Who was Pekahiah in the Bible?

Pekahiah was the son of King Menahem and the 17th king of the northern kingdom of Israel. He reigned for only two years in Samaria before being assassinated by one of his own officials (2 Kings 15:23-26).

Why is Pekahiah's reign significant?

His short, violent reign is significant as an example of the political instability and evil that characterized the final years of the northern kingdom of Israel. The Bible notes he continued in the idolatrous sins of Jeroboam, which led to God's judgment (2 Kings 15:24).

How did Pekahiah die?

Pekahiah was assassinated in the citadel of his royal palace in Samaria by Pekah, one of his chief military officers, who then seized the throne. This event is recorded in 2 Kings 15:25.

Pekahiah

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleKing

Pekahiah, son of Menahem, king of Israel who reigned for 2 years before being assassinated.

Pekahiah

Biography

Pekahiah son of Menahem ascended to the throne of the northern kingdom of Israel upon his father's death and reigned for only two years in Samaria, approximately 742-740 BC (2 Kings 15:23-26). Like his father, who had seized power through violence and paid tribute to Assyria, Pekahiah inherited a kingdom under severe political and spiritual strain. Scripture records that he did evil in the sight of the LORD, perpetuating the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which had become the defining spiritual failure of every northern king. His brief reign ended violently when his own military officer Pekah son of Remaliah conspired against him and struck him down in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria, accompanied by fifty Gileadite accomplices (2 Kings 15:25). Pekahiah thus became another victim of the political instability that plagued Israel's final decades.

Significance

Pekahiah's brief and violent reign encapsulates the terminal decline of the northern kingdom of Israel. His two-year rule was bookended by his father Menahem's brutality and his assassin Pekah's reckless foreign policy, illustrating how cycles of violence and sin become self-perpetuating in nations that abandon God. The formulaic condemnation that he "did evil in the sight of the LORD" and followed Jeroboam's sins underscores the Deuteronomistic historian's central thesis: persistent idolatry leads to national destruction. Pekahiah's assassination by a member of his own court demonstrates the internal disintegration that accompanies spiritual corruption. His story serves as a sobering reminder that political power without moral and spiritual foundation is inherently unstable and destined for collapse.

Verse Appearances (3)

2Kgs

2Kgs 15:22 2Kgs 15:23 2Kgs 15:26

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources