2 Kings 15:1 kjv
In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2 Kings 15:1 nkjv
In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, became king.
2 Kings 15:1 niv
In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign.
2 Kings 15:1 esv
In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah, king of Judah, began to reign.
2 Kings 15:1 nlt
Uzziah son of Amaziah began to rule over Judah in the twenty-seventh year of the reign of King Jeroboam II of Israel.
2 Kings 15 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 14:23 | In the fifteenth year of Amaziah ... Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign... | Jeroboam II's accession |
| 2 Ki 14:27-29 | ...by the hand of Jeroboam, son of Joash... Jeroboam slept with his fathers... | Jeroboam II's saving work and death |
| 2 Ki 15:2 | He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. | Azariah's age and length of reign |
| 2 Ki 15:3 | And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. | Azariah's generally righteous reign |
| 2 Ki 15:5 | And the Lord struck the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death... | Azariah's leprosy as divine judgment |
| 2 Chron 26:1 | And all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king... | Parallel account of Uzziah's accession |
| 2 Chron 26:3 | Uzziah was sixteen years old when he became king... and he reigned fifty-two years... | Uzziah's age and length of reign (parallel) |
| 2 Chron 26:4 | And he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done. | Uzziah's generally righteous reign (parallel) |
| 2 Chron 26:5 | He sought God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God... | Uzziah's initial seeking of God |
| 2 Chron 26:16-21 | But when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction... Therefore the Lord struck him with leprosy... | Uzziah's pride and subsequent leprosy |
| Isa 6:1 | In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne... | Isaiah's call dated by Uzziah's death |
| Hos 1:1 | The word of the Lord that came to Hosea, son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham... kings of Judah... | Prophecy contemporary with Uzziah's reign |
| Amos 1:1 | The words of Amos... in the days of Uzziah king of Judah and in the days of Jeroboam son of Joash... | Prophecy contemporary with Uzziah/Jeroboam II |
| Zech 14:5 | ...and you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah... | Earthquake linked to Uzziah's reign |
| Matt 1:8 | ...and Asa the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah... | Uzziah in Jesus' genealogy |
| 1 Chr 3:12 | ...Joash his son, Amaziah his son, Azariah his son... | Azariah in Chronicler's genealogy |
| Deut 17:14-20 | When you come to the land that the Lord your God is giving you and possess it... you shall set a king over you... | Laws concerning Israelite kingship |
| 1 Sam 8:7 | They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me from being king over them. | The concept of human kingship and divine sovereignty |
| Psa 75:6-7 | For not from the east or from the west... comes promotion, but it is God who executes judgment... | God's sovereignty over the appointment of kings |
| Rom 13:1 | Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God... | Divine establishment of governing authority |
2 Kings 15 verses
2 Kings 15 1 Meaning
This verse serves as a crucial chronological marker, establishing the beginning of King Azariah's reign in Judah by synchronizing it with the 27th regnal year of Jeroboam II, king of Israel. It marks the commencement of a long and significant period of Judahite kingship, linking the histories of the divided kingdoms.
2 Kings 15 1 Context
2 Kings 15:1 initiates a rapid sequence of events in both Israel and Judah, immediately following the relatively stable, though unfaithful, long reign of Jeroboam II in Israel and Amaziah in Judah. The verse signals the beginning of Azariah (Uzziah)'s rule, a period of prosperity and expansion for Judah that tragically concluded with his pride and subsequent leprosy. Historically, this era (mid-8th century BCE) saw the waning power of Damascus, the rise of Assyrian dominance, and the beginning of the prophetic ministries of Hosea, Amos, and Isaiah in anticipation of judgment. The books of Kings, compiled from older court records and prophetic narratives, aim to recount the history of the divided monarchy from a theological perspective, evaluating each king against the Deuteronomic covenant, particularly regarding their loyalty to Yahweh and the Temple. The synchronistic dating—tying the Judean king's accession to an Israelite king's reign—is a hallmark of the Kings account, emphasizing the intertwined, yet distinct, histories of the two kingdoms.
2 Kings 15 1 Word analysis
- In the twenty-seventh year: The Hebrew reads "בִּשְׁנַת עֶשְׂרִים וְשֶׁבַע" (bišnat ‘eśrīm wəšeḇa‘), meaning "in the year twenty and seven." This precise chronological marker is typical of the Books of Kings, highlighting the historical grounding of the narrative and aiding in the complex synchronistic dating between the northern and southern kingdoms. It establishes the concurrent reign with a specific milestone in Jeroboam II's long tenure.
