1.
In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.
second year of Joash. According to 2 Kings 13:10 , Joash (king of Israel) began to reign in the thirty-seventh year of Joash (king of Judah). If Arnaziah began in the second year of Joash (king of Israel), he would have reigned only thirty-nine years. But he reigned forty (2 Kings 12:1 ). All depends on mode of reckoning from Nisan, and counting parts of years for complete years. This would at once explain the difference. See App-50 . Our difficulty, as usual, arises from our ignorance.
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 LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.
the LORD. Heb Jehovah.
as Joash his father. He began well and ended badly.
4.
Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
the high places. See 1 Kings 15:14 .
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 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 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.
children = sons.
written in the book of the law of Moses. See note on Exodus 17:14 , and App-47 .
every man. Hebrew. 'ish. App-14 .
sin. Hebrew. chata '. App-44 .
7.
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.
He slew. The account in Chronicles supplies additional particulars. See 2 Chronicles 25:5-11 .
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.
look one another, &c. Figure of speech Tapeinosis ( App-6 ), meaning very much more (verses: 2 Kings 14:11-12 ).
9.
And Jehoash the 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.
The thistle, or briar or thorn. Hebrew. choch, rendered thistle here, and in 2 Chronicles 25:18 . Job 31:40 ; thorn in 2 Chronicles 33:11 .Job 41:2 .Proverbs 26:9 . Song of Solomon 2:2 .Hosea 9:6 ; and bramble in Isaiah 34:13 .
sent. For a similar fable, see Judges 9:8 . Figure of speech Prosopopoeia.
10.
Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
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 belongeth to Judah.
Beth-shernesh = house of the sun, on frontier of Judah and Dan, fifteen miles west of Jerusalem (Joshua 15:10 ). Now Ain Shems. A city of the priests (Joshua 21:9 , Joshua 21:13 , Joshua 21:16 ). Afterward associated with idolatry, and now with defeat.
12.
And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.
Put to the worse = smitten.
13.
And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
cubits. See App-51 .
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, and returned to Samaria.
hostages. Hebrew sons of the securities. Occurs only here and in 2 Chronicles 25:24 .
15.
Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which 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?
which he did. Some codices, with Syriac, read "and all that he did".
are they not. ? Figure of speech Erotesis.
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.
17.
And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
fifteen years: i.e. from 729-714. See App-50 .
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; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.
Lachish. On the Philistine border in Judah (Joshua 15:39 ). Now Tel-el-Hesy, and recently excavated with important results.
slew him there. See note on 2 Kings 8:26 .
20.
And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
21.
And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
Azariah. Called also Uzziah (2 Kings 15:13 , 2Ki 15:30 , 2 Kings 15:32 ; 2 Chronicles 26:1 .Isaiah 1:1 ; Isaiah 6:1 .Hosea 1:1 .Amos 1:1 .Zechariah 14:5; Zechariah 14:5 ). In Chronicles called Azariah (1 Chronicles 3:12 ). These different names are common, having the same or similar meanings.
sixteen years: i.e. when "made" king. Only three years old at his father's death. See note on 2 Kings 15:1 .
22.
He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
built = rebuilt or fortified. This implies the subjugation of Edom.
Elath. On the Red Sea. Compare 1 Kings 9:26 , and, for its eventual loss, 2 Kings 16:6 .
slept with his fathers. See note on Deuteronomy 31:16 .
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, and reigned forty and one years.
of Israel. Some codices, with one early printed edition, and Septuagint, read "over Israel".
forty and one years. See note on 2 Kings 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.
made Israel to sin. See note on 1 Kings 14:16 .
25.
He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher.
coast = border, or boundary.
entering of Hamath. The pass between Lebanon and Hermon.
the sea of the plain. The Dead Sea.
Jonah. Named by the Lord Jesus (Matthew 12:39 , Matthew 12:40 ).
26.
For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.
not any shut up, nor any left = not any [place] strengthened or fortified. See note on Exodus 23:5 .Deuteronomy 32:36 . 1 Kings 14:10 .
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, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
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 .
29.
And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.
reigned. After an interregnum of eleven years. See 2 Kings 15:8 .