Discovery Box2 Chronicles 21:4--26:1
Context21:4 Jehoram took control of his father’s kingdom and became powerful. 1 Then he killed all his brothers, 2 as well as some of the officials of Israel. 21:5 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned for eight years in Jerusalem. 3 21:6 He followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel, just as Ahab’s dynasty had done, for he married Ahab’s daughter. 4 He did evil in the sight of 5 the Lord. 21:7 But the Lord was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty 6 because of the promise 7 he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty. 8
21:8 During Jehoram’s 9 reign Edom freed themselves from Judah’s control and set up their own king. 10 21:9 Jehoram crossed over to Zair with his officers and all his chariots. The Edomites, who had surrounded him, attacked at night and defeated him and his chariot officers. 11 21:10 So Edom has remained free from Judah’s control to this very day. 12 At that same time Libnah also rebelled and freed themselves from Judah’s control 13 because Jehoram 14 rejected the Lord God of his ancestors. 21:11 He also built high places on the hills of Judah; he encouraged the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord 15 and led Judah away from the Lord. 16
21:12 Jehoram 17 received this letter from Elijah the prophet: “This is what the Lord God of your ancestor David says: ‘You 18 have not followed in the footsteps 19 of your father Jehoshaphat and of 20 King Asa of Judah, 21:13 but have instead followed in the footsteps of the kings of Israel. You encouraged the people of Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to be unfaithful to the Lord, just as the family of Ahab does in Israel. 21 You also killed your brothers, members of your father’s family, 22 who were better than you. 21:14 So look, the Lord is about to severely afflict 23 your people, your sons, your wives, and all you own. 21:15 And you will get a serious, chronic intestinal disease which will cause your intestines to come out.” 24
21:16 The Lord stirred up against Jehoram the Philistines 25 and the Arabs who lived beside the Cushites. 21:17 They attacked Judah and swept through it. 26 They carried off everything they found in the royal palace, 27 including his sons and wives. None of his sons was left, except for his youngest, Ahaziah. 21:18 After all this happened, the Lord afflicted him with an incurable intestinal disease. 28 21:19 After about two years his intestines came out because of the disease, so that he died a very painful death. 29 His people did not make a bonfire to honor him, as they had done for his ancestors. 30
21:20 Jehoram was thirty-two years old when he became king and he reigned eight years in Jerusalem. No one regretted his death; 31 he was buried in the City of David, 32 but not in the royal tombs.
22:1 The residents of Jerusalem 33 made his youngest son Ahaziah king in his place, for the raiding party that invaded the city with the Arabs had killed all the older sons. 34 So Ahaziah son of Jehoram became king of Judah. 22:2 Ahaziah was twenty-two 35 years old when he became king and he reigned for one year in Jerusalem. His mother was Athaliah, the granddaughter 36 of Omri. 22:3 He followed in the footsteps of Ahab’s dynasty, 37 for his mother gave him evil advice. 38 22:4 He did evil in the sight of 39 the Lord like Ahab’s dynasty because, after his father’s death, they 40 gave him advice that led to his destruction. 22:5 He followed their advice and joined Ahab’s son King Joram 41 of Israel in a battle against King Hazael of Syria 42 at Ramoth Gilead in which the Syrians defeated Joram. 22:6 Joram 43 returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds he received from the Syrians 44 in Ramah when he fought against King Hazael of Syria. Ahaziah 45 son of King Jehoram of Judah went down to visit Joram son of Ahab in Jezreel, because he had been wounded. 46
22:7 God brought about Ahaziah’s downfall through his visit to Joram. 47 When Ahaziah 48 arrived, he went out with Joram to meet Jehu son of Nimshi, whom the Lord had commissioned 49 to wipe out Ahab’s family. 50 22:8 While Jehu was dishing out punishment to Ahab’s family, he discovered the officials of Judah and the sons of Ahaziah’s relatives who were serving Ahaziah and killed them. 22:9 He looked for Ahaziah, who was captured while hiding in Samaria. 51 They brought him to Jehu and then executed him. They did give him a burial, for they reasoned, 52 “He is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the Lord with his whole heart.” There was no one in Ahaziah’s family strong enough to rule in his place. 53
22:10 When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she was determined to destroy the entire royal line 54 of Judah. 55 22:11 So Jehoshabeath, 56 the daughter of King Jehoram, 57 took Ahaziah’s son Joash and sneaked him away 58 from the rest of the royal descendants who were to be executed. She hid him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers were stored. So Jehoshabeath the daughter of King Jehoram, wife of Jehoiada the priest and sister of Ahaziah, hid him from Athaliah so she could not execute him. 22:12 He remained in hiding in God’s temple 59 for six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land.
