Bible Dictionaries
Menahem

Holman Bible Dictionary

(mehn' uh hehm) Personal name meaning, “consoler.” King of Israel 752-742 B.C. Menahem became king by assassinating Shallum, who had killed King Zechariah only a month earlier (2 Kings 15:10-14 ). The period following the death of Jeroboam II in 753 B.C. was filled with turmoil. Several political factions fought for control. Shallum and Menahem each led an extremist party which sought the throne. They ruled by force. After becoming king, Menahem attacked and destroyed one of Israel's cities because it resisted his rule (2 Kings 15:16 ). He ruled at least ten years in Samaria. A significant event recorded about his reign is that he paid tribute to Tiglath-pileser III, the king of Assyria. This is the first mention of the Assyrian monarch in the biblical record. See Tiglath-pileser . It is possible that Menahem obtained the throne of Israel with Tiglath-pileser's help. In any event, Menahem was little more than a puppet of the Assyrians during his reign. He was succeeded by his son, Pekahiah.