Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 25

Verse 2

25:2 And he did [that which was] {a} right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.

(a) Meaning, in respect to his predecessors, though he had his imperfections.

Verse 4

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 {b} children, neither shall the children die for the fathers, but every man shall die for his own sin.

(b) That is, for the fault the child is punished for unless he is guilty of the same.

Verse 5

25:5 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 {c} 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.

(c) So many as were able to bear weapons and go to war.

Verse 6

25:6 He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour {d} out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver.

(d) That is, out of the ten tribes who had separated themselves before both from God and their true king.

Verse 7

25:7 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 {e} with Israel, [to wit, with] all the children of Ephraim.

(e) Therefore to think to have help from them, whom the Lord does not favour, is to cast off the help of the Lord.

Verse 8

25:8 But {f} 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.

(f) If you will not give credit to my words.

Verse 9

25:9 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 {g} give thee much more than this.

(g) He shows that if we depend only on God, we will not need to be troubled by these worldly things, for he will give at all times that which will be necessary if we obey his word.

Verse 11

25:11 And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of {h} Seir ten thousand.

(h) For the Idumeans whom David had brought to subjection rebelled under Jehoram Jehoshaphat’s son.

Verse 12

25:12 And [other] ten thousand [left] alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the {i} rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.

(i) In 2 Kings 14:7 this rock is called the city Sela.

Verse 13

25:13 But the soldiers of the {k} 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.

(k) That is, the 100,000 of Israel.

Verse 14

25:14 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 {l} bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

(l) That where he should have praised God for his benefits and great victory, he fell from God and most vilely dishonoured him.

Verse 15

25:15 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 {m} deliver their own people out of thine hand?

(m) He proves that whatever cannot save himself nor his worshipper is no god but an idol.

Verse 16

25:16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that {n} [the king] said unto him, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be {o} 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.

(n) Meaning the king.

(o) So hard it is, for the carnal man to be admonished for his fault, that he condemns, mocks and threatens him who warns him: yea, imprisons him and puts him to death, 2 Chronicles 16:10; 2 Chronicles 18:26; 2 Chronicles 24:21.

Verse 17

25:17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, {p} let us see one another in the face.

(p) That is, let us try the matter hand to hand: for he was offended, that the army of the Israelites whom he had in wages and dismissed by the counsel of the prophet, had destroyed certain of the cities of Judah.

Verse 20

25:20 But Amaziah would not hear; for {q} it [came] of God, that he might deliver them into the hand [of their enemies], because they sought after the gods of Edom.

(q) Thus God often plagues by those means on which men must rely, to teach them to seek help only from him, and to show his judgments, he moves their hearts to follow that which will lead to their destruction.

Verse 24

25:24 And [he took] all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with {r} Obededom, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.

(r) Meaning, the successors of Obededom: for the house bore the name of the chief father.