2 Kings 15 30

2 Kings 15:30 kjv

And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

2 Kings 15:30 nkjv

Then Hoshea the son of Elah led a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and struck and killed him; so he reigned in his place in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

2 Kings 15:30 niv

Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah son of Remaliah. He attacked and assassinated him, and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

2 Kings 15:30 esv

Then Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah and struck him down and put him to death and reigned in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.

2 Kings 15:30 nlt

Then Hoshea son of Elah conspired against Pekah and assassinated him. He began to rule over Israel in the twentieth year of Jotham son of Uzziah.

2 Kings 15 verses

2 Kings 15 30 Meaning

This verse records a pivotal event in the history of the Northern Kingdom of Israel: the assassination of King Pekah by Hoshea, son of Elah. This act of regicide, achieved through conspiracy, marks the end of Pekah's twenty-year reign and establishes Hoshea as the new and ultimately last king of Israel. The timing of this event is precisely dated as "in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah," providing a crucial synchronism with the reign of a king of Judah, underscoring the interconnected yet often tumultuous histories of the divided monarchies.

2 Kings 15 30 Context

2 Kings 15 is a record of profound political instability and spiritual decline in both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and, to a lesser extent, the Southern Kingdom of Judah. It meticulously chronicles the reigns of six kings in Israel—Zechariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea—over a relatively short period, highlighting the constant cycle of regicide and usurpation that plagued the Northern Kingdom. Each change of power is initiated by violence and conspiracy, serving as a stark manifestation of God's judgment against their pervasive idolatry and disobedience to the Mosaic covenant.

Pekah himself had seized power by assassinating his predecessor, Pekahiah (2 Ki 15:25). His twenty-year reign was marked by conflict, particularly his alliance with Rezin of Aram against Judah, and significant pressure from the Assyrian Empire. Indeed, 2 Kings 15:29 reports that during Pekah's reign, the Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III invaded and deported many Israelites. The assassination by Hoshea, therefore, occurs within a period of severe national crisis and impending doom for Israel, further demonstrating the kingdom's internal decay amidst external threats. The chronographic synchronization with Jotham's reign in Judah firmly places this tumultuous event within the broader timeline of salvation history, showing God's overarching providence even amidst human chaos.

2 Kings 15 30 Word analysis

• And Hoshea (וְהוֹשֵׁעַ – wəHôšēaʿ): "Hoshea" (הוֹשֵׁעַ), meaning "salvation" or "he saves," is ironically the name of the last king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, whose reign culminated in the kingdom's final destruction and exile. His very name underscores the human desire for deliverance that, without God, leads to ruin.
• the son of Elah: A standard patriarchal identification, serving to distinguish him from other individuals named Hoshea in biblical history. Elah's identity beyond this mention is not detailed in Scripture.
• made a conspiracy (קָשַׁר – qāšaṭ): This Hebrew verb denotes "to bind," "to conspire," or "to rebel." It is consistently used in the books of Kings to describe a violent overthrow or plot against the reigning king (e.g., 1 Ki 15:27; 16:20; 2 Ki 12:21; 15:10, 15, 25). Its repeated use highlights the chronic political instability and lack of legitimate succession in the Northern Kingdom, a consequence of its persistent rebellion against God's established order.
• against Pekah: Pekah (פֶּקַח – Peqaḥ), meaning "he opens" or "one whose eyes are open." He was also a usurper, having assassinated Pekahiah (2 Ki 15:25). The cycle of violence begets more violence, illustrating the destructive path of a kingdom divorced from God's covenantal requirements.
• and struck him and killed him: The repetition of verbs – "struck" (וַיַּכֵּהוּ – wayyakēhū, "to strike down, defeat, kill") and "killed" (וַיְמִיתֵהוּ – waymîtēhū, "to cause to die") – emphasizes the definitive and brutal act of regicide. This is not just a defeat, but an execution. It points to the decisive termination of Pekah's reign and life.
• and reigned in his place: This phrase (וַיִּמְלֹךְ תַּחְתָּיו – wayyimloḵ taḥtāw) is the ultimate outcome and goal of the conspiracy – the successful seizure of power. It signifies the immediate transfer of authority from the assassinated king to the conspirator, maintaining the continuity of the royal line, albeit a violently changing one.
• in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah: This chronological marker provides synchronism with the reign of Jotham, king of Judah. It demonstrates the meticulous nature of the biblical record in aligning the histories of both kingdoms, even as Israel collapses. Jotham’s reign in Judah (2 Ki 15:32-38) serves as a stable temporal reference point for the Northern Kingdom’s instability, contrasting the more consistently structured Davidic monarchy with the chaotic succession of Israel. This synchronism implies that Pekah’s actual effective reign might have been shorter than the 20 years mentioned in 2 Kings 15:27, likely accounting for co-regencies or a period of interregnum, or inclusive reckoning where parts of years are counted as full years, a common practice in ancient Near Eastern chronologies. The divine authors provide this detail to connect events to God's larger providential timeline.

2 Kings 15 30 Bonus section

The chronic pattern of regicide in the Northern Kingdom of Israel stands in stark contrast to the more stable Davidic dynasty in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, which, despite its flaws, was established by God's eternal covenant (2 Sam 7:16). The violence described in 2 Kings 15, specifically concerning Hoshea's ascension, paints a vivid picture of the kingdom "reaping what it sowed"—living by the sword and ultimately perishing by it (Mt 26:52). This period marks the final downward spiral of Israel, directly preceding the final Assyrian invasion and exile documented in 2 Kings 17, underscoring the irreversible consequences of forsaking God's covenant.

2 Kings 15 30 Commentary

2 Kings 15:30 encapsulates the dire state of the Northern Kingdom of Israel in its final century. This act of regicide by Hoshea, ending Pekah’s reign, is not an isolated incident but rather the latest in a rapid succession of violent coups that defined Israel's internal politics after the reign of Jehu. Such instability, marked by ambition, betrayal, and bloodshed, was a direct consequence and clear sign of the nation's profound spiritual rebellion and rejection of Yahweh. The kings, set up "not by Me" (Hos 8:4), ruled in a continuous cycle of sin and judgment. Hoshea's violent seizure of power was just another ripple in a cascade that ultimately led to the complete destruction and deportation of the Northern Kingdom by Assyria a few years later under Hoshea's own reign, serving as a sobering fulfillment of God's covenant warnings (Lev 26; Deut 28). This historical account demonstrates God's sovereignty over the rise and fall of nations, using even wicked acts to accomplish His divine purposes of judgment and preparing the way for future salvation through the remnant.