BIBLICAL PRIMARY SOURCES

Read the Scripture.

The biblical text is the primary reference for the accounts discussed here. Read the complete chapters before comparing the guide's interpretation.

2 Kings 15:19-20

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

20 Menahem exacted the money from Israel, even from all the mighty men of wealth, from each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and didn’t stay there in the land.

World English Bible British Edition. Continue in the complete local chapter.

Explore Assyria in the Bible · Search the verse index

The account in Kings

2 Kings 15:19-20 records Pul, king of Assyria, coming against the land during Menahem's reign. Menahem gives him a thousand talents of silver to support his position as king. The payment is raised from wealthy men, at fifty shekels each. The narrative then says that the king of Assyria withdrew and did not remain in the land.

The reference in Chronicles

1 Chronicles 5:26 names Pul and Tilgath Pilneser in its account of the captivity of the Reubenites, Gadites and half-tribe of Manasseh. Read that statement alongside 2 Kings rather than silently replacing the names with a modern spelling.

Names and interpretation

Historical writing commonly identifies Pul with Tiglath-pileser III. That identification draws on comparison with other ancient evidence; 2 Kings 15:19 itself uses the name Pul. The archive preserves the name used in each passage and treats the historical identification as an additional explanatory step.

Royal security placed a burden on others

In 2 Kings 15, Menahem makes a large payment to Pul to gain support for his rule and then raises the money from wealthy men in Israel. The arrangement connects external pressure with an internal financial burden. The king makes the decision, but others supply the wealth.

The Assyrian king's withdrawal does not turn the transaction into an equal exchange. Menahem seeks stability under pressure. That sequence helps readers understand imperial influence before the kingdom becomes the subject of later conquest narratives.

Chronicles places Pul and Tilgath Pilneser within its account of the eastern tribes. The passages contribute different statements and should not be collapsed into one episode. External royal identification belongs to historical comparison, while demand, payment and withdrawal can be followed directly in Kings.

Evidence trail

This introduction draws on the following sources: [1][2][3]. Section reading trails highlight selected references where a more precise relationship has been recorded. Unmapped passages and other references remain at article level; these trails are not a sentence-by-sentence verification. Editorial guidance is identified in the text.

Go to the evidence

Sources & further reading

A foundation to build on

This introduction was compiled from the linked sources and has not received specialist peer review. It is intended as a route into further research. Read how corrections and reviews are handled.

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