2 Kings 15 · Verse 19

2 Kings 15:19

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.
2 Kings 15:19, King James Version

2 Kings 15:19 in other translations

BSBThen Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver in order to gain his support and strengthen his own grip on the kingdom.
WEBPul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
ASVThere came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
YLTPul king of Asshur hath come against the land, and Menahem giveth to Pul a thousand talents of silver, for his hand being with him to strengthen the kingdom in his hand.
DARBYPul 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 establish the kingdom in his hand.
BBEIn his day, Pul, the king of Assyria, came up against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that he might let him keep the kingdom.
WebsterAnd 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.

What does 2 Kings 15:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
19. Pul the king of Assyria--This is the first Assyrian king after Nimrod who is mentioned in biblical history. His name has been recently identified with that of Phalluka on the monuments of Nineveh, and that of Menahem discovered also. came against the land--Elsewhere it is said "Ephraim [Israel] went to the Assyrian" [Ho 5:13]. The two statements may be reconciled thus: "Pul, of his own motion, induced, perhaps, by the expedition of Menahem against Thapsacus, advanced against the kingdom of Israel; then Menahem sent him a thousand talents in order not only to divert him from his plans of conquest, but at the same time to purchase his friendship and aid for the establishment of his own precarious sovereignty. So Menahem did not properly invite the Assyrian into the land, but only changed the enemy when marching against the country, by this tribute, into a confederate for the security of his usurped dominion. This the prophet Hosea, less concerned about the historical fact than the disposition betrayed therein, might very well censure as a going of Ephraim to the Assyrians (Ho 5:13; 7:1; 8:9), and a covenant-making with Asshur" (2Ki 12:1) [Keil]. a thousand talents of silver--Equal to £262,200. This tribute, which Menahem raised by a tax on the grandees of Israel, bribed Pul to return to his own country (see on 1Ch 5:26). 2Ki 15:22-24. Pekahiah's Reign.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 Pul, the king of Assyria - This is the first time we hear of Assyria since the days of Nimrod, its founder, Gen 10:11. Dean Prideaux supposes that this Pul was father of the famous Sardanapalus, the son himself being called Sardan; to which, as was frequent in those times, the father's name, Pul, was added, making Sardanpul of which the Greeks and Latins made Sardanapalus; and this Pul is supposed to be the same that reigned in Nineveh when Jonah preached the terrors of the Lord to that city. That his hand - That is, his power and influence, might be with him: in this sense is the word hand frequently used in Scripture.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 15:8-31

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…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 15:8-31 →

2 Kings 15:19 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בָּ֣אba'he cameH935
פ֤וּלfulPulH6322
מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428
אַשּׁוּר֙'a.ShurAssyriaH804
עַל\־'al-onH5921
הָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
וַיִּתֵּ֤ןvai.yi.Tenand he gaveH5414
מְנַחֵם֙me.na.ChemMenahemH4505
לְפ֔וּלle.Fulto PulH6322
אֶ֖לֶף'E.lefa thousandH505
כִּכַּר\־ki.kar-talent[s] ofH3603
כָּ֑סֶףKa.sefsilverH3701
לִהְי֤וֹתlih.Yotto beH1961
יָדָיו֙ya.Davhands hisH3027
אִתּ֔וֹ'i.Towith himH854
לְהַחֲזִ֥יקle.ha.cha.Zikto strengthenH2388
הַמַּמְלָכָ֖הha.mam.la.Khahthe kingdomH4467
בְּיָדֽוֹ\׃be.ya.Doin hand hisH3027

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 15:19

  • 2 Kings 14:5

    And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father.

  • 2 Kings 18:16

    At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of the Lord, and from the pillars which Hezekiah king of Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

  • 1 Chronicles 5:25-26

    And they transgressed against the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the land, whom God destroyed before them. And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the spirit of Tilgath–pilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.

  • 2 Kings 17:3-4

    Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents. And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

  • Jeremiah 17:5

    Thus saith the Lord; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

  • 2 Kings 12:18

    And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.

  • 2 Kings 16:8

    And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria.

  • Hosea 8:9-10

    For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers. Yea, though they have hired among the nations, now will I gather them, and they shall sorrow a little for the burden of the king of princes.

  • Hosea 10:6

    It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel.

  • Isaiah 9:1

    Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.

  • Hosea 5:13

    When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then went Ephraim to the Assyrian, and sent to king Jareb: yet could he not heal you, nor cure you of your wound.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
A.M. 3233. B.C. 771. Pul.Prideaux supposes that this Pul was the father of the famous Sardanapalus, who was called Sardan with his father's name Pul annexed, as was frequent in those times, making Sardanpul: thus Merodach, king of Babylon, was Merodach-Baladan, because he was the son Baladan. This Pul began to reign according to Usher, A.M. 3237, the fifth year of Menahem; and he is supposed to be the same that reigned in Nineveh, when Jonah preached in that city.
1Ch 5:25,26; Isa 9:1
Menahem.
12:18; 16:8; 17:3,4; 18:16; Ho 5:13; 8:9,10; 10:6
to confirm.
14:5; Jer 17:5

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 15:18

    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.

  • 2 Kings 15:19

    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.

  • 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.

Read all of 2 Kings 15

2 Kings 15:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y vino Phul rey de Asiria á la tierra; y dió Manahem á Phul mil talentos de plata porque le ayudara á confirmarse en el reino.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Pul, roi d’Assyrie, vint contre le pays; et Menahem donna à Pul 1 000 talents d’argent, pour que sa main soit avec lui pour affermir le royaume dans sa main.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Pul, der König von Assyrien, kam wider das Land; und Menachem gab Pul tausend Talente Silber, damit seine Hand mit ihm wäre, um das Königtum in seiner Hand zu befestigen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Veniebat Phul rex Assyriorum in terram, et dabat Manahem Phul mille talenta argenti, ut esset ei in auxilium, et firmaret regnum ejus.