2 Kings 15:19

King James Version

And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
King Pul of Assyria invaded the land, so Menahem gave Pul seventy-five thousand pounds of silver so that Pul would support him to strengthen his grasp on the kingdom.

Hebrew Names Version
There came against the land Pul the king of Ashshur; and Menachem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

English Standard Version
Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold on the royal power.

New Century Version
Pul king of Assyria came to attack the land. Menahem gave him about seventy-four thousand pounds of silver so Pul would support him and make his hold on the kingdom stronger.

New English Translation
Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem paid him a thousand talents of silver to gain his support and to solidify his control of the kingdom.

Amplified Bible
Pul, [Tiglath-pileser III] king of Assyria, came against the land [of Israel], and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver [as a bribe], so that he might help him to strengthen his control of the kingdom.

New American Standard Bible
Pul, the king of Assyria, came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his rule.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Pul the king of Asshur came against the land: & Menahem gaue Pul a thousand talents of siluer, that his hande might bee with him, & establish the kingdome in his hand.

Legacy Standard Bible
Pul, king of Assyria, came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver so that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom in his hand.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver in order to gain his support and strengthen his own grip on the kingdom.

Contemporary English Version
During Menahem's rule, King Tiglath Pileser of Assyria invaded Israel. He agreed to help Menahem keep control of his kingdom, if Menahem would pay him over thirty tons of silver.

Complete Jewish Bible
Pul the king of Ashur invaded the land. Menachem gave Pul thirty-three tons of silver, so that he would confirm Menachem's hold on the kingdom.

Darby Translation
Pul the king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to establish the kingdom in his hand.

Easy-to-Read Version
King Pul of Assyria came to fight against Israel. Menahem gave Pul 75,000 pounds of silver so that Pul would support him and help him gain complete control of the kingdom.

George Lamsa Translation
And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver to help him and to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

Good News Translation
Tiglath Pileser, the emperor of Assyria, invaded Israel, and Menahem gave him thirty-eight tons of silver to gain his support in strengthening Menahem's power over the country.

Lexham English Bible
Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, so Menahem gave a thousand talents of silver to Pul so that his hand would be with him to strengthen his hold on the kingdom.

Literal Translation
Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, and Menahem gave a thousand talents of silver to Pul, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Phul the kynge of Assiria came into the lode. And Manahem gaue vnto Phul a thousande talentes of syluer to holde with him, and to cofirme him in the kyngdome.

American Standard Version
There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

Bible in Basic English
In his day, Pul, the king of Assyria, came up against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that he might let him keep the kingdom.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And Phul the king of Assyria came vpon the lande: And Menahem gaue Phul a thousand talentes of siluer, that his hand might be with him & stablishe the kingdome in his hande.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

King James Version (1611)
And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gaue Pul a thousand talents of siluer, that his hand might be with him, to confirm the kingdome in his hand.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
In his days went up Phua king of the Assyrians against the land: and Manaem gave to Phua a thousand talents of silver to aid him with his power.

English Revised Version
There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
In alle the daies of hym Phul, the kyng of Assiries, cam in to Thersa. And Manaheu yaf to Phul a thousynde talentis of siluer, that he schulde be to hym in to help, and schulde make stidefast his rewme;

Young's Literal Translation
Pul king of Asshur hath come against the land, and Menahem giveth to Pul a thousand talents of silver, for his hand being with him to strengthen the kingdom in his hand.

Update Bible Version
There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

Webster's Bible Translation
[And] Pul the king of Assyria came against the land: and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

World English Bible
There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul one thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

New King James Version
Pul 2 Kings 15:29)">[fn] king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his control.

New Living Translation
Then King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria invaded the land. But Menahem paid him thirty-seven tons of silver to gain his support in tightening his grip on royal power.

New Life Bible
King Pul of Assyria came to fight against the land. And Menahem gave Pul silver weighing as much as 1,000 men, that he might help him to be a powerful king.

New Revised Standard
King Pul of Assyria came against the land; Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, so that he might help him confirm his hold on the royal power.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, so Menahem gave unto Pul, a thousand talents of silver, - that his hands might be with him, to confirm the kingdom, in his hand.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Phul, king of the Assyrians, came into the land, and Manahem gave Phul a thousand talents of silver to aid him and to establish him in the kingdom.

Revised Standard Version
Pul the king of Assyria came against the land; and Men'ahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that he might help him to confirm his hold of the royal power.

THE MESSAGE
Then Tiglath-Pileser III king of Assyria showed up and attacked the country. But Menahem made a deal with him: He bought his support by handing over about thirty-seven tons of silver. He raised the money by making every landowner in Israel pay fifty shekels to the king of Assyria. That satisfied the king of Assyria, and he left the country.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Pul, king of Assyria, came against the land, and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that his hand might be with him to strengthen the kingdom under his rule.

