2 Kings 15:37 kjv
In those days the LORD began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
2 Kings 15:37 nkjv
In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.
2 Kings 15:37 niv
(In those days the LORD began to send Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah against Judah.)
2 Kings 15:37 esv
In those days the LORD began to send Rezin the king of Syria and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.
2 Kings 15:37 nlt
In those days the LORD began to send King Rezin of Aram and King Pekah of Israel to attack Judah.
2 Kings 15 37 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 7:1 | In the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham... Rezin the king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah... went up to make war against Jerusalem... | Directly relates to the same historical event and figures. |
| 2 Ki 16:5 | Then Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to wage war... | Continuation of the narrative, detailing the Syro-Ephraimite alliance and their attack. |
| Isa 10:5-6 | "Woe to Assyria, the rod of my anger; the staff in their hands is my fury!... against a godless nation I dispatch him..." | God uses nations as instruments of judgment. |
| Jer 25:9 | "I will send for all the tribes of the north... and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant..." | God designates specific foreign leaders as His instruments. |
| Amos 3:6 | "Does disaster strike a city unless the Lord has done it?" | Affirms God's ultimate control and agency over calamities and historical events. |
| Prov 21:1 | The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will. | Highlights God's sovereignty over the hearts and decisions of kings. |
| Deut 28:49-50 | The Lord will bring a nation against you from afar... a nation of fierce appearance... | Covenant curses include foreign invasion as divine judgment for disobedience. |
| Judg 2:14-15 | "So the Lord gave them over to plunderers... Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil..." | God's hand in allowing or bringing enemies as chastisement for sin. |
| Isa 7:17-20 | The Lord will bring upon you and your people and your father’s house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah... with the king of Assyria. | Foreshadows wider judgment from Assyria, building on the immediate threats from Aram and Israel. |
| Ps 33:10-11 | The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations... The counsel of the Lord stands forever... | God's ultimate plan and counsel prevail over human or national schemes. |
| Lam 3:37-38 | Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come? | Emphasizes God's sovereign initiation of all events, including adversity. |
| Job 2:10 | "Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?" | Acknowledges God's prerogative to send both blessings and adversity. |
| Mic 1:2-5 | For behold, the Lord is coming out from his place... The mountains will melt under him... because of the transgression of Jacob... | Prophetic warnings of God's coming judgment on His people due to their transgressions. |
| 2 Chr 16:9 | "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward Him." | God actively works in history, observing and intervening in nations' affairs. |
| Hos 5:10-11 | "The princes of Judah have become like those who move a landmark... Ephraim is oppressed, crushed in judgment, because he was determined to go after idols." | Details the sins of both Judah and Ephraim that led to divine judgment, including internal and external pressures. |
| Zech 1:6 | But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? | Highlights the consistent pattern of prophetic warnings preceding divine judgment. |
| Hab 1:6 | "For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans, that bitter and hasty nation, who march through the breadth of the earth..." | God raises up unexpected nations as instruments of His purpose, including judgment. |
| Isa 45:7 | "I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things." | Declares God's comprehensive control over all circumstances, including adversity. |
| Dan 4:17 | "to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will..." | Explicit declaration of God's sovereignty over earthly kingdoms and their rulers. |
| 2 Ki 17:7-18 | For this came about because the people of Israel had sinned against the Lord their God... | Explanation of God's long-suffering giving way to judgment through foreign powers due to persistent apostasy. |
| Jer 1:10 | "See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant." | God grants His prophets authority to declare His will regarding nations, including their destruction or restoration. |
| Neh 9:26-27 | "Nevertheless, they were disobedient... therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies who oppressed them." | A summary of Israel's recurring cycle of sin, apostasy, and God's delivering them into enemy hands. |
2 Kings 15 verses
2 Kings 15 37 Meaning
In this verse, the text describes the direct initiative of the Lord God in raising and directing two formidable enemies, Rezin king of Aram (Syria) and Pekah son of Remaliah, king of Israel, to attack the kingdom of Judah. This divine action began during the reign of King Jotham of Judah, signaling the start of a period of external pressure and judgment. It highlights God's sovereignty over nations and their conflicts, revealing that even military movements are part of His overarching plan, often in response to the spiritual condition of His people.
2 Kings 15 37 Context
2 Kings chapter 15 records the turbulent reigns of several kings in both the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. It showcases a rapid succession of weak, often unrighteous, and short-lived Israelite kings, most of whom met violent ends. Amidst this turmoil in Israel, King Uzziah (also known as Azariah) reigned for a long time in Judah (2 Ki 15:1-7), initially doing what was right in the Lord's eyes. However, he was afflicted with leprosy. His son Jotham then took over the reins of the kingdom.
The specific context for verse 37 is the reign of King Jotham of Judah (2 Ki 15:32-38). Jotham is commended for largely following the path of his father, Uzziah, in doing "what was right in the eyes of the Lord" (v. 34), although the high places where idolatry occurred were not removed by him. Despite Jotham's relative piety, the nation of Judah still faced divine judgment, introduced by external threats. This verse specifically introduces the aggression of Rezin king of Aram and Pekah king of Israel, an alliance that would become formidable and threaten Judah, laying the groundwork for the Syro-Ephraimite War described more fully in 2 Kings 16 and Isaiah 7. This serves as a reminder that a nation's accumulated sin can incur consequences, even during the reign of a relatively righteous leader, or that these external pressures served God's broader redemptive or chastising purposes for His people.
