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Texts -- 2 Chronicles 25:4-28 (NET)

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25:4 However, he did not execute their sons . He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses , “Fathers must not be executed for what their sons do, and sons must not be executed for what their fathers do. A man must be executed only for his own sin .” 25:5 Amaziah assembled the people of Judah and assigned them by families to the commanders of units of a thousand and the commanders of units of a hundred for all Judah and Benjamin . He counted those twenty years old and up and discovered there were 300,000 young men of fighting age equipped with spears and shields . 25:6 He hired 100,000 Israelite warriors for a hundred talents of silver . 25:7 But a prophet visited him and said : “O king , the Israelite troops must not go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel or any of the Ephraimites . 25:8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle , God will defeat you before the enemy . God is capable of helping or defeating .” 25:9 Amaziah asked the prophet : “But what should I do about the hundred talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops ?” The prophet replied , “The Lord is capable of giving you more than that .” 25:10 So Amaziah dismissed the troops that had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home . They were very angry at Judah and returned home incensed . 25:11 Amaziah boldly led his army to the Valley of Salt , where he defeated 10,000 Edomites . 25:12 The men of Judah captured 10,000 men alive . They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over . All the captives fell to their death . 25:13 Now the troops Amaziah had dismissed and had not allowed to fight in the battle raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon . They killed 3,000 people and carried off a large amount of plunder . 25:14 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 . 25:15 The Lord was angry at Amaziah and sent a prophet to him, who said , “Why are you following these gods that could not deliver their own people from your power ?” 25:16 While he was speaking , Amaziah said to him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor ? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed !” So the prophet stopped , but added , “I know that the Lord has decided to destroy you, because you have done this thing and refused to listen to my advice .” 25:17 After King Amaziah of Judah consulted with his advisers, he sent this message to the king of Israel , Joash son of Jehoahaz , the son of Jehu , “Come, face me on the battlefield.” 25:18 King Joash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah , “A thorn bush 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 bush . 25:19 You 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?” 25:20 But Amaziah did not heed the warning, for God wanted to hand them over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom . 25:21 So King Joash of Israel attacked . He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other on the battlefield in Beth Shemesh of Judah . 25:22 Judah was defeated by Israel , and each man ran back home . 25:23 King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah , son of Joash son of Jehoahaz , in Beth Shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem . He broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate – a distance of about six hundred feet . 25:24 He took away all the gold and silver , all the items found in God’s temple that were in the care of Obed-Edom , the riches in the royal palace , and some hostages . Then he went back to Samaria . 25:25 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Joash son of Jehoahaz of Israel . 25:26 The rest of the events of Amaziah’s reign, from start to finish , are recorded in the Scroll of the Kings of Judah and Israel . 25:27 From the time Amaziah turned from following the Lord , conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem , so he fled to Lachish . But they sent assassins after him and they killed him there . 25:28 His body was carried back by horses , and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors in the City of David.

Pericope

NET

Bible Dictionary

  • Amaziah

    [ebd] strengthened by Jehovah. (1.) A Levite, son of Hilkiah, of the descendants of Ethan the Merarite (1 Chr. 6:45). (2.) The son and successor of Joash, and eighth king of the separate kingdom of Judah (2 Kings 14:1-4). He began...
    [isbe] AMAZIAH - am-a-zi'-a ('amatsyah, 'amatsyahu, "Yahweh is mighty"; 2 Ki 14:1-20; 2 Ch 25). Son of Jehoash, and tenth king of Judah. Amaziah had a peaceable accession at the age of 25. A depleted treasury, a despoiled palace an...
    [smith] (the strength of the Lord). Son of Joash, and eighth king of Judah, reigned B.C. 837-809. He succeeded to the throne at the age of 25, on the murder of his father, and punished the murderers. In order to restore his kingdom ...
    [nave] AMAZIAH 1. A Levite, 1 Chr. 6:45. 2. King of Judah. History of, 2 Kin. 14; 2 Chr. 25. 3. An idolatrous priest at Bethel, Amos 7:10-17. 4. Father of Joshah, 1 Chr. 4:34.

