Bible Commentaries
2 Kings 14

Introduction

2 KINGS CHAPTER 14

Amaziah’s good reign: his justice on the murderers of his father: his victory over Edom: warreth against Jehoash king of Israel; is overcome by him, and slain by his own people: Azariah succeedeth him, 2 Kings 14:1-22.

Jehoash dieth; and Jeroboam his son is king over Israel; his acts and death: Zachariah his son succeedeth him, 2 Kings 14:23-29.

Verse 1

In the second year of Joash, i.e. after he began to reign alone; for he reigned two or three years with his father; of which See Poole "2 Kings 13:10".

Verse 2

Reigned twenty and nine years, to wit, fourteen years with Joash king of Israel, who reigned only sixteen years, 2 Kings 13:10; and fifteen years after the death of Joash, or with Jeroboam the son of Joash, as is affirmed here, 2 Kings 14:17; 2 Chronicles 25:25.

Verse 3

Right in the sight of the Lord; that which was in some sort agreeable to God’s will.

Not like David his father; not sincerely, 2 Chronicles 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, 2 Chronicles 25:14, as Joash had done, 2 Kings 12:3.

Verse 4

Howbeit; though he did right, &c., for this particle is to be joined with those words, the rest being to be closed with a parenthesis.

Verse 5

Whereby it is implied that his father’s murderers had powerful friends and abettors, and that their fact was in some sort approved by the generality of the people, to whom Joash had made himself hateful by his apostacy to idolatry, and by his ingratitude to the house of Jehoiada.

Verse 6

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 father’s death.

Verse 7

Of Edom, i.e. of the Edomites, or the children of Seir, as they are called, 2 Chronicles 25:11; either because they dwelt in Seir; see Genesis 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 Joram’s days, 2 Kings 8:20.

The valley of salt; which was the land of Edom; of which see 2 Samuel 8:13; Psalms 60:1.

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, 2 Chronicles 25:12.

Joktheel, which signifies the obedience of God, i.e. given him by God as a reward of his obedience to God’s message by the prophet, 2 Chronicles 25:8,2 Chronicles 25:9.

Verse 8

Let us fight personally, and with our armies. This challenge he sent, partly upon the late and great injuries done by the Israelites to his people, 2 Chronicles 25:10,2 Chronicles 25:13, and partly from self-confidence, and a desire of advancing his glory and empire by his arms.

Verse 9

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,

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, 2 Kings 14:8, and as Abner did, 2 Samuel 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 battle, 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.

Trod down the thistle; and with no less ease shall my soldiers tread down thee and thy forces.

Verse 10

Glory of this; content thyself with that glory and success, and let not thine ambition betray thee to ruin.

Verse 11

Amaziah would not hear, because God blinded and hardened him to his destruction, for his abominable and ridiculous idolatry, 2 Chronicles 25:20.

Jehoash went up, to wit, into the kingdom of Judah, carrying the war into his enemy’s country.

Which belongeth to Judah; which is added to distinguish it from that Beth-shemesh in Issachar, and another in Naphtali, Joshua 19:22,Joshua 19:38.

Verse 12

Being unsatisfied in the ground and manner of the quarrel, and discouraged by their king’s idolatry, and smitten by God with a spirit of fear.

Verse 13

Came to Jerusalem; commanding entrance in Amaziah’s name, and with his consent, which he durst not deny.

The gate of Ephraim; which led to Ephraim.

Four hundred cubits; which was done, partly in scorn and contempt, and partly that he might re-enter and retake it, if they should attempt to renew the war.

Verse 14

Hostages; to assure their peaceable carriage towards him.

Returned to Samaria: he did not keep Jerusalem, 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 all Judah bare to David’s house; and partly because God so inclined his heart, that he might make good his promise to David and his family.

Verse 19

They, i.e. the people, or the princes and chief men among them, possibly those whose sons he had delivered up as hostages to Jehoash, with the connivance, if not approbation, of the people; as appears, because the design was carried on openly, and steadily, and irresistibly, as the following words show.

Lachish; a strong city in Judah, towards the Philistines; of which see Joshua 10:31; Joshua 15:39; 2 Kings 19:8.

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 Kings 12:20; 2 Kings 15:10,2 Kings 15:15.

Verse 20

On horses, or, with horses, to wit, in a chariot.

Verse 21

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 thee author of all their late calamities. This Azariah is called Uziah, 2 Kings 15:30; 2 Chronicles 26:1, both names signifying the same thing for substance; that God’s help, and this God’s strength.

Verse 22

He built Elath, i.e. repaired and fortified it; for it was built before, Deuteronomy 2:8.

Restored it to Judah; from whom it had revolted with the rest of Edom, in which land this place was upon the Red Sea.

The king, i.e. his father Amaziah; who did not perfect his conquest of Edom, but left some work for his son.

Verse 25

The entering of Hamath was the northern border of the kingdom of Israel, Numbers 13:21; Numbers 34:8.

Unto the sea of the plain, i.e. unto the Dead Sea, which once was a goodly plain, Genesis 13:10, which was their southern border.

Jonah, or Jonas, one of the small prophets; though this prophecy of his be not recorded there; and therefore it is remembered here.

Verse 26

It was very bitter; whereby he was moved to pity and help them, though they were an unworthy people.

There was not any shut up, nor any left: See Poole "Deuteronomy 32:36"; See Poole "1 Kings 14:10"; See Poole "1 Kings 21:21".

Verse 27

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 Hosea 1:5,Hosea 1:6,Hosea 1:9.

Verse 28

Damascus and Hamath were cities of Syria, but were taken from the Syrians by David and Solomon, 2 Samuel 8:6; 2 Chronicles 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 retaken by the Syrians, and were now recovered by this Jeroboam.