2 Kings 15:25

2Ki 15:25 But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.

Ver. 25. But Pekah the son, &c.] Phace, quidam eiusdem nominis, saith Sulpitius: but that is not so; Pekahiah and Pekah are names like, but not the same.

With Argob and Arieh.] These, saith Josephus, were slain, together with their king, at a feast.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Which were of the same conspiracy.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

with Argob and Arieh, &c.--Many commentators view these as the captain's accomplices. But it is more probable that they were influential friends of the king, who were murdered along with him.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 25. Smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh] Who Argob and Arieh were we know not; some make them men, some make them statues. Pekah had fifty Gileadites in the conspiracy with him.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

23–26. Reign of Pekahiah king of Israel. He is slain by Pekah, the son of Remaliah, who succeeds him (Not in Chronicles)

25. Pekah … a captain of his] R.V. his captain. The word is the same which in 2Ki_7:2 is used for the captain (A.V. lord) on whose hand the king of Israel leaned. Probably Pekah occupied some such position about the king, which gave him the opportunity of attacking his master, for the murder was perpetrated ‘in the castle of the king’s house’. From the mention of the fifty men of the Gileadites who took part with him in the conspiracy, it has been conjectured that Pekah was himself a native of that wild land, the home in former days of Jephthah and of Elijah. His conduct is of the kind to be expected from one nursed in such wild localities.

in the palace [R.V. castle] of the king’s house] The word is rendered ‘palace’ everywhere in A.V. except Pro_18:19 ‘like the bars of a castle’. But here and in 1Ki_16:18 (see note there) the sense requires some word expressive of security and protection from a foe. Hence the change in R.V. We know so little of the construction of the royal houses of Israel that it is difficult to be precise about what is meant. But it seems most likely that the king when he knew that Pekah and his fifty comrades were bent on his murder would take refuge in the most fortified place he could reach.

with Argob and Arieh] Doubtless two friends who had remained with Pekahiah to the last.

of the Gileadites] The LXX. has in some MSS. the words ἀπὸ τῶν τετρακοσίων=of the four hundred. I have found no means of explaining the reading. Before ‘fifty’ in this clause R.V. inserts were.

and he killed [R.V. slew] him and reigned in his room] R.V. stead. The words are exactly the same in the original as the closing words of verse 10 above. Both should be alike in the English.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Howbeit the high places were not removed,.... As they were not by his father, and the same is observed of the best of kings before:

the people sacrificed and burnt incense still in the high places; from which they could not be brought off by prophets or kings:

he built the higher gate of the house of the Lord; which was between the temple and the king's palace, which led to it; this he repaired and beautified, or added something to it; or otherwise it was built by Solomon, and therefore called the new gate, Jer 26:10 it is the same that was afterwards called the gate of Nicanor; the east gate, as say the Jewish writers (k).

(k) T. Bab. Sotah, fol. 7. 1. Gloss. in ib. Maimon. Cele Hamikdash, c. 7. sect. 6.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

A captain of his - A mere “captain,” a person, therefore, of very moderate rank. The low birth of Pekah is probably glanced at in Isaiah’s favorite designation of him as “Remaliah’s son” Isa 7:4-5, Isa 7:9; Isa 8:6.

From the fact that Pekah employed Gileadites to carry out his designs, it has been conjectured that he himself belonged to the trans-Jordanic region.

In the palace of the king’s house - Rather, “In the tower of the king’s palace;” or possibly “in the harem of the king’s palace” (1Ki 16:18 note).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Near. Hebrew, "may be along with Argob, &c." who were in the conspiracy. (Chaldean, Septaugint, &c.) (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Argob and Arieh might be either Pekah’s partners in this treason, or the king’s courtiers or officers, who were now slain with him.

Fifty men of the Gileadites; who assisted him in the execution of his treason.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

25. Smote him… in the palace of the king’s house — Rather, as Gesenius, “the fortress of the king’s house, the innermost part, as the highest and strongest, q.d., the citadel. J.D. Michaelis, and after him most modern interpreters, here translate it the woman’s apartment, the harem; but there is no trace of this in the ancient interpreters, nor is there any reason for departing from the simple explanation above given.”

With Argob and Arieh — That is, as the Hebrew particle אתhere sufficiently indicates, Argob and Arieh were slain along with the king. They were probably two important persons of Pekahiah’s court, whom Pekah thought it not safe to leave alive after their master’s assassination.

With him — With Pekah.

Fifty men of the Gileadites — These men probably belonged to the royal army, and were under the command of Captain Pekah, and joined with him in the conspiracy.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But Pekah the son of Remaliah. Remaliah was probably a man of some importance, since Pekah seems to have been almost better known by his patronymic, Ben-Remaliah, "son of Remaliah," than by his own proper name. (see Isa_7:4, Isa_7:5, 9 8:6) A captain of his of a thousand," according to Josephus (l.s.c.)conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king"s house; literally, in the tower (or keep) of the king"s house, the loftiest part (wOmra is from to be high) certainly not the harem (Ewald), if Pekahiah was feasting there with his friends (dolofonhqeiw metalwn ajpeqane), as Josephus says. With Argob and Arieh. These seem to be the "friends" of Josephus, who were with the king and shared his fate, not fellow-conspirators with Pekah. The names are uncommon ones. And with himi.e. Pekahfifty men of the Gileadites ; fifty men of "the Four Hundred," according to the LXX "The Four Hundred" were probably the royal body-guard, which at this time may have consisted of Gileadites. And he killed him, and reigned in his room. It does not appear that Pekah had any grievance. His crime seems to have been simply prompted by ambition.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Pekah ... Remaliah

These are men's names. (See: How to Translate Names)

conspired against him

"secretly planned to kill Pekahiah"

fifty men

"50 men" (See: Numbers)

Argob ... Arieh

These are men's names. (See: How to Translate Names)

the citadel of the king's palace

"the fortified part of the king's palace" or "the safe place in the king's palace"

became king in his place

The phrase "in his place" is a metaphor meaning "instead of him." AT: "became king instead of Pekahiah" (See: Metaphor)

they are written in the book of the events of the kings of Israel

This can be stated in active form. AT: "you can read about them in the book of the events of the kings of Israel" (See: Active or Passive)

translationWords

Samaria

king

palace

Gilead

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

His mighty warrior. His mighty warrior. [Near] the palace and [near] the lion. Every ארגוב is an expression of important palaces, and every טרכונין in Aramaic [means] important palaces of the kingdom. In the great chamber that was next to the palace.

[Near] the palace and [near] the lion. Every ארגוב is an expression of important palaces, and every טרכונין in Aramaic [means] important palaces of the kingdom. In the great chamber that was next to the palace.

And [near] the lion. It is possible to say that a golden lion was standing in that palace.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.