23:1 In the seventh year Jehoiada made a bold move. He made a pact 60 with the officers of the units of hundreds: Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael son of Jehochanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri. 23:2 They traveled throughout Judah and assembled the Levites from all the cities of Judah, as well as the Israelite family leaders.
They came to Jerusalem, 61 23:3 and the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the temple of God. Jehoiada 62 said to them, “The king’s son will rule, just as the Lord promised David’s descendants. 23:4 This is what you must do. One third of you priests and Levites who are on duty during the Sabbath will guard the doors. 23:5 Another third of you will be stationed at the royal palace and still another third at the Foundation Gate. All the others 63 will stand in the courtyards of the Lord’s temple. 23:6 No one must enter the Lord’s temple except the priests and Levites who are on duty. They may enter because they are ceremonially pure. All the others should carry out their assigned service to the Lord. 23:7 The Levites must surround the king. Each of you must hold his weapon in his hand. Whoever tries to enter the temple 64 must be killed. You must accompany the king wherever he goes.” 65
23:8 The Levites and all the men of Judah 66 did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath. Jehoiada the priest did not release his divisions from their duties. 23:9 Jehoiada the priest gave to the officers of the units of hundreds King David’s spears and shields 67 that were kept in God’s temple. 23:10 He placed the men at their posts, each holding his weapon in his hand. They lined up from the south side of the temple to the north side and stood near the altar and the temple, surrounding the king. 68 23:11 Jehoiada and his sons led out the king’s son and placed on him the crown and the royal insignia. 69 They proclaimed him king and poured olive oil on his head. 70 They declared, “Long live the king!”
23:12 When Athaliah heard the royal guard 71 shouting and praising the king, she joined the crowd 72 at the Lord’s temple. 23:13 Then she saw 73 the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters stood beside the king and all the people of the land were celebrating and blowing trumpets, and the musicians with various instruments were leading the celebration. Athaliah tore her clothes and yelled, “Treason! Treason!” 74 23:14 Jehoiada the priest sent out the officers of the units of hundreds, who were in charge of the army, and ordered them, “Bring her outside the temple to the guards. 75 Put the sword to anyone who follows her.” The priest gave this order because he had decided she should not be executed in the Lord’s temple. 76 23:15 They seized her and took her into the precincts of the royal palace through the horses’ entrance. 77 There they executed her.
23:16 Jehoiada then drew up a covenant stipulating that he, all the people, and the king should be loyal to the Lord. 78 23:17 All the people went and demolished 79 the temple of Baal. They smashed its altars and idols. 80 They killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. 23:18 Jehoiada then assigned the duties of the Lord’s temple to the priests, the Levites whom David had assigned to the Lord’s temple. They were responsible for offering burnt sacrifices to the Lord with joy and music, according to 81 the law of Moses and the edict of David. 23:19 He posted guards at the gates of the Lord’s temple, so no one who was ceremonially unclean in any way could enter. 23:20 He summoned 82 the officers of the units of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of land, and he then led the king down from the Lord’s temple. They entered the royal palace through the Upper Gate and seated the king on the royal throne. 23:21 All the people of the land celebrated, for the city had rest now that they had killed Athaliah. 83
24:1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. 84 His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 24:2 Joash did what the Lord approved 85 throughout the lifetime 86 of Jehoiada the priest. 24:3 Jehoiada chose two wives for him who gave him sons and daughters.
24:4 Joash was determined to repair the Lord’s temple. 87 24:5 He assembled the priests and Levites and ordered them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and collect the annual quota of silver from all Israel for repairs on the temple of your God. Be quick about it!” But the Levites delayed.