  • Israel

    [nave] ISRAEL 1. A name given to Jacob, Gen. 32:24-32; 2 Kin. 17:34; Hos. 12:3, 4. 2. A name of the Christ in prophecy, Isa. 49:3. 3. A name given to the descendants of Jacob, a nation. Called also Israelites, and Hebrews, Gen. 4...

  • Joktheel

    [ebd] subdued by God. (1.) A city of Judah near Lachish (Josh. 15, 38). Perhaps the ruin Kutlaneh, south of Gezer. (2.) Amaziah, king of Judah, undertook a great expedition against Edom (2 Chr. 25:5-10), which was completely succe...
    [smith] (subdued by God). A city in the low country of Judah, (Joshua 15:38) named next to Lachish. "God-subdued," the title given by Amaziah to the cliff (Authorized Version Selah) --the stronghold of the Edomites-- after he had ca...
    [nave] JOKTHEEL 1. A city of Judah, Josh. 15:38. 2. A name given by Amaziah to Selah, a stronghold of Edom, 2 Kin. 14:7; 2 Chr. 25:11, 12. Called rock in Judg. 1:36.

  • Jehoash

    [ebd] Jehovah-given. (1.) The son of King Ahaziah. While yet an infant, he was saved from the general massacre of the family by his aunt Jehosheba, and was apparently the only surviving descendant of Solomon (2 Chr. 21:4, 17). His...
    [nave] JEHOASH 1. Called also Joash. Successor of Jehoahaz, 2 Kin. 13:10-25. Defeats Amaziah, 2 Kin. 13:12; 14:8-15; 2 Chr. 25:17-24. Death of, 2 Kin. 13:13; 14:16. 2. King of Judah. See: Joash.

  • JEHOASH; JOASH

    [isbe] JEHOASH; JOASH - je-ho'-ash, the uncontracted form of (yeho'ash, yo'ash, "Yahweh has bestowed"; compare 2 Ki 11:2,21; 12:1,19; 2 Ch 24:1, etc.; Ioas): (1) The 9th king of Judah; son of Ahaziah and Zibiah, a woman of Beersheb...

  • SALT, VALLEY OF

    [ebd] a place where it is said David smote the Syrians (2 Sam. 8:13). This valley (the' Arabah) is between Judah and Edom on the south of the Dead Sea. Hence some interpreters would insert the words, "and he smote Edom," after the...
    [isbe] SALT, VALLEY OF - (ge' ha-melach): The scene of battles, firstly, between David or his lieutenant Abishai and the Edomites (2 Sam 8:13; 1 Ch 18:12; Ps 60, title), and later between Amaziah and these same foes (2 Ki 14:7; 2 C...
    [smith] a valley in which occurred two memorable victories of the Israelite arms: That of David over the Edomites. (2 Samuel 8:13; 1 Chronicles 18:12) That of Amaziah. (2 Kings 14:7; 2 Chronicles 25:11) It is perhaps the...

  • CHRONICLES, BOOKS OF

    [isbe] CHRONICLES, BOOKS OF - kron'-i-k'-ls (dibhere ha-yamim, "The Words of the Days"; Septuagint paraleipomenon: 1. The Name 2. The Position of Chronicles in the Old Testament 3. Two Books, or One? 4. The Contents 5. Sources Bibl...

  • JUDAH, KINGDOM OF

    [isbe] JUDAH, KINGDOM OF - || I. CANAAN BEFORE THE MONARCHY 1. The Coming of the Semites 2. The Canaanites 3. The Israelite Confederacy 4. Migration into Canaan 5. The Bond of Union 6. Early Rulers 7. The Judges 8. Hereditary Kings...

  • Jerusalem

    [ebd] called also Salem, Ariel, Jebus, the "city of God," the "holy city;" by the modern Arabs el-Khuds, meaning "the holy;" once "the city of Judah" (2 Chr. 25:28). This name is in the original in the dual form, and means "posses...
    [smith] (the habitation of peace), Jerusalem stands in latitude 31 degrees 46? 35" north and longitude 35 degrees 18? 30" east of Greenwich. It is 32 miles distant from the sea and 18 from the Jordan, 20 from Hebron and 36 from Samar...
    [nave] JERUSALEM Called Jebus, Josh. 18:28; Judg. 19:10; Zion, 1 Kin. 8:1; Zech. 9:13; City of David, 2 Sam. 5:7; Isa. 22:9; Salem, Gen. 14:18; Psa. 76:2; Ariel, Isa. 29:1; City of God, Psa. 46:4; City of the Great King, Psa. 48:2;...