- of Jeroboam king of Israel: "יָרָבְעָם מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל" (Yārāḇə‘ām meleḵ Yiśrā’ēl). This refers to Jeroboam II, son of Joash (Jehoash). He reigned for 41 years (2 Ki 14:23) and was one of Israel's most powerful kings, restoring lost territories as prophesied by Jonah (2 Ki 14:25). Despite this political success, the narrative in Kings consistently judges his reign negatively due to his continuation of the sin of Jeroboam I—worship at Beth-el and Dan (2 Ki 14:24), which deviated from exclusive worship of Yahweh in Jerusalem. His mention here underscores the cross-kingdom dating system.
- Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah: "עֲזַרְיָה בֶן־אֲמַצְיָה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה" (‘Ǎzaryāh ben-’Ămaṣyāh meleḵ Yəhūdāh).
- Azariah: This king is more widely known by the name Uzziah (עֻזִּיָּהוּ, ‘Uzzîyāhū) in other biblical texts, particularly 2 Chronicles 26 and the prophetic books (e.g., Isa 6:1, Hos 1:1, Amos 1:1, Zech 14:5). Both names, Azariah ("Yahweh has helped") and Uzziah ("My strength is Yahweh"), convey a strong theological meaning of divine assistance or strength. The reason for the dual naming convention is debated among scholars but possibly relates to different sources used by the biblical authors, or perhaps one was a birth name and the other a throne name or popular designation.
- son of Amaziah: Amaziah (אֲמַצְיָה, ’Ămaṣyāh, "Yahweh strengthens") was king of Judah before Azariah (2 Ki 14:1-20). He generally did right in the sight of the Lord, but "not like David his father" (2 Ki 14:3). He eventually stumbled, turning to idol worship (2 Chr 25:14) and suffering a humiliating defeat by Israel (2 Ki 14:11-14) before being assassinated (2 Ki 14:19-20). Azariah's reign represents a new chapter after this mixed legacy.
- king of Judah: This specifies the kingdom of Judah, the southern kingdom, comprising the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, which maintained the Davidic line and the Jerusalem temple.
- began to reign: "מָלָךְ" (mālaḵ), the Hebrew verb for "to rule" or "to become king." This standard phrase signifies the official commencement of a monarch's rule, marking a new dynastic period or continuation of the royal line.
2 Kings 15 1 Bonus section
- Synchronistic Dating Challenges: The precise synchronistic dates in Kings, such as this verse, occasionally present complex chronological puzzles for scholars when correlated with external historical records or even internal inconsistencies across regnal accounts. However, solutions often involve understanding co-regencies, accession-year reckoning, or non-accession year reckoning systems. This verse, therefore, represents a precise and deliberate historical notation from the biblical author's perspective.
- Uzziah's Prominence: Although this verse uses Azariah, the king's identification as Uzziah in other books is highly significant. Isaiah 6:1 famously dates the prophet Isaiah's call "in the year that King Uzziah died." This makes Uzziah's reign a pivotal period in Judahite history, not only for its political and economic prosperity but also for its profound spiritual and prophetic developments, which include the ministries of several major prophets (Isaiah, Hosea, Amos) addressing both Judah and Israel.
- Significance of a Long Reign: A 52-year reign was exceptionally long, suggesting a period of considerable stability and strength for Judah. However, as subsequent verses and 2 Chronicles illustrate, even such a successful reign could culminate in tragedy and divine judgment, emphasizing that a king's legacy was ultimately judged not by their achievements but by their faithfulness to God.
2 Kings 15 1 Commentary
2 Kings 15:1 sets the stage for the reign of one of Judah's most successful and longest-ruling kings, Azariah (Uzziah). Its primary function is chronological, providing a precise anchor for dating within the dual monarchies. By tying Azariah's ascension to Jeroboam II's 27th year, it underscores the Deuteronomistic historian's meticulous record-keeping and highlights the continued political interactions and chronological parallels between the kingdoms. This brief verse, however, only hints at the extensive details of Azariah's 52-year reign, much of which is further elaborated in 2 Chronicles 26, detailing his early righteousness, military and building achievements, but also his eventual pride and leprosy as divine judgment. It foreshadows the complexities and ultimate divine assessments that would define the era leading up to the Assyrian crisis.