24:6 So the king summoned Jehoiada the chief priest, 88 and said to him, “Why have you not made 89 the Levites collect 90 from Judah and Jerusalem the tax authorized by Moses the Lord’s servant and by the assembly of Israel at the tent containing the tablets of the law?” 91 24:7 (Wicked Athaliah and her sons had broken into God’s temple and used all the holy items of the Lord’s temple in their worship of the Baals.) 24:8 The king ordered a chest to be made and placed outside the gate of the Lord’s temple. 92 24:9 An edict was sent throughout Judah and Jerusalem requiring the people to bring to the Lord the tax that Moses, God’s servant, imposed on Israel in the wilderness. 93 24:10 All the officials and all the people gladly brought their silver and threw it into the chest until it was full. 24:11 Whenever the Levites brought the chest to the royal accountant and they saw there was a lot of silver, the royal scribe and the accountant of the high priest emptied the chest and then took it back to its place. They went through this routine every day and collected a large amount of silver.
24:12 The king and Jehoiada gave it to the construction foremen 94 assigned to the Lord’s temple. They hired carpenters and craftsmen to repair the Lord’s temple, as well as those skilled in working with iron and bronze to restore the Lord’s temple. 24:13 They worked hard and made the repairs. 95 They followed the measurements specified for God’s temple and restored it. 96 24:14 When they were finished, they brought the rest of the silver to the king and Jehoiada. They used it to make items for the Lord’s temple, including items used in the temple service and for burnt sacrifices, pans, and various other gold and silver items. Throughout Jehoiada’s lifetime, burnt sacrifices were offered regularly in the Lord’s temple.
24:15 Jehoiada grew old and died at the age of 130. 97 24:16 He was buried in the City of David 98 with the kings, because he had accomplished good in Israel and for God and his temple.
24:17 After Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah visited the king and declared their loyalty to him. 99 The king listened to their advice. 100 24:18 They abandoned the temple of the Lord God of their ancestors, 101 and worshiped 102 the Asherah poles and idols. Because of this sinful activity, God was angry with Judah and Jerusalem. 24:19 The Lord sent prophets among them to lead them back to him. 103 They warned 104 the people, but they would not pay attention. 24:20 God’s Spirit energized 105 Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest. He stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why are you violating the commands of the Lord? You will not be prosperous! Because you have rejected the Lord, he has rejected you!’” 24:21 They plotted against him and by royal decree stoned him to death in the courtyard of the Lord’s temple. 24:22 King Joash disregarded 106 the loyalty his father Jehoiada had shown him and killed Jehoiada’s 107 son. As Zechariah 108 was dying, he said, “May the Lord take notice and seek vengeance!” 109
24:23 At the beginning 110 of the year the Syrian army attacked 111 Joash 112 and invaded Judah and Jerusalem. They wiped out all the leaders of the people and sent all the plunder they gathered to the king of Damascus. 24:24 Even though the invading Syrian army was relatively weak, the Lord handed over to them Judah’s very large army, 113 for the people of Judah 114 had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. The Syrians 115 gave Joash what he deserved. 116 24:25 When they withdrew, they left Joash 117 badly wounded. His servants plotted against him because of what he had done to 118 the son 119 of Jehoiada the priest. They murdered him on his bed. Thus 120 he died and was buried in the City of David, 121 but not in the tombs of the kings. 24:26 The conspirators were Zabad son of Shimeath (an Ammonite woman) and Jehozabad son of Shimrith (a Moabite woman).
24:27 The list of Joash’s 122 sons, the many prophetic oracles pertaining to him, and the account of his building project on God’s temple are included in the record of the Scroll of the Kings. 123 His son Amaziah replaced him as king.
25:1 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. 124 His mother was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 25:2 He did what the Lord approved, 125 but not with wholehearted devotion. 126
25:3 When he had secured control of the kingdom, 127 he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. 128 25:4 However, he did not execute their sons. He obeyed the Lord’s commandment as recorded in the law scroll of Moses, 129 “Fathers must not be executed for what their sons do, 130 and sons must not be executed for what their fathers do. 131 A man must be executed only for his own sin.” 132
25:5 Amaziah assembled the people of Judah 133 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 134 equipped with spears and shields. 135 25:6 He hired 100,000 Israelite warriors for a hundred talents 136 of silver.