  • Faith

    [nave] FAITH. 2 Sam. 22:31; Psa. 5:11; Psa. 7:1; Psa. 9:9, 10; Psa. 18:30; Psa. 32:10; Psa. 33:18, 19; Psa. 34:8, 22 vs. 1-8;; Psa. 2:12. Psa. 36:7; Psa. 40:4; Psa. 64:10; Psa. 78:7 vs. 5-7.; Psa. 84:5, 12; Psa. 112:5, 7, 8; Psa. ...

  • Ahaziah

    [ebd] held by Jehovah. (1.) The son and successor of Ahab. He followed the counsels of his mother Jezebel, and imitated in wickedness the ways of his father. In his reign the Moabites revolted from under his authority (2 Kings 3:5...
    [isbe] AHAZIAH - a-ha-zi'-a ('achazyah and 'achazyahu, "Yah holds, or sustains"): I. Ahaziah. Son of Ahab and Jezebel, eighth king of Israel (1 Ki 22:51 through 2 Ki 1:18). 1. His Reign: Ahaziah became king over Israel in the seven...
    [nave] AHAZIAH 1. King of Judah. Called Azariah and Jehoahaz, 2 Chr. 21:17; 25:23. History of, 2 Kin. 8:25-29; 9:16-29. Gifts of, to the temple, 2 Kin. 12:18. Brethren of, slain, 2 Kin. 10:13, 14. Succeeded by Athaliah, 2 Chr. ...

  • Obed-edom

    [ebd] servant of Edom. (1.) "The Gittite" (probably so called because he was a native of Gath-rimmon), a Levite of the family of the Korhites (1 Chr. 26:1, 4-8), to whom was specially intrusted the custody of the ark (1 Chr. 15:18...
    [isbe] OBED-EDOM - o'-bed-e'-dom (`obhedh 'edhowm (2 Ch 25:24), `obhedd 'edhom (2 Sam 6:10; 1 Ch 13:13,14; 15:25), but elsewhere without hyphen, "servant of (god) Edom"; so W. R. Smith, Religion of Semites (2), 42, and H. P. Smith,...
    [nave] OBED-EDOM 1. Korhite Levite. Doorkeeper of the ark, 1 Chr. 15:18, 24; 26:4-8. David leaves ark with, 2 Sam. 6:10; 1 Chr. 13:13, 14. Ark removed from, 2 Sam. 6:12; 1 Chr. 15:25. Appointed to sound with harps, 1 Chr. 15:21....

  • ARMY

    [ebd] The Israelites marched out of Egypt in military order (Ex. 13:18, "harnessed;" marg., "five in a rank"). Each tribe formed a battalion, with its own banner and leader (Num. 2:2; 10:14). In war the army was divided into thous...
    [isbe] ARMY - ar'-mi (chayil, "army," tsabha', "host," ma`arakhah, "army in battle array" gedhudh, "troop"): 1. The First Campaign of History 2. In the Wilderness 3. The Times after the Conquest 4. In the Early Monarchy 5. From the...
    [smith] I. JEWISH ARMY.--Every man above 20 years of age was a soldier, (Numbers 1:3) each tribe formed a regiment, with its own banner and its own leader (Numbers 2:2; 10:14) their positions in the camp or on the march were accurate...

  • EDOM, IDUMAEA OR IDUMEA

    [smith] (red). The name Edom was given to Esau, the first-born son of Isaac and twin brother of Jacob, when he sold his birthright to the latter for a meal of lentil pottage. The country which the Lord subsequently gave to Esau was h...

  • Beth-shemesh

    [nave] BETH-SHEMESH 1. A set apart city of Dan, Josh. 21:16; 1 Sam. 6:15; 1 Chr. 6:59. On the northern border of Judah, Josh. 15:10; 1 Sam. 6:9, 12. In later times transferred to Judah, 2 Kin. 14:11. Mentioned in Solomon's commi...

