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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers 2 Kings 14:1–7. His two-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Amaziah, the son and successor of Joash, is the king whom here we have an account of. Let us take a view of him,
I.In the temple; and there he acted, in some measure, well, like Joash, but not like David, Kg2 14:3.
He began well, but did not persevere: He did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, kept up his attendance on God's altars and his attention to God's word, yet not like David. It is not enough to do that which our pious predecessors did, merely to keep up the usage, but we must do it as they did it, from the same principle of faith and devotion and with the same sincerity and resolution. It is here taken notice of, as before, that the high places were not taken away, Kg2 14:4. It is hard to get clear of those corruptions which, by long usage, have gained both prescription and a favourable opinion.
II.On the bench; and there we have him doing justice on the traitors that murdered his father, not as soon as ever he came to the crown, lest it should occasion some disturbance, but he prudently deferred it till the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, Kg2 14:5. To weaken a factious party gradually, when it is not safe to provoke, often proves the way to ruin it effectually. Justice strikes surely by striking slowly, and is often executed most prudently when it is not executed presently. Wisdom here is profitable to direct. Amaziah did thus,
1.According to the rule of the law, that ancient rule, that he that sheds man's blood by man shall his blood be shed. Never let traitors or murderers expect to come to their graves like other men. Let them flee to the pit, and let no man stay them.
2.Under the limitation of the law: The children of the murderers he slew not, because the law of Moses had expressly provided that the children should not be put to death for the fathers, Kg2 14:6. It is probable that this is taken notice of because there were those about him that advised him to that rigour, both in revenge (because the crime was extraordinary - the murder of a king) and in policy, that the children might not plot against him, in revenge of their father's death. But against these insinuations he opposed the express law of God (Deu 24:16), which he was to judge by, and which he resolved to adhere to and trust God with the issue. God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, because every man is guilty before him and owes him a death; so that, if he require the life for the father's sin, he does not wrong, the sinner having forfeited it already by his own. But he does not allow earthly princes to do thus: the children, before them, are innocent, and therefore must not suffer as guilty.
III.In the field; and there we find him triumphing over the Edomites, Kg2 14:7.
Edom had revolted from under the hand of Judah in Joram's time, Kg2 8:22. Now he makes war upon them to bring them back to their allegiance, kills 10,000 and takes the chief city of Arabia the stony (called Selah - a rock), and gave it a new name. We shall find a larger account of this expedition, Ch2 25:5, etc.
Historical interpretation
Historical Reception
One surviving comment on this verse from the historical church.
“In the second year of King Joash son of Ahaziah of Israel, King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah began to reign,” who avenged the death of his father, but with moderation, so that he spared the life of the relatives of the conspirators according to the prescriptions of the Law and was careful that the punishment might not be too excessive for the authors of the crime. Therefore Amaziah was pious, as long as he had before his eyes his father’s unhappy end, whose cause he could not ignore: offense against the true religion [of God]. However, when his reign began to be very prosperous, [Amaziah] rejected his fear of God which he had conceived after witnessing his father’s punishment, and embraced foreign cults. In the second book of the Annals, the Scripture relating his victory against the Edomites confirms that this was the reason of his apostasy: “But Amaziah took courage, and led out his people, and went to the Valley of Salt and smote ten thousand men of Seir. The men of Judah captured another ten thousand alive and took them to the top of a rock, and all were enchained.” And the text adds, “After Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir, and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them.”
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Summary
2 Kings 14:4 serves as a critical qualification to the generally positive assessment of King Amaziah of Judah, noting that despite his overall righteousness, "Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places." This verse underscores a persistent spiritual compromise within Judah, where unauthorized worship sites continued to operate, revealing a deep-seated challenge to complete obedience and pure devotion to Yahweh, even under kings who largely sought to follow God's commands.
Context
Literary Context
This verse immediately follows the positive assessment of King Amaziah's reign, which began by doing "that which was right in the sight of the Lord" as recorded in 2 Kings 14:3. The narrator highlights Amaziah's adherence to Mosaic Law by executing his father's murderers but sparing their children, a direct fulfillment of the command in Deuteronomy 24:16. However, the present verse introduces a significant caveat, highlighting a recurring failure among even the "good" kings of Judah—the inability or unwillingness to eradicate the high places. This pattern of partial obedience is a consistent theme throughout the Books of Kings, creating a narrative tension between a king's personal piety and the nation's spiritual purity. The verse sets the stage for Amaziah's subsequent pride and ultimate downfall, suggesting that this spiritual compromise was indicative of a deeper flaw in his commitment.
