Who was Remaliah in the Bible?

Remaliah was the father of Pekah, who assassinated King Pekahiah of Israel to become king himself. He is mentioned only as a parent in the historical accounts of the kings of Israel (2 Kings 15:25-27).

Why is Remaliah mentioned in the Bible?

Remaliah is mentioned to establish the lineage and identity of his son, King Pekah, during a turbulent period in Israel's history. His name is used to distinguish Pekah from other kings, such as in the prophecy of Isaiah concerning the Syro-Ephraimite War (Isaiah 7:1-9).

What was significant about Remaliah's son, Pekah?

Pekah, Remaliah's son, was a military captain who usurped the throne and reigned as king of Israel for 20 years. His reign was marked by conflict with Judah and is noted in the biblical chronology of the kings (2 Kings 15:27).

Remaliah

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleKingFather

Remaliah was the father of Pekah, who became king of Israel and reigned for 20 years.

Remaliah

Biography

Remaliah was the father of Pekah, who assassinated King Pekahiah of Israel and seized the throne in Samaria, reigning for twenty years (2 Kings 15:25–28). Pekah son of Remaliah is one of the most frequently named figures in the prophetic literature of the eighth century BC, appearing prominently in Isaiah's writings. During his reign, Pekah allied with Rezin king of Syria to threaten Jerusalem, provoking the crisis recorded in Isaiah 7 known as the Syro-Ephraimite War. Isaiah pointedly referred to Pekah dismissively as merely 'the son of Remaliah' (Isaiah 7:4–9), a rhetorical device emphasizing his lack of legitimacy as a usurper. Remaliah himself is not described beyond his paternal role.

Significance

Remaliah's significance is almost entirely mediated through his son Pekah, yet his name carries notable weight in prophetic discourse. Isaiah's repeated designation of Pekah as 'son of Remaliah' rather than by his royal name was a studied insult, refusing to grant the usurper the dignity of kingly identity. This rhetorical move underscores a key Isaianic theme: that earthly political power, however threatening it appears, is transient and ultimately inconsequential before the purposes of God. The Syro-Ephraimite coalition, Pekah and Rezin, is dismissed as 'two smoldering stubs of firewood' (Isaiah 7:4). Remaliah's family thus becomes a foil against which Isaiah's vision of God's sovereign control over international affairs is vividly articulated.

Verse Appearances (13)

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]

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Remaliah

Biography

Significance

Verse Appearances (13)

2Kgs

2Chr

Isaiah

References