Text -- 2 Kings 14:1-13 (NET)

Amaziah’s Reign over Judah

14:1 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Joash son of Joahaz, Joash’s son Amaziah became king over Judah. 14:2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 14:3 He did what the Lord approved, but not like David his father. He followed the example of his father Joash. 14:4 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places. 14:5 When he had secured control of the kingdom, he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. 14:6 But he did not execute the sons of the assassins. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses, “Fathers must not be put to death for what their sons do, and sons must not be put to death for what their fathers do. A man must be put to death only for his own sin.” 14:7 He defeated 10,000 Edomites in the Salt Valley; he captured Sela in battle and renamed it Joktheel, a name it has retained to this very day. 14:8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel. He said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.” 14:9 King Jehoash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn. 14:10 You thoroughly defeated Edom and it has gone to your head! Gloat over your success, but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?” 14:11 But Amaziah would not heed the warning, so King Jehoash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah met face to face in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 14:12 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home. 14:13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, in Beth Shemesh. He attacked Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate– a distance of about six hundred feet.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:1

¹ sn The name Joahaz is an alternate form of Jehoahaz.

² sn The referent here is Joash of Judah (see 12:21), not Joash of Israel, mentioned earlier in the verse.

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:2

¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

² tn Heb “the name of his mother.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:3

¹ tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord.”

² tn Heb “according to all which Joash his father had done, he did.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:5

¹ tn Heb “when the kingdom was secure in his hand.”

² tn Heb “he struck down his servants, the ones who had struck down the king, his father.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:6

¹ tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses which the Lord commanded, saying.”

² tn Heb “on account of sons.”

³ tn Heb “on account of fathers.”

⁴ sn This law is recorded in Deut 24:16.

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:7

¹ tn Or “struck down.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:8

¹ tn Heb “let us look at each other [in the] face.” The expression refers here to meeting in battle. See v. 11.

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:9

¹ tn Heb “the animal of the field.”

² sn Judah is the thorn in the allegory. Amaziah’s success has deceived him into thinking he is on the same level as the major powers in the area (symbolized by the cedar). In reality he is not capable of withstanding an attack by a real military power such as Israel (symbolized by the wild animal).

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:10

¹ tn Or “you have indeed defeated Edom.”

² tn Heb “and your heart has lifted you up.”

³ tn Heb “be glorified.”

⁴ tn Heb “Why get involved in calamity and fall, you and Judah with you?”

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:11

¹ tn Heb “did not listen.”

² tn Heb “went up.”

³ tn Heb “looked at each other [in the] face.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:12

¹ tn Heb “and Judah was struck down before Israel and they fled, each to his tent.”

NET Notes: 2Ki 14:13

¹ tc The MT has the plural form of the verb, but the final vav (ו) is virtually dittographic. The word that immediately follows in the Hebrew text begins with a yod (י). The form should be emended to the singular, which is consistent in number with the verb (“he broke down”) that follows.

² tn Heb “came to.”

³ tn Heb “four hundred cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) long.