2 Kings 15:19

“And Pul the king of Assyria came against the land, etc.] The land of Israel, he invaded it; a Jewish chronologer f167 calls him Pulbelicho; and he is generally thought to be the same with Belochus or Belesis, governor of Babylon, who, with Arbaces the Mede, slew Sardanapalus, said to be the last of the Assyrian kings, and translated the empire to the Chaldeans; he ruling over Babylon and Nineveh, and Arbaces over the Medes and Persians; but Pul was not a Babylonian, but an Assyrian f168, and the first king of the Assyrians, at least, the Scriptures speak of: we read no more of him; but one Metasthenes, a Persian historian, feigned and published by Annius, and so named by him instead of…”

“Pul the king of Assyria--This is the first Assyrian king after Nimrod who is mentioned in biblical history. His name has been recently identified with that of Phalluka on the monuments of Nineveh, and that of Menahem discovered also. came against the land--Elsewhere it is said "Ephraim [Israel] went to the Assyrian" [Hos 5:13]. The two statements may be reconciled thus: "Pul, of his own motion, induced, perhaps, by the expedition of Menahem against Thapsacus, advanced against the kingdom of Israel; then Menahem sent him a thousand talents in order not only to divert him from his plans of conquest, but at the same time to purchase his friendship and aid for the establishment of his own…”

“This is the first distinct mention which we find in Scripture of Assyria as an aggressive power. From the native monuments we learn that she had been for above a century pushing her conquests beyond the Euphrates, and seeking to reduce under her dominion the entire tract between that river and Egypt. Jehu had paid tribute. Some - arguing from the use of the phrase “confirmed the kingdom” (here, and in 2 Kings 14:5) - think that Jehoahaz had acknowledged Assyrian suzerainty, and consented that her monarchs should receive their investiture from the hands of the Ninevite king. But hitherto there had been no hostile invasion of Jewish or Israelite soil by an Assyrian army. Now, however, the…”

“15:19-20 Tiglath-pileser: The NLT uses the Assyrian (see 15:29; 16:6) form of the name, rather than the Hebrew form, Pul, which is taken from the Babylonian. Tiglath-pileser III seized the throne of Assyria in 744 BC and provided able leadership until his death in 727 BC. • When Tiglath-pileser launched the western campaign to regain territory held by Aram, Menahem paid him a heavy tribute of thirty-seven tons of silver to keep him from overrunning Israel. • Although Menahem’s name means comfort, the unsettled conditions in the northern kingdom provided little consolation for God’s people during his reign (752–742 BC).”

“am 3233, bc 771 Pul: Prideaux supposes that this Pul was the father of the famous Sardanapalus, who was called Sardan with his father's name Pul annexed, as was frequent in those times, making Sardanpul: thus Merodach, king of Babylon, was Merodach-Baladan, because he was the son Baladan. This Pul began to reign according to Usher, am 3237, the fifth year of Menahem; and he is supposed to be the same that reigned in Nineveh, when Jonah preached in that city. Ch1 5:25, Ch1 5:26; Isa 9:1 Menahem: Kg2 12:18, Kg2 16:8, Kg2 17:3, Kg2 17:4, Kg2 18:16; Hos 5:13, Hos 8:9, Hos 8:10, Hos 10:6 to confirm: Kg2 14:5; Jer 17:5 4 Kings (2 Kings) 15:20”

“In the time of Menahem, Pul king of Assyria invaded the land, and Menahem gave him 1000 talents of silver - more than two and a half millions of thalers (375,000) - "that his hands might be with him, to confirm the kingdom in his hand." These words are understood by the majority of commentators from the time of Ephraem Syrus, when taken in connection with Hos 5:13, as signifying that Menahem invited Pul, that he might establish his government with his assistance. But the words of Hosea, "Ephraim goes to the Assyrian," sc. to seek for help ( Kg2 5:13, cf. Kg2 7:11 and Kg2 8:9), are far too general to be taken as referring specially to Menahem; and the assumption that Menahem invited Pul into…”