2 Chronicles 25:14

r 25:3, 2Chr 25:4. He reviews and remodels the army, 2Chr 25:5; and hires a hundred thousand soldiers out of Israel, whom, on the expostulation of a prophet, he sends home again, without bringing them into active service; at which they are greatly offended, 2Chr 25:6-10. He attacks the Syrians, kills ten thousand, and takes ten thousand prisoners, whom he precipitates from the top of a rock, so that they are dashed to pieces, 2Chr 25:11, 2Chr 25:12. The Israelitish soldiers, sent back, ravage several of the cities of Judah, 2Chr 25:13. Amaziah becomes an idolater, 2Chr 25:14. Is reproved by a prophet, whom he threatens, and obliges to desist, 2Chr 25:15, 2Chr 25:16. He challenges Joash, king of Israel, 2Chr 25:17; who reproves him by a parable, 2Chr 25:18, 2Chr 25:19. Not desisting, the armies meet, the Jews are overthrown, and Amaziah taken prisoner by Joash, who ravages the temple, and takes away all the treasures of the king, 2Chr 25:20-24. The reign of Amaziah: a conspiracy is formed against him; he flees to Lachish, whither he is pursued and slain; is brought to Jerusalem, and buried with his fathers, 2Chr 25:25-28. Verse 2 He did that which was right - He began his reign well, but soon became an idolater, 2Chr 25:14, 2Chr 25:15. Verse 5 Gathered Judah together - He purposed to avenge himself of the Syrians, but wished to know his military strength before he came to a rupture. Verse 7 The Lord is not with Israel - "The Word of the Lord is not the helper of the Israelites, nor of the kingdom of the tribe of Ephraim." - Targum. Verse 9 The Lord is able to give thee much more than this - Better lose the money than keep the men, for they will be a curse unto thee. Verse 10 They returned home in great anger - They thought they were insulted, and began to meditate revenge. See the notes on 2 Kings 14:1-20 (note), where almost every circumstance in this chapter is examined and explained. Verse 14 The gods of the children of Seir - "The idols of the children of Gebal." - Targum. Verse 16 Art thou made of the king's counsel? - How darest thou give advice to, or reprove, a king? Verse 18 The thistle that was in Lebanon - See the explanation of this 2Kgs 14:9 (note). 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." Verse 24 In the house of God with Obed-edom - From 1Chr 26:15 we learn that to Obed-edom and his descendants was allotted the keeping of the house of Asuppim or collections for the Divine treasury. And - the hostages - See on 2Kgs 14:14 (note). Verse 26 The rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last - Says the Targum; "The first, when he walked in the fear of the Lord, the last, when he departed from the right way before the Lord; are they not written," etc. Verse 27 Made a conspiracy - He no doubt became very unpopular after having lost the battle with the Israelites; the consequence of which was the dismantling of Jerusalem, and the seizure of the royal treasures, with several other evils. It is likely that the last fifteen years of his reign were greatly embittered: so that, finding the royal city to be no place of safety, he endeavored to secure himself at Lachish; but all in vain, for thither his murderers pursued him; and he who forsook the Lord was forsaken by every friend, perished in his gainsaying, and came to an untimely end. Introduction Uzziah, the son of Amaziah, succeeds; and begins his reign piously and prosperously, which continued during the life of Zechariah the prophet,

Amaziah's Idolatry. ( b. c. 826.) 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 bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. 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 deliver their own people out of thine hand? 16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be 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. Here is, I. The revolt of Amaziah from the God of Israel to the gods of the Edomites. Egregious folly! Ahaz worshipped the gods of those that had conquered him, for which he had some little colour, ch. xxviii. 23 . But to worship the gods of those whom he had conquered, who could not protect their own worshippers, was the greatest absurdity that could be. What did he see in the gods of the children of Seir that could tempt him to set them up for his gods and bow himself down before them? v. 14 . If he had cast the idols down from the rock and broken them to pieces, instead of the prisoners, he would have manifested more of the piety as well as more of the pity of an Israelite; but perhaps for that barbarous inhumanity he was given up to this ridiculous idolatry. II. The reproof which God sent to him, by a prophet, for this sin. The anger of the Lord was kindled against him, and justly; yet, before he sent to destroy him, he sent to convince and reclaim him, and so to prevent his destruction. The prophet reasoned with him very fairly and very mildly: Why hast thou sought the favour of those gods which could not deliver their own people? v. 15 . If men would but duly consider the inability of all those things to help them to which they have recourse when they forsake God, they would not be such enemies to themselves. III. The check he gave to the reprover, v. 16 . He could say nothing in excuse of his own folly; the reproof was too just to be answered. But he fell into a passion with the reprover. 1. He taunted him as saucy and impertinent, and meddling with that which did not belong to him: Art thou made of the king's counsel? Could not a man speak reasonably to him, but he must be upbraided as usurping the place of a privy-counsellor? But, as a prophet, he really was made of the king's counsel by the King of kings, in duty to whom the king was bound not only to hear, but to ask and take his counsel. 2. He silenced him, bade him forbear and say not a word more to him. He said to the seer, See not, Isa. xxx. 10 . Men would gladly have their prophets thus under their girdles, as we say, to speak just when and what they would have them speak, and not otherwise. 3. He threatened him: " Why shouldst thou be smitten? It is at thy peril if thou sayest a word more of this matter." He seems to remind him of Zechariah's fate in the last reign, who was put to death for making bold with the king; and bids him take warning by him. Thus he justifies the killing of that prophet by menacing this, and so, in effect, makes himself guilty of the blood of both. He had hearkened to the prophet who ordered him to send back the army of Israel, and was ruled by him, though he contradicted his politics and lost him 100 talents, v. 10 . But this prophet, who dissuaded him from worshipping the gods of the Edomites, he ran upon with an unaccountable rage, which must be attributed to the witchcraft of idolatry. He was easily persuaded to part with his talents of silver, but by no means with his gods of silver. IV. The doom which the prophet passed upon him for this. He had more to say to him by way of instruction and advice; but, finding him obstinate in his iniquity, he forbore. He is joined to idols; let him alone, Hos. iv. 17 . Miserable is the condition of that man with whom the blessed Spirit, by ministers and conscience, forbears to strive, Gen. vi. 3 . And both the reprovers in the gate and that in the bosom, if long brow-beaten and baffled, will at length forbear. So I gave them up to their own hearts' lusts. The secure sinner perhaps values himself upon it as a noble and happy achievement to have silenced his reprovers and monitors, and to get clear of them; but what comes of it? " I know that God has determined to destroy thee; it is a plain indication that thou art marked for ruin that thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my counsel. " Those that are deaf to reproof are ripening apace for destruction, Prov. xxix. 1 .