  • Ephraim

    [nave] EPHRAIM 1. Second son of Joseph, Gen. 41:52. Adopted by Jacob, Gen. 48:5. Blessed before Manasseh; prophecies concerning, Gen. 48:14-20. Descendants of, Num. 26:35-37; 1 Chr. 7:20-27. Mourns for his sons, 1 Chr. 7:21, 22...

  • Edom

    [ebd] (1.) The name of Esau (q.v.), Gen. 25:30, "Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage [Heb. haadom, haadom, i.e., 'the red pottage, the red pottage'] ...Therefore was his name called Edom", i.e., Red. (2.) Idumea (Isa....

  • Captive

    [nave] CAPTIVE Prisoner of war, Gen. 14:12; 1 Sam. 30:1, 2. Cruelty to: Putting to death, Num. 31:9-20; Deut. 20:13; 21:10; Josh. 8:29; 10:15-40; 11:11; Judg. 7:25; 8:21; 21:11; 1 Sam. 15:32, 33; 2 Sam. 8:2; 2 Kin. 8:12; Jer. 39:6...

  • Edomites

    [nave] EDOMITES, called also Edom. Descendants of Esau, Gen. 36. Kings of, Gen. 36:31-39; Num. 20:14; 1 Chr. 1:43-50; Ezek. 32:29; Amos 2:1. Dukes of, Gen. 36:9-43; Ex. 15:15; 1 Chr. 1:51-54. Land of, Gen. 32:3; Deut. 2:4, 5, 12....

  • Amoz

    [ebd] strong, the father of the prophet Isaiah (2 Kings 19:2, 20; 20:1; Isa. 1:1; 2:1). As to his personal history little is positively known. He is supposed by some to have been the "man of God" spoken of in 2 Chr. 25:7, 8.
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Arts

Questions

  • They were descendants of Esau. They inhabited a fertile and rich country specially given to them (Deu. 2:5; Gen. 27:39). Their country was traversed by roads though it was mountainous and rocky (Num. 20:17; Jer. 49:16). They ...

Resources/Books

Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • The Book of Samuel covers the period of Israel's history bracketed by Samuel's conception and the end of David's reign. David turned the kingdom over to Solomon in 971 B.C.3David reigned for 40 and one-half years (2 Sam. 2:11...
  • God blessed Amaziah by allowing him to subdue the Edomites who had revolted from Judean control during the reign of Judah's king Jehoram (cf. 2 Chron. 25:5-16). The Valley of Salt lay south of the Salt (Dead) Sea in the Araba...
  • The text does not identify Amaziah's conspirators, but they were evidently Judahites who wanted to restore pure worship to their nation (2 Chron. 25:27). Lachish was a former royal city on Judah's western border. The king rec...
  • As Ahab had imported Baal worship from Phoenicia, so Ahaz imported a foreign altar from Damascus (cf. Jehoash's Edomite idols; 2 Chron. 25:14, 20). As Judah's king-priest, he led the nation in worshipping at an altar differen...
  • Chronicles covers a broader period of history than any other Old Testament book. It begins with Adam and ends with Anani who lived eight generations after King Jehoiachin (1 Chron. 3:24). If we allow 25 years for each generat...
  • Even though 1 and 2 Chronicles give one continuous story the emphasis in 2 Chronicles is different from that in 1 Chronicles. In 1 Chronicles the emphasis is the importance of the temple in national life. However in 2 Chronic...
  • (Continued from notes on 1 Chronicles)III. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-9A. Solomon's wisdom and prosperity ch. 1B. The building of the temple 2:1-5:11. Preparations for building the temple ch. 22. The temple proper 3:1-93. Th...
  • The Chronicler selected three events from Amaziah's reign to teach important spiritual lessons.First, Amaziah followed the Mosaic Law faithfully in dealing with the people who had killed his father (vv. 1-4; cf. Deut. 24:16)....
  • Since we do not know who the writer was, other than that his name was Obadiah, it is very difficult to date this book and to determine where it came from."This shortest book in the Old Testament, consisting of only twenty-one...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

  • 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.'--2 Chron. 25:9.THE ch...
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