekah reigned twenty years, and then was slain and succeeded by Hoshea, the last of all the kings of Israel (Kg2 15:27-31) for things were now working and hastening apace towards the final destruction of that kingdom.

15:37 Rezin . . . Pekah: See 16:5.