◄ 2 Kings 15:25 ►
Then his officer, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him along with Argob, Arieh, and fifty men of Gilead. And at the citadel of the king's palace in Samaria, Pekah struck down and killed Pekahiah and reigned in his place.
Study Bible
Then his officer, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him
Pekah, an officer in the army, is identified as the son of Remaliah, indicating his lineage and possibly his ambition. Conspiracy was not uncommon in the Northern Kingdom of Israel, reflecting the political instability and frequent changes in leadership. This act of conspiracy aligns with the pattern of violent power transitions seen throughout the history of Israel's kings.

along with Argob, Arieh, and fifty men of Gilead.
Argob and Arieh are mentioned as co-conspirators, though little else is known about them. The inclusion of fifty men from Gilead suggests that Pekah had significant military support, as Gilead was a region known for its warriors. This detail highlights the organized and premeditated nature of the coup.

And at the citadel of the king’s palace in Samaria,
The citadel in Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, was a fortified area within the city, serving as the king's residence and a symbol of royal authority. The choice of this location for the assassination underscores the boldness of the conspiracy and the vulnerability of the reigning king, Pekahiah.

Pekah struck down and killed Pekahiah
Pekah's assassination of Pekahiah marks a violent transfer of power, a common occurrence in the Northern Kingdom. Pekahiah's reign was short, and his death reflects the fulfillment of the prophetic warnings against the house of Israel for their idolatry and disobedience to God.

and reigned in his place.
Pekah's ascension to the throne signifies another shift in Israel's leadership, continuing the cycle of instability. His reign would later be marked by conflict with Assyria, fulfilling prophecies of judgment against Israel. This event foreshadows the eventual downfall of the Northern Kingdom, as prophesied by prophets like Hosea and Amos.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Pekah
Son of Remaliah, a chief officer who conspired against King Pekahiah and became king of Israel after assassinating him.

2. Pekahiah
The king of Israel who was assassinated by Pekah. He was the son of Menahem and reigned for a short period.

3. Gilead
A region east of the Jordan River, known for its balm and rugged terrain. Fifty men from this area assisted Pekah in his conspiracy.

4. Conspiracy and Assassination
The event where Pekah plotted and executed the assassination of King Pekahiah to seize the throne of Israel.
Teaching Points
The Consequences of Ambition and Violence
The account of Pekah's conspiracy and assassination of Pekahiah serves as a cautionary tale about the destructive nature of unchecked ambition and violence. It reminds us that seeking power through ungodly means leads to chaos and instability.

The Sovereignty of God Amidst Human Schemes
Despite human attempts to control and manipulate power, God's sovereign plan prevails. The political upheaval in Israel serves as a reminder that God is ultimately in control, and His purposes will be fulfilled.

The Importance of Righteous Leadership
The repeated cycles of conspiracy and assassination in Israel highlight the need for righteous and God-fearing leaders. As believers, we are called to pray for and support leaders who seek to govern with integrity and justice.
Bible Study Questions
1. What motivated Pekah to conspire against Pekahiah, and how does this reflect the broader political climate in Israel at the time?

2. How does the account of Pekah's conspiracy illustrate the dangers of seeking power through ungodly means? Can you think of modern examples where similar principles apply?

3. In what ways does the instability in Israel during Pekah's time demonstrate the need for righteous leadership? How can we apply this lesson in our communities today?

4. How does the account of Pekah's rise to power connect with the prophecies found in Isaiah and Hosea? What do these connections teach us about God's sovereignty?

5. Reflect on a time when you witnessed or experienced the consequences of ambition and violence. How did you see God's hand at work in that situation, and what lessons did you learn?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 15:27-31
These verses continue the account of Pekah's reign and eventual downfall, providing context to the instability in Israel during this period.

Isaiah 7:1-9
This passage references Pekah's alliance with Rezin, king of Aram, against Judah, highlighting the political turmoil and alliances of the time.

