2 Kings 15:19

Menahem Tilgath-pilneser Assyria

¹⁷ In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.

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.

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.

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.

²¹ And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: Then 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.
KJV: 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.
WEB: Pul 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.
ASV: There 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.
DARBY: 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 establish the kingdom in his hand.
BLB: Pul king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his control.

ÅB: Kongen i Assyria Ful falt inn i landet; da gav Menahem Ful tusen talenter sølv for at han skulle holde med ham og trygge kongedømmet i hans hånd.
OTB: Pul, Assyrias konge, kom mot landet, og Menahem ga Pul tusen talenter sølv, slik at hans støtte ville være med ham for å sikre riket under hans styre.
B1930: Kongen i Assyria Ful falt inn i landet; da gav Menahem Ful tusen talenter sølv forat han skulde holde med ham og trygge kongedømmet i hans hånd.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

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.
Read in context
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.
Read in context
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.
Read in context
2 Kings 17:3–4
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
Read in context
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.
Read in context
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.
Read in context
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.
Read in context
Hosea 8:9–10
For they are gone up to Assyria, a wild ass alone by himself: Ephraim hath hired lovers.
Read in context