2 Kings 14

He would not, however, involve their children in their punishment, as was too customary, but evidently contrary to the law of Moses. ((Deuteronomy 24:16).) ‘he For though, in many instances, it may be just, in the Almighty to visit ¢ ‘the sins of the fathers upon the children,” it does not follow that it would be just in € acus. He only who “ knows the hearts of all men,” can quainted with all the circumstances of the case; and ‘‘he jJudgeth righteous judgment.” It seems to have been the misfortune of both the kingdoms of Judah and Israel that their princes were ambitious of military fame. This Amaziah having raised an immense army, attacked Edom, (on what provocation A | we are not informed,) and obtained a signal victory; yet, as in many other victories, what was the point gained 2 it was Selah, a bare and barren rock !.

On turning to the parallel history of Chronicles, ((2 Chronicles 25:5-6).) seyeral circumstances occur, which require notice in their connexion. Amaziah, not content with an army 300,000 men of Judah and Benjamin, nin, with a hundred talents hired 100,000 Israelites to assist him. Thus cheaply do military men estimate the lives of their fellow-creatures ! He was forbidden, however, to take the army of Israel with him; as they were devoted to idolatry; yet, no sooner does he ain a victory, than himself turns idolater, and having capture the Edomites their idols, sets them up } as objects of adoration ! Mow much wiser acted Fabian the Roman general, when he took Tarentius! He, on being asked by his soldiers what they should do with the gods, very sensibly replied, ‘‘Let them alone 3 they are good for nothing, since they could not defend their Another circumstance, though too common in those barbarous ages, ought not here to be passed without reprobation.— Not content with having slain 10,000 Edomites in battle, and taken 10,000 prisoners, they led the latter to the top of arock, (probably Selah,) and in cold blood dashed them in pieces from its lofty summit !: We have mentioned above, that Jehoash had hired 100,000 Israelites to his assistance: but he was forbidden to take them with him.

The Israelites, however, were reatly exasperated at his conduct, and on their return home fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samariah to Beth-horon, smote 3000 of the inhabitants, and took much spoil. ((2 Chronicles 25:13).) On this the haughty king of Judah challenges his brother of Israel to a war, with all the coolness of a practised duellist—*“ Come, let us look one another in the face.’ The answer to this challenge is cutting and ingenious, and concludes with a most salutary admonition. The former is in the ancient parabolical form, and is thus briefly explained by Dr. Clarke: “ The thistle that was in Lebanon, Amaziah king of Judah, sené to the cedar that was in Lebanon, Jehoash king of Israel, saying, Give th daughter, apart atsey kingdom, to my son to p> Hp to be waited to and possessed by the kin sof Judah.

And there passed by a wild beast, Jehoash and his enraged army, and trode down the thistle, utterly discomfited Amaziah and his troops, pillaged the temple, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem,” as we find related in this chapter, (ver. 12—14.) The admonition which follows, is indeed worthy of bein written in letters of gold for aroyal motto. “Thou hast indeed smitten Edom; glory of this, and tarry at home, for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt!”: Amaziah survived Jehoash fifteen years, but was slain by a conspiracy of his own people, and succeeded by his son Azariah, a youth sixteen years of age. Joash, king of Israel, was also succeeded by his son Jeroboam II. who walked in all the sins of his predecessor, the son of Nebat.

He was, however, other places whic been taken from t

Notes on the verses

Chap. XIV. Ver 7. Valley of salt,_{Some suppose svcceedeth Jehoash. 17 Amaziah slain by a conspiracy. Qt Azariah su him. & Jeroboam’s wicked reign. 28 Zachariah succeedeth him. aa «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 Lorn, 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 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 ‘ shal] 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 7 J 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. 8 J Then i: Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us 3 look one another in the face.

9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Am- Then he told Jordan, which Hazael had taken from Israel. he smote him to smite with the arrows on the ground, and he had not three times, on which the prophet was angry that smote oftener, as those strokes were to mark the number ol which were now restrained to victories destined for him, three only. 4 Elisha died and was buried, and after his funeral an extrat by means of his dead corpse. ordinary miracle was wroug ( The Israelites being engaged in burying one of their own they espied a band of Moabites, on which they were instead of digging a grave for him, they threw the terrified, and body hastily into the tomb of Elisha; and as soon as the Pony sha’s bones it revived, and the dead man stoo touched Eli upon his feet.

y Pro The chapter closes with mentioning the three victories above which were granted because “the Lord was predicted, and; had compassion on them, because of his covegracious, an Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy nant with Abraham, i as yet;’ so, by the them, neither cast them from his presence Ji long-suffering of God, their often threatened captivity was yet The reigns of Amaziah and Aza- Chap. XIV. Ver. 1—29. of Judah, and of Jehoash and Jeroboam II. kings of Israel.—The reign of Amaziah begins with a partial reform, was south of the Dead or Salt sea, towards the land of Edom; and others supfour miles south east of Palpose it to be the Valley of Salt, about three or the surrounding country wit myra, which now.

mneiss. in a great measure, e rock. Selah is generally supposed to be the same as salt.——Selah.— Or, t 1 r Petra, which in Greek signifies a rock, the celebrated capital of Arabia Pe- Strabo places it 3 or 4 days journey from Jericho, and 5 day’s journey trees on the Red sea. Pliny places it 00 miles from from the forest of palm Persian gulf; but Cellarius and Reland very justly Gaza, and 125 from the consider that the numbers have been changed, and that we ought to read 125 miles from Gaza, and 600 from the Persian gulf. Eusebius places Beerothbeneand Burckhardt jaakan 30 miles west from, Petra, and Blath ten miles east; in a valley called Wady Mousa: l— discovered the ruins of this ancient city,: Wady I Bagster—Joktheel.— Obedience to God;”

referring to his dismissing the Chron. vii. 9. army of Israel at the word of the prophets. Ver. 9. The thistle.—{The word choach, which is rendered here, and in (2 Kings 25:18)., (Job 31:18). thistle, in (1 Samuel 13:6). thicket, in (Isaiah 34:13). bram. ble, and in 2Ch. xxxiii. 11. (Proverbs 26:9). Cant. ii, 2, the black thorn, or sloe tree, the Prunus spinosa of Linneus, as the same word signifies in i Arabic. There is a vast deal of insolent dignity in this re strance of Jehoash; but it has nothing conciliatory; no proce of making amends for the injury his army had done to the unoffending in dah. ((2 Kings 25:10-13).) The comparatively useless thorn, wit laccrate the incautious passenger, i 1 C is made the emblem of the house of Judah and David, while the house of Jehn is represented by the stately cedar.]—B.

(Hosea 9:6). thorn, is probably habitants of Juich may by chance Ver, 22. Elath.—[Elath, the ZEla or Elana of the Greek and Roman writers. was a celebrated port situated at the extremity of the eastern branch of the Red sea, hence called the Elanitic gulf, ten miles east trom Petra, according to Eusebius, and 150 Roman miles from Gaza, according to Pliny, but 1260 stadia, or 157 miles, according to Strabo and Marcianus Herecleota. It is now called Akaba, and is nothing but a tower or castle, surrounded by a large grove of date trees, the residence of a governor dependant on him of Grand Cairo. See Burckhardt’s Travels in Syria. ]—Bagster. Ver. 25. Jonah.—This prediction is not in his book of prophecies, and perhaps was not committed to writing,