Pekah

Meaning: open-eyed

a captain in the army of King Pekahiah, and eventually the usurping king of Israel

King Pekah was the son of Remaliah. He murdered King Pekahiah with the aid of a band of Gileadites, and succeeded him on the throne (B.C. 758) (2 Kings 15:25)

17 years after this, he entered into an alliance with King Rezin of Syria, and took part with him in besieging Jerusalem (2 Kings 15:37; 16:5). But King Tiglath-pilser, who was in alliance with Ahaz, king of Judah, came up against Pekah, and carried away captive many of the inhabitants of his kingdom (2 Kings 15:29).

This was the beginning of the “Captivity.” Soon after this Pekah, was put to death by Hoshea, the last king of Israel and the son of Elah. Hoshea usurped the throne (2 Kings 15:30; 16:1-9. Compare Isa. 7:16; 8:4; 9:12).

King Pekah is supposed by some to have been the foolish worthless shepherd mentioned in Zechariah 11:16.

For behold, I am going to raise up a shepherd in the land who will not care for the perishing, seek the scattered, heal the broken, or sustain the one standing, but will devour the flesh of the fat sheep and tear off their hoofs.

“Woe to the worthless shepherd
Who leaves the flock!
A sword will be on his arm
And on his right eye!
His arm will be totally withered
And his right eye will be blind.”

—Zechariah 11:15-17 NASB