2 Chronicles 25:14
New International Version
When Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them and burned sacrifices to them.

New Living Translation
When King Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought with him idols taken from the people of Seir. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down in front of them, and offered sacrifices to them!

English Standard Version
After Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the men of Seir and set them up as his gods and worshiped them, making offerings to them.

Berean Standard Bible
When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them.

King James Bible
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

New King James Version
Now it was so, after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up to be his gods, and bowed down before them and burned incense to them.

New American Standard Bible
Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir and set them up as his gods. Then he bowed down before them and burned incense to them.

NASB 1995
Now after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down before them and burned incense to them.

NASB 1977
Now it came about after Amaziah came from slaughtering the Edomites that he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down before them, and burned incense to them.

Legacy Standard Bible
Now it happened that after Amaziah came from striking down the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, set them up as his gods, worshiped them, and burned incense to them.

Amplified Bible
After Amaziah came back from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, bowed before them, and burned incense to them.

Christian Standard Bible
After Amaziah came from the attack on the Edomites, he brought the gods of the Seirites and set them up as his gods. He worshiped before them and burned incense to them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
After Amaziah came from the attack on the Edomites, he brought the gods of the Seirites and set them up as his gods. He worshiped before them and burned incense to them.

American Standard Version
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

Contemporary English Version
After Amaziah had defeated the Edomite army, he returned to Jerusalem. He took with him the idols of the Edomite gods and set them up. Then he bowed down and offered them sacrifices.

English Revised Version
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
After Amaziah came back from defeating the Edomites, he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up as his gods, bowed down to them, and burned sacrifices to them.

Good News Translation
When Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought their idols back with him, set them up, worshiped them, and burned incense to them.

International Standard Version
Later, Amaziah returned from slaughtering the Edomites, but he brought back the gods that had belonged to the men of Seir, set them up as his own gods, worshipped them, and sacrificed offerings to them.

Majority Standard Bible
When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them.

NET Bible
When Amaziah returned from defeating the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the people of Seir and made them his personal gods. He bowed down before them and offered them sacrifices.

New Heart English Bible
Now it happened, after that Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the people of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them.

Webster's Bible Translation
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed himself before them, and burned incense to them.

World English Bible
Now after Amaziah had come from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them and burned incense to them.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And it comes to pass after the coming in of Amaziah from striking the Edomites, that he brings in the gods of the sons of Seir, and establishes them for gods for himself, and bows himself before them, and he makes incense to them.

Young's Literal Translation
And it cometh to pass, after the coming in of Amaziah from smiting the Edomites, that he bringeth in the gods of the sons of Seir, and establisheth them to him for gods, and before them doth bow himself, and to them he maketh perfume.

Smith's Literal Translation
And it will be after Amaziah came from the smiting of the Edomites, and he will bring the gods of the sons of Seir, and he will set them up to him for gods, and worship before them, and burn incense to them.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But Amasias after he had slain the Edomites, set up the gods of the children of Seir, which he had brought thence, to be his gods, and adored them, and burnt incense to them.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Truly, after the slaughter of the Edomites, and when the gods of the sons of Seir were brought, Amaziah chose them as gods for himself. And he was adoring them, and burning incense to them.

New American Bible
When Amaziah returned from his conquest of the Edomites he brought back with him the gods of the people of Seir. He set these up as his own gods; he bowed down before them and offered sacrifice to them.

New Revised Standard Version
Now after Amaziah came from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the people of Seir, set them up as his gods, and worshiped them, making offerings to them.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Now it came to pass after Amaziah was come from slaughter of the Edomites, they brought to him the gods of the men of mount Gebal, and he set them up before him and worshipped before them and burned Incense to them.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And it happened after Amutsia came, when he returned to destroy the Edomites, they brought to him the gods of the children of the Mount of Gebal, and he stood them up before him, and he worshiped in front of them, and he offered up to them censers of sweet spices.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and prostrated himself before them, and offered unto them.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And it came to pass, after Amasias had returned from smiting Idumea, that he brought home the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up for himself as gods, and bowed down before them, and he sacrificed to them.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Amaziah Rebuked for Idolatry
14 When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them. 15Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”…

Cross References
Exodus 20:3-5
You shall have no other gods before Me. / You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. / You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Deuteronomy 7:25-26
You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the LORD your God. / And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction.

