XXV. THE REIGN OF AMAZIAH. (Comp. 2 Kings 14:1.) DURATION AND CHARACTER OF THE REIGN. EXECUTION OF THE MURDERERS OF JOASH (2 Chronicles 25:1). (1, 2) AMAZIAH... THE LORD. — So 2 Kings 14:2. BUT NOT WITH A PERFECT HEART. — This is a brief equivalent of the words of the older text: “only not like D... [ Continue Reading ]
THE KINGDOM WAS ESTABLISHED TO HIM. — Or, _The sovereignty_ (power) _was confirmed to him._ Vulg., “cumque roboratum videret sibi imperium.”... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT HE SLEW NOT THEIR CHILDREN. — The verse coincides almost exactly with 2 Kings 14:6. Literally, _And their sons he put not to death; but according to what is written in the Torah, in the book of Moses, which Jehovah commanded,_ &c. The reference is evidently to Deuteronomy 24:16, which is more ex... [ Continue Reading ]
AMAZIAH’S MILITARY STRENGTH, AND CONQUEST OF EDOM (2 Chronicles 25:5). This section is for the most part peculiar to Chronicles. In Kings the conquest of Edom is recorded in a single verse (2 Kings 14:7). (5) AND MADE THEM CAPTAINS OVER THOUSANDS. — Rather, _And made them stand_ (marshalled them)... [ Continue Reading ]
HE HIRED ALSO... OUT OF ISRAEL — _i.e.,_ from the northern kingdom. The number has probably suffered in transmission. Thenius pronounces the fact historical, although not recorded in Kings. AN HUNDRED TALENTS OF SILVER. — Worth about £40,000 of our money, reckoning £400 to the talent. What such a s... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LORD IS NOT WITH ISRAEL. — Comp. 2 Chronicles 19:2; 2 Chronicles 20:37; also 2 Chronicles 16:7. TO WIT, WITH ALL THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM. — Added as an explanation of the term _Israel._ Ephraim was the name of the northern kingdom (Hosea 5:11; Hosea 5:14; Hosea 6:4, and _passim_)_. _... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT IF THOU WILT GO. — Rather, _But go thyself;_ in contrast with the prohibition, “Let not the army of Israel go.” DO IT, BE STRONG FOR THE BATTLE. — Compare 1 Chronicles 22:16 : “Arise! act!” GOD SHALL MAKE THEE FALL. — Before these words, the expression _wĕlô’,_ “and not,” must have dropped out... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT SHALL WE DO? — Literally, _What to do? i.e.,_ What is to be done? what must we do? THE ARMY. — _The troop_ (_gĕdûd_) of mercenaries.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO WIT, THE ARMY. — _The troop_ (_le_ prefixed, as sign of the accusative). TO GO HOME AGAIN. — To _go to their own place._ HOME IN GREAT ANGER. — To _their own place in a heat of anger_ (Isaiah 7:4). Obviously the dismissed force would be incensed at treatment which seemed to indicate distrust of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AMAZIAH STRENGTHENED HIMSELF. — _Shewed himself strong_ or _courageous, took courage;_ as the prophet had bidden him do (2 Chronicles 25:8). (Comp. 2 Chronicles 15:8.) AND WENT TO THE VALLEY OF SALT. — Comp. 2 Kings 14:7 : “He it was who smote Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand; and he too... [ Continue Reading ]
AND OTHER TEN THOUSAND LEFT ALIVE. — Rather, _And ten thousand the sons of Judah took alive._ The LXX. renders well: καὶ δέκα χιλιάδας ἐζώγρησαν οἱ υἱοὶ Ιουδα. AND BROUGHT THEM UNTO THE TOP OF THE ROCK. — Or, _of Sela._ Sela, “the crag,” was the Edomite capital, known to after ages as Petra, “the ro... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE SOLDIERS OF THE ARMY. — Literally, _Now the sons of the troop whom Amaziah had caused to return from marching with him to the war, they fell upon,_ &c. FELL UPON. — The verb used in 1 Chronicles 14:9; 1 Chronicles 14:13 : “Spread themselves.” Here it means attacked with a view to plunder (J... [ Continue Reading ]
