2 Kings 15:13 kjv
Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
2 Kings 15:13 nkjv
Shallum the son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
2 Kings 15:13 niv
Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month.
2 Kings 15:13 esv
Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned one month in Samaria.
2 Kings 15:13 nlt
Shallum son of Jabesh began to rule over Israel in the thirty-ninth year of King Uzziah's reign in Judah. Shallum reigned in Samaria only one month.
2 Kings 15 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 15:8 | In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah, Zechariah the son of Jeroboam reigned over Israel in Samaria six months. | Zechariah, Shallum's predecessor and the last of Jehu's dynasty. |
| 2 Ki 15:10 | Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him and struck him down publicly and put him to death, and reigned in his place. | Details Shallum's violent usurpation of the throne. |
| 2 Ki 15:14 | Menahem the son of Gadi came up from Tirzah and came to Samaria and struck down Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and put him to death and reigned in his place. | Shallum's immediate overthrow by Menahem, completing the cycle of violence. |
| 1 Ki 16:15 | In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah, Zimri reigned seven days in Tirzah. | Parallel to Zimri's extremely short and violent reign in Israel. |
| 1 Ki 16:18-20 | When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he went into the citadel...and burned the king's house over him with fire and died. | Further detail on Zimri's short, destructive end. |
| Hos 8:4 | They made kings, but not by Me; They made princes, but I did not acknowledge them. | Prophetic commentary on Israel's self-appointed, illegitimate kings. |
| Hos 13:10-11 | Where now is your king, that he may save you...? I gave you a king in My anger and took him away in My wrath. | God's perspective on the fleeting and condemned Israelite kingship. |
| Pro 28:2 | When the land transgresses, it has many rulers, but with a man of understanding and knowledge, stability will long continue. | Proverbial truth exemplified by Israel's instability and many short reigns. |
| 2 Sam 7:16 | Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever. | Contrast to the Davidic covenant and Judah's more stable dynasty. |
| Ps 89:3-4 | I have made a covenant with My chosen one; I have sworn to David My servant, ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’ | Reiteration of the eternal nature of the Davidic dynasty, contrasting with Israel. |
| Jer 33:17 | For thus says the Lord, ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel.’ | Assurance of an enduring king from David's line, distinct from Israel's ephemeral rulers. |
| 2 Ki 15:1 | In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah the son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign. | Chronological marker; establishes the beginning of Uzziah's reign for synchronism. |
| 2 Ki 15:5 | The Lord afflicted the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death; and he lived in a separate house. And Jotham the king’s son was over the household... | Context for Uzziah's reign, indicating its long duration despite challenges. |
| 2 Ki 15:25 | Pekah the son of Remaliah, his officer, conspired against him; and he struck him down in Samaria...and reigned in his place. | Another violent assassination and usurpation within the same chapter. |
| 2 Ki 15:30 | Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah... and put him to death and reigned in his place. | The final coup in Israel before its fall, demonstrating persistent instability. |
| 1 Ki 14:10-11 | I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam... Him who dies of Jeroboam in the city the dogs will eat... | Prophetic warning of destruction to royal houses in Israel due to their sin. |
| 1 Ki 15:29-30 | And as soon as he was king, he struck down all the household of Jeroboam; he left to Jeroboam not one who breathed, until he had destroyed him... | Fulfillment of prophetic judgment, highlighting the vulnerability of Israelite dynasties. |
| Isa 9:18-21 | For wickedness burns like a fire... No one spares his brother. | Prophetic description of internal strife and judgment on the Northern Kingdom. |
| Amos 7:9 | The high places of Isaac shall be made desolate, and the sanctuaries of Israel shall be laid waste, and I will rise against the house of Jeroboam with a sword. | Prophetic judgment emphasizing divine hand in the destruction of Israel's royal house. |
| Deut 28:15, 25-26 | But it shall come about, if you do not obey... The Lord will cause you to be defeated before your enemies... | General covenant curses explaining the political and social chaos due to disobedience. |
| Eze 21:27 | ‘A ruin, ruin, ruin! I will make it. It shall not be, until He comes whose right it is; and I will give it to Him.’ | The ultimate meaning of disrupted earthly kingdoms, awaiting the true divine King. |
2 Kings 15 verses
2 Kings 15 13 Meaning
2 Kings 15:13 records the brief and violent commencement of Shallum's reign as king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. It states that Shallum, identified as "the son of Jabesh," usurped the throne in Samaria in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah, who was king of Judah, and that his rule lasted for only a full month. This verse marks the beginning of a period of extreme political instability and rapid, violent successions in Israel.
2 Kings 15 13 Context
This verse is part of 2 Kings Chapter 15, which predominantly recounts the tumultuous history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel during a period of rapid decline and instability, interspersed with the concurrent reigns of Judahite kings. Specifically, Shallum's brief reign occurs after the dynasty of Jehu concludes with the assassination of Zechariah (2 Ki 15:10-12). Shallum's violent seizure of power initiates an era of intense anarchy in Israel, marked by numerous coups, assassinations, and extremely short reigns among its kings. This contrasts with the generally more stable (though not perfect) dynastic succession in Judah under the long-reigning Uzziah. Historically, this period reflects the political consequences of Israel's persistent apostasy and disobedience to God, demonstrating a profound spiritual and moral decay that contributed to its eventual conquest by Assyria. The chronicling of events in both kingdoms simultaneously, by synchronizing their reigns, helps provide a coherent historical timeline for the divided monarchy.
2 Kings 15 13 Word analysis
- And (וְ - ve): A conjunctive particle, linking this new event (Shallum's reign) to the preceding narrative of Israel's kings, especially the end of Jehu's dynastic promise.
- Shallum (שׁלּוּם - Shallum): A Hebrew name meaning "recompense," "requital," or "peace." This meaning stands in stark ironic contrast to his violent rise to power through assassination (2 Ki 15:10) and his equally violent demise.
- the son of Jabesh (בֶּן־יָבֵשׁ - ben-Yavesh): This identifies Shallum's lineage or paternal connection, likely a family not part of the established royal or political elite, emphasizing his status as an outsider who seized the throne rather than inheriting it. It does not definitively connect him to the town of Jabesh-Gilead.
- began to reign (מָלַךְ - malakh): Denotes the assumption of kingship. For Shallum, this signifies not a peaceful or legitimate succession, but a forceful and illicit usurpation by striking down the previous king, Zechariah.
- in the thirty-ninth year (בִּשְׁנַת שְׁלֹשִׁים וְתֵשַׁע שָׁנָה - bishnat sh'loshim v'tesha shanah): This specific numerical synchronism is characteristic of the Books of Kings, providing a precise chronological marker by relating events in Israel to the co-reigning king in Judah, thereby ensuring historical accuracy within the biblical framework.
- of Uzziah king of Judah (לְעֻזִּיָּה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה - l'Uzziah melekh Yehudah): Uzziah (also known as Azariah) was a long and generally successful king of Judah. His stable, lengthy reign starkly contrasts with the chaos and brevity of reigns in Israel during this exact same period, underscoring Judah's relative stability due to the Davidic covenant.
- and he reigned (וַיִּמְלֹךְ - vayyimloch): A continuation of the previous verb "began to reign," detailing the duration of his time on the throne.
- a full month (יֶרַח יָמִים - yerach yamim - literally "a month of days"): This phrase is emphatic, stressing the extraordinarily short period of Shallum's rule. It highlights the fleeting and utterly transient nature of his power and foreshadows the further instability to come.
- in Samaria (בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן - b'Shomron): The capital city of the Northern Kingdom, established by Omri. Samaria often symbolizes the apostasy and idolatry of Israel, serving as the setting for its political instability and ultimately, its destruction.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign: This phrase immediately establishes a new, non-dynastic individual seizing power, signaling a continuation of violent instability and broken succession in Israel following the end of Jehu's lineage.
- in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah: This chronological anchor connects the tumultuous events in Israel to the concurrent, relatively more stable timeline of the Judahite monarchy under a significant king, enabling readers to place Israel's internal chaos within a broader historical context.
- and he reigned a full month in Samaria: This crucial phrase vividly emphasizes the extreme brevity and utter lack of security in Shallum's kingship, illustrating the profound political and spiritual decline of the Northern Kingdom and its capital, which was mired in apostasy and internecine strife.
2 Kings 15 13 Bonus section
- The detail of "a full month" could suggest that Shallum attempted to establish his rule and possibly faced opposition from the outset, unable to consolidate power for even two months. It vividly contrasts with the typically long reigns expected of monarchs and reflects the inherent fragility of authority gained by illegitimate means.
- Shallum's lack of a more significant, "official" identifying phrase (like "son of Ahab" or "son of Jeroboam") further highlights his status as an obscure figure who abruptly seized power, signifying the increasing descent into anarchy where anyone with enough support or ruthlessness could temporarily become king.
- The succession of kings after Jehu's dynasty concludes (Zechariah) occurs at an alarming rate in 2 Kings 15—Shallum (1 month), Menahem (10 years), Pekahiah (2 years), Pekah (20 years but assassinated), and finally Hoshea. Shallum's extremely short rule is the most immediate illustration of this political entropy.
2 Kings 15 13 Commentary
2 Kings 15:13 succinctly captures the intense political turmoil that gripped the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Shallum's assumption of the throne through regicide (2 Ki 15:10) immediately set the pattern for his brief, illegitimate rule, which lasted a mere "full month." This short duration is not a mere chronological detail but a powerful literary and theological statement, emphasizing the profound instability and God's judgment upon a kingdom that consistently rejected divine guidance and true worship. His violent seizure of power and equally swift demise at the hands of Menahem (2 Ki 15:14) exemplify the prophetic warnings concerning the instability and the judgment facing those who make kings apart from God's appointment (Hos 8:4). The contrast with the lengthy reign of Uzziah in Judah underscores the stability God granted to the Davidic line, despite its imperfections, as compared to the self-inflicted chaos of the Northern Kingdom that persistently pursued idolatry and violence. This verse initiates a rapid sequence of royal assassinations that marked Israel's final decades before its destruction.