Chapter 15: The reigns of Azariah, Zechariah, Shalum, Menachem, Pekachia, Pekach, and Yosam

1. The reign and legacy of Azariah:

• Azariah the son of Amatziah the king of Yehuda, became king in the twenty-seventh year of Yeravam the king of Israel. [He is also known in Scripture as Uziyahu.^[1] In truth, he really became king many years earlier and reigned at the same time as Yeravam the king of Israel. However, in his 27^th year of reign of Yeravam he became a leper.^[2]]
• His age when he became king: Azariah was sixteen years old when he became king.
• The years of his reign: Azariah reigned for a total of fifty-two years in Jerusalem.
• The name of his mother: The mother of King Azariah was Yachliahu of Jerusalem.
• His righteousness: Azariah was righteous in the eyes of Hashem, just like his father Amatziah. However, he did not destroy the Bamos and allowed the people to continue offering sacrifices and burning incense on the Bamos.
• His illness of leprosy: Hashem brought a plague of leprosy upon the king, and he was a leper until the day of his death. [This was a punishment for Azariah entering into the holy of holies to offer the Ketores.^[3]] He lived in a retirement house [which was near the cemetery^[4]] from this time and onwards until the time of his death.
• His successor during his lifetime: Yotam, the son of the king, was appointed over the palace, and he judged the people of the land.
• The chronicles: The remaining events of Azariah and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Yehuda.
• His death: Azariah passed away and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David.
• His successor after his death: Yotam, the son of Amatziah, reigned in his stead.

2. The reign and legacy of Zechariah:

• Zechariah the son of Yeravam reigned over Israel in the city of Samaria in the thirty-eighth year of Azariah the king of Yehuda.
• The length of his reign: He reigned for a total of six months.
• His deeds: Zechariah performed that which was evil in the eyes of Hashem, as he followed in the ways of sin of Yeravam the son of Nevat.
• His assassination and successor: Shallum the son of Yavesh revolted against Zechariah and struck him in front of the people and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
• His chronicles: The remaining events of Zechariah are written in the book of chronicles of the kings of Israel.
• The prophecy to Yeihu: When Zechariah died the prophecy that was spoken to Yeihu was fulfilled, as God had promised him that he would have four generations sit on the throne.

3. The reign and legacy of Shallum:

• Shallum the son of Yavesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of reign of Uzziah the king of Yehuda.
• The length of his reign: Shallum the son of Yavesh reigned for a full month in Shomron.
• His assassination and successor: Menachem the son of Gadi went from the city of Tirzah to the Shomron and he assassinated Shallum the son of Yavesh, and he reigned in his stead.
• His chronicles: The remaining deeds of Shallum and his revolt that he revolted, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

4. The reign and legacy of Menachem the son of Gadi:

• His brutal attack on the city of Tifsach: Menahem the king of Israel attacked the city of Tifsach [which was a city in the land of Aram^[5]]. What provoked the attack was that the leader of the city refused to open the gates for him and accept him as king. He therefore attacked the city and brutally killed even pregnant woman by ripping out their children from their rooms.
• The year of his reign: Menachem the son of Gadi became king in the thirty-ninth year of reign of Azariah the king of Yehuda.
• His years of reign: Menachem the son of Gadi reigned over Israel in Shomron for a period of ten years.
• His deeds: Menachem the son of Gadi performed evil in the eyes of Hashem as he did not turn away from the sins of Yeravam the son of Nevat throughout all of his days.
• Averting invasion by the king of Ashur: Ful, the king of Ashur, invaded the land of Israel, and Menachem the king of Israel gave Ful one thousand talents of silver to help support his kingdom and prevent him from conquering the land. Menachem collected these monies from Israel, from all the mighty warriors. Each man was required to give fifty shekels of silver. The king of Assyria eventually returned back to this land and did not remain in the land of Israel.
• His chronicles: The remaining events of Menachem and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
• His passing: Menachem passed away and was buried together with his ancestors.
• His successor: Pekachiah, the son of Menachem, reigned in his stead.

5. The reign and legacy of Pekachiah:

• Pekachiah the son of Menachem reigned over Israel in Samaria in the fiftieth year of Azariah the king of Yehuda.
• The length of his reign: Pekachiah reigned for a total of two years.
• His deeds: Pekachiah performed evil in the eyes of Hashem, as he did not swerve from the sins of Yeravam the son of Nevat.
• His assassination and successor: Pekach the son of Remaliah, the officer of Pekachiah the son of Menachem, revolted against him, and assassinated him in Shomron in the inner chamber of the king’s palace, near the area of the palace where a gold lion stood. He had fifty men from the Gilad family together with him at the time of the assassination. After he slew him, he reigned in his stead.
• His chronicles: The remaining events of Pekachiah and all that he did, are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

6. The reign and legacy of Pekach:

• Pekach the son of Remaliah reigned over Israel in Samaria in the fifty-second year of reign of Azariah the king of Yehuda.
• The years of his reign: Pekach reigned for a total of twenty years.
• His deeds: Pekach performed evil in the eyes of Hashem, as he did not swerve from the sins of Yeravam the son of Nevat.
• The invasion of the king of Ashur: During the reign of Pekach the king of Israel, Tiglas-Plieser, the king of Ashur, capture the cities of Iyun, Avel, Beis Maacha, Yanoach, Kedesh, Chatzor, Gilead, and Galilee, and the entire land of Naphtali. He exiled the inhabitants to Ashur.
• His assassination and successor: Hoshea the son of Eilah revolted against Pekach the son of Remaliah, and he assassinated him, and reigned in his stead.
• The year of reign of Hoshea: Hoshea became king in the twentieth year of reign of Yosam the son of Uzziah.
• His chronicles: The remaining events of Pekach and all that he did are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.

7. The reign and legacy of Yotam:

• His year of reign: Yotam the son of Uziyah [i.e. Azaryah] the king of Yehuda became king in the second year of reign of Pekach the son of Remaliah the king of Israel.
• His age at the time of his reign: Yosam was twenty-five years old when he became king.
• The years of his reign: Yosam reigned for a total of sixteen years in Jerusalem.
• The name of his mother: Yerusha the daughter of Tzadok was the mother of Yosam.
• His deeds: Yosam was righteous in the eyes of Hashem as was his father Uzziah, whom he followed after. However, he did not remove the Bamos from the land and allowed people to continue offering sacrifices and burning incense on the Bamos even though it was outside of the temple.
• His renovations to the temple: He built a gate an opening between the palace of the king and the temple.
• His chronicles: The remaining events of Yosam and all that he did, are written in the book of chronicles of the kings of Yehuda.
• The wars and battles suffered by the kingdom of Yehudah: In those days [after the death of Yosam^[6]], Hashem began to incite Retzin the king of Aram and Pekach the son of Remaliah the king of Israel against Yehuda.
• His passing and burial: Yosam passed away and he was buried with his forefathers in the city of David.
• His successor: Achaz, the son of Yosam, reigned in his stead.

[1] See Rashi and Metzudos Tziyon 15:1

[2] Rashi 15:1

[3] Rashi 15:5

[4] Rashi 15:5

[5] Rdak 15:16

[6] Radak 15:37