LESSON LXXIX

THE FALL OF SAMARIA

2 CHRONICLES 27; 2 KINGS 15.8 to 17.33

27.1. Jotham was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Jerushah, the daughter of Zadok. And he did that which was right in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his father Uzziah did: howbeit he entered 5 not into the temple of Jehovah. And the people did yet corruptly. He built the high gate of the house of Jehovah, and on the wall of Ophel he built much. Moreover he built cities in the hill country of Judah, and in the forests he built fortresses and towers. He fought also with the king of the Ammonites, 10 and prevailed against them. And the children of Ammon gave him the same year an hundred talents of silver, and ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand of barley. So much did the children of Ammon pay unto him, both the second year, and the third. So Jotham became mighty, because he ordered 15 his ways before Jehovah his God.

2 Kings 15.8. In the thirty and eighth year of Azariah king of Judah did Zachariah the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, as his fathers had done: he 20 departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him in 1Ibleam, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the 25 kings of Israel. This was the word of Jehovah which he spake unto Jehu, saying, Thy sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth generation. And so it came to pass.

15.13. Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a 30 full month in Samaria. For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the 1 This is the reading of the LXX.

son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy 35 which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. Then Menahem smote 2 Tappuah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it.

15.17. In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of 40 Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. In his days Pul the king of Assyria came against the land and 45 Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand. 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 50 stayed not there in the land. 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? And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.

16.1. In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah 55 Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.

Twenty

years old was Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem, and did not that which was right in the sight of Jehovah his God, like David his father. But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to 60 pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom Jehovah cast out from before the children of Israel. And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came 65 up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Edomites came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day. So Ahaz sent The Hebrew text gives

2 Tappuah is the reading of the LXX. Tiphsah, which cannot be right.

3 Edomites is the reading of the LXX. "Syrians."

The Hebrew text gives

messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of 70 the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me. And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent it for a present to the king of Assyria. And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for 75 the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried the people of it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.

16.10. And king Ahaz went to Damascus to meet Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that was at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the fashion of the altar, and the 80 pattern of it, according to all the workmanship thereof. And Urijah the priest built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus. Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and 85 was buried with his fathers in the city of David: and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.

17.1. In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, but not as go the kings of Israel that were before him. Against him came

up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents. And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he 95 had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison. Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years. In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, 100 and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the rivers of Gozan, and in the 4 mountains of the Medes.

17.24. And the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Chutah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of 105 the children of Israel: and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt

4 This is the reading of the LXX, which corresponds with the account in I Chron. 5.26. The Hebrew text gives "cities."

in the cities thereof. And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not Jehovah: therefore Jehovah sent lions among them, which slew some of them. Wherefore 110 they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the land. Then the king 115 of Assyria commanded, saying, Carry thither one of the priests whom ye brought from thence; and let them go and dwell there, and let him teach them the manner of the God of the land. Then one of the priests whom they had carried away from Samaria came and dwelt in Beth-el, and taught them how 120 they should fear Jehovah. Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put them in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. And the men of Babylon made Succoth-benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath 125 made Ashima, and the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. So they feared Jehovah, and made unto themselves of all classes priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high 130 places. They feared Jehovah, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.

LESSON LXXX

HEZEKIAH

2 KINGS 18.1 to 19.37

18.1 Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign. Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His 5 mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah. And he did that which was right in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places,

and brake the pillars, and cut down the Ashérah, and brake in pieces the brazen serpent that Moses had made for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it and it was 10 called Nehushtan. He trusted in Jehovah, the God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to Jehovah, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which Jehovah commanded Moses. And Jehovah was 15 with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not. He smote the Philistines, even unto Gaza, and the borders thereof, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city.

18.13. Now in the fourteenth year of king Hezekiah did 20 2 Sargon king of Assyria come up against all the fenced cities of Judah, and took them. And Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria to Lachish, saying, I have offended; return from me: that which thou puttest on me will I bear. And the king of Assyria appointed unto Hezekiah king of Judah three 25 hundred talents of silver and thirty talents of gold. And Hezekiah gave him all the silver that was found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house. At that time did Hezekiah cut off the gold from the doors of the temple of Jehovah, and from the doorposts which Hezekiah king of 30 Judah had overlaid, and gave it to the king of Assyria.

18.17. And [in the twenty-seventh year of king Hezekiah did Sennacherib] the king of Assyria send 4 Tartan and Rabsaris and Rabshakeh from Lachish to king Hezekiah with a great host against Jerusalem. And they went up and came to Jeru- 35 salem. And when they were come up, they came and stood by the conduit of the upper pool, which is in the highway of the fuller's field. And when they had called to the king, there came out to them Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, which was over the household, and Shebna the scribe, and Joah the son of 40 Asaph the recorder. And Rab-shakeh said unto them, Speak

1 Nehushtan means Brazen.

2 This is a correction. The text gives Sennacherib, who did not come to the throne till the twenty-third year of Hezekiah.

3 These words are inserted to make the date clear.

=

4 Tartan, etc., are not proper names, but titles. Tartan Chief captain; Rabsaris Chief courtier; Rab-shakeh = Chief officer (perhaps).