The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 5 · Section 19 · Concurrent kings · Isreal · Pekah
PEKAH the Son of Remaliah began to reign in the fifty ſecond year of Ʋzziah King of Judah, The 18th. King of Iſrael, PEKAH.and reigned twenty years *In the 2d year of his reign began Jotham King of Judah to reign.. He did evil in the ſight of the Lord, 2 King. 15.27, 28. In the 17th. year of his reign he combines with Rezin King of Syria againſt Ahaz King of Judah, and they go up with their joint forces to beſiege Jeruſalem, and reſolved to depoſe Ahaz, and ſet up the Son of Tabeal, probably ſome Syrian of note and eminency. Ahaz is comforted and encouraged by the Prophet Iſaiah againſt this confederacy, of which ſee more in the life of Ahaz. And at this time they could not overcome Ahaz, nor take Jeruſalem, but afterwards dividing their forces they prevailed againſt him. For God (for his great ſins) gave him up firſt into the hands of the Syrians, ſo that Rezin carried away captive many of the people to Damaſcus, and then into the hands of the Iſraelites, ſo that Pekah ſlew in one day an hundred and twenty thouſand of them, among whom was Maaziah the Kings Son, and Azrikam the Governour of his houſe, and Elkanah the ſecond perſon to the King (who were all ſlain by Zichri a mighty man of Ephraim) and the Iſraelites carried away captive at that time out of Iudah two hundred thouſand priſoners, reckoning men, women, boys and girls, and made a vaſt ſpoil of their goods, and were carrying all theſe to Samaria. But before they came thither, upon the counſel of Oded a Prophet of the Lord, and the command of the Princes and Elders of Samaria they releaſed all that vaſt number of priſoners, and reſtored them their goods again, and treated them kindly, and cauſed them to be conveyed ſafe to their brethren at Iericho. See more of this in the life of Ahaz.
2 King. 16.5, 6.
Iſai. 7. from v. 1, to 17.
2 Chron. 28. from 5, to 16.
Ahaz being brought low by the Syrians and Iſraelites ſends to Tiglath-Pileſer King of Aſſyria (Son to Pul who had not many years before invaded the land of Iſrael in the days of Menahem) to deſire his help againſt theſe two Kings. Hereupon Tiglath-Pileſer came up firſt againſt Syria and took Damaſcus, and ſlew Rezin, [2 King. 16.9.] and then he invaded Iſrael, and led away the people of Gilead or Peraea, to wit the Reubenites, the Gadites, and the half Tribe of Manaſſeh, unto Chabor and Haran, and Gozan. Then paſſing over Iordan, poſſeſſed himſelf of Galilee *Galilaea magna ex parte conſtabat Tribubus Zebulun & Naphtali. Tirin., and carried away the inhabitants of Zebulun and Naphtali into Aſſyria; ſo that at this time he ſubdued in a manner five Tribes of Iſrael, to wit, thoſe without Iordan (who as they had firſt their inheritance given them, ſo were the firſt that were carried away captive) and the Tribes of Zebulun and Naphtali who were ſetled in Galilee. And this was the firſt captivity of Iſrael. Neither do we read that theſe or their children ever returned again to their own land.
2 King. 16.7.
2 Chron. 28.16.
2 King. 15.29.
1 Chron. 5.26.
Pekah having got the Crown at firſt by murdering Pekahiah his Soveraign, and having unfortunately engaged againſt Ahaz King of Iudah, and thereby brought Tiglath-Pileſer upon him (who had carried ſo many of his ſubjects away captive into Aſſyria) 'tis no wonder he ſhould fall into the hatred of the people. Hereupon Hoſhea the Son of Ela conſpired againſt him and ſlew him, and reigned in his ſtead, in the twentieth year of Iotham, that is in the twentieth year ſince Jotham began to reign. Some learned men think that Jotham reigned only ſixteen years (as 'tis ſaid 2 King. 15.33.) but that he lived twenty years after he was ſetled in the Throne of Judah, and that four years before he died he wholly reſigned his Kingdom to his Son Ahaz. So it was in the fourth year of Ahaz that Hoſhea ſlew Pekah, and in the twentieth of Jotham, becauſe (according to them) Jotham ſtill had the title of King, though he had reſigned the Kingdom four years before. 'Tis ſaid indeed in 2 King. 17.1. that Hoſhea began to reign in the twelfth year of Ahaz, becauſe though he thruſt himſelf into the Kingdom before, yet he was oppoſed as an uſurper till the twelfth of Ahaz, at which time (it ſeems) he had the Crown confirmed to him, and afterwards reigned four years in Ahaz's time, and five in Hezekiah's, in all nine years.
2 King. 15.30, 31.