25:7 But a prophet 137 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. 138 25:8 Even if you go and fight bravely in battle, God will defeat you 139 before the enemy. God is capable of helping or defeating.” 140 25:9 Amaziah asked the prophet: 141 “But what should I do about the hundred talents of silver I paid the Israelite troops?” The prophet 142 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. 143 They were very angry at Judah and returned home incensed. 25:11 Amaziah boldly led his army to the Valley of Salt, 144 where he defeated 145 10,000 Edomites. 146 25:12 The men 147 of Judah captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a cliff and threw them over. 148 All the captives 149 fell to their death. 150 25:13 Now the troops Amaziah had dismissed and had not allowed to fight in the battle 151 raided 152 the cities of Judah from Samaria 153 to Beth Horon. They killed 154 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 155 of Seir and made them his personal gods. 156 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 157 these gods 158 that could not deliver their own people from your power?” 159 25:16 While he was speaking, Amaziah 160 said to him, “Did we appoint you to be a royal counselor? Stop prophesying or else you will be killed!” 161 So the prophet stopped, but added, “I know that the Lord has decided 162 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, 163 he sent this message to the king of Israel, Joash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, “Come, face me on the battlefield.” 164 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. 165 25:19 You defeated Edom 166 and it has gone to your head. 167 Gloat over your success, 168 but stay in your palace. Why bring calamity on yourself? Why bring down yourself and Judah along with you?” 169
25:20 But Amaziah did not heed the warning, 170 for God wanted to hand them over to Joash because they followed the gods of Edom. 171 25:21 So King Joash of Israel attacked. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other on the battlefield 172 in Beth Shemesh of Judah. 25:22 Judah was defeated by Israel, and each man ran back home. 173 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. 174 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. 175 25:27 From the time Amaziah turned from following the Lord, conspirators plotted against him in Jerusalem, 176 so he fled to Lachish. But they sent assassins after him 177 and they killed him there. 25:28 His body was carried back by horses, 178 and he was buried in Jerusalem with his ancestors 179 in the City of David. 180
26:1 All the people of Judah took Uzziah, 181 who was sixteen years old, and made him king in his father Amaziah’s place.
[21:4] 1 tn Heb “and Jehoram arose over the kingdom of his father and strengthened himself.”
[21:4] 2 tn Heb “and he killed all his brothers with the sword.”
[21:5] 3 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[21:6] 5 tn Heb “he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did, for the daughter of Ahab was his wife.”
[21:6] 6 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[21:7] 9 tn Heb “which he made to David, just as he had promised to give him and his sons a lamp all the days.” Here “lamp” is metaphorical, symbolizing the Davidic dynasty.
[21:8] 9 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoram) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[21:8] 10 tn Heb “in his days Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah and enthroned a king over them.”
[21:9] 11 tc Heb “and he arose at night and defeated Edom, who had surrounded him, and the chariot officers.” The Hebrew text as it stands gives the impression that Jehoram was surrounded and launched a victorious nighttime counterattack. Yet v. 10 goes on to state that the Edomite revolt was successful. The translation above assumes an emendation of the Hebrew text. Adding a third masculine singular pronominal suffix to the accusative sign before Edom (reading אֹתוֹ [’oto, “him”] instead of just אֶת [’et]) and taking Edom as the subject of verbs allows one to translate the verse in a way that is more consistent with the context, which depicts an Israelite defeat, not victory. See also 2 Kgs 8:21.
[21:10] 13 tn Heb “and Edom rebelled from under the hand of Judah until this day.”
[21:10] 14 tn Or “from Jehoram’s control”; Heb “from under his hand.” The pronominal suffix may refer to Judah in general or, more specifically, to Jehoram.
[21:10] 15 tn Heb “he.” This pronoun could refer to Judah, but the context focuses on Jehoram’s misdeeds. See especially v. 11.
[21:11] 15 tn Heb “and he caused the residents of Jerusalem to commit adultery.” In this context spiritual unfaithfulness to the
[21:11] 16 tn Heb “and drove Judah away.”
[21:12] 17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoram) has been specified in the translation for clarity and for stylistic reasons.
