Original Word: פֶקַח
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Peqach
Pronunciation: peh'-kakh
Phonetic Spelling: (peh'-kakh)
KJV: Pekah
NASB: Pekah
Word Origin: [from H6491 (פָּקַח - To open)]

1. watch
2. Pekach, an Israelite king

Pekah

From paqach; watch; Pekach, an Israelite king -- Pekah.

see HEBREW paqach

Word Origin
from paqach
Definition
"opening," a king of Isr.
NASB Translation
Pekah (11).

מֶּ֫קַח proper name, masculine usurping king of Israel, Φακεε (opening (? of eyes), or compare Syriac flower; compare proper name, masculine פקח, ׳פקח, on old Israel seals; in Assyrian Pa‡a—a (accusative) Schr^{COT 2k 15, 30}); — 2 Kings 15:25,27,29,30,31,32,37; 2 Kings 16:1,5; Isaiah 7:1; 2Chronicles 28:6.

Name and Meaning

Pekah (פֶקַח, H6492) means “open-eyed” or “watchful.” Ironically, Scripture presents him as spiritually blind, persisting in the idolatry that doomed the Northern Kingdom.

Historical Background

Pekah lived in the turbulent eighth century B.C., when Assyria was expanding westward and the Northern Kingdom (Ephraim/Israel) was in rapid moral and political decline. His reign overlaps the ministries of Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah and the reigns of Judah’s kings Jotham and Ahaz.

Rise to Power

2 Kings 15:25 records Pekah as a military officer under Pekahiah who “conspired against him … and struck him in Samaria … and killed him, and reigned in his place.” He seized the throne during the fifty-second year of Azariah (Uzziah) of Judah and ruled twenty years (2 Kings 15:27). Most conservative chronologies regard part of that period as a rival kingship over Gilead and Galilee before he gained full control of Samaria.

Character and Religious Policy

“He did evil in the sight of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat” (2 Kings 15:28). No reform, no repentance, only the continuation of calf-worship and syncretism. Pekah’s reign illustrates that political power unmoored from covenant loyalty accelerates national ruin.

Political Alliances and Military Campaigns

1. Anti-Assyrian Coalition. As Assyria pressed westward under Tiglath-Pileser III, Pekah allied with Rezin of Aram-Damascus.
2. Syro-Ephraimite War. Together they attacked Judah to force Ahaz into their coalition (2 Kings 16:5). Isaiah 7:1 notes, “Rezin king of Aram went up with Pekah son of Remaliah … but they could not prevail against it.”
3. Assyrian Retaliation. Tiglath-Pileser responded (circa 734–732 B.C.), stripping Israel of its northern territories: “Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and captured Ijon, Abel-beth-maacah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee … and deported the people to Assyria” (2 Kings 15:29). The loss fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy that Galilee would become a region of “gloom” before it would see the “great light” of Messiah (Isaiah 9:1-2).
4. Invasion of Judah. Pekah’s incursion cost Judah dearly: “In one day Pekah son of Remaliah killed one hundred twenty thousand in Judah” (2 Chronicles 28:6). Yet the cruelty of Israel’s soldiers so offended the prophet Oded that captives were mercifully returned, underscoring God’s demand for compassion even in judgment.

Prophetic Interactions and Theological Themes

Isaiah’s prophecies during Pekah’s assault on Judah (Isaiah 7–8) highlight:
• The sovereignty of God over nations: “It will not happen; it will not occur” (Isaiah 7:7) regarding Pekah’s plan to install a puppet king in Jerusalem.
• The sign of Immanuel (Isaiah 7:14) given in direct response to Pekah’s threat, linking messianic hope to historical deliverance.
• The temporal nature of human schemes: “Within sixty-five years Ephraim will be shattered” (Isaiah 7:8b), a countdown that began during Pekah’s reign and culminated in the 722 B.C. fall of Samaria.

Downfall and Aftermath

Hoshea son of Elah assassinated Pekah (2 Kings 15:30), likely with Assyrian backing. “He struck him and put him to death … and reigned in his place.” The once-watchful king died the victim of his own methods. His removal prepared the way for the final decade of the Northern Kingdom, ending in exile.

Lessons for Faith and Ministry

• Spiritual vision matters more than political acumen. Pekah’s “open eyes” could not discern God’s judgment.
• Alliances that ignore covenant obligations invite disaster; true security lies in obedience.
• God’s word stands unbroken: every prophetic declaration concerning Pekah was fulfilled.
• Even amid chastisement, God provides mercy and future hope, foreshadowed by the Immanuel promise.

Key References

2 Kings 15:25-31; 2 Kings 15:37; 2 Kings 16:1, 5; 2 Chronicles 28:6; Isaiah 7:1.

וּפֶ֨קַח ופקח לְפֶ֖קַח לְפֶ֥קַח לפקח פֶ֖קַח פֶּ֙קַח֙ פֶּ֣קַח פֶּ֥קַח פֶּ֨קַח פקח Fekach lə·p̄e·qaḥ leFekach ləp̄eqaḥ pe·qaḥ p̄e·qaḥ Pekach peqaḥ p̄eqaḥ ū·p̄e·qaḥ uFekach ūp̄eqaḥInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts