2 Kings 14

Harmony and war between Israel and Judah
..
Text
Explanation
 1 ¶ In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.
 2 He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
 3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.
.4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
 5 And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father.
  1 - Amaziah A king of Judah
  3 - Not like David Not with a perfect heart 2ch2502. He worshipped the gods of Edom after defeating the nation, and he threatened the prophet who rebuked him.
  4 - Not taken away Until Hezekiah did so 2ki1804.
 6 But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
.7 He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day. 
  6 - Children of the murderers Apparently a common practice. For the law see de2416.
 8 ¶ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
.9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
 10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? 
  8 - Sent messengers See 2ch25 for more detail.
  9 - Give thy daughter They created other links, too 1ki2244, 2ki0818, 26; 2ch1801.
  10 - Tarry at home Good advice.
 11 But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.
 12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.
  11 - Amaziah would not hear He was too proud to accept good reason.
  12 - Judah ... worse This Jehoash had predicted. Judah suffered.
  13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
.14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.
  13 - Brake down the wall 400 cubits is more than 600 ft. (thus around 180 m.). This left the city with poor defense.
 15 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
.16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.
 17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
 18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
  15 - The rest ... Jehoash Two verses close the book for Jehoash which we have already seen in 2ki1312. He may have been coregent with his son Jeroboam II.
  17 - Amaziah ... fifteen years No time like this is mentioned elsewhere in the record of the kings. He was not popular " they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem- -Amaziah's apostasy (2Ch 25:27) was followed by a general maladministration, especially the disastrous issue of the war with Israel. The ruinous condition of Jerusalem, the plunder of the temple, and the loss of their children who were taken as hostages [2Ki 14:13,14], lost him the respect and attachment not of the grandees only, but of his subjects generally, who were in rebellion. The king fled in terror to Lachish, a frontier town of the Philistines, where, however, he was traced and murdered. His friends had his corpse brought without any pomp or ceremony, in a chariot to Jerusalem, where he was interred among his royal ancestors." (JFB)
.19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.
 20 And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
.21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 
 22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
  19 - Conspiracy He became unpopular.
  19 - Lackish Now known as Tel ed-Duweir. See map.
  20 - Horses "Lackish was connected with Jerusalem by a chariot road leading east to the central highlands and then north to the capital. Micah mentions chariots in connection with Lackish in his prophetic  allusion to the city mi0113. (SDA Bible Commentary, p. 933.)
  22 - Elath On the Gulf of Aqabah in Edom, near Ezion-geber de0208, 1ki0926.
 23 ¶ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.
 24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
.25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher.
 26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.
 27 And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
  23 - Jeroboam The same name as that of Israel's first king 1ki1220.
  25 - Entering Hamath ... sea of the plain From the far north to the Dead Sea nu3408, jos1305, nu3412, jos0316.
  25 - Jonah His ministry was more than to Nineveh. See map.
  25 - Gathhepher jos1913. 4.4 km (under 2 miles) from Nazareth. 
  27 - Said not ... blot out This would come later. The author may have referred to de3236, de2920.
  27 - Saved them by ... This does not mean the Lord approved their actions or victories. Prosperity was in spite of Jeroboam's wickedness v24.
.
Often you will need to read more verses than the one in the link code.
 28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
 29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.
  28 - Jeroboam ... all Power brings pride and corruption. See his condemnation in ho0505, ho0710, am0613. We don't find the record of this second Jeroboam in the Chronicles recorded in the Bible. See on 2ki1312.
__________________________________
Previous
Next
Kings home
Commentary home
Contact

images ©