Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 15
Menahem ruled northern and central Israel for ten years, until his death. He was a powerful and cruel king – but still, he was much weaker than Jeroboam son of Jehoash had been. He (Menahem) did not manage to control the nations round Israel, as Jeroboam had done (14:25). Menahem lost power to the king of Assyria. Jeroboam had ruled over a very wealthy country. During Menahem’s rule, Israel’s people lost much of their wealth.
A major reason for all this was changes in international politics. For more than a century, Israel’s principal enemy had been the army of Aram, also called Syria. Usually, Aram was stronger than Israel, and Israel’s people suffered much. However, under the rule of Jeroboam, northern and central Israel became the stronger nation. It seems that Jeroboam even managed to demand taxes from Damascus, the capital of Aram (14:28).
However, a country much further north, Assyria, had started to have an interest in the region (see 2 Kings 14:25 and the Book of Jonah). Assyria’s capital city, Nineveh was 500 miles (800 kilometres) from Israel’s capital city, Samaria. Assyria was a vast country. Its king saw countries like Aram and Israel as small countries with much wealth.
So, the king of Assyria demanded that the kings of these smaller countries should accept his rule. If they did that, then they could collect taxes from their own people to pay to the king of Assyria. However, if the king of a small country opposed the king of Assyria, then Assyria’s army would completely destroy that country.
Next part: Menahem's taxes and his death (2 Kings 15:20-22)
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