Boy Old Testament Known
Pekah
he that opens; that is at liberty
פֶּ֫קַח pe.qach
Pekah (Hebrew: פֶּ֫קַח, pe.qach) means “he that opens; that is at liberty”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 16 verses across 3 books of the Bible. In United States birth records the name is below the reporting threshold. Appears with Argob in 2 Kings 15.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Pekah
son of Remaliah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 16 across 3 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Old
- Era
- Divided Kingdom
Using it today
In United States birth records this name is below the reporting threshold. The Social Security Administration does not publish counts under five, so a name given to four children looks the same as one given to none.
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | 2 Kings 15:25 |
| Last appears | Isaiah 8:6 |
| Cross-references | 392 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Remaliah co-occurrence Appears with Remaliah in 2 Kings 15.
- Rezin co-occurrence Appears with Rezin in Isaiah 7.
- Argob co-occurrence Appears with Argob in 2 Kings 15.
- Arieh co-occurrence Appears with Arieh in 2 Kings 15.
- Jotham co-occurrence Appears with Jotham in 2 Kings 15.
- Tiglath-pileser co-occurrence Appears with Tiglath-pileser in 2 Kings 16.
Origin & meaning
A king of the Kingdom of Israel, living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.15.25;
son of: Remaliah (H7425)
§ Pekah = "opened"
son of Remaliah, originally a captain of king Pekahiah of Israel, murdered Pekahiah, usurped the throne and became the 18th king of the northern kingdom of Israel
Pekah, son of Remaliah, king of Israel who reigned for 20 years.
The biblical story
Pekah son of Remaliah was the king of Israel for 20 years, according to 2 Kings 15. He came to power by conspiring against and assassinating King Pekahiah. During his reign, Pekah allied with Rezin king of Aram to attack Judah, but they were unsuccessful in capturing Jerusalem (2Ki.16.5; Isa.7.1). However, Pekah did inflict heavy casualties on Judah, killing 120,000 in one day (2Ch.28.6). Pekah's reign ended when Hoshea conspired against him, killed him, and succeeded him as king. Pekah's reign was marked by political instability and conflict with Judah.
Key verses
Pekah appears in 11 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
But Pekah the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king’s house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
2 Kings 15:25 -
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.
2 Kings 15:27 -
In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath–pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel–beth–maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
2 Kings 15:29 -
And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.
2 Kings 15:30 -
And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
2 Kings 15:31
Show all 11 references
2 Kings (9)
- 2 Kings 15:25
- 2 Kings 15:27
- 2 Kings 15:29
- 2 Kings 15:30
- 2 Kings 15:31
- 2 Kings 15:32
- 2 Kings 15:37
- 2 Kings 16:1
- 2 Kings 16:5
2 Chronicles (1)
- 2 Chronicles 28:6
Isaiah (1)
- Isaiah 7:1