2 Kings 15:19 meaning

During a tumultuous period in Israel's history, Menahem, who seized the throne through violent means, faced external threats from the Assyrian king, Pul. To solidify his power and protect his reign, Menahem resorted to paying an exorbitant sum—1,000 talents of silver—to the king of Assyria. This payment was likely acquired through forceful taxation of the wealthy elite in Israel, leaving the burden largely on them while sparing the impoverished. His actions resonate with the age-old biblical principle that governance grounded in injustice invites disaster, reflecting the biblical theme of the transient nature of power unrooted in faithfulness to God.