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, 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 despises the admonitions of the prophet.
17 He provokes Joash to his overthrow.
25 His reign.
27 He is slain by conspiracy.
twenty-five ............. twenty-nine <02568 06242> [twenty and five.]
wholehearted <08003> [but not.]
kingdom <04467> [A.M. 3166. B.C. 838. Now it came.]
secured ....... executed <02388 02026> [established to him. Heb. confirmed upon him. he slew.]
No doubt those wicked men, Jozachar and Jehozabad, who murdered his father, had considerable influence; and therefore he found it dangerous to bring them to justice, till he was assured of the loyalty of his other officers: when this was clear, he called them to an account, and justly put them to death for treason and murder; for, if even these conspirators against Joash intended to avenge upon him the death of Zechariah, they acted without a commission from that God "to whom vengeance belongeth."
recorded <03789> [as it is written.]
commanders ...... thousand .... commanders ........................ 300,000 <0505 08269> [A.M. 3177. B.C. 827. captains over thousands.]
twenty <06242> [from twenty.]
300,000 <07969> [three.]
100,000 ...... hundred talents ... silver <03603 03701 03967> [an hundred talents of silver.]
Estimating the shekel at 2s. 6d., and the talent, being 3,000 shekels, (see Ex 38:25, 26,) at 375Å“., one hundred talents would amount to 37,500Å“.; which, divided among 100,000 men, quotes only 7s. 6d.; hence we may suppose, that this was only an earnest of their pay, or that they expected to be enriched by the plunder of the Edomites.
prophet <0376 0430> [a man of God.]
<03068> [for the Lord.]
bravely <02388> [be strong.]
God ........ God is capable <0430 03426 03581> [God hath power.]
[army. Heb. band.]
[The Lord.]
Amaziah <0558> [Amaziah.]
home .......... home <04725> [home. Heb. to their place. great anger. Heb. heat of anger.]
Valley <01516> [valley.]
10,000 <06235 0505> [And other ten thousand.]
No intimation is given on what account, or on what provocation, this most cruel conduct towards the prisoners of war was adopted. The enmity between Israel and Edom seems to have been reciprocal and deeply malignant. The victorious king and his army considered every individual of Edom as a traitor and rebel; and so adjudged them to death, and acted on this judgment. But their conduct was wholly inexcusable, and could only perpetuate rancour to future generations, and provoke the surviving Edomites to cruel retaliations, whenever they had it in their power.
threw <07993> [cast them.]
fell to ... death <01234> [broken in pieces.]
troops <01416 01121> [soldiers of the army. Heb. sons of the band.]
raided ... cities <06584 05892> [fell upon the cities.]
These Israelites seem to have returned home, when discharged by Amaziah, whose powerful army deterred them from attempting revenge at that time; but when he was engaged in war with the Edomites, they marched from Samaria, and plundered all the cities till they came to Beth-horon, where they slew 3,000 of the inhabitants.
Samaria <08111> [Samaria.]
Beth Horon <01032> [Beth-horon.]
returned ....... brought <0935> [he brought.]
gods ............ gods <0430> [his gods.]
prophet <05030> [a prophet.]
following <01875> [Why hast thou sought.]
gods <0430> [the gods.]
deliver <05337> [which could.]
appoint you <05414> [Art thou made.]
Stop ............ stopped <02308> [forbear.]
Amaziah ............. counselor ...................... decided <03289> [determined. Heb. counselled.]
Amaziah <0558> [A.M. 3178. B.C. 826. Amaziah.]
battlefield <07200> [let us see.]
thorn .................................. thorn <02336> [thistle. or, furze-bush, or thorn.]
wild animal <07704 02416> [a wild beast. Heb. a beast of the field.]
head <03820> [heart.]
success <03513> [to boast.]
bring <01624> [why shouldest.]
God ............. gods <0430> [it came of God.]
followed <01875> [sought.]
battlefield <07200> [they saw one another.]
That is, "they fought against each other." To face an enemy, or to face one another, is still a common expression. The reason of this war was evidently the injury the army of Joash had done to the unoffending inhabitants of Judah. The ravages committed by them were totally unprovoked, base, and cowardly: they fell upon women, old men, and children, and butchered them in cold blood, when all the effective men were gone with their king against the Edomites. The quarrel of Amaziah were certainly just, yet he was put to the rout: he fell, and Judah with him, as Joash had said; and the reason was, because "it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hands of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom." This was the reason why the Israelites triumphed.
Beth Shemesh <01053> [Beth-shemesh.]
defeated <05062> [put to the worse. Heb. smitten.]
ran <05127> [fled.]
captured ... Amaziah <08610 0558> [took Amaziah.]
Jehoahaz <03059> [Jehoahaz.]
[Ahaziah.]
[Azariah. gate of Ephraim.]
Gate ...... Corner Gate ... distance <08179 06437> [corner gate. Heb. the gate of it that looketh.]
gold <02091> [all the gold.]
hostages ..... back <01121 07725> [the hostages also.]
It is probable that these hostages were given in order that Amaziah might regain his liberty.
Joash ............. Joash <03101> [A.M. 3179-3194. B.C. 825-810. Joash.]
[Jehoash.]
rest .... events <01697 03499> [rest of the acts.]
time <06256> [A.M. 3194. B.C. 810. after the time.]
following ................... after <0310> [following. Heb. after. made. Heb. conspired.]
Lachish ....... him <03923> [Lachish.]
City <03063 05892> [the city of Judah. that is, the city of David, as it is.]
