2 Kings 14:1-6

Amaziah’s Reign over Judah

14:1 In the second year of the reign of Israel’s King Joash son of Joahaz, ¹  Joash’s ²  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. ³  His mother ⁴  was Jehoaddan, who was from Jerusalem. 14:3 He did what the Lord approved, ⁵  but not like David his father. He followed the example of his father Joash. ⁶  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, ⁷  he executed the servants who had assassinated his father. ⁸  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, ⁹  “Fathers must not be put to death for what their sons do, ¹⁰  and sons must not be put to death for what their fathers do. ¹¹  A man must be put to death only for his own sin.” ¹² 

[14:1]  ¹ sn The name Joahaz is an alternate form of Jehoahaz.

[14:1]  ² sn The referent here is Joash of Judah (see 12:21), not Joash of Israel, mentioned earlier in the verse.

[14:2]  ³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[14:2]  ⁴ tn Heb “the name of his mother.”

[14:3]  ⁵ tn Heb “he did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord.”

[14:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “according to all which Joash his father had done, he did.”

[14:5]  ⁷ tn Heb “when the kingdom was secure in his hand.”

[14:5]  ⁸ tn Heb “he struck down his servants, the ones who had struck down the king, his father.”

[14:6]  ⁹ tn Heb “as it is written in the scroll of the law of Moses which the Lord commanded, saying.”

[14:6]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “on account of sons.”

[14:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “on account of fathers.”

[14:6]  ¹² sn This law is recorded in Deut 24:16.