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2 Kings 14

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Amaziah Reigns in Judah 1–7

1
In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel began Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah to reign.
2
He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem.
3
And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, yet not like David his father: he did according to all that Joash his father had done. ​
4
Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. ​
5
And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he slew his servants who had slain the king his father:
6
but the children of the murderers he put not to death; according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as Jehovah 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 die for his own sin. ​
7
He slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called the name of it Joktheel, unto this day. ​

Amaziah Challenges Israel's King Jehoash 8–16

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 trod down the thistle. ​
10
Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thy heart hath lifted thee up: glory thereof, and abide 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. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.
12
And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to his tent.
13
And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, 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 Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, 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 17–22

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
Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
19
And 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 upon horses; and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
21
And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room 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 23–29

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 Jehovah: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin. ​
25
He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath unto the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of Jehovah, the God of Israel, which he spake by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher. ​
26
For Jehovah saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel. ​
27
And Jehovah 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 had 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 Zechariah his son reigned in his stead.

Bible text: American Standard Version (1901) · Public domain

Study Notes for 2 Kings 14

Verse 3

yet not like David his father — David is the measure, as for Asa, who did right 'as did David his father' (1 Kgs 15:11), and Hezekiah, 'according to all that David his father did' (2 Kgs 18:3). Amaziah follows Joash, whose right-doing lasted only while Jehoiada lived (12:2). 2 Chr 25:2 says he did right 'but not with a perfect heart'.

Verse 4

as yet the people did sacrifice — 'As yet' (od) carries on the unfinished matter of 12:3. The verse lays the practice on the people, and 2 Chr 25:14 shows the king himself, 'after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites', bringing 'the gods of the children of Seir' and setting them up 'to be his gods'.

Verse 6

The fathers shall not be put to death for the children — Once the kingdom was confirmed, Amaziah 'slew his servants which had slain the king his father' (v.5), and the children were spared. The command is Deut 24:16, quoted almost word for word from 'the book of the law of Moses', and Ezek 18:20 states it again: 'The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.'

Verse 7

the valley of salt — David 'gat him a name' by smiting in this valley (2 Sam 8:13), and the title of Ps 60 puts Joab's victory over Edom there. Edom had revolted from Judah under Jehoram (8:20). 2 Chr 25:11–12 gives the count for Amaziah's own victory, ten thousand slain and ten thousand cast from 'the top of the rock'. Selah (sela) means a rock.

Verse 8

let us look one another in the face — The invitation is to meet in battle: v.11 says they 'looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh'. Jehoash is the grandson of Jehu, 'the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu'. 2 Chr 25:20 gives the reason it went as it did: 'for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.'

Verse 9

The thistle that was in Lebanon — Jehoash answers with a fable like Jotham's of the trees (Judg 9:8–15), where the bramble threatens 'the cedars of Lebanon'. Here the thistle (choach, a thorn) asks the cedar for a daughter for its son, and a wild beast treads it down. V.10 applies it: 'Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up.'

Verse 13

from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits — Jehoash 'took' (taphas) Amaziah at Bethshemesh, the verb used of Amaziah's own taking of Selah in v.7. The breach lies between two named gates: the gate of Ephraim (Neh 8:16) and the corner gate, where Jeremiah's rebuilt city ends (Jer 31:38).

Verse 14

hostages — The Hebrew is literally 'sons of pledges' (bene hatta'arubot); the word for a pledge (ta'arubah) occurs only here and in 2 Chr 25:24, which adds that the vessels were taken 'with Obededom'. When Shishak came in Rehoboam's time he took 'the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house' (1 Kgs 14:26), the same two stores.

Verse 17

lived after the death of Jehoash… fifteen years — Jeroboam son of Jehoash began to reign in Amaziah's fifteenth year (v.23), so Jehoash's death falls in that year. 2 Chr 25:25 repeats the fifteen years, and v.2 gives Amaziah twenty and nine years in all. 2 Chr 25:27 speaks of 'the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD'.

Verse 19

they made a conspiracy against him — 'Conspiracy' is qesher, as in 12:20 where his father Joash was also killed by his servants. 2 Chr 25:27 dates it 'after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD'. Lachish is the city of Judah that Joshua 'encamped against' (Josh 10:31), and the conspirators 'sent after him' there.

Verse 21

Azariah, which was sixteen years old — Azariah (Azaryah) and Uzziah (Uzziyah) are two names of one king: 2 Chr 26:1 has 'Uzziah, who was sixteen years old' for the same event, and 2 Kgs 15:13 of this book says Uzziah. Isaiah dates his vision 'in the year that king Uzziah died' (Isa 6:1), and Matthew's genealogy has 'Ozias' (Matt 1:8).

Verse 22

He built Elath — Elath (Eloth in 2 Chr 26:2) lay beside Eziongeber, 'on the shore of the Red sea, in the land of Edom', where Solomon made his navy (1 Kgs 9:26). 'After that the king slept with his fathers' places the building in Azariah's reign. Judah held it until Rezin 'recovered Elath to Syria' (2 Kgs 16:6).

Verse 23

Jeroboam the son of Joash — He is not Jeroboam the son of Nebat of v.24. He reigned forty and one years from Amaziah's fifteenth year, and Hosea and Amos both date their words in his days: 'in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel' (Hos 1:1; Amos 1:1).

Verse 24

he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat — The sin is the two calves of gold: 'behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt' (1 Kgs 12:28). 'Made Israel to sin' (chata, hiphil) is the phrase 13:2 uses of Jehoahaz with 'he departed not therefrom'. The verdict stands beside the rescue in vv.25–27.

Verse 25

from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain — The northern limit is the same 'entering in of Hamath' as in Solomon's great congregation (1 Kgs 8:65), and the southern is the salt sea (Deut 3:17). Jonah son of Amittai is the prophet to whom 'the word of the LORD came' in Jonah 1:1, and Christ speaks of 'the sign of the prophet Jonas' (Matt 12:39).

Verse 26

the LORD saw the affliction of Israel — The same seeing is in Ex 3:7, 'I have surely seen the affliction of my people', and the plight is that of Deut 32:36, 'there is none shut up, or left'. Under Jehoahaz 'the LORD hearkened unto him: for he saw the oppression of Israel' (2 Kgs 13:4). 'Helper' (azar) is one who comes to aid, and Israel had none.

Verse 27

he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam — 'Blot out… from under heaven' is the threat of Deut 9:14, 'blot out their name from under heaven'. The LORD had not said it of Israel; 13:5 says he 'gave Israel a saviour', and 13:23 names the ground: 'his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob'. The one by whose hand he saves is Jeroboam, whose reign v.24 judges evil.