2 Kings 15 37 Word analysis
- In those days (בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם, bayamim hahem): This phrase serves as a transitional marker, indicating that the events described began within the period just mentioned, namely during the reign of Jotham (2 Ki 15:32-38). It links the onset of these external aggressions directly to the ongoing narrative flow of Jotham's rule, despite his general righteousness, showing that the threats were not arbitrary but part of the divine timeline.
- the Lord (יְהוָה, YHWH): This is the personal, covenant name of God. Its use here is crucial, as it identifies the ultimate agent behind the unfolding geopolitical events. It's not a mere political maneuver by Aram and Israel, nor a random historical occurrence, but a deliberate act initiated by the sovereign God of Israel. This immediately elevates the significance of the conflict beyond mere human-driven warfare to divine judgment or purposeful intervention.
- began to send (הֵחֵל... לְהַשְׁלִיחַ, hekhel... l'hashlich):
- Hekhel (הֵחֵל): Hiphil imperfect of חָלַל (khalal), meaning "to begin" or "to set in motion." This emphasizes the commencement or initiation of the divine action.
- L'hashlich (לְהַשְׁלִיחַ): Hiphil infinitive construct of שָׁלַח (shalakh), meaning "to send," "to dispatch," or "to cast off/out." In the Hiphil stem, it carries the sense of causing something to be sent or sending it out decisively. Combined, it denotes God's active, intentional dispatching or deployment of these adversaries. It is not merely a permissive will but an active agency, underscoring His sovereignty over all nations and events. This linguistic choice directly contrasts with any belief that these enemies acted independently or by their own gods' wills.
- Rezin king of Aram: Rezin was the king of Aram-Damascus, a powerful Aramean state that frequently clashed with Israel and Judah. His historical identity is well-established through ancient Near Eastern inscriptions. The inclusion of his full title underscores his political authority and military might. The name "Aram" (אֲרָם) refers to ancient Syria.
- and Pekah the son of Remaliah: Pekah was a king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel who seized the throne through violence (2 Ki 15:25). He was known for his opposition to Judah and his alliance with Rezin against Assyria. His lineage, "son of Remaliah," helps to identify him uniquely within the dynastic upheavals of Israel. His leadership further illustrates the instability and internal strife within the Northern Kingdom.
- against Judah: This identifies the specific target of God's divinely orchestrated deployment of enemies. Judah, the Southern Kingdom, ruled by the Davidic line, was the direct recipient of this aggressive action. The preposition "against" clearly indicates a hostile intent, though in Hebrew the bə (בְּ) can also mean "into," implying a destructive penetration into their territory. This sets the stage for future conflicts and ultimately, the severe judgments Judah would face.
Words-group by words-group analysis:
- "In those days the Lord began to send...": This powerful opening immediately attributes agency for subsequent events to the Lord Himself. It shows that political and military shifts are not random occurrences but are under the direct sovereign orchestration of YHWH. This challenges the common assumption that world events unfold merely by human will or chance. Instead, the narrative clearly states God's initiation, establishing a theological lens through which to view history. This also serves as a polemic against the polytheistic beliefs of the surrounding nations who would attribute such movements to their own deities of war or fate.
- "...Rezin king of Aram and Pekah the son of Remaliah against Judah.": The naming of these specific kings and kingdoms underscores the precise and intentional nature of God's actions. It highlights His use of external, hostile powers—even seemingly unrighteous ones—as instruments to fulfill His purposes for His people. This might involve discipline for Judah's sins, preparing them for a deeper reliance on God, or setting the stage for greater prophetic fulfillment (as seen with Isaiah's prophecies during the Syro-Ephraimite war). The fact that both Aram and Israel were aligned against Judah also indicates a strategic threat that would test Judah's faithfulness and trust in the Lord.
2 Kings 15 37 Bonus section
This verse is pivotal because it shifts the narrative focus from internal affairs and kingly reigns to external threats that are divinely orchestrated. It serves as a preamble to the Syro-Ephraimite War, a significant geopolitical event where the northern kingdom of Israel and Aram allied against Judah, attempting to force them into an anti-Assyrian coalition. This is further elaborated in Isaiah chapters 7-9, providing deeper prophetic insights into God's plans amidst these conflicts. The introduction of these foreign adversaries "by the Lord" highlights God's constant engagement with His people's covenant faithfulness. It subtly prefaces the wider sweep of divine judgment that would eventually lead to the destruction of both Israel and, much later, Judah, serving as an initial tremor of greater tremors to come. It underscores that true peace and security do not merely rely on the righteousness of an individual king, but on the overall faithfulness of the nation to God's covenant commands.
2 Kings 15 37 Commentary
2 Kings 15:37 offers a profound theological statement concerning divine sovereignty over the course of human history. It reveals that the Lord God is not a distant observer but an active participant who orchestrates geopolitical events, including the formation of alliances and the deployment of hostile nations. Even during the reign of King Jotham, who "did what was right in the eyes of the Lord," the cumulative sin and unfaithfulness of Judah, particularly the persistence of idolatry in the high places, warranted divine discipline. God raised up Rezin of Aram and Pekah of Israel to initiate a period of intense pressure on Judah. This act serves as a reminder that divine judgment or chastisement can come even when a nation has a relatively righteous leader, as it addresses the nation's collective spiritual condition. The verse directly attributes this aggression to God, reinforcing the truth that no force or king operates outside His ultimate control, and He employs even ungodly rulers as instruments to achieve His redemptive and judgmental purposes for His covenant people. This event would set the stage for the Syro-Ephraimite War, challenging Judah's trust and foreshadowing the deeper judgments to come.