2 Kings 15:20

_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._ No JFB commentary on these verses....

8-31 This history shows Israel in confusion. Though Judah was not without troubles, yet that kingdom was happy, compared with the state of Israel. The imperfections of true believers are very different from the allowed wickedness of ungodly men. Such is human nature, such are our hearts, if left to themselves, deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. We have reason to be thankful for restraints, for being kept out of temptation, and should beg of God to renew a right spirit within us....

Verse 2 Kings 15:20. _EACH MAN FIFTY SHEKELS OF SILVER_] Upwards of _five_ _pounds_ sterling a man....

MENAHEM EXACTED THE MONEY - The kings of Israel had no such ready resource in difficulties as that possessed by the kings of Judah in the temple treasury 2 Kings 12:18; 2 Kings 16:8. Hence, the forced contribution from the people, the odium of which was diminished by confining the levy to the comparatively rich. EACH MAN FIFTY SHEKELS - As the silver talent contained 3,000 shekels, the levy of fifty shekels a head must have extended to 60,000 persons....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 15:1 REIGNS OF AZARIAH AND JOTHAM OVER JUDAH; AND OF ZACHARIAH, SHALLUM, MENAHEM, PEKAHIAH, AND PEKAH OVER ISRAEL. 2 KINGS 15:1 THE REIGN OF AZARIAH OVER JUDAS. The writer now more and more compresses his narrative. Into a single chapter he crowds the events of seven reigns, covering the space of nearly seventy years. He is consequent

AND MENAHEM EXACTED THE MONEY OF ISRAEL, EVEN OF ALL THE MIGHTY MEN OF WEALTH,.... Who were most able to pay it, by which means he eased the poor, and might thereby attach them to him: OF EACH MAN FIFTY SHEKELS OF SILVER, TO GIVE TO THE KING OF ASSYRIA: that is, he required them to pay fifty shekels apiece to make up the above sum as a present to Pul; though the words in the original text lie more naturally thus, "to give to the king of Assyria fifty shekels of silver for one man"; that is, for every man in his army; which amounted to about six pounds a man: SO THE KING OF ASSYRIA TURNED BACK; to his own country: AND STAYED NOT THERE IN THE LAND; in the land of Israel, neither to distress nor to help Menahem, for which he gave him the money....

CHAPTER 15 _ 1. Reign and death of Azariah (Uzziah) (2 Kings 15:1; 2 Chronicles 26)._ 2. Reign and death of Zachariah (2 Kings 15:8) 3. Reign and death of Shallum (2 Kings 15:13) 4. Menahem, King of Israel (2 Kings 15:16) 5. Pul of Assyria and Menahem (2 Kings 15:19; 1 Chronicles 5:26) 6. Death of Menahem ...

LAST KINGS OF ISRAEL. Zechariah, the son of Jeroboam, reigned but six months (2 Kings 15:8), and was killed by Shallum, probably, as LXX (L) reads, in Ibleam, instead of the Heb., which is doubtfully rendered before the people (2 Kings 15:10). After a month 2 Kings 15:8 reign Shallum was killed by Menahem (2 Kings 15:14). 2 KINGS 15:19. PUL, THE KING OF ASSYRIA, has been identified with Tiglath-pileser III (58f., 70f.), who ravaged Northern Israel (2

EXACTED. Judah usually bought off foreign invaders (2 Kings 12:18; 2 Kings 16:8; 2 Kings 18:15). THERE. then. Hebrew. _sham._ Compare Judges 5:11.Psalms 14:5....

_Menahem exacted the money_ Fifty shekels=one maneh, was the sixtieth part of a talent of silver. Hence the mighty men of wealth must have numbered 60,000, a number which tells of the richness of the time. The population of Israel in David's time had 800,000 soldiers (2 Samuel 24:9). _stayed not there_ He had evidently made his approach to the very border, and perhaps over it....