2 Chronicles 25

Amazia reigneth well in the beginning, vers.1, etc. He avengeth his Fathers death, 3. He prepareth to fight against Edom, not onely with his own people, but also with hired Israelites, 5. He dishandeth those hired Souldiers, by the Prophets advice, 7. With his own men he conquereth the Edomites, 11. Is damnified by the disbanded Israelites, 13. Falleth to idolatry, 14. Challengeth the king of Israel presumptouosly into the field, 17. Is smitten by him, 22. Is driven away, and murdered by his own people, 27.

1. Amazia being five and twenty years old, [Hebr. a son of five and twenty years] became king, and reigned nine and twenty years at Jerusalem: and his mothers name was Joadan of Jerusalem.

2. And he did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD: but not with a perfect heart. [He had, it’s true, restored the pure worship of God, which in his fathers time, after the death of Jojada, was decayed, but afterward he became an idolater, and a rejector of prophetical admonition, as also a rash, bold, presumptuous, and unlucky warrior.]

3. Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him; that he slew his servants, [Of which see above chap.24. vers.26.] that had smitten the king his father. [That is, had killed him, above chap.24.25. Of the word smiting, see Gen.8.on vers.22.]

4. But he slew not their children, [which indeed seemeth to have been done sometimes. See above ch.24. the Annotation on vers.25.] but he (did) as it is written in the Law, in the book of Moseh, where the LORD commanded, saying; The fathers shall not thy for the children, neither shall the children thy for the fathers; but every man shall day for his (own) sin. [This Law doth properly concern Magistrates and Governors, or the higher powers among men. See Deut.24.16. 2 Kings 14 6. Jer.31.30. Ezech.18.20.]

5. And Amazia gathered Juda together, and made them captains of thousands, and captains of hundreds, according the houses of the fathers, [That is, the families of the chiefest. Compare Exod.6.12.] thorough out all Juda, and Benjamin: and he mustered them, from twenty years old, [Hebr. from the son of twenty years] and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice (men), going forth to war, handling spear, and buckler. [See above chap.11.on vers.12.]

6. Moreover, he hired an hundred thousand valiant champions out of Israel, [That is, out of the ten Tribes] for an hundred talents of silver. [Of the value of these see Exod.25.on vers.39.]

7. But there came a man of God [That is, a Prophet. See Judges 13.on vers.6.] unto him, saying; O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee, for the LORD is not with Israel, [to wit, because they are turned aside from the LORD unto Idols] with all the children of Ephraim. [Understand by these Israel, as goeth before; that is, the ten Tribes, which are so called, because Ephraim was indeed the chiefest of those Tribes, and Jerobeam their first King descended of the Tribe of Ephraim. Thus Ephraim is used for Israel, Isai.17.3. and 28.1,etc.]

8. But if thou goest, do it, be strong for the battle: [He speaketh ironically, thereby intimating, that if he would needs make use of the Israelites that he had lifted, that it should not prosper with him. Such kind of commands given in an ironical and jearing way, serve to reprove and threaten men. See 1 Kings 22.on vers.15.] God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for in God is power to help, and to cause to fall.

9. And Amazia said unto the man of God; But what shall we do with the hundred talents, [whereof mention is made above vers.6.] which I have given to the hands of Israel? [With those hundred talents he had lifted and admitted into his service an hundred thousand Souldiers out of Israel] and the man of God said; The LORD hath more than this to give thee.

10. Then Amazia separated them, to wit, the hands that were come to him out of Ephraim [That is, out of Israel, or the ten Tribes, as above vers.7.] to go to their place: therefore their anger kindled greatly against Juda, and they returned to their place in heat of anger.

11. Noe Amazia strengthened himself, and led forth his people, [To wit, those that he had lifted out of his own subjects] and marched into the valley of Salt, [See 2 Sam.8.on vers.13. and 2 Kings 14.on vers.7.] and smote of the children of Seir, [that is, of the Edomites, 2 Kings 14 7. That dwelt in the country of Seir, Gen.36.on vers.8. Deut.2.3.] ten thousand.

12. Besides the children of Juda took ten thousand alive, [As they had slain ten thousand; in the former verse] and brought them up to the top of the rock, [to wit, whereupon the city of Selah lay; of which see 2 Kings 14.on vers.7.] and thrust them down from the top of the rock, that they all burst (in pieces.)

