Tiglath-pileser

Biblical Record

Tiglath-pileser was an eighth-century BC king of Assyria. Scholars commonly call him Tiglath-pileser III. His reign is generally dated from about 745 BC to about 727 BC, although the dates vary somewhat among scholars. In the Bible he appears in 2 Kings 15–16, 1 Chronicles 5, and 2 Chronicles 28.

• Under Menahem of Israel: According to 2 Kings 15:19–20, when "Pul the king of Assyria" invaded, King Menahem paid him a thousand talents of silver. This "Pul" is widely accepted as another name for Tiglath-pileser.
• Under Pekah: According to 2 Kings 15:29, he captured Ijon, Abelbethmaachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, Galilee, and all the land of Naphtali, and carried the inhabitants captive to Assyria. First Chronicles 5:6, 26 records that the tribes of Reuben and Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh were taken captive by him.
• Under Ahaz of Judah: Rezin king of Syria and Pekah king of Israel attacked Judah, in a conflict commonly called the Syro-Ephraimite War. Ahaz sent the silver and gold of the temple and the royal palace to Tiglath-pileser and asked for his help (2 Kings 16:7–8). Tiglath-pileser captured Damascus and killed Rezin (16:9). Ahaz went to Damascus to meet him and sent the pattern of an altar he saw there to Urijah the priest, who built a copy of it (16:10–11).

Significance Within Scripture

Scripture portrays him as the one who initiated the first phase of the Assyrian invasions that led to the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel. First Chronicles 5:26 records that God stirred up the spirit of the king of Assyria to carry away the tribes east of the Jordan, thus interpreting his campaigns as judgment on Israel's sin. Second Chronicles 28:20 states that he "came unto him, and distressed him, but strengthened him not," an account that emphasizes the consequences of relying on a great power rather than on God.

This period overlaps with the ministry of Isaiah. The Immanuel prophecy and the warnings of Assyrian invasion in Isaiah 7–8 are set against the backdrop of the crisis Ahaz faced. Isaiah 9:1–7 speaks of "the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali" being afflicted, which is commonly read as a reference to Tiglath-pileser's conquest of the region. The New Testament does not mention him by name, but Matthew 4:15–16 quotes this passage from Isaiah in describing the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Galilee.

Interpretation and Issues

• Is he the same person as Pul? First Chronicles 5:26 mentions "Pul king of Assyria" and "Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria" side by side, which can be read as referring to two different people. Because he is known to appear in Babylonian records under the name Pulu, most modern commentaries regard the two names as referring to one person.
• Did he help or oppress? Second Kings says he attacked Damascus at Ahaz's request, while 2 Chronicles says he did not help but rather distressed Ahaz. The two accounts are commonly read together to mean that although Judah received immediate military assistance, the heavy tribute and its status as a vassal ultimately oppressed the nation.
• Extrabiblical sources: Assyrian inscriptions are known to record, among other things, the tribute paid by Menahem and Ahaz. This information comes from archaeological sources and is distinct from the biblical narrative.

There are no significant interpretive differences among denominations regarding him.

In the Korean Church

He is rarely treated as a main subject. He is mentioned chiefly as a background figure in sermons and Bible studies on Ahaz or the book of Isaiah, and he is often introduced when explaining Ahaz's decision to rely on a great power instead of God in a time of crisis. When Isaiah 9 is read during Advent and Christmas, his invasion is sometimes explained as the historical background of "Galilee of the nations."