Historical & Cultural Context
The "high places" (Hebrew: bâmôt) were elevated sites, often natural hills or constructed mounds, used for religious worship. Historically, they predated the establishment of the Jerusalem Temple and were initially used for legitimate Yahwistic worship in the patriarchal and judges periods. However, with the Deuteronomic reforms and the centralization of worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, these local altars became illicit. They were problematic for several reasons: they often facilitated syncretism, blending Yahwistic worship with Canaanite fertility cults; they encouraged fragmented and unauthorized forms of worship; and they directly violated God's command for a single, central sanctuary for sacrificial worship, as articulated in Deuteronomy 12:5. The continued existence of these high places throughout the period of the monarchy, even under reforming kings like Asa (1 Kings 15:14) and Amaziah's own father, Joash (2 Kings 12:3), indicates a deep-seated popular attachment to these local shrines and a persistent struggle against pure, exclusive worship of Yahweh.
Key Themes
This verse powerfully contributes to several key themes in the Books of Kings. Firstly, it highlights the theme of Partial Obedience, illustrating how even kings deemed righteous by the narrator often fell short of complete adherence to God's commands, particularly concerning the eradication of idolatry and unauthorized worship. This partiality often undermined their overall spiritual impact on the nation. Secondly, the verse underscores the Persistent Idolatry and Syncretism within Israelite society. The high places represent the nation's chronic inclination to mix true worship with forbidden practices or to worship God in a manner not prescribed by the Law. This deep-rooted spiritual problem ultimately contributed to the downfall of both Israel and Judah. Thirdly, it emphasizes the importance of Centralized Worship, a core tenet of Deuteronomic theology. God's insistence on a single sanctuary was designed to prevent the very syncretism and spiritual fragmentation that the high places fostered, ensuring the purity and unity of worship. The failure to remove them was a direct affront to God's revealed will for His people, a principle reiterated throughout the historical books, such as in Deuteronomy 12.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
From an unused root meaning "to be high," this term refers to an elevation or height. In the context of the Israelite monarchy, bâmâh almost exclusively denotes unauthorized worship sites, typically local altars on hills where sacrifices and incense were offered. While some might have been dedicated to Yahweh, their existence violated the Deuteronomic command for centralized worship in Jerusalem, leading to spiritual compromise and syncretism with pagan practices. Their continued presence signified a persistent failure to fully purify the nation's worship.
A primitive root meaning "to slaughter an animal, usually in sacrifice." In this context, it highlights that active, ongoing ritual worship was taking place at the high places, not merely their passive existence. The problem was not just the location but the continuation of unauthorized religious practices, which were often intertwined with forbidden elements or deviations from prescribed worship.
A primitive root meaning "to smoke, i.e., turn into fragrance by fire, especially as an act of worship." This verb specifically refers to the burning of incense, a common act of worship or adoration. While incense was used in legitimate Temple worship, its use at the high places indicated that the people were engaging in a full range of cultic activities outside of God's prescribed sanctuary, often in ways that mirrored pagan rituals or simply represented a divided loyalty.
Verse Breakdown
"Howbeit the high places were not taken away:"
This clause serves as a crucial disclaimer, immediately qualifying the preceding positive assessment of King Amaziah's reign. The conjunction "Howbeit" (or "Nevertheless") signals a significant exception or limitation to his overall righteousness. The phrase "not taken away" (from the root çûwr, "to turn off, remove") indicates a failure of royal policy and action. Despite Amaziah's personal adherence to certain aspects of the Law, he did not enforce the complete eradication of these unauthorized worship sites, a responsibility that fell squarely on the king as the spiritual leader of the nation. This omission represents a critical lapse in his obedience and commitment to God's exclusive worship.
"as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places."
This second clause explains the consequence of the high places remaining: the people continued their illicit worship there. The phrase "as yet" (from ʻôwd, "iteration or continuance") emphasizes the ongoing, persistent nature of this problem. "Did sacrifice and burnt incense" specifies the active, cultic practices occurring at these sites. This highlights that the problem was not merely the existence of the structures but the active participation of the populace in worship that was either syncretistic or, at best, unauthorized and therefore impure in God's eyes. It reveals a deep-seated spiritual complacency or resistance within the nation that even a "good" king could not or would not fully address.
Literary Devices
The verse effectively employs Contrast as its primary literary device. It starkly contrasts King Amaziah's general righteousness and adherence to the Law (mentioned in the preceding verse) with his significant failure to remove the high places. This creates a tension that highlights the nuanced nature of obedience in the Books of Kings—a king could be "right in the sight of the Lord" in some respects yet fall short in others. Furthermore, the verse utilizes Repetition of a recurring motif throughout the Books of Kings. The phrase "the high places were not taken away" is a formulaic statement applied to many kings, even those considered righteous (e.g., Asa, Joash), underscoring the pervasive and persistent nature of this spiritual problem in Judah. This repetition serves to emphasize the deep-seated spiritual compromise that plagued the nation and ultimately contributed to its downfall. The verse also contains an element of Foreshadowing, subtly hinting that this unresolved spiritual issue, a mark of incomplete devotion, will have future consequences for Amaziah and the nation, eventually contributing to Judah's judgment.