13. But the men of the hands, [Hebr. the sons of the hand: that is, the hundred thousand Israelites, which Amazia had lifted, to use them in the war against the Edomites, above vers.6.] which Amazia caused to turn back, that they should not go with him into the battle, they made an inrode into the cities of Juda, [that is, pertaining to the Kingdom of Juda; which cities were the frontier Towns of the Kingdom of Juda, bordering all along in the breadth thereof upon the Kingdom of Israel] from Samaria unto Beth-Horon, [see of a two-fold Beth-Horon, viz. the lower and the upper Beth-Horon, 1 Kings 9. On vers 17. Here seemeth to be spoken of the lower, which lay in the Tribe of Benjamin] And smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

14. Now it came to pass, after that Amazia was come from smitting the Edomites, and that he had brought with him the gods of the children of Seir; [Meaning, the Images of the Edomites Idols] that he set them up to himself for gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

15. Then the anger LORD Kindled against Amazia: and he sent unto him a Prophet, which said unto him; Why hast thou sought the gods of that people, which have not delivered their (own) people out of thine hand? [This question reproveth the King, and threateneth him, that he should be no more helped by those Idols, than the Edomites had been helped by them.]

16. And it came to pass, when he spake unto him, that he said unto him; Have they made thee the kings counselors? Forbear [Hebr. forbear for thy self; that is, for thine own good, or, that shall be best for thee. See Gen.12.on vers.1.] why should they [meaning his guard, that were there present] smite thee? [He threateneth the Prophet, that if he forbear not to reprove him, he would give his guard charge to kill him, or least to hurt and mischief him] then the Prophet forbore, and said; I perceive that God hath determined [Hebr. advised, took counsel, or, determined in his counsel] to destroy thee, because thou hast done that, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

17. And Amazia King of Juda was advised, to send [To wit, messengers, or, ambassadors, 2 Kings 14.] to Joas the son of Joahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, to say; Come, let us see one anothers face. [That is, march out into the field against one another, to fight together, and to encounter each other with armed power, and so to look one another in the face. See 2 Kings.14.on v.8.]

18. But Joas the king of Israel sent to Amazia the King of Juda, to say to him, the Thistle that is on Libanon, sent to the Cedar that is on Libanon, to say; give thy daughter to my son to wife: but the beast of the field that is on Libanon, passed by, and trod down the thistle. [See the exposition of this parable, 2 Kings 14.on v.9.]

19. Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; [Yea, smitting smitten, as it is said, 2 King.14.10. that is, smitten them stoutly and mightly] therefore thine heart hast lift thee up to boast: Abide now at home: Why shouldest thou mingled thy self in evil, that thou shouldest fall, thou, and Juda with thee.

20. But Amazia hearkened not; for it was of God [See 1 King.12.15. and the annotate. Thereon] that he might deliver them into (their) hand; because they had sought the Gods of the Edomites.

21. So Joas the King of Israel marched up, and he, and Amazia the King of Juda saw one anothers face, [See above on vers.17.] at Beth-Semes, which is in Juda. [and is therefore to be distinguished from another of this name lying in Naphtali, Josh.19.38. Judg.1.33.]

22. And Juda was smitten before the face of Israel: And they fled, every man into his tents.

23. And Joas the king of Israel took Amazia the King of Juda, the son of Joas, the son of Joahaz [Otherwise called Ahazia, and Azaria. See above chap.21.17. and 22.1,6. With the annotate.] at Beth-Semes: And he brought him to Jerusalem, and he brake off the wall of Jerusalem, from the gate of Ephraim [See 2 king.14. on v.13.] to the corner-gate, [Hebr. which was looking out, or, to the gate looking out: It is so called, because it stuck out at a corner of the city; wherefore it is also called the corner-gate, both here, and 2 King.14.13.] four hundred ells (or cubits.)

24. Moreover, he (took) all the gold, and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God, with Obed-Edom, [that is, with the posterity of Obed-Edom, who were porters, and keepers of the treasures in the house of God, 1 Chron.26.15.] and the treasures of the kings house, together with the hostages: [Hebr. sons of pledges, or, of pawns. See 2 Kings 14. On vers.14. and he returned to Samaria.

25. Now Amazia, the son of Joahaz, the king of Israel, fifteen years.

26. The rest of acts of Amazia, the first, and the last, behold, are they not written in the book of the Kings of Juda and Israel?

27. Now from the time that Amazia had turned away from after the LORD, [That is, from following the Lord] they made a conspiracy against him [see 1 Kings 15.on vers.27.] in Jerusalem, but he fled to Lachis: [see of this city, 1 Kings 14.on vers.19.] Then they sent after him to Lachis, and slew him there.

28. And they brought him upon horses, and buried him by his Fathers in the city of Juda. [That is, in Jerusalem; which city, although it lay partly in the borders of Benjamin, and party in Juda; yet not with standing it is chiefly called a city of Juda, because it was the chief city, where the Kings of Juda kept their court. See 2 Kings 14:20.]