[21:12] 18 tn Heb “Because you…” In the Hebrew text this lengthy sentence is completed in vv. 14-15. Because of its length and complexity (and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences), the translation has divided it up into several English sentences.
[21:12] 19 tn Heb “walked in the ways.”
[21:12] 20 tn Heb “in the ways of.”
[21:13] 19 tn Heb “and you walked in the way of the kings of Israel and caused Judah and the residents of Jerusalem to commit adultery, like the house of Ahab causes to commit adultery.”
[21:13] 20 tn Heb “the house of your father.”
[21:14] 21 tn Heb “to strike with a great striking.”
[21:15] 23 tn Heb “and you [will have] a serious illness, an illness of the intestines until your intestines come out because of the illness days upon days.”
[21:16] 25 tn Heb “the spirit of the Philistines.”
[21:17] 27 tn Heb “broke it up.”
[21:17] 28 tn Heb “all the property which was found in the house of the king.”
[21:18] 29 tn Heb “in his intestines with an illness [for which] there was no healer.”
[21:19] 31 tn Heb “and it was to days from days, and about the time of the going out of the end for the days, two, his intestines came out with his illness and he died in severe illness.”
[21:19] 32 tn Heb “and his people did not make for him a fire, like the fire of his fathers.”
[21:20] 33 tn Heb “and he went without desire.”
[21:20] 34 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[22:1] 35 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[22:1] 36 tn Heb “for all the older [ones] the raiding party that came with the Arabs to the camp had killed.”
[22:2] 37 tc Heb “forty-two,” but the parallel passage in 2 Kgs 8:26 reads “twenty-two” along with some
[22:2] 38 tn The Hebrew term בַּת (bat, “daughter”) can refer, as here, to a granddaughter. See HALOT 165-66 s.v. I בַּת 1.
[22:3] 39 tn Heb “and also he walked in the ways of the house of Ahab.”
[22:3] 40 tn Heb “for his mother was his adviser to do evil.”
[22:4] 41 tn Heb “in the eyes of.”
[22:4] 42 tn That is, the members of Ahab’s royal house.
[22:5] 43 sn Jehoram and Joram are alternate spellings of the Israelite king’s name (also in vv. 6-7). The shorter form is used in these verse to avoid confusion with King Jehoram of Judah, father of Azariah.
[22:5] 44 tn Heb “Aram” (also in v. 6).
[22:6] 45 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Joram) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:6] 46 tn Heb “which the Syrians inflicted [on] him.”
[22:6] 47 tc Most Hebrew
[22:6] 48 tn Heb “because he was sick,” presumably referring to the wounds he received in the battle with the Syrians.
[22:7] 47 tn Heb “From God was the downfall of Ahaziah by going to Joram.”
[22:7] 48 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Ahaziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:7] 50 tn Heb “to cut off the house of Ahab.”
[22:9] 49 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[22:9] 51 tn Heb “and there was no one belonging to the house of Ahaziah to retain strength for kingship.”
[22:10] 51 tn Heb “she arose and she destroyed all the royal offspring.” The verb קוּם (qum, “arise”) is here used in an auxiliary sense to indicate that she embarked on a campaign to destroy the royal offspring. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 125.
[22:10] 52 tn Heb “house of Judah.”
[22:11] 53 sn Jehoshabeath is a variant spelling of the name Jehosheba (2 Kgs 11:2).
[22:11] 54 tn Heb “the king”; the referent (King Jehoram, see later in this verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[22:12] 55 tn Heb “and he was with them in the house of God hiding.”
[23:2] 59 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[23:3] 61 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Jehoiada the priest, cf. v. 8) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[23:5] 63 tn Heb “all the people.”
[23:7] 66 tn Heb “and be with the king in his coming out and in his going out.”
[23:8] 67 tn Heb “all Judah.” The words “the men of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy for the men of Judah.
[23:9] 69 tn The Hebrew text lists two different types of shields here. Most translations render “the large and small shields” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV; NEB “King David’s spears, shields, and bucklers”).
[23:10] 71 tn Heb “and he stationed all the people, each with his weapon in his hand, from the south shoulder of the house to the north shoulder of the house, at the altar and at the house, near the king all around.”
