F5 J¹ 1-20. Amaziah.
J² 21,22. Uzziah, or Azariah.
J¹ K 1,2. Introduction.
L 3,4. Events. Personal.
L 5-14. Events. Political.
K 15-20. Conclusion.743 to 714 B.C.
2 Kings 14)
1 In the second year of Joash (according to 13:10, Joash [king of Israel] began to reign in the 37th year of Joash [king of Judah]. If Amaziah began in the 2nd year of Joash [king of Israel], he would have reigned only 39 years. But he reigned 40 [12:1]. All depends on mode of reckoning from Nissan, and counting parts of years for complete years. This would at once explain the difference. Our difficulty, as usual, arises from our ignorance) son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah (= the strength of Yah [the Lord]) the son of Joash king of Judah.
2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty-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 (Yahaveh), yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did (he began well and ended badly).
4 However the high places were not taken away (see 1 Kings 15:14): as yet the People did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
L M¹ 5,6. Domestic. M² 7-14. Foreign.
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 sons of the murderers he slew not: according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses (see Ex.17:14), 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.”
M² w 7. Victory over Edom.
x 8. Jehoash. Message to.
x 9,10. Jehoash. Reply from.
w 11-14. Defeat by Israel.7 He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand (the account in Chronicles supplies the additional particles. See 2 Chron. 25:5-11), and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel (= subdued by El [God]) to this day.
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.” (meaning much more, see vv.11,12)
9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle (or brier or thorn. See 2 Chron. 25:18. Job 31:40; "thorn" in 2 Chron. 33:11. Job 41:2. Prov. 26:6. Song 2:2. Hos. 9:6; and "bramble" in Isa.34:13) that [was] in Lebanon sent to the cedar that [was] in Lebanon (for a similar fable see Judg. 9:8), saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son to wife:’ and there passed by a wild beast that [was] in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
10 You have indeed smitten Edom, and your heart has lifted you up: glory [of this], and tarry at home: for why should you meddle to [your] hurt, that you should fall, [even] you, and Judah with you?”
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 Beth-shemesh, which [belongs] to Judah. (= house of the sun, on frontier of Judah and Dan, 15 miles west of Jerusalem [Josh. 15:10]. Now Ain Shems. A city of the priests [Josh. 21:9,13,16]. Afterward associated with idolatry, and now with defeat)
12 And Judah was smitten 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 broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits (approx. 633 feet).
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 (Heb. sons of securities. Occ. only here and 2 Chron. 25:24), and returned to Samaria.
15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash and all that 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.
729 to 714 B.C.
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 (on the Philistine border in Judah [Josh.15:39]. Now Tel-el-Hesy, and recently escavated with important resuts); but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there (see 8:26).
20 And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
J² y 21. Introduction. Accession.
z 22-. Events.
y -22. Conclusion. Father's death.21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah (called also Uzziah [15:13,30,32. 2 Chron. 26:1. Isa. 1:1; 6:1. Hos. 1:1. Amos 1:1. Zech. 14:5. I Chronicles called Azariah [1 Chron. 3:12]. These different names are common, having the same or similar meanings), which [was] sixteen years old (i.e. when "made" king. Only 3 years old at his father's death. See 15:1), and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
22 He rebuilt Elath (or fortified. This implies the subjugation of Edom. Elath on the Red Sea. Cp. 1 Kings 9:26, and, for its eventual loss, 2 Kings 16:6), and restored it to Judah,
after that the king slept with his fathers (see Deut.31:16).
E6 a 23. Introduction. Accession.
b 24. Events. Personal.
b 25-27. Events. Political.
a 28,29. Conclusion. Death.728 to 687 B.C.
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 (some codices read "over Israel"), [and reigned] forty-one years (see 15:8).
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 (see 1 Kings 14:16).
25 He restored the borders of Israel from the entering of Hamath (the pass between Lebanon and Hermon) to the Dead Sea, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which He spoke by the hand of his servant Jonah (= a dove. Named by the Lord Jesus [Matt. 12:39,40]), the son of Amittai, the prophet, which [was] of Gath-hepher (= wine-press on the hill).
26 For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, [that it was] very bitter: for [there was] not any place strengthened or fortified (see Ex.23:5. Deut. 32:36. 1 Kings 14:10), 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 (both were included in Solomon's kingdom [1 Kings 4:21]. Damascus lost to Rezin [1 Kings 11:23-25]. This recovery did not last long. See Amos 1:3), [which belongs] to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
687 B.C.
29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, [even] with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead (after an interregnum of 11 years. See 2 Kings 18:8).