Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 25

Verse 1

Amaziah [was] twenty and five years old [when] he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name [was] Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

Amaziah was twenty and five years old. See on 2 Kings 14:1-2 .

And he reigned twenty and nine years. — But above half that time he lived in very great contempt among his own people, basely and idly.

Verse 2

And he did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

And he did that which was right. — A hypocrite may do such works as are materially good, which yet may never prove so formally and eventually.

Verse 3

Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father. 2 Chronicles 25:4 But he slew not their children, but [did] as [it is] written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

Ver. 3,4. See Trapp on " 2 Kings 14:5 " See Trapp on " 2 Kings 14:6 "

Verse 5

Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of [their] fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice [men, able] to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield.

Three hundred thousand choice men. — His great-grandfather Jehoshaphat had eleven hundred thousand. Their idolatry and evil practices had wasted and weakened them.

Verse 6

He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver.

For a hundred talents of silver. — This was no great hire, but the hope of spoil put them on; as it did likewise those thirteen thousand soldiers of Germany, almost all Lutherans, led by George Fransperg - a general in the imperial army under conduct of Charles Burbon, that sacked Rome in the time of Pope Clement VII - with no other pay but of one crown apiece of his own goods, and promise to lead them to Rome, where they should meet with good booty. Hist. of Counc. of Trent, 43.

Verse 7

But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD [is] not with Israel, [to wit, with] all the children of Ephraim.

But there came a man of God to him. — This was, say the Hebrews, Sedar Olam. Amos, the father of the prophet Isaiah, being brother to Amaziah; but that is but a conjecture.

Let not the army. — What marvel that Christians prevail so little against the Turks, considering what soldiers they make use of!

Verse 8

But if thou wilt go, do [it], be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down.

But if thou wilt go. — If thou hast a mind to wrestle a fall with the Almighty, at thy own peril be it.

Verse 9

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.

The Lord is able. — Before he had said, 2 Chronicles 25:8 ,

God hath power to help and to cast down. — God’s power is a main prop to faith, and men never doubt of God’s will to do them good, but they do at the same time doubt of his power.

Verse 10

Then Amaziah separated them, [to wit], the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger.

And they returned home in great anger. — Better that wicked persons be offended than that we have any unnecessary dealings with them, since we are sure to carry out of their company either guilt or grief.

Verse 11

And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.

And Amaziah strengthened himself. — Cum coepisset esse animo fortl et fidenti, He had a good name; it imported "one strong in the Lord and in the power of his might"; but he was far enough from that.

And went to the valley of Salt. — See 2 Kings 14:7 .

Verse 12

And [other] ten thousand [left] alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.

And cast them down from the top. — See 2 Kings 14:7 .

Verse 13

But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

From Samaria even to Bethhoron. — All along the breadth of Judah. Some will have this not to have been done till Amaziah’s return from the slaughter of Edom, for a punishment of his pride and idolatry. Lyra. Mayer.

Verse 14

Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up [to be] his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

He brought the gods of the children of Seir. — The old Romans, having subdued any nation, set up their gods to themselves also, to win their favour; Amaziah might do this haply for the like reason. The Jews fable that when those ten thousand Edomites were cast down from the rock, a voice from the idols was heard, This cometh upon you because ye have neglected to worship us; and that Amaziah, hearing this, did as he did. The truth is, he was given up of God unto this sin of idolatry, for a just punishment of his pride and hypocrisy; as were also the Turks to the Mohammedan superstition, which they received together with the kingdom of Persia, won by Tangrolipix, sultan of the Turks, A.D. 1030. So that hard it is to say, saith the historian, which nation lost more, - the Saracens and Persians by the loss of so great a kingdom, or the Turks by embracing so great a vanity. Turk. Hist.

Verse 15

Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?

And he sent unto him a prophet. — When he might have sent him to hell with a thunderbolt; as the patientest man upon earth would have done likely, had he been in God’s place and power.

Why hast thou sought after the gods? — It may be that the Edomites had hid their tutelary gods, and that Amaziah sought them out. The word signifieth a diligent, narrow search.

Verse 16

And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that [the king] said unto him, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

Forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? — Desine, vel dabis poenas ;

“ An expectas ut Quintilianus ametur? ”

I Know that God hath determined. — Heb., Counselled. Uncounsellable people have God’s marks upon them.

Verse 17

Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face.

Then Amaziah … took advice. — But wanted good counsellors, or else he was too much wedded to his own will: as was Xerxes about his expedition against Greece, to his own ruin.

Verse 18

And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that [was] in Lebanon sent to the cedar that [was] in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that [was] in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

Ver. 18-20, …, to the end of the chapter. See Trapp on " 2 Kings 14:8 " See Trapp on " 2 Kings 14:9 " See Trapp on " 2 Kings 14:10 "