Hosea 10:3-7
Hosea prophesies about the downfall of Israel's kings, which can be seen as a reflection of the instability and violence depicted in 2 Kings 15:25.
Sermons
Some Lessons from the History of KingsD. Thomas 2 Kings 15:1-38
People
Abel, Ahaz, Amaziah, Amram, Aram, Argob, Arieh, Azaliah, Azariah, David, Elah, Gadi, Gileadites, Hoshea, Jabesh, Jecholiah, Jecoliah, Jehu, Jeroboam, Jerusha, Jotham, Maacah, Menahem, Naphtali, Nebat, Pekah, Pekahiah, Pul, Remaliah, Rezin, Shallum, Tappuah, Tiglathpileser, Tirzah, Uzziah, Zachariah, Zadok, Zechariah
Places
Abel-beth-maacah, Assyria, Damascus, Galilee, Gilead, Hazor, Ibleam, Ijon, Janoah, Jerusalem, Kedesh, Samaria, Syria, Tirzah
Topics
Along, Argob, Arieh, Assassinated, Attacking, Captain, Castle, Citadel, Conspire, Conspired, Death, Design, Fifty, Fortress, Gilead, Gileadites, Killed, King's, Officer, Officers, Palace, Pekah, Pekahiah, Putteth, Reigned, Reigneth, Remaliah, Remali'ah, Room, Royal, Samaria, Sama'ria, Secret, Slew, Smiteth, Smote, Sons, Stead, Struck, Succeeded, Taking
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Kings 15:25

     5254   citadel
     5434   officer
     5437   palaces

2 Kings 15:1-38

     5366   king

2 Kings 15:23-25

     5817   conspiracies

Library
The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible

Meditations Before Dinner and Supper.
Meditate that hunger is like the sickness called a wolf; which, if thou dost not feed, will devour thee, and eat thee up; and that meat and drink are but as physic, or means which God hath ordained, to relieve and cure this natural infirmity and necessity of man. Use, therefore, to eat and to drink, rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature, than to satisfy the sensuality and delights of the flesh. Eat, therefore, to live, but live not to eat. There is no service so base, as for a man …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

A Living Book
[Illustration: (drop cap T) Symbol of "Asshur", the principal Assyrian idol.] There is only one Book that never grows old. For thousands of years men have been writing books. Most books are forgotten soon after they are written; a few of the best and wisest are remembered for a time. But all at last grow old; new discoveries are made; new ideas arise; the old books are out of date; their usefulness is at an end. Students are the only people who still care to read them. The nations to which the …
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making

In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
"If any one wishes to be rich, let him go north; if he wants to be wise, let him come south." Such was the saying, by which Rabbinical pride distinguished between the material wealth of Galilee and the supremacy in traditional lore claimed for the academies of Judaea proper. Alas, it was not long before Judaea lost even this doubtful distinction, and its colleges wandered northwards, ending at last by the Lake of Gennesaret, and in that very city of Tiberias which at one time had been reputed unclean! …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life

The Prophet Micah.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. Micah signifies: "Who is like Jehovah;" and by this name, the prophet is consecrated to the incomparable God, just as Hosea was to the helping God, and Nahum to the comforting God. He prophesied, according to the inscription, under Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah. We are not, however, entitled, on this account, to dissever his prophecies, and to assign particular discourses to the reign of each of these kings. On the contrary, the entire collection forms only one whole. At …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Prophet Hosea.
GENERAL PRELIMINARY REMARKS. That the kingdom of Israel was the object of the prophet's ministry is so evident, that upon this point all are, and cannot but be, agreed. But there is a difference of opinion as to whether the prophet was a fellow-countryman of those to whom he preached, or was called by God out of the kingdom of Judah. The latter has been asserted with great confidence by Maurer, among others, in his Observ. in Hos., in the Commentat. Theol. ii. i. p. 293. But the arguments …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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