The Meaning of 2 Kings 15:19 Explained

2 Kings 15:19

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

YLT: Pul king of Asshur hath come against the land, and Menahem giveth to Pul a thousand talents of silver, for his hand being with him to strengthen the kingdom in his hand.

Darby: Pul the king of Assyria came against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to establish the kingdom in his hand.

ASV: There came against the land Pul the king of Assyria; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver, that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[And] Pul  the king  of Assyria  came  against the land:  and Menahem  gave  Pul  a thousand  talents  of silver,  that his hand  might be with him to confirm  the kingdom  in his hand. 

What does 2 Kings 15:19 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 15:13-22 - Buying Temporary Relief
The usurping murderer Shallum enjoyed but a very brief reign, occupying the throne for one month only, and then being slain by Menahem, who, according to Josephus, was commander of his forces. Menahem carried his arms as far as Tiphsah, which apparently resisted this red-handed assassin. The ruthless cruelty which he showed toward the hapless citizens attracted the notice of the Assyrian monarch, and led ultimately to that invasion of Israel which terminated in its destruction. God has ever sat as Judge over the nations. His judgments and sentences are exact. With what measure we mete, it shall be measured to us again.
Menahem obtained a temporary respite by the gift of one thousand talents, which secured the alliance of the king of Assyria, turning him from an avenger into a patron. See Hosea 5:13. This was the confederacy to which Isaiah probably refers in his chapter, Isaiah 8:1-22, when he alludes to a confederacy that seemed to bode no good. But on the bosom of this cloud of menace shone, as always, the rainbow of promise which is implied in the name "Immanuel." [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 15

1  Azariah's good reign
5  He dying a leper, is succeeded by Jotham
8  Zachariah the last of Jehu's generation, reigning ill, is slain by Shallum
13  Shallum, reigning a month, is slain by Nenahem
16  Menahem strengthens himself by Pul
21  Pekahiah succeeds him
23  Pekahiah is slain by Pekah
27  Pekah is oppressed by Tiglath-pileser, and slain by Hoshea
32  Jotham's good reign
36  Ahaz succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 15:19 mean?

Came Pul king of Assyria against the land and gave Menahem Pul a thousand talents of silver that might be his hand with him to strengthen the kingdom under his control
בָּ֣א פ֤וּל מֶֽלֶךְ־ אַשּׁוּר֙ עַל־ הָאָ֔רֶץ וַיִּתֵּ֤ן מְנַחֵם֙ לְפ֔וּל אֶ֖לֶף כִּכַּר־ כָּ֑סֶף לִהְי֤וֹת יָדָיו֙ אִתּ֔וֹ לְהַחֲזִ֥יק הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה בְּיָדֽוֹ

בָּ֣א  Came 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
פ֤וּל  Pul 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פּוּל 
Sense: the Babylonian name for Tiglath-pileser III, king of Assyria.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁוּר֙  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וַיִּתֵּ֤ן  and  gave 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
מְנַחֵם֙  Menahem 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מְנַחֵם  
Sense: son of Gadi and king of the northern kingdom of Israel; slew the usurper Shallum to ascend the throne and reigned for ten years; contemporary with prophets Hosea and Amos.
לְפ֔וּל  Pul 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פּוּל 
Sense: the Babylonian name for Tiglath-pileser III, king of Assyria.
אֶ֖לֶף  a  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine singular construct
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
כִּכַּר־  talents 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: כִּכָּר  
Sense: round.
כָּ֑סֶף  of  silver 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
לִהְי֤וֹת  that  might  be 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
יָדָיו֙  his  hand 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
אִתּ֔וֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.
לְהַחֲזִ֥יק  to  strengthen 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: חָזַק  
Sense: to strengthen, prevail, harden, be strong, become strong, be courageous, be firm, grow firm, be resolute, be sore.
הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה  the  kingdom 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַמְלָכָה  
Sense: kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty.
בְּיָדֽוֹ  under  his  control 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.