2 Kings14

Amaziah, king of Judah, initially did right but retained high places. After defeating Edom, he foolishly challenged Jehoash, king of Israel, leading to Judah's defeat, Jerusalem's wall being breached, and the temple plundered. Amaziah was later assassinated, while Jeroboam II of Israel, though evil, expanded his kingdom according to prophecy, saving Israel from severe affliction.
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Amaziah Reigns in Judah

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.
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. ​

Amaziah Challenges Israel's King Jehoash

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?
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.
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. ​
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.

Conspiracy and Death of Amaziah

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?
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. ​

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

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. ​
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.

Study Notes for 2 Kings 14

Verse 3

Amaziah’s reign is assessed as generally positive, but the phrase 'not like David his father' indicates he did not fully adhere to the covenant standard or achieve the spiritual purity of the ideal king.

Verse 4

The persistence of 'high places' (local, illicit shrines) is a common critique in Kings, demonstrating that while Amaziah was morally just, he failed to centralize worship as required by the Deuteronomic law.

Verse 6

This action demonstrates obedience to the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 24:16), which prohibited corporate punishment, establishing judicial fairness by holding only the murderers themselves accountable.

Verse 7

This victory established Amaziah’s military reputation. Selah, meaning 'rock,' is generally identified with the Edomite capital, Petra, located in a highly defensible area.

Verse 8

This challenge ('Come, let us look one another in the face') suggests Amaziah’s hubris, likely inflated by his recent victory over Edom (v. 7), leading him to provoke the stronger Northern Kingdom.

Verse 9

Jehoash responds with a dismissive fable: the thistle (Amaziah/Judah) presumptuously seeks alliance with the cedar (Jehoash/Israel), warning Judah against provoking a clearly superior power.

Verse 13

Breaking down 400 cubits (about 600 feet) of the Jerusalem wall was a profound political humiliation, symbolizing the subjugation of Judah to Israel and leaving the capital city vulnerable.

Verse 14

The plundering of the Temple treasures and the royal palace demonstrated Israel's dominance and extracted a massive war indemnity, severely weakening Judah’s resources.

Verse 17

Amaziah outlived his conqueror, Jehoash, by fifteen years, suggesting a long period of quiet, perhaps politically restricted, rule following the devastating defeat.

Verse 19

The conspiracy against Amaziah suggests deep internal dissatisfaction, possibly due to the humiliation and massive financial loss resulting from the war with Israel (vv. 12-14).

Verse 21

Azariah is the name given here, but he is known elsewhere in Scripture (e.g., 2 Chronicles 26) as Uzziah, who became one of Judah’s most powerful and successful kings.

Verse 22

Elath (Eilat), a port on the Gulf of Aqaba, was strategically important for trade; its restoration indicates a renewal of Judah's commercial strength and control over key routes.

Verse 23

Jeroboam II’s long reign (41 years) marks the final period of great political and economic prosperity for the Northern Kingdom before its rapid decline and eventual destruction.

Verse 24

Despite his military success, Jeroboam II continued the state sponsorship of idolatry initiated by Jeroboam son of Nebat (the golden calves), indicating a lack of true religious reform.

Verse 25

This verse credits the territorial expansion not to Jeroboam's piety but to the prophetic word delivered by Jonah, identifying the prophet famous for Nineveh as a native of Gath-hepher in Galilee.

Verse 26

The Lord’s motivation for saving Israel was purely compassion for their extreme suffering under foreign oppression, demonstrating divine faithfulness to the covenant despite Israel's enduring sinfulness.

Verse 27

God chose to use the wicked King Jeroboam II as His instrument of deliverance, illustrating that divine purposes can be achieved through imperfect or unfaithful human means.

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