_AZARIAH REIGNS IN JUDAH FIFTY-TWO YEARS, AND IS SUCCEEDED BY HIS SON JOTHAM. ZECHARIAH REIGNS OVER ISRAEL SIX MONTHS, AND IS SUCCEEDED BY SHALLUM; WHO IS SUCCEEDED BY MENAHEM. TIGLATH-PILESER CARRIES CAPTIVES INTO ASSYRIA._ _Before Christ 772._... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE TWENTY AND SEVENTH YEAR— _In the fourteenth year,_ according to Houbigant. Dr. Lightfoot is of opinion, that the difficulties in the chronology of this place may be settled, by supposing that there was an interregnum, wherein the throne was vacant eleven or twelve years between the death of A... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SMOTE THE KING— See on 2 Chronicles 26:19. _In a several house,_ is rendered by Houbigant, _a separate_ or _remote house._ REFLECTIONS.—Azariah began young to reign, and sat very long upon the throne of Judah; and, like his immediate ancestors, his first days were his best. The common... [ Continue Reading ]
THY SONS SHALL SIT ON THE THRONE OF ISRAEL UNTO THE FOURTH GENERATION— God had promised Jehu, that for executing his will upon the house of Ahab, he would continue the crown of Israel in his family for four generations; and accordingly Jehoahaz, Joash, Jehoram, and Zechariah succeed him; but because... [ Continue Reading ]
MENAHEM—WENT UP FROM TIRZAH— _Tirzah_ was a long time the regal city of the kingdom of Israel; Jeroboam, who was the first king of Israel, though he dwelt for some time at Shechem, in his latter days at least resided here; as did all the kings of Israel, till Omri, having reigned six years in _Tirza... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PUL, THE KING OF ASSYRIA— This is the first time we find any mention made of the kingdom of Assyria since the days of Nimrod, who erected a small principality there; see note on Genesis 10:11.; and _Pul_ or _Phul_ is the first monarch of that nation who invaded Israel, and began their transporta... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PEKAHIAH HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS STEAD— This shews that Menahem was a man of great weight, since, notwithstanding all his violence and cruelty, he left the kingdom in his own family, which his two predecessors could not do. It is manifest however, that there was a small interregnum of about a yea... [ Continue Reading ]
TIGLATH-PILESER, KING OF ASSYRIA, &C.— He is supposed by some to have been the son and successor of _Sardanapalus,_ who restored the kingdom of Assyria and possessed it, after it had been dismembered by Belesis and Arbaces: but our learned Prideaux makes him to be the same with Arbaces; by AElian ca... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HOSEA, THE SON OF ELAH— After Hoshea had murdered his predecessor Pekah, the elders of the land seem to have taken the government into their own hands; for he had not the possession of the kingdom till the latter end of the twelfth year of Ahaz; i.e. nine years after he had committed the fact. H... [ Continue Reading ]