Judges 2:11-13
And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. / Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, / for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

1 Kings 11:4-8
For when Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and he was not wholeheartedly devoted to the LORD his God, as his father David had been. / Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. / So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely. ...

2 Kings 17:7-12
All this happened because the people of Israel had sinned against the LORD their God, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt from under the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. They had worshiped other gods / and walked in the customs of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites, as well as in the practices introduced by the kings of Israel. / The Israelites secretly did things against the LORD their God that were not right. From watchtower to fortified city, they built high places in all their cities. ...

Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Jeremiah 10:1-5
Hear the word that the LORD speaks to you, O house of Israel. / This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them. / For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. ...

Hosea 4:17
Ephraim is joined to idols; leave him alone!

Acts 17:29-31
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination. / Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent. / For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the Man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising Him from the dead.”

Romans 1:21-23
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 Corinthians 10:19-22
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons. / You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot partake in the table of the Lord and the table of demons too. ...

Galatians 4:8-9
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. / But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?

1 John 5:21
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

2 Kings 21:1-9
Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah. / And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. / For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven. ...

2 Chronicles 33:1-9
Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. / And he did evil in the sight of the LORD by following the abominations of the nations that the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. / For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had torn down, and he raised up altars for the Baals and made Asherah poles. And he worshiped and served all the host of heaven. ...


Treasury of Scripture

Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense to them.

he brought

2 Chronicles 28:23
For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

Isaiah 44:19
And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor understanding to say, I have burned part of it in the fire; yea, also I have baked bread upon the coals thereof; I have roasted flesh, and eaten it: and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I fall down to the stock of a tree?

his gods

Exodus 20:3-5
Thou shalt have no other gods before me…

Deuteronomy 7:5,25
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire…

2 Samuel 5:21
And there they left their images, and David and his men burned them.

Jump to Previous
Amaziah Amazi'ah Bowed Burned Children Destruction Edomites E'domites Gods Incense Offered Prostrated Seir Se'ir Slaughter Slaughtering Worshiped Worshipping
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Amaziah Amazi'ah Bowed Burned Children Destruction Edomites E'domites Gods Incense Offered Prostrated Seir Se'ir Slaughter Slaughtering Worshiped Worshipping
2 Chronicles 25
1. Amaziah begins to reign well
3. He executes justice on the traitors
5. having hired an army of Israelites against the Edomites,
7. at the word of a prophet dismisses them
11. He overthrows the Edomites
13. The Israelites, discontented with their dismission, spoil as they return home
14. Amaziah, proud of his victory, serves the gods of Edom, and ignores the prophet
17. He provokes Joash to his overthrow
25. His reign
27. He is slain by conspiracy














When Amaziah returned
The name "Amaziah" means "Yahweh is mighty" in Hebrew, which is ironic given his actions in this verse. Amaziah was the king of Judah, and his return signifies a moment of triumph after a military victory. However, this moment of triumph quickly turns into a spiritual downfall. Historically, kings were expected to lead their people not only in governance but also in spiritual fidelity to Yahweh. Amaziah's return marks a pivotal moment where he chooses to deviate from this expectation.

from slaughtering the Edomites
The Edomites were descendants of Esau, Jacob's brother, and had a long history of enmity with Israel. The term "slaughtering" indicates a decisive and violent victory, which was common in ancient Near Eastern warfare. This victory should have been a cause for giving glory to Yahweh, who had delivered the Edomites into Amaziah's hands. Instead, it becomes a prelude to spiritual compromise.

he brought back the gods of the people of Seir
Seir is another name for the region inhabited by the Edomites. The act of bringing back foreign gods was a direct violation of the first commandment, which forbids the worship of other gods. In the ancient world, it was common for victors to take the gods of the defeated as trophies, but for a king of Judah, this was a grave sin. It reflects a lack of understanding or appreciation for the exclusivity of worship that Yahweh demands.

set them up as his own gods
This phrase indicates a deliberate and personal act of idolatry. Amaziah not only brought these idols back but also established them as objects of worship in his own life. This action signifies a turning away from the covenant relationship with Yahweh, who had explicitly commanded against idolatry. It highlights a spiritual blindness and a failure to recognize the true source of his victory.

and bowed down to them
Bowing down is an act of worship and submission. In the Hebrew context, this physical act was a demonstration of allegiance and reverence. Amaziah's bowing to these foreign gods is a stark betrayal of his duty as king to lead his people in the worship of Yahweh alone. It shows a heart that has turned away from God, despite the clear evidence of His power and provision.

and burned sacrifices to them
Burning sacrifices was a central act of worship in the ancient world, symbolizing devotion and seeking favor from the deity. By offering sacrifices to these idols, Amaziah was not only acknowledging them as gods but also seeking their favor and guidance. This act is a profound rejection of Yahweh, who had established a covenant with Israel and provided a specific way to worship Him through the sacrificial system outlined in the Law.

AMAZIAH ADOPTS THE EDOMITE FORM OF WORSHIP, AND SPURNS A PROPHETIC WARNING (2Chronicles 25:14-16).

(14) From the slaughter.--From smiting.

Brought the gods.--The Assyrian inscriptions often refer to this custom of carrying off the idols of conquered countries. Esarhaddon states that he restored the gods of Hazael, king of Arabia, at that prince's entreaty, after engraving on them "the might of Asshur" and his own name. Assurbanipal recovered an image of Nana, which an Elamite sovereign had carried off one thousand six hundred and thirty-five years previously.

The children of Seir.--Bne Seir, the tribal designation of the Edomites (1Chronicles 1:38).

Set them up to be his gods.--Not necessarily abandoning the worship of Jehovah. (Comp. the conduct of Ahaz, 2Chronicles 28:23; 2Kings 16:10, et seq.; also 2Kings 17:27-33.) Thenius says this contradicts 2Kings 14:3; and it may be allowed that the chronicler portrays Amaziah in a darker light than the older account. This only proves independence of judgment and the possession of additional information. Thenius and Bertheau further suppose that the chronicler, from his theocratic standpoint, merely inferred the idolatry of Amaziah from his ill success against Israel. It is more likely that it was mentioned in one of the histories which the compiler had before him. . . .

Verse 14. - Brought the gods of the children of Seir... to be his gods. Amaziah's devout gratitude to God, and acknowledgment of him in the name Joktheel, was soon gone, and at the very last, grown confident, he loses all, and realizes the fulfilment of the "man of God's" prophetic denunciations.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
After
אַחֲרֵ֨י (’a·ḥă·rê)
Preposition
Strong's 310: The hind or following part

Amaziah
אֲמַצְיָ֙הוּ֙ (’ă·maṣ·yā·hū)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 558: Amaziah -- 'Yah is mighty', the name of several Israelites

returned
ב֤וֹא (ḇō·w)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

from the slaughter
מֵֽהַכּ֣וֹת (mê·hak·kō·wṯ)
Preposition-m | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct
Strong's 5221: To strike

of
אֶת־ (’eṯ-)
Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

the Edomites,
אֲדוֹמִ֔ים (’ă·ḏō·w·mîm)
Noun - proper - masculine plural
Strong's 130: Edomite -- a descendant of Edom

he brought back
וַיָּבֵ֗א (way·yā·ḇê)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 935: To come in, come, go in, go

the gods
אֱלֹהֵי֙ (’ĕ·lō·hê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

of the Seirites,
בְּנֵ֣י (bə·nê)
Noun - masculine plural construct
Strong's 1121: A son

set them up
וַיַּֽעֲמִידֵ֥ם (way·ya·‘ă·mî·ḏêm)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5975: To stand, in various relations

as his own
ל֖וֹ (lōw)
Preposition | third person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

gods,
לֵאלֹהִ֑ים (lê·lō·hîm)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

bowed
יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה (yiš·ta·ḥă·weh)
Verb - Hitpael - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

before them,
וְלִפְנֵיהֶ֥ם (wə·lip̄·nê·hem)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l | Noun - masculine plural construct | third person masculine plural
Strong's 6440: The face

and burned sacrifices
יְקַטֵּֽר׃ (yə·qaṭ·ṭêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6999: To smoke, turn into fragrance by fire

to them.
וְלָהֶ֥ם (wə·lā·hem)
Conjunctive waw | Preposition | third person masculine plural
Strong's Hebrew


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OT History: 2 Chronicles 25:14 Now it happened after that Amaziah was (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr)
2 Chronicles 25:13
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