[23:11] 73 tn The Hebrew word עֵדוּת (’edut) normally means “witness” or “testimony.” Here it probably refers to some tangible symbol of kingship, perhaps a piece of jewelry such as an amulet or neck chain (see the discussion in M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings [AB], 128). Some suggest that a document is in view, perhaps a copy of the royal protocol or of the stipulations of the Davidic covenant (see HALOT 790-91 s.v.).
[23:11] 74 tn Or “they made him king and anointed him.”
[23:12] 75 tn Heb “and Athaliah heard the sound of the people, the runners.”
[23:12] 76 tn Heb “she came to the people.”
[23:13] 77 tn Heb “and she saw, and behold.”
[23:13] 78 tn Or “Conspiracy! Conspiracy!”
[23:14] 80 tn Heb “for the priest had said, ‘Do not put her to death in the house of the
[23:15] 81 tn Heb “and they placed hands on her, and she went through the entrance of the gate of the horses [into] the house of the king.” Some English versions treat the phrase “gate of the horses” as the name of the gate (“the Horse Gate”; e.g., NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).
[23:16] 83 tn Heb “and Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and [between] all the people and [between] the king, to become a people for the
[23:18] 87 tn Heb “as it is written in.”
[23:21] 91 tn Heb “killed Athaliah with the sword.”
[24:1] 93 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[24:2] 95 tn Heb “and Joash did what was proper in the eyes of the
[24:2] 96 tn Heb “all the days of.”
[24:4] 97 tn Heb “and it was, later, there was with the heart of Joash to repair the house of the
[24:6] 99 tn Heb “Jehoiada the head”; the word “priest” not in the Hebrew text but is implied.
[24:6] 102 tn Heb “the tent of testimony.”
[24:8] 101 tn Heb “and the king said [it] and they made a chest and placed it in the gate of the house of the
[24:9] 103 tn Heb “and they gave voice in Judah and Jerusalem to bring to the
[24:12] 105 tn Heb “doers of the work.”
[24:13] 107 tn Heb “and the doers of the work worked, and the repairs went up for the work by their hand.”
[24:13] 108 tn Heb “and they caused the house of God to stand according to its measurements and they strengthened it.”
[24:15] 109 tn Heb “and Jehoiada grew old and was full of days and died; [he was] one hundred thirty years old when he died.”
[24:16] 111 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[24:17] 113 tn Heb “came and bowed down to the king.”
[24:18] 115 tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 24).
[24:19] 117 tn Heb “and he sent among them prophets to bring them back to the
[24:19] 118 tn Heb “testified among.”
[24:22] 121 tn Heb “did not remember.”
[24:22] 122 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Jehoiada) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:22] 123 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Zechariah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:22] 124 tn Heb “and seek [ – ].” The direct object of “seek” is omitted in the Hebrew text but implied; “vengeance” is supplied for clarification.
[24:23] 124 tn Heb “went up against.”
[24:23] 125 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:24] 125 tn Heb “though with a small amount of men the army of Aram came, the
[24:24] 126 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the people of Judah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:24] 127 tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Syrians) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:24] 128 tn Heb “executed judgments [on] Joash.”
[24:25] 127 tn Heb “him”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:25] 128 tn Heb “because of the shed blood of.”
[24:25] 129 tc The MT has the plural בְּנֵי (bÿney, “sons”), but the final yod is dittographic. Note the yod that immediately follows.
[24:25] 130 tn Heb “and he died.”
[24:25] 131 sn The phrase the City of David refers here to the fortress of Zion in Jerusalem, not to Bethlehem. See 2 Sam 5:7.
[24:27] 129 tn Heb “his”; the referent (Joash) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[24:27] 130 tn Heb “And his sons and the abundance of the oracle[s] against him, and the founding of the house of God, look are they not written on the writing of the scroll of the kings?”
[25:1] 131 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[25:2] 133 tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the
[25:2] 134 tn Heb “a complete heart.”
[25:3] 135 tn Heb “when the kingdom was secure upon him.”
[25:3] 136 tn Heb “he killed his servants, the ones who had struck down the king, his father.”
[25:4] 137 tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses which the
[25:4] 138 tn Heb “on account of sons.”
