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2 Kings 16:3
But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

Isaiah 38:1-22
In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came unto him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order: for thou shalt die, and not live…

began

2 Kings 10:32
In those days the LORD began to cut Israel short: and Hazael smote them in all the coasts of Israel;

1 Samuel 3:12
In that day I will perform against Eli allthings which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end.

Jeremiah 25:29
For, lo, I begin to bring evil on the city which is called by my name, and should ye be utterly unpunished? Ye shall not be unpunished: for I will call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, saith the LORD of hosts.

to send

Deuteronomy 28:48
Therefore shalt thou serve thine enemies which the LORD shall send against thee, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in want of allthings: and he shall put a yoke of iron upon thy neck, until he have destroyed thee.

Psalm 78:49
He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, wrath, and indignation, and trouble, by sending evil angelsamong them.

Isaiah 10:5-7
O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation…

Rezin

2 Kings 16:5
Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcomehim.

2 Chronicles 28:6
For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day,which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers.

Isaiah 7:1,8
And it came to pass in the days of Ahaz the son of Jotham, the son of Uzziah, king of Judah,that Rezin the king of Syria, and Pekah the son of Remaliah, king of Israel, went up toward Jerusalem to war against it, but could not prevail against it…

Pekah

2 Kings 15:27
In the two and fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria,and reigned twenty years.

the LORD began to send
This indicates divine intervention and sovereignty over the affairs of nations. The LORD's involvement suggests that the events were part of a larger divine plan or judgment. This aligns with the biblical theme that God uses nations to accomplish His purposes, as seen in other instances such as the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities.

Rezin king of Aram
Rezin was the king of Aram, also known as Syria, with its capital in Damascus. Aram was a significant regional power and often in conflict with Israel and Judah. Rezin's involvement highlights the geopolitical tensions of the time. Archaeological findings, such as inscriptions, confirm the existence of Aram and its interactions with neighboring kingdoms.

and Pekah son of Remaliah
Pekah was the king of Israel, the northern kingdom, and reigned from approximately 752 to 732 BC. His alliance with Rezin against Judah is part of the Syro-Ephraimite War, a significant conflict in the region. This alliance is also mentioned inIsaiah 7, where the prophet Isaiah addresses the threat posed by these two kings.

against Judah
Judah, the southern kingdom, was under threat from this alliance. The political and military pressure from Rezin and Pekah was a significant challenge for King Jotham and his successor, Ahaz. This period of conflict is a backdrop for the prophecies of Isaiah, who reassured the house of David of God's protection despite the immediate threats.

• The phrase anchors us in the latter years of King Jotham’s reign in Judah (2 Kings 15:32–35;2 Chronicles 27:1–5).

• Jotham walked rightly, yet “the people still acted corruptly” (2 Chronicles 27:2), keeping idolatrous high places he never tore down.

• God’s long-standing pattern is that persistent national sin draws national discipline (Leviticus 26:17;Deuteronomy 28:25). These are “those days.”

• Scripture underscores that the covenant God Himself—not chance, politics, or military might—directed what happened next (Amos 3:6;Isaiah 45:7).

• His personal involvement reminds Judah of the blessings-and-curses terms He had spelled out generations earlier (Deuteronomy 28:1–2, 15).

• He remains faithful to His word, both to bless obedience and to chasten rebellion (Hebrews 12:6;2 Kings 17:13-18).

• “Began” shows this was the opening round of discipline; heavier blows would come under Jotham’s son Ahaz (2 Kings 16:5-9).

• God often starts with warning shots, granting space to repent (Jeremiah 18:7-8;Revelation 2:21).

• The verb “send” portrays foreign armies as instruments in His hand (Isaiah 10:5-6;Habakkuk 1:6).

• Rezin ruled Aram (Syria) from Damascus; Pekah reigned over the northern kingdom of Israel. The two formed a coalition (Isaiah 7:1-2).

• Earlier Pekah had struck Judah, killing 120,000 in one day and capturing 200,000 women and children before prophetic intervention stopped him (2 Chronicles 28:5-15).

• Their partnership shows how far Israel had drifted: instead of standing with their Judahite kinsmen against pagan nations, they allied with one (Hosea 5:13;2 Kings 15:29).

• The target is the southern kingdom. God’s purpose is corrective, not vindictive (2 Chronicles 24:20).

• The pressure exposes Judah’s vulnerability, driving the nation either toward humble reliance on the LORD or desperate human schemes. Sadly, under Ahaz the latter prevailed, leading him to appeal to Assyria and plunge Judah deeper into idolatry (2 Kings 16:7-12).

• Yet even this hostility sets the stage for prophetic hope: Isaiah tells terrified King Ahaz that God will ultimately preserve David’s line, giving the sign of Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14). Discipline and promise run side by side.

2 Kings 15:37 records the moment God initiated chastening for Judah’s lingering sin. In Jotham’s days, though the king himself was upright, the people’s corruption prompted the LORD to start sending Syrian and Israelite forces against them. This was the covenant God personally acting, first with measured discipline, employing Rezin and Pekah as His instruments. The attacks were designed to turn Judah back to wholehearted faithfulness and to prepare the backdrop for messianic promise.