Contextual Overview

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. ⁹ And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord , as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. ¹⁰ And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. ¹¹ And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ¹² This was the word of the Lord 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. ¹³ Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria. ¹⁴ For Menahem the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah, and came to Samaria, and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead. ¹⁵ And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. ¹⁶ Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up. ¹⁷ In the nine and thirtieth year of Azariah king of Judah began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, and reigned ten years in Samaria.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 3233, bc 771

Pul: Prideaux supposes that this Pul was the father of the famous Sardanapalus, who was called Sardan with his father's name Pul annexed, as was frequent in those times, making Sardanpul: thus Merodach, king of Babylon, was Merodach-Baladan, because he was the son Baladan. This Pul began to reign according to Usher, am 3237, the fifth year of Menahem; and he is supposed to be the same that reigned in Nineveh, when Jonah preached in that city. 1 Chronicles 5:25, 1 Chronicles 5:26, Isaiah 9:1

Menahem: 2 Kings 12:18, 2 Kings 16:8, 2 Kings 17:3, 2 Kings 17:4, 2 Kings 18:16, Hosea 5:13, Hosea 8:9, Hosea 8:10, Hosea 10:6

to confirm: 2 Kings 14:5, Jeremiah 17:5

Reciprocal: Genesis 10:22 - Elam 2 Kings 23:35 - taxed 2 Chronicles 30:6 - escaped 2 Chronicles 32:1 - king of Assyria Nehemiah 9:32 - since the time Isaiah 33:18 - receiver Ezekiel 23:5 - on the Hosea 7:9 - devoured Hosea 7:11 - they call Hosea 8:7 - the strangers Hosea 11:5 - but Hosea 12:1 - and they Amos 3:11 - General

Cross-References

Genesis 15:21
And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land,.... The land of Israel, he invaded it; a Jewish chronologer u calls him Pulbelicho; and he is generally thought to be the same with Belochus or Belesis, governor of Babylon, who, with Arbaces the Mede, slew Sardanapalus, said to be the last of the Assyrian kings, and translated the empire to the Chaldeans; he ruling over Babylon and Nineveh, and Arbaces over the Medes and Persians; but Pul was not a Babylonian, but an Assyrian w, and the first king of the Assyrians, at least, the Scriptures speak of: we read no more of him; but one Metasthenes, a Persian historian, feigned and published by Annius, and so named by him instead of Megasthenes, calls him Phulbelochus, and says x he reigned forty eight years:

and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver; and a talent of silver, according to Brerewood y was three hundred and seventy five pounds; but Bishop Cumberland z calculates it at three hundred and fifty three pounds eleven shillings and ten pence half penny; 1,000 of them made a large sum of money, according to the former 375,000 pounds; and this he gave to him, not only to desist from the invasion of his land, but

that his hand might be with him; and not against him:

and to confirm the kingdom in his hand; which being got by usurpation, and supported by cruelty, was but tottering.

u David Ganz. Tzemach David, par. 2. fol. 5. 2. w See the Universal History, vol. 4. B. 1. ch. 8. sect. 5. x De Judicio Temp. & Annal. Pers. fol. 221. 2. y De Ponder & Pret. Vet. Num. c. 4. z Scripture Weights and Measures, c. 4. p. 120.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This is the first distinct mention which we find in Scripture of Assyria as an aggressive power. From the native monuments we learn that she had been for above a century pushing her conquests beyond the Euphrates, and seeking to reduce under her dominion the entire tract between that river and Egypt. Jehu had paid tribute. Some - arguing from the use of the phrase “confirmed the kingdom” (here, and in 2 Kings 14:5) - think that Jehoahaz had acknowledged Assyrian suzerainty, and consented that her monarchs should receive their investiture from the hands of the Ninevite king. But hitherto there had been no hostile invasion of Jewish or Israelite soil by an Assyrian army. Now, however, the Assyrians are at last formally introduced into the history. A series of aggressions is related in this and the four following chapters, culminating, on the one hand, in the destruction of the northern kingdom, on the other, in the complete failure of Sennacherib’s attempt upon Judaea and Egypt.

With respect to the present expedition, there are certain difficulties. The name of Pul does not appear among the Assyrian monumental kings, and it is absent from the copies of the Assyrian Canon, containing the entire list of monarchs from about 910 B.C. to 670 B.C. Assyria Proper, moreover, appears to have been in a state of depression for some 40 years before the accession of Tiglath-Pileser 2 Kings 15:29. It is probable that, during the depression of the Ninevite line, Pul, a Chaldaean and not an Assyrian king, established a second monarchy upon the Euphrates, which claimed to be the true Assyria, and was recognized as such by the nations of Syria and Palestine. His invasion was probably provoked by Menahem’s conquest of Thapsacus, which he would view as a wanton aggression upon his territory.

A thousand talents of silver - Compared with the tribute of Hezekiah soon afterward 2 Kings 18:14, this seems a large sum; but it is not beyond the resources of such a State as Samaria at the period. The tie which had bound Samaria to Assyria from the reign of Jehu to that of Jeroboam II, had ceased to exist during the period of Assyrian depression. Menahem now renewed it, undertaking the duties of a tributary, and expecting the support which Assyria was accustomed to lend to her dependencies in their struggles with their neighbors. Hence, the reproaches of Hosea (marginal reference “n”).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 15:19. Pul, the king of Assyria — This is the first time we hear of Assyria since the days of Nimrod, its founder, Genesis 10:11.

Dean Prideaux supposes that this Pul was father of the famous Sardanapalus, the son himself being called Sardan; to which, as was frequent in those times, the father's name, Pul, was added, making Sardanpul of which the Greeks and Latins made Sardanapalus; and this Pul is supposed to be the same that reigned in Nineveh when Jonah preached the terrors of the Lord to that city.

That his hand — That is, his power and influence, might be with him: in this sense is the word hand frequently used in Scripture.