2 Kings 15:20

“And Menahem exacted the money of Israel, even of all the mighty men of wealth, etc.] Who were most able to pay it, by which means he eased the poor, and might thereby attach them to him: of each man fifty shekels of silver, to give to the king of Assyria: that is, he required them to pay fifty shekels apiece to make up the above sum as a present to Pul; though the words in the original text lie more naturally thus, “to give to the king of Assyria fifty shekels of silver for one man”; that is, for every man in his army; which amounted to about six pounds a man: so the king of Assyria turned back; to his own country: and stayed not there in the land; in the land of Israel, neither to distress…”

“Menahem exacted the money - The kings of Israel had no such ready resource in difficulties as that possessed by the kings of Judah in the temple treasury 2 Kings 12:18; 2 Kings 16:8. Hence, the forced contribution from the people, the odium of which was diminished by confining the levy to the comparatively rich. Each man fifty shekels - As the silver talent contained 3,000 shekels, the levy of fifty shekels a head must have extended to 60,000 persons. return to 'Top of Page'”

“Menahem: Kg2 23:35 exacted: Heb. caused to come forth the mighty: Rut 2:1; Sa2 19:32; Job 1:3 of each man: etc. Or, rather, as Bishop Patrick renders, "to give to the king of Assyria fifty shekels of silver for each man," i.e., in his army. It may be supposed, that Menahem compelled "the mighty men of wealth" to give much more a-piece than this sum (somewhat about 5. sterling each) and each of them in some proportion to his affluence. stayed not: Kg2 15:29, Kg2 17:3, Kg2 17:4, Kg2 18:14-17 4 Kings (2 Kings) 15:21”

“To collect the requisite amount, Menahem imposed upon all persons of property a tax of fifty shekels each. יצא with על, he caused to arise, i.e., made a collection. הציא in a causative sense, from יצא, to arise, to be paid ( Kg2 12:13). חיל גּבּורי: not warriors, but men of property, as in Ruth. Kg2 2:1; Sa1 9:1. אחד לאישׁ, for the individual. Pul was the first king of Assyria who invaded the kingdom of Israel and prepared the way for the conquest of this kingdom by his successors, and for the extension of the Assyrian power as far as Egypt. According to the thorough investigation made by Marc. v. Niebuhr (Gesch. Assurs u. Babels, pp. 128ff.), Pul, whose name has not yet been discovered upon…”