Pekah

Technical Profile

• Name Meaning: Hebrew Peqaḥ (פֶּקַח), “open-eyed” or “watchful,” functioning as a personal name.
• Period/Era: Divided Kingdom
• Main References: 2 Kings 15:25–31; 2 Kings 16:5; Isaiah 7:1–9; 1 Chronicles 5:26
• Key Connections: Son of Remaliah; allied with Rezin king of Aram (Damascus); opposed by Judah’s King Ahaz; interacted with Assyrian power under Tiglath-pileser III.

Who was Pekah?

Pekah was a king of Israel (Northern Kingdom) who came to power through a coup against Pekahiah in Samaria.
He is portrayed within the Deuteronomistic history as continuing Israel’s established patterns of cultic sin.
His reign is especially noted for international conflict involving Aram, Judah, and Assyria.

Key Events & Achievements

• Assassination and accession: Conspired against Pekahiah and seized the throne in Samaria (2 Kings 15:25).
• Syro-Ephraimite pressure on Judah: Joined Rezin of Aram in military action against Ahaz of Judah (2 Kings 16:5; Isa 7:1–2).
• Assyrian territorial losses and downfall: Tiglath-pileser captured northern regions, and Pekah was later assassinated by Hoshea (2 Kings 15:29–30).

Life Lesson & Legacy

Pekah’s reign illustrates how political alliances and internal violence shaped Israel’s final decades under growing Assyrian domination.

Key Verse

"In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and he carried the people captive to Assyria." — 2 Kings 15:29, ESV