2 Kings 15:13
in 2 Kings 15In the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah’s reign over Judah, Shallum son of Jabesh became king, and he reigned in Samaria one full month.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned the space of a month in Samaria.
KJV
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.
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This verse in 2 Kings 15
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Shallum . . . reigned a full month--He was opposed and slain by Menahem, who, according to JOSEPHUS, was commander of the forces, which, on the report of the king's murder, were besieging Tirzah, a town twelve miles east of Samaria, and formerly a seat of the kings of Israel.
This site's exposition
he reigned in Samaria one full month
on 2 Kings 15:13-14
Shallum reigned in Samaria one full month, against Zechariah's six, and Menahem ended his reign by force, as it had begun. Menahem came from Tirzah, the old northern capital before Omri built Samaria, so the newer capital fell to a man out of the older one.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), one month of days measured his reign and then he was cut off; perhaps to this the prophet, who then lived, refers ( Hos. v. 7 ), Now shall a month devour them with their portions. That dominion seldom lasts long which is founded in blood and falsehood.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah,.... The same with Azariah: he is sometimes called by one name, and sometimes by the other, see 2Ki 14:21, and he reigned a full month in Samaria: and no longer; so soon were the conspiracy against his sovereign, and the murder of him, punished.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He reigned a full month - Menahem is supposed to have been one of Zachariah’s generals. Hearing of the death of his master, when he was with the troops at Tirzah, he hastened to Samaria, and slew the murderer, and had himself proclaimed in his stead. But, as the people of Tiphsah did not open their gates to him, he took the place by assault; and as the text tells us, practiced the most cruel barbarities, even ripping up the women that were with child!
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
And it was so. Not that his kingdom deserved to last that long, but to fulfill the word of the King, 9 I.e., the word of God stated in:30 above. as it is stated, ”So shall be My word, which will go forth from My mouth etc.” 10 Yeshayohu:11.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| שַׁלּ֤וּם | shalum | Shallum | H7967 → | 27 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יָבֵישׁ֙ | yaveish | Jabesh | H3003 → | 24 times |
| מָלַ֔ךְ | malakh | he became king | H4427 → | 348 times |
| בִּשְׁנַ֨ת | bishnat | in year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| שְׁלֹשִׁ֤ים | sheloshim | thirty | H7970 → | 172 times |
| וָתֵ֙שַׁע֙ | vatesha' | and nine | H8672 → | 58 times |
| שָׁנָ֔ה | shanah | year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| לְעֻזִיָּ֖ה | leuziyah | of Uzziah | H5818 → | 27 times |
| מֶ֣לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יְהוּדָ֑ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְ | vaiyimlokh | and he reigned | H4427 → | 348 times |
| יֶֽרַח־ | yerach- | a month of | H3391 → | |
| יָמִ֖ים | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| בְּשֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃ | beshomeron | in Samaria | H8111 → | 109 times |
שַׁלּ֤וּםShallum
shalumH7967 →27 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
יָבֵישׁ֙Jabesh
yaveishH3003 →24 times
מָלַ֔ךְhe became king
malakhH4427 →348 times
בִּשְׁנַ֨תin year
bishnatH8141 →877 times
שְׁלֹשִׁ֤יםthirty
sheloshimH7970 →172 times
וָתֵ֙שַׁע֙and nine
vatesha'H8672 →58 times
שָׁנָ֔הyear
shanahH8141 →877 times
לְעֻזִיָּ֖הof Uzziah
leuziyahH5818 →27 times
מֶ֣לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
יְהוּדָ֑הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
וַיִּמְלֹ֥ךְand he reigned
vaiyimlokhH4427 →348 times
יֶֽרַח־a month of
yerach-H3391 →
יָמִ֖יםdays
yamimH3117 →2304 times
בְּשֹׁמְרֽוֹן׃in Samaria
beshomeronH8111 →109 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Job 20:15He swallows wealth but vomits it out; God will force it from his stomach.
it leads to
- Proverbs 23:8
You will vomit up what little you have eaten and waste your pleasant words.
- Matthew 27:3–4
When Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was filled with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders.
- Proverbs 23:8
Through
Proverbs 28:2A land in rebellion has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.
it leads to
- Job 22:28–30
Your decisions will be carried out, and light will shine on your ways.
- 1 Kings 16:8–29
In the twenty-sixth year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel, and he reigned in Tirzah two years.
- Genesis 45:5–8
And now, do not be distressed or angry with yourselves that you sold me into this place, because it was to save lives that God sent me before you.
- 2 Kings 15:8–31
In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah’s reign over Judah, Zechariah son of Jeroboam became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria six months.
- Job 22:28–30
Through
1 Kings 16:15In the twenty-seventh year of Asa’s reign over Judah, Zimri reigned in Tirzah for seven days. Now the troops were encamped against Gibbethon of the Philistines,
it leads to
- 1 Kings 15:27
Then Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging the city.
- 1 Kings 15:27
Through
1 Kings 16:24He bought the hill of Samaria from Shemer for two talents of silver and built a city there, calling it Samaria after the name of Shemer, who had owned the hill.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 13:32
for the message that he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria will surely…
- 1 Kings 13:32
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies3
About 2 Kings

Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceThe northern hill countrySamariaThe hill Omri bought and built his capital on, where Ahab raised a temple to Baal, where the four lepers found the Aramean camp em…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil, The Books of the Kings and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
