2 Kings 14

IN the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel i. e. After he began to Reign alone: for he Reigned two or three Years with his Farther: O... which see on chap. 13. 10., reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.

He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years To wit, 14 Years with Ioash King of Israel, who Reigned only 16 Years, chap. 13. 10. and 15 Years after the death of Ioash, or with Ieroboam the Son of Ioash, as is affirmed here, ver. 17. and 2 Chron. 25. 25. in Jerusalem: and his mothers name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD That which was in some sort agreeable to Gods Will., yet not like David his father Not sincerely, 2 Chron. 25. 2.: he did according to all things as Joash his father did i. e. For a time served God aright, but afterwards fell to Idolatry, 1 Chron. 25. 14. as Ioash had done, 2 King. 12. 3..

Howbeit Though he did right, &c. for this Particle is to be joyned with those words, the rest being to be closed with a Parenthesis., the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice, and burnt incense on the high places.

¶ And it came to pass assoon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father Whereby it is implied, that his Fathers Murderers had powerful Friends and Abetrors, and that their Fact was in some sort approved by the generality of the People, to whom Ioash had made himself hateful by his Apostacy to Idolatry, and by his ingratitude to the House of Iehoiada..

But the children of the murderer he slew not Wherein he showed some Faith and Courage, that he would obey this Command of God, though it was very hazardous to himself, such persons being likely to seek revenge for their Fathers death. according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

He slew of Edom i. e. Of the Edomites, or the children of Seir, as they are called 2 Chron. 25.... 1. either, because they dwelt in Seir; See Gen. 36. 8. or, because these people were confederates. And he invaded these People because they were Subjects to his Kingdom, from which they had revolted in Ioram's days, 2 King. 8. 20. in the valley of salt Which was the Land of Edom: Of which see 2 Sam. 8. 13. Psal. 60. 2., ten thousand, and took ‖ Selah Or, the rock: the chief City of that part of Arabia, called by other Authors Petra, which signifies a rock, because it was built upon a Rock,... Chron. 25. 12 by war, and called the name of it Joktheel Which signifies, the obedience of God, i. e. given him by God as a reward of his Obeidence to Gods Message by the Prophet, 2 Chron. 25. 8, 9., unto this day.

¶ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face Let us fight personally, and with our Armies. This challenge he sent, partly upon the late and great in... uries done by the Israelites to his people, 2 Chron. 25. 10, 13. and partly, from self-confidence, and a desire of advancing his Glory and Empire by his Arms..

And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon By the thistle, a low and contemptible, yet troublesome, Shrub, he understands Amaziah; and by the cedar, himself, whom he intimates to be far stronger than he, and out of his reach., saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife Let us make a match, i. e. let us fight. Only he expresseth this Bloody work in a civil manner, as Amaziah had done, ver. 8. and as Abner did, 2 Sam. 2. 14. Or, let thy Kingdom and mine be United under one King, as formerly they were; and let us decide it by a pitched Battel, whether thou or I shall be that King. Or, as some expound it, by affirming, That it was great arrogancy and presumption for him to desire a Friendly League or Affinity with him; he leaves him to guess how intolerable it was that he should undertake to wage War against him.: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle And with no less ease shall my Soldiers tread down thee and thy Forces..

Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart has lifted thee up: glory of this Content thy self with that Glory and Success, and let not thine Ambition betray thee to ruin., and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

But Amaziah would not hear Because God blinded and hardned him to his destruction for his abominable and ridiculous Idolatry, 2 Chron. 25. 10.: therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up To wit, into the Kingdom of Iudah, carrying the War into his Enemies Countrey., and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah Which is added to distinguish it from that Bethshemesh in Issachar, and another in Naphthali, Ios. 19. 22, 38..

And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled Being unsatisfied in the ground and manner of the quarrel, and discouraged by their Kings Idolatry, and smitten by God with a spirit of fear. every man to their tents.

And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem Commanding entrance in Amaziah's name, and with his consent, which he durst not deny., and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, from the gate of Ephraim Which led to Ephraim., unto the corner-gate, four hundred cubits Which was done, partly in scorn and contempt; and partly, that he might re-enter and re-take it, if they should attempt to renew the War..

And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the kings house, and hostages To assure their peaceable carriage towards him., and returned to Samaria He did not keep Ierusalem, nor seek to gain the possession and dominion of that Kingdom; partly, because he thought he could not keep it, considering the difficulty he found in keeping his own from such potent and near Enemies as the Syrians were; and the great affection which Iudah bare to David's House and partly, because God so inclined his heart, that he might make good his promue to David and his Family..

¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.

¶ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, fifteen years.

And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

Now they i. e. The People, or the Princes and chief men among them, possibly those whose Sons he had delivered up as Hostages to Iehoash, with the connivence, if not approbation of the People; as appears, because the desig... was carried on openly, and steddily, and irresistibly, as the following words show. made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish A strong City in Iudah, towards the Philistines: Of which see Ios. 10. 31. and 15. 39. 2 King. 19....., but they sent after him Either, secret Murderers: or rather, bands of Soldiers: for this Rebellion was carried on by strong hand, and open force. Compare 2 King. 12. 20. and 15. 10, 15. to Lachish, and slew him there.

And they brought him on horses Or, with horses, to wit, in a Chariot., and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

¶ And all the people of Judah took Azariah, (which was sixteen years old) and made him king in stead of his father Amaziah Which they did, either in opposition to the conspirators: or, to show their affection to the House of David, and that their quarrel was only personal against Amaziah, whom they looked upon as the Author of all their late Calamites. This Azariah is called Uzziah, 2 King. 15. 30. 2 Chron. 26. 1. both names signifying the same thing for substance; that, Gods help; and this, Gods strength..

He built Elath i. e. Repaired and Fortified it: for it was built before, Deut. 2. 8., and restored it to Judah From whom it had revolted with the rest of Edom, in which Land this place was, upon the Red-Sea., after that the king i. e. His Father Amaziah; who did not perfect his Conquest of Edom, but left some work for his Son. slept with his fathers.

¶ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years.

And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.

He restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Ha... nath Which was the Northern border of the Kingdom of Israel, Numb. 13. 21. and 34. 8., unto the sea of the plain i. e. Unto the dead Sea, which once was a goodly plain, Gen. 13. 10. which was their Southern border., according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah Or, Ionas, one of the small Prophets; though this Prophecy of his be not Recorded there; and there... re it is remembred here., the son of Amittai the prophet, which was of Gath-Hepher.

For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter Whereby he was moved to pity and help them, though they were an unworthy people.: for there was not any shut up, nor any left See of this Phrase on Deut. 32. 36. 1 King. 14. 10. and 21. 21., nor any helper for Israel.

And the LORD said not i. e. Not yet: he had not yet declared this, as afterwards he did by the succeeding Prophets, though not in those words. See Hos. 1. 5, 6, 9. that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah These were Cities of Syria, but were taken from the Syrians by David and Solomon, 2 Sam. 8. 6. 2 Chron. 8. 3. and probably by them incorporated with, and added to the possessions of their own Tribe, to which from that time they belonged; but afterwards they were re-taken by the Syrians; and were now recovered by this Ieroboam., are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.