AMAZIAH ADOPTS THE EDOMITE FORM OF WORSHIP, AND SPURNS A PROPHETIC WARNING (2 Chronicles 25:14). (14) FROM THE SLAUGHTER. — _From smiting._ BROUGHT THE GODS. — The Assyrian inscriptions often refer to this custom of carrying off the idols of conquered countries. Esarhaddon states that he restored... [ Continue Reading ]
COULD NOT DELIVER. — _Delivered not._ (Comp. the boast of Sennacherib concerning the gods who had failed before him: 2 Kings 18:33.) The king’s object may have been to win their favour, and so retain his hold on what was regarded as their peculiar territory. One of these gods might be _Hadad_ (comp.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS HE TALKED WITH HIM. — _When he spake unto him._ ART THOU MADE OF THE KING’S COUNSEL? — Literally, _A counsellor to the king have we appointed thee?_ WHY SHOULDEST THOU BE SMITTEN?_ — Wherefore should they smite thee?_ HATH DETERMINED. — _Hath counselled._ The prophet appropriates the king’s ow... [ Continue Reading ]
AMAZIAH CHALLENGES JOASH OF ISRAEL TO BATTLE, AND SUFFERS DISASTROUS DEFEAT (2 Chronicles 25:17). (Comp. 2 Kings 14:8.) (17) THEN AMAZIAH... TOOK ADVICE. — _And Amaziah took counsel_ (2 Chronicles 10:6). Different from the counsel which the prophet would have tendered him (2 Chronicles 25:16). AND... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JOASH KING OF ISRAEL. — This verse is the same as 2 Kings 14:9. (See Notes there.)... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SAYEST. — Slightly altered from 2 Kings 14:10. Thou sayest, or _thou thinkest,_ is added here. The word in Hebrew meaning _Lo_ (_hinnçh_) is perhaps a corruption of the word meaning _smiting_ (_hakkçh_)_ :_“Thou hast indeed smitten.” TO BOAST. — To _get glory_ (_hakbîd_). Only so used here. Ki... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT AMAZIAH WOULD NOT HEAR. — _And Amaziah hearkened not._ FOR IT CAME OF GOD ... GODS OF EDOM. — This remark is added by the chronicler, accounting for the infatuation of Joash by reference to the divine predetermination of events. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 25:16; and 2 Chronicles 24:24; 2 Chronicles 10... [ Continue Reading ]
AND JUDAH WAS PUT TO THE WORSE. — So 2 Kings 14:12. The Syriac and Arabic omit this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
JEHOAHAZ. — Several Hebrew MSS. _read Ahaziah,_ as in 2 Kings 14:13, with which the rest of the verse agrees: see the Notes there. (See Note on 2 Chronicles 21:17.) THE CORNER GATE. — So 2 Kings 14:13, rightly. Our Hebrew text has, “gate of the turning one,” or “gate that turneth;” which would requi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK. — So 2 Kings 14:14. The verb has fallen out here. The omission is ancient, as it appears in the LXX. The Vulg. gives the verb _returned_ at the end of the verse a transitive form, and renders “he carried back to Samaria” all the things enumerated. The Syriac reads, “and he took the silv... [ Continue Reading ]
END OF THE REIGN (2 Chronicles 25:25.) (Comp. 2 Kings 14:17.) (25) AND AMAZIAH. — Identical with 2 Kings 14:17. (See Notes there.)... [ Continue Reading ]
FIRST AND LAST. — _The former and the latter._ The chronicler adds his usual formula. BEHOLD, ARE THEY NOT WRITTEN. — The Hebrew is faulty here. “Behold, they are written” is the customary phrase in the Chronicles (2 Chronicles 20:34; 2 Chronicles 24:27); “are they not written” being that of Kings.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW AFTER THE TIME THAT AMAZIAH DID TURN AWAY FROM FOLLOWING THE LORD. — This clause is added by the chronicler, not so much with the aim of assigning a date, as of asserting the real connection between Amaziah’s defection from Jehovah, and the calamities that overtook him. Virtually he calls attent... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON HORSES. — See 2 Kings 14:20. IN THE CITY OF JUDAH. — A transcriber’s mistake for _city of David,_ as it is in Kings and all the old versions, as well as some Heb. MSS.... [ Continue Reading ]