Theological and Thematic Connections
This verse powerfully illustrates the biblical principle that true obedience requires thoroughness and an undivided heart, not merely partial compliance. God desires exclusive worship and complete devotion, not a mixture of truth and error or a divided loyalty between His commands and popular practices. The continued existence of the high places, even when ostensibly used for Yahwistic worship, represented a compromise that diluted the purity of faith and opened the door to syncretism. It teaches that spiritual compromise, however seemingly minor, can perpetuate systemic issues and hinder the full spiritual health of individuals and communities. The failure of the king to address this fundamental issue reflects a lack of comprehensive commitment to God's revealed will, demonstrating that even good intentions or partial righteousness are insufficient when God demands total allegiance.
Reflection and Application
2 Kings 14:4 serves as a profound spiritual mirror for believers today, challenging us to examine the "high places" in our own lives—areas where we permit compromise, divided loyalties, or unauthorized practices to persist, hindering our full devotion to God. These modern "high places" might manifest as cultural syncretism, where worldly values subtly infiltrate our faith; spiritual apathy, where we neglect disciplines that foster intimacy with God; or even intellectual pride, where our own reasoning supplants divine revelation. The verse calls for a radical and thorough spiritual cleansing, urging us to identify and dismantle anything that competes with God's rightful place in our hearts or distorts the purity of our worship. It underscores that God desires our whole heart and exclusive devotion, not a fragmented faith that mixes truth with error or worship alongside worldly pursuits. For leaders, it highlights the profound responsibility to model and enforce spiritual purity, recognizing that their compromises can have ripple effects on those they lead, just as Amaziah's failure impacted the nation. This verse cautions against complacency and encourages a steadfast commitment to God's revealed will in all areas of life, ensuring that our worship is pure, undivided, and truly centered on Him.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why were the "high places" considered problematic if some were used to worship Yahweh?
The primary issue with the "high places" was not always outright idolatry (worship of other gods), but their unauthorized nature and the inherent spiritual danger they posed. After the establishment of the Temple in Jerusalem, God commanded a single, central place for sacrificial worship, as detailed in Deuteronomy 12:5. This centralization was crucial for several reasons: it prevented syncretism by removing local altars where pagan practices often intertwined with Yahwistic worship; it ensured doctrinal purity by centralizing the priesthood and sacrificial system; and it fostered national unity around a single, divinely appointed sanctuary. Even if a high place was intended for Yahweh, its existence violated God's specific command for worship, leading to fragmented, often corrupted, and disobedient religious practices that ultimately undermined the purity of Israel's faith.
Did all "good" kings of Judah fail to remove the high places?
No, not all "good" kings failed, but a significant number did, highlighting the pervasive nature of this spiritual challenge. The Books of Kings consistently note this failure for many otherwise righteous kings, including Amaziah's father Joash (2 Kings 12:3) and King Asa (1 Kings 15:14). However, there were notable exceptions. King Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:4) and King Josiah (2 Kings 23:8) are explicitly praised for actively destroying the high places and centralizing worship, demonstrating a more thorough and uncompromising commitment to God's Law. Their actions stand in stark contrast to the partial obedience of kings like Amaziah.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
The persistent failure of even righteous kings like Amaziah to remove the "high places" underscores the fundamental inadequacy of human leadership and the Old Covenant system to bring about complete spiritual purity and obedience. These kings, despite their best intentions, could not fully cleanse the land or the hearts of the people, revealing a deep-seated spiritual problem that no human effort could ultimately resolve. This points forward to the perfect and complete work of Jesus Christ. Unlike earthly kings who struggled with partial obedience, Jesus perfectly fulfilled all righteousness and completely obeyed the will of His Father, as seen in Matthew 3:15 and Hebrews 5:8-9. He is the true and ultimate Temple, the one place where God's presence fully dwells and where true worship is offered, fulfilling the purpose of the Jerusalem Temple as indicated in John 2:19-21. Through His atoning sacrifice, Christ not only cleanses us from the defilement of sin but also empowers us by His Spirit to tear down the "high places" in our own hearts—every idol, every compromise, every area of divided loyalty that competes with God's rightful supremacy (2 Corinthians 10:4-5; Colossians 3:5). In Christ, we find the perfect King, Priest, and Temple, who alone enables us to offer pure, undivided worship in spirit and truth, fulfilling what the Old Testament kings could only imperfectly attempt, as Jesus himself declared in John 4:23-24.