2 Chronicles 25:18

17-28 Never was a proud prince more thoroughly mortified than Amaziah by Joash king of Israel. A man's pride will bring him low, Proverbs 29:23; it goes before his destruction, and deservedly brings it on. He that exalteth himself shall be abased. He that goes forth hastily to strive, will not know what he shall do in the end thereof, when his neighbour has put him to shame, Proverbs 25:8. And what are we when we offer to establish our own righteousness, or presume to justify ourselves before the Most High God, but despicable thistles, that fancy themselves stately cedars? And are not various temptations, is not every corruption, a wild beast of the desert, which will trample on the wretched boaster, and tread his haughty pretensions to the dust? A man's pride shall bring him low; his ruin may be dated from...

Verse 2 Chronicles 25:18. _THE THISTLE THAT_ WAS _IN LEBANON_] See the explanation of this 2 Kings 14:9. After reciting this fable, the _Targum_ adds, "Thus hast thou done in the time thou didst send unto me, and didst lead up from the house of Israel _a hundred_ _thousand_ strong warriors for _a hundred_ talents of silver: and after they were sent, thou didst not permit them to go with thee to war, but didst send them back, greatly enraged, so that they spread themselves over the country; and having cut off _three_ _thousand_, they brought back much spoil....

EXPOSITION This chapter is filled up with a very graphic account of the entire career of Amaziah, and its twenty-eight verses are paralleled by the twenty verses of 2 Kings 14:1, where the narrative reads in several places much more curtly. Our chapter opens with the familiar anticipatory summary of the man, his age, pedigree, and character, whose course is to be detailed more precisely in following verses, again and yet again sounding the clear key-note of an unclean character and reign (2 Chronicles 25:1, 2 Chronicles 25:2); it proceeds to record the king's avenging of his father's murder (2 Chro

Ver. 18 2 Chronicles 25:17...

5. DECLINE AND APOSTASY UNDER AMAZIAH, UZZIAH, JOTHAM AND AHAZ CHAPTER 25 The Reign of Amaziah _ 1. The record of Amaziah's reign (2 Chronicles 25:1)_ 2. The war against Edom (2 Chronicles 25:5) 3. His idolatry and the divine rebuke (2 Chronicles 25:14) 4. The war between Judah and Israel (2 Chronicles 25:17) 5. The death of Amaziah (2 Chronicles 25:26) Joash's son Amaziah (strength of the Lord) took up the government in Judah when he wa

THE REIGN OF AMAZIAH. This section is taken from 2 Kings 14:1 with some considerable additions and modifications characteristic of the Chronicler. 2 Chronicles 25:1. See notes on 2 Kings 14:1; the Chronicler omits all reference to worship on the high places. 2 Chronicles 25:5. A midrashic expansion of 2 Kings 14:7, forming a background to the verses which follow. 2 Chronicles 25:7. a man of God:...

THISTLE. thorn. Compare 2 Kings 14:9....

_the thistle_ R.V. mg., THORN; cp. Proverbs 26:9 (same Heb. word)....

10. THE REIGN OF AMAZIAH (Chapter 25) TEXT 2 Chronicles 25:1. 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. 2. And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, but not with a perfect heart. 3. Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established unto him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father. 4. But he put not their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moses, as Jehovah 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. 5. Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and ordered them according to their fathers-' houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundred

REIGN OF AMAZIAH This chapter is derived in the main from 2 Kings 14:1, but with two insertions, 2 Kings 14:5 and 2 Kings 14:13....