2 Kings 15:27-38
Pekah and Jotham
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.
32In the second year of the reign of Pekah son of Remaliah over Israel, Jotham son of Uzziah became king of Judah.
33He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years. His mother’s name was Jerusha daughter of Zadok.
34And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done.
35Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the house of the LORD.
36As for the rest of the acts of Jotham, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
37(In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.)
38And Jotham rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the City of David his father. And his son Ahaz reigned in his place.
Berean Standard Bible
Pekah son of Remaliah becomes king over Israel and reigns twenty years in Samaria. He does evil in the sight of the LORD and continues the sins of Jeroboam. During his reign, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria captures several regions and carries their people away to Assyria.
Hoshea son of Elah conspires against Pekah, strikes him, and kills him. Hoshea then succeeds him. Another assassination changes the throne, but the pattern of the kingdom remains. Political replacement does not automatically mean moral renewal.
In Judah, Jotham becomes king and reigns sixteen years. He does what is right in the sight of the LORD, although the high places remain. He builds the upper gate of the temple and wins a battle against the Ammonites, who pay him tribute for three years.
The chapter sets the two kingdoms beside one another without making either summary complete. Israel loses territory and people under a violent succession, while Judah has a good king whose reforms and victory still do not remove every place of unauthorized worship.
How We Know
The passage belongs to a sustained historical and covenant record. The events in 2 Kings 15:27-38 belong to the royal history also preserved in 2 Chronicles and interpreted by the prophets. Where the account names Assyria, Babylon, kings, cities, or temple practice, those details sit within the wider history of the ancient Near East; the parallel biblical records help us test the sequence while retaining the passage's covenant meaning.
Questions
1 What happens to Israel's territory?
AnswerTiglath-pileser captures several regions and carries their inhabitants away to Assyria as exiles from their homeland.
2 How does Hoshea become king?
AnswerHoshea conspires against Pekah, strikes him, kills him, and then succeeds him as king over Israel.
3 How does the narrator evaluate Jotham?
AnswerJotham does what is right in the LORD's sight while reigning in Jerusalem, though the high places remain.
4 What do the Ammonites pay Jotham?
AnswerThe Ammonites pay Jotham one hundred talents of silver and ten thousand cors each of wheat and barley for three years.
What This Means for Us
Jotham's commendation is real without being exaggerated, and Israel's political changes are dramatic without becoming true reform. The chapter teaches us to resist simple labels.
Describe progress honestly: name what is right, what remains unfinished, and what losses have been hidden under a change of leadership. Truthful evaluation is more useful than a polished reputation.
Prayer
Lord, teach us to evaluate change honestly. Help us honor what is right without pretending it is complete, and give us compassion for people displaced by political decisions they did not make. Amen.