Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice ,.... Not of God, nor of his prophets, but of some of his nobles like himself: and sent to Joash--king of Israel ; of his message to him here, and his answer in the two following verses, see the following notes: See Gill on 2 Kings 14:8 . See Gill on 2 Kings 14:9 . See Gill on 2 Kings 14:10 . read more
But Amaziah would not hear ,.... What the king of Israel advised him to, not to meddle to his hurt: for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies ; Amaziah and his army into the hands of Joash and his; this was the will of God, and was brought about by his providence; and that it might be, Amaziah was given up to blindness and hardness of heart, as a punishment of his idolatry: because they sought after the gods of Edom ; he and his nobles, and many... read more
The thistle that was in Lebanon - See the explanation of this 2 Kings 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... read more
Another type of uncertain character. We are at once advised, in refer-once to Amaziah, that he "did right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart." The expression might be supposed to cover the description of a man whose life was in the main right, but who was betrayed by temptation into some serious sins, of which, like David, he bitterly repented, but genuinely repented, and was restored to peace -rod favour. No such interpretation, however, is here possible. And as... read more
Took advice ; i.e. took counsel; as in foregoing verse, "Art thou made king's counsellor?" and as in same verse, "counselled" should read instead of "determined," The verb ( יָעץ ), in kal, niph; and once only in hithp; occurs just eighty times, always in this sense, and almost always so rendered in the Authorized Version, Let us see one another in the face. A refined analogy to this expression, with all its speaking significance, occurs in 2 Samuel 2:13 ; and, perhaps yet more... read more
Human presumption. In the correspondence between these two kings and the action which ensued we have a very striking illustration of the evil of human presumption. I. IT MAY BE BEGOTTEN OF A SLIGHT SUCCESS . "Thou hast smitten the Edomites and thy heart lifteth thee up to boast" ( 2 Chronicles 25:19 ). Some men are soon inflated; even a little "knowledge puffeth up." And a very slight achievement, in art, or in song, or in speech, or in manufacture, is enough to fill... read more
The battle of Beth-shemesh; or, the downfall of a boaster. I. THE OBJECT OF THE BATTLE . 1 . The object of its promoter, Amaziah. 2 . The object of its Director, God. If Amaziah had an aim in seeking a pitched battle with Joash King of Israel, so had Jehovah an aim in allowing him and Joash to try conclusions on the field of war. If