INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 14 In this chapter we have the good reign of Amaziah king of Judah, his victories over the Edomites, and war with Jehoash king of Israel, by whom he was taken, who died quickly after, 2 Kings 14:1, but Amaziah lived fifteen years afterwards, and was slain by a conspiracy aga... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE SECOND YEAR OF JOASH SON OF JEHOAHAZ KING OF ISRAEL REIGNED AMAZIAH THE SON OF JOASH KING OF JUDAH. As Joash king of Israel began to reign in the thirty seventh of Joash king of Judah, 2 Kings 13:10, who reigned forty years, Amaziah must therefore begin his reign in the fourth of Joash king o... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WAS TWENTY AND FIVE YEARS OLD WHEN HE BEGAN TO REIGN, AND REIGNED TWENTY AND NINE YEARS IN JERUSALEM,.... Fourteen years contemporary with Joash king of Israel, who reigned sixteen years, 2 Kings 13:10 and fifteen after him, 2 Kings 14:17, AND HIS MOTHER'S NAME WAS JEHOADDAN OF JERUSALEM; of who... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DID THAT WHICH WAS RIGHT IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,..... At least externally, and at the beginning of his reign: YET NOT LIKE DAVID HIS FATHER; not with a perfect heart, with that sincerity and uprightness as he did, see 2 Chronicles 25:2, HE DID ACCORDING TO ALL THINGS AS JOASH HIS FATHER D... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT THE HIGH PLACES WERE NOT TAKEN AWAY,.... Though he first did that which was right before God; nor did his father take them away; see 2 Kings 12:3.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS SOON AS THE KINGDOM WAS STRENGTHENED IN HIS HAND,.... That he was well settled on the throne, and had a share in the affection of the people, and the idolatry and murder his father had committed were worn off of the minds of the people, and the friends of the conspirators aga... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE CHILDREN OF THE MURDERERS HE SLEW NOT,.... Which is an instance of his clemency and goodness, and of his strict regard to justice, and to the law of God; though he might fear, these, being spared, would one time or other revenge their fathers' deaths; ACCORDING TO THAT WHICH IS WRITTEN IN T... [ Continue Reading ]
HE SLEW OF EDOM IN THE VALLEY OF SALT TEN THOUSAND,.... Of which valley, 2 Samuel 8:13, the Edomites having revolted from Judah in the days of Joram, 2 Kings 8:20. Amaziah undertook to reduce them with an army of 300,000 choice men; and, besides these, hired also of Israel 100,000 valiant men, for o... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN AMAZIAH SENT MESSENGERS TO JEHOASH THE SON OF JEHOAHAZ THE SON OF JEHU KING OF ISRAEL,.... The occasion of it was this, when Amaziah dismissed the hired soldiers of Israel they were displeased, and fell upon the cities of Judea from Samaria to Bethhoron, slew 3000 men, and took much spoil, 2 Ch... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEHOASH THE KING OF ISRAEL SENT TO AMAZIAH THE KING OF JUDAH,.... By the return of his messengers: SAYING, THE THISTLE THAT WAS IN LEBANON SENT TO THE CEDAR THAT WAS IN LEBANON; intending by this proverbial way of speaking to humble the pride of Amaziah; comparing him to a thistle or thorn, a l... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU HAST INDEED SMITTEN EDOM, AND THINE HEART HATH LIFTED THEE UP,.... Swelled him with pride and vanity on account of the victory he had obtained over the Edomites; which pride was at the bottom of his message to him, and that goes before a fall: Proverbs 16:18 GLORY OF THIS, AND TARRY AT HOME; b... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT AMAZIAH WOULD NOT HEAR,.... Being given up to a judicial hardness of heart through pride; for this was of God, and by his overruling providence, that he might be punished for his idolatry, in setting up the gods of Edom to be his gods, and offering to them, 2 Chronicles 25:14 THEREFORE JEHOASH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JUDAH WAS PUT TO THE WORSE BEFORE ISRAEL,.... Could not face them; but, as Josephus d says, a sudden fear and consternation seized them, and before they joined battle with the Israelites, turned their backs: AND THEY FLED EVERY MAN TO THEIR TENTS; to their cities, as the Targum, and left their... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEHOASH KING OF ISRAEL TOOK AMAZIAH KING OF JUDAH, THE SON OF JEHOASH THE SON OF AHAZIAH, AT BETHSHEMESH,.... And then they looked one another in the face indeed, but Amaziah must look very silly: AND CAME TO JERUSALEM; the metropolis of Judah, with his royal prisoner: AND BROKE DOWN THE WALL... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK ALL THE GOLD AND SILVER, AND ALL THE VESSELS THAT WERE FOUND IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD,.... In 2 Chronicles 25:24 it is added, "with Obededom", who, and his family, had the care of them by lot, see 1 Chronicles 26:15 AND IN THE TREASURES OF THE KING'S HOUSE; which were also spoiled and p... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE REST OF THE ACTS OF JEHOASH WHICH HE DID, AND HIS MIGHT,.... His valiant and mighty acts which he did in his wars with the Syrians, 2 Kings 13:25, AND HOW HE FOUGHT WITH AMAZIAH KING OF JUDAH; a short account of which is given in the preceding verses: ARE THEY NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF TH... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEHOASH SLEPT WITH HIS FATHERS,.... Died as they died: AND WAS BURIED IN SAMARIA WITH THE KINGS OF ISRAEL; where they were: AND JEROBOAM HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS STEAD; which was Jeroboam the second.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AMAZIAH THE SON OF JOASH KING OF JUDAH LIVED AFTER THE DEATH OF JEHOASH SON OF JEHOAHAZ KING OF ISRAEL FIFTEEN YEARS. Which, with the fourteen he reigned contemporary with him, made the twenty nine years he reigned, 2 Kings 14:2. The Vulgate Latin version is, "twenty five years".... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE REST OF THE ACTS OF AMAZIAH, ARE THEY NOT WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES OF THE KINGS OF JUDAH?] Not in the canonical book of Chronicles; though there are some things of him recorded there, which are not here; but in the annals of each reign, written by the king's historian appointed... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEY MADE A CONSPIRACY AGAINST HIM IN JERUSALEM,.... Against Amaziah; the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the principal men of it; perhaps those whose sons the king of Israel had carried away as hostages, which they imputed to the ill conduct of Amaziah, as well as the breaking of the wall of Jerusale... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY BROUGHT HIM ON HORSES,.... That is, in a chariot or hearse drawn by horses; though the Jews h suppose he was carried on horses, and that because he worshipped the gods of the Edomites, who were themselves carried on horses; and he was not carried on the shoulders of men, because he neglecte... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE PEOPLE OF JUDAH TOOK AZARIAH,.... Called Uzziah in the next chapter, and so in the book of Chronicles; both names signifying much the same, the one "the help of the Lord", the other "the strength of the Lord": (WHICH WAS SIXTEEN YEARS OLD;) yet as he began to reign in the twenty seventh... [ Continue Reading ]
HE BUILT ELATH,.... A port which belonged to Edom, Deuteronomy 2:8 which very probably David took from them when he made them tributary, and which they retook when they revolted, and Amaziah got again when he defeated them; and this his son rebuilt and fortified: AND RESTORED IT TO JUDAH; annexed i... [ Continue Reading ]
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,.... So that he reigned fourteen or fifteen years contemporary with him; for Amaziah reigned twenty nine years: [AND REIGNED] FORTY AND ONE YEARS; Josephus says i for... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE DID THAT WHICH WAS EVIL IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD,.... Was guilty of idolatry: HE DEPARTED NOT FROM ALL THE SINS OF JEROBOAM THE SON OF NEBAT, WHO MADE ISRAEL TO SIN; the worship of the calves is especially meant; he was in all respects of the same cast with his ancestor of the same name, fro... [ Continue Reading ]
HE RESTORED THE COAST OF ISRAEL,.... The cities upon it, which had been taken away from them by their enemies: FROM THE ENTERING OF HAMATH; which was the northern border of the land of Canaan, the entrance into it from Syria, see Numbers 34:8, UNTO THE SEA OF THE PLAIN: of Jordan, called sometimes... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE LORD SAW THE AFFLICTION OF ISRAEL, THAT IT WAS VERY BITTER,.... Being sorely oppressed by their enemies, especially the Syrians; and he was moved to have compassion upon them, and show mercy to them: for, there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel: they were in the mo... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LORD SAID NOT THAT HE WOULD BLOT OUT THE NAME OF ISRAEL FROM UNDER HEAVEN,.... Had not as yet declared it by any of his prophets, that he would do it, as he afterwards did by Hosea, Hosea 1:4, and was fulfilled in the reign of Hoshea king of Israel, 2 Kings 17:1. BUT HE SAVED THEM BY THE HA... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THE REST OF THE ACTS OF JEROBOAM, AND ALL THAT HE DID, AND HIS MIGHT, HOW HE WARRED,.... His valiant acts and warlike exploits: AND HOW HE RECOVERED DAMASCUS AND HAMATH, WHICH BELONGED TO JUDAH, FOR ISRAEL; which cities, in the times of David and Solomon, were tributary to Judah, but afterwards... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JEROBOAM SLEPT WITH HIS FATHERS, EVEN WITH THE KINGS OF ISRAEL,.... Died, and was buried with them: AND ZACHARIAH HIS SON REIGNED IN HIS STEAD: who was of the fourth generation from Jehu, as was promised to him, 2 Kings 10:30.... [ Continue Reading ]