Original Word: רְמַלְיָהוּ
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Rmalyahuw
Pronunciation: reh-mal-yah-hoo
Phonetic Spelling: (rem-al-yaw'-hoo)
KJV: Remaliah
NASB: Remaliah
Word Origin: [from an unused root and H3050 (יָהּ - LORD) (perhaps meaning to deck)]

1. Jah has bedecked
2. Remaljah, an Israelite

Remaliah

From an unused root and Yahh (perhaps meaning to deck); Jah has bedecked; Remaljah, an Israelite -- Remaliah.

see HEBREW Yahh

Word Origin
from an unused word and Yah
Definition
father of King Pekah of Isr.
NASB Translation
Remaliah (13).

רְמַלְיָ֫הוּ proper name, masculine father of Pekah, king of Israrel, ׳בֶּןרֿ 2 Kings 15:25,27,30,32,37; 2 Kings 16:1,5; Isaiah 7:1; 2Chronicles 28:6; contemptuous (מֶּקַח omitted) Isaiah 7:4,5,9; Isaiah 8:6 υιὃς Ῥομελίου.

Identity and Biblical Footprint

Remaliah is mentioned exclusively as the father of Pekah, king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. His name thus anchors thirteen Old Testament references (all patronymic), spanning historical narrative (2 Kings), parallel chronicling (2 Chronicles), and prophetic discourse (Isaiah). Although Scripture records no personal deeds of Remaliah, the repeated naming underscores the house from which Pekah emerged and frames a critical era at the close of Israel’s national life.

Historical Context in the Kingdom of Israel

Remaliah lived during the waning decades of the Northern Kingdom, a period marked by political instability, rapid turnovers of power, and mounting Assyrian pressure. His son served first as a military officer under King Pekahiah. In approximately 740 B.C. Pekah “conspired against him and struck him down in Samaria… So he reigned in his place” (2 Kings 15:25). That coup initiated a nine-year reign characterized by alliance with Aram-Damascus and open hostility toward Judah. Though Remaliah is not listed among the conspirators, the consistent use of his name in connection with Pekah suggests that Pekah’s legitimacy, such as it was, rested on their family identity rather than on a divinely sanctioned dynasty like that of David in Judah.

Association with Pekah and Regime Change

2 Kings 15:27–30 presents Pekah as a usurper whose reign drew swift Assyrian reprisal. Tiglath-Pileser III invaded, annexed Galilean territories, and deported large populations, thereby crippling the northern kingdom. Ultimately an internal plot led by Hoshea removed Pekah: “Hoshea son of Elah attacked and assassinated Pekah son of Remaliah, and in the twentieth year of Jotham… he reigned in his place” (2 Kings 15:30). Hence the house of Remaliah lasted only a single generation, illustrating the transient nature of authority disconnected from covenant fidelity.

The Syro-Ephraimite War

Pekah son of Remaliah joined Rezin king of Aram in a bid to coerce Judah into an anti-Assyrian coalition (2 Kings 16:5). This alliance precipitated the Syro-Ephraimite War, a watershed event in Isaiah’s ministry:

• Isaiah 7:1 records that “Rezin king of Aram and Pekah son of Remaliah marched up to wage war against Jerusalem, but they could not overcome it.”

• The prophet then confronted the fearful King Ahaz with divine reassurance: “Take care and be calm. Do not fear or lose heart because of these two smoldering stubs of firebrands—because of the fierce anger of Rezin and Aram, and of the son of Remaliah” (Isaiah 7:4).

Isaiah’s deliberate refusal even to call Pekah by name in verses 4–9 (“the son of Remaliah”) emphasizes the insignificance of human schemes before the sovereignty of the LORD. The same passage sets the stage for the Immanuel prophecy (Isaiah 7:14), linking the failed designs of Remaliah’s house with the ultimate promise of the Davidic Messiah.

Prophetic Judgment and Theological Significance

Isaiah’s oracles treat Pekah as the embodiment of apostate Israelite leadership. In Isaiah 8:6 the LORD charges the people for “rejecting the gently flowing waters of Shiloah and rejoicing in Rezin and the son of Remaliah,” predicting the overwhelming flood of Assyria as judgment. Thus Remaliah’s lineage becomes a symbol of misplaced trust and rebellion against divine covenant.

Several themes emerge:

• Covenant versus conspiracy – The Remaliah dynasty attempted to secure national survival through political stratagems, only to hasten destruction, validating the Deuteronomic principle that obedience, not machination, ensures blessing.

• Divine preservation of the Davidic line – While Pekah threatened Judah, God preserved the throne of David, underscoring messianic promises that culminate in Jesus Christ.

• The certainty of prophetic word – Isaiah’s predictions concerning the downfall of Israel and the limitation of Pekah’s power came to pass precisely, affirming the reliability of Scripture.

Lessons for Faith and Ministry

1. Lineage cannot substitute for loyalty to God. Remaliah’s name survives solely because of his son’s prominence; yet their house fell swiftly due to persistent sin.

2. Political alliances void of divine counsel invite disaster. Modern believers, individually and corporately, must ground decisions in God’s Word rather than human calculation.

3. God’s redemptive plan advances despite hostile powers. The failure of Rezin and Pekah cleared the way for prophecy concerning Immanuel, reminding the church that adversity often serves to highlight divine sovereignty and grace.

In sum, Remaliah’s biblical footprint, though confined to a patronymic role, illuminates the larger narrative of covenant faithfulness versus human rebellion, the fidelity of God to His promises, and the unfolding revelation that reaches its apex in the Messiah.

רְמַלְיָ֑הוּ רְמַלְיָ֔הוּ רְמַלְיָ֖הוּ רְמַלְיָ֜הוּ רְמַלְיָ֤הוּ רְמַלְיָ֧הוּ רְמַלְיָֽהוּ׃ רמליהו רמליהו׃ rə·mal·yā·hū remalYahu rəmalyāhūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts