2 Kings 14:9

_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, 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._ Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah. People in the East very often express their sentiments in a parabolic form, especially when they intend to convey unwelcome truths, or a contemptuous sneer. This was the design of the admonitory fable related by Joash in his reply. The thistle, a low shrub, might be chosen to represent Amaziah, a petty prince; the cedar, the powerful sovereign of Israel; and the wild beast that trode down the thistle, the overwhelming army with which Israel could desolate Judah. But, perhaps, without making so minute as application, the parable may be explained generally, as describing, in a str...

8-14 For some time after the division of the kingdoms, Judah suffered much from the enmity of Israel. After Asa's time, it suffered more by the friendship of Israel, and by the alliance made with them. Now we meet with hostility between them again. How may a humble man smile to hear two proud and scornful men set their wits on work, to vilify and undervalue one another! Unholy success excites pride; pride excites contentions. The effects of pride in others, are insufferable to those who are proud themselves. These are the sources of trouble and sin in private life; but when they arise between princes, they become the misery of their whole kingdoms. Jehoash shows Amaziah the folly of his challenge; Thine heart has lifted thee up. The root of all sin is in the heart, thence it flows. It is not Providence, the event, the occasion, whatever it is, that makes men proud, secure, discontented,...

Verse 2 Kings 14:9. _JEHOASH - SENT TO AMAZIAH - SAYING_] The meaning of this parable is plain. _The thistle that was in Lebanon _- Amaziah, king of Judah, _sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon _- Jehoash, king of Israel, _saying, Give thy daughter _- a part of thy kingdom, _to my son_ _to wife _- to be united to, and possessed by the kings of Judah. _And_ _there passed by a wild beast _- Jehoash and his enraged army, _and_ _trode down the thistle _- utterly discomfited Amaziah and his troops, pillaged the temple, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem: see 2 Kings 14:12. Probably Amaziah had required certain cities of Israel to be given up to Judah; if so, this accounts for that part of the parable, _Give thy daughter to my son to wife_....

The Oriental use of apologues on the most solemn and serious occasions is well known to all, and scarcely needs illustration (compare marginal reference). It is a common feature of such apologues that they are not exact parallels to the case whereto they are applied, but only general or partial resemblances. Hence, there is need of caution in applying the several points of the illustration....

EXPOSITION 2 KINGS 14:1 REIGNS OF AMAZIAH, SON OF JOASH KING OF JUDAH, OVER JUDAH, AND OF JEROBOAM, SON OF JOASH KING OF ISRAEL, OVER ISRAEL. 2 KINGS 14:1 THE REIGN OF AMAZIAH OVER JUDAH. This chapter takes up the history of the kingdom of Judah from the each of...

AND JEHOASH THE KING OF ISRAEL SENT TO AMAZIAH THE KING OF JUDAH,.... By the return of his messengers: SAYING, THE THISTLE THAT WAS IN LEBANON SENT TO THE CEDAR THAT WAS IN LEBANON; intending by this proverbial way of speaking to humble the pride of Amaziah; comparing him to a thistle or thorn, a low, mean, abject, weak, prickly, and troublesome shrub, and himself to a cedar, a tree high and lofty, strong, large, and spreading: SAYING, GIVE THY DAUGHTER TO MY SON TO WIFE; signifying, that if in a peaceable manner he had desired to contract affinity with him, and so establish mutual friendship, he should have despised him as being as much below him as the thistle is below a cedar; and therefore should still more despise and defy him, who addressed him in an hostile manner, and in such haughty language: AND THERE PASSED BY A WILD BEAST THAT WAS IN LEBANON, AND TROD DOWN THE THISTLE; and...

6. KINGS OF ISRAEL AND JUDAH CHAPTER 14 _ 1. Amaziah's reign over Judah (2 Kings 14:1; 2 Chronicles 25)_ 2. The conflict between Israel and Judah (2 Kings 14:8; 2 Chronicles 25:17) 3. Judah's defeat and Jerusalem taken (2 Kings 14:12) 4. Jehoash and his successor (2 Kings 14:15) 5. Death of Amaziah (2 Kings 14

THE REIGN OF AMAZIAH, SON OF JOASH, KING OF JUDAH. Amaziah was a virtuous king like his father Joash, but not according to the standard of David. This is the judgment of the Deuteronomist, who refers to the law-book of his age, approving the king's forbearance in not punishing the sons of his father's murderers (Deuteronomy 21:1 *, Deuteronomy 24:16). Amaziah was successful in his wars with Edom, whose territory was peculiarly important to Judah as giving access to the Red Sea. The Edomites were defeated in the Valley of Salt as in David's time (2 Samuel 8:13, LXX). There is a place of the same name near Beersheba, but the topography here seems to require it to be in the southern Arabah, S. of the Dead Se

THE THISTLE, or briar or thorn. Hebrew. _choch,_ rendered _thistle_ here, and in 2 Chronicles 25:18; Job 31:40. _thorn_ in 2 Chronicles 33:11.Job 41:2.Proverbs 26:9; Song of Solomon 2:2.Hosea 9:6. and _bramble_ in Isaiah 34:13. SENT. For. similar fable, s

_the thistle … sent to the cedar_ What Jehoash wishes to convey is that he feels himself utterly Amaziah's superior, and that he can take no notice of his message. This he does by an apologue (cf. Judges 9:8-15) in which he speaks not of war but of marriage. The application is however quite clear. The thistle, who asks for the daughter of the cedar, is trodden down by some passing beast and perishes unregarded, while the cedar stands unharmed. Words could hardly convey more strongly the low opinion which Jehoash entertained of Amaziah's power....