Matthew Poole's Commentary Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. Amaziah beginneth to reign well; slayeth his father’s murderers, 2 Chronicles 25:1-4. Having hired an army of Israelites against the Edomites, at the word of a prophet he dismisseth them, 2 Chronicles 25:5-10; and with his own people overthroweth the Edomites: the Israelites in their return home spoil, 2 Chronicles 25:11-13. Amaziah serveth the gods of Edom, and despiseth the admonition of the prophet, 2 Chronicles 25:14-16. He provoketh Joash to his overthrow, 2 Chronicles 25:17-21. His reign; he is slain by conspiracy, 2 Chronicles 25:25-28. Of this verse, and ver. 2-4, See Poole "2 Kings 14:1", etc. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart. No text from Poole on this verse. Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father. No text from Poole on this verse. But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin. No text from Poole on this verse. Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield. No text from Poole on this verse. He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver. Out of Israel; out of the kingdom of the ten tribes. But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim. The Lord is not with Israel; he hath forsaken them, and for their sakes will curse thy forces, if thou joinest thyself with them. But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down. Be strong for the battle; take courage, and strengthen thyself as much as thou canst. It is an ironical concession, like that, Go, and prosper. And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more than this. No text from Poole on this verse. Then Amaziah separated them, to wit, the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger. Their anger was greatly kindled against Judah; because they were both disgraced by this rejection, and disappointed of that prey and spoil which they hoped to gain, whereas now they were sent away empty; for the one hundred talents probably were given to their officers only to raise men for this service; that sum being otherwise too small to be distributed into so many hands. And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. No text from Poole on this verse. And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces. No text from Poole on this verse. But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil. Unto Beth-horon, to wit, Beth-horon the lower, which was in the tribe of Benjamin; and from thence to Samaria; either, 1. To the city of Samaria; for the kings of Judah had taken divers places within the kingdom of Israel. Or, 2. To the kingdom of Samaria; Beth-horon and all other places between that city and their own kingdom. Smote, i.e. killed, as that word is generally understood. Three thousand of them; not three thousand cities, but three thousand persons dwelling in them, who possibly opposed them in taking the spoil, which was the thing they sought. 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. No text from Poole on this verse. Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? Therefore thou art not only ungrateful and impious, but also ridiculously foolish, in offending that God whose power and goodness thou hast now found, and in worshipping such gods of whose impotency thou hast had late experience. And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel. Art thou made of the king’s counsel? who art thou that presumest to direct and govern my affairs, without my commission? Why shouldest thou be smitten? provoke me no further, lest I cause thee to be killed for thy sauciness. I know that God hath determined to destroy thee: this he might know, either by the plain and positive rules of God’s word, as Proverbs 29:1, or by the suggestion of God’s Spirit. Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face. Amaziah took advice, i.e. about the injury which the Israelites had done to his people, 2 Chronicles 25:13, and how he should repair it. But of this and the following verses See Poole "2 Kings 14:8", &c. And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. No text from Poole on this verse. Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast: abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? No text from Poole on this verse. But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom. It came of God, who gave him up to his own error and passion, in order to his ruin. So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah. No text from Poole on this verse. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent. No text from Poole on this verse. And Joash the king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Bethshemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits. No text from Poole on this verse. And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obededom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria. In the house of God with Obed-edom, i. e. with Obed-edom’s posterity, to whom the custody of the sacred treasures was committed. See 1 Chronicles 26:15. And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. No text from Poole on this verse. Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel? No text from Poole on this verse. Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there. No text from Poole on this verse. And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah. No text from Poole on this verse. |
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