[25:4] 139 tn Heb “on account of fathers.”
[25:4] 140 sn This law is recorded in Deut 24:16.
[25:5] 139 tn Heb “Judah.” The words “the people of” are supplied in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew text uses the name “Judah” by metonymy here for the people of Judah.
[25:5] 140 tn Heb “young men going out to war.”
[25:5] 141 tn Heb “holding a spear and a shield.”
[25:6] 141 tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the silver was 6,730 lbs. (3,060 kg).
[25:7] 143 tn Heb “man of God.”
[25:7] 144 tn Heb “Israel, all the sons of Ephraim.”
[25:8] 145 tn Heb “cause you to stumble.”
[25:8] 146 tn Heb “to cause to stumble.”
[25:9] 147 tn Heb “said to the man of God.”
[25:9] 148 tn Heb “man of God.”
[25:10] 149 tn Heb “and Amaziah separated them, the troops who came to him from Ephraim, to go to their place.”
[25:11] 151 tn Heb “and Amaziah strengthened himself and led his people and went to the Valley of Salt.”
[25:11] 152 tn Or “struck down.”
[25:11] 153 tn Heb “sons of Seir.”
[25:12] 154 tn Heb “and threw them from the top of the cliff.”
[25:12] 155 tn Heb “all of them.”
[25:12] 156 tn Heb “smashed in pieces.”
[25:13] 155 tn Heb “had sent back from going with him to the battle.”
[25:13] 156 tn Heb “stripped.”
[25:13] 157 map For location see Map2 B1; Map4 D3; Map5 E2; Map6 A4; Map7 C1.
[25:13] 158 tn Heb “struck down.”
[25:14] 158 tn Heb “caused them to stand for him as gods.”
[25:15] 159 tn Heb “seeking,” perhaps in the sense of “consulting [an oracle from].”
[25:15] 160 tn Heb “the gods of the people.”
[25:16] 161 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Amaziah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[25:16] 162 tn Heb “Stop yourself! Why should they strike you down?”
[25:16] 163 tn The verb יָעַץ (ya’ats, “has decided”) is from the same root as יוֹעֵץ (yo’ets, “counselor”) in v. 16 and עֵצָה (’etsah, “advice”) later in v. 16. The wordplay highlights the appropriate nature of the divine punishment. Amaziah rejected the counsel of God’s prophet; now he would be the victim of God’s “counsel.”
[25:17] 163 tn The words “with his advisers” are supplied in the translation for clarification.
[25:17] 164 tn Heb “let us look at each other [in the] face.” The expression refers here not to a visit but to meeting in battle. See v. 21.
[25:18] 165 sn The thorn bush in the allegory is Judah. Amaziah’s success had deceived him into thinking he was on the same level as the major powers in the area (symbolized by the cedar). In reality he was not capable of withstanding an attack by a real military power such as Israel (symbolized by the wild animal).
[25:19] 167 tn Heb “you say [to yourself], ‘look, you have defeated Edom.’”
[25:19] 168 tn Heb “and your heart is lifted up.”
[25:19] 169 tn Heb “to glorify.”
[25:19] 170 tn Heb “Why get involved in calamity and fall, you and Judah with you?”
[25:20] 169 tn Heb “did not listen.”
[25:20] 170 tn Heb “because it was from God in order to give them into the hand because they sought the gods of Edom.”
[25:21] 171 tn Heb “looked at each other [in the] face.” See the note on the expression “Come on, face me on the battlefield” in v. 17.
[25:22] 173 tn Heb “and Judah was struck down before Israel and they fled, each to his tent.”
[25:23] 175 tn Heb “400 cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the distance would have been about 600 feet (180 m).
[25:26] 177 tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Amaziah, the former and the latter, are they not – behold, they are written on the scroll of the kings of Judah and Israel.”
[25:27] 179 tn Heb “and they conspired against him [with] a conspiracy in Jerusalem.”
[25:27] 180 tn Heb “and they sent after him to Lachish.”
[25:28] 181 tn Heb “and they carried him on horses.”
[25:28] 183 tc The Hebrew text has “Judah,” but some medieval
[26:1] 183 tn The parallel account in 2 Kgs 15:1-8 has the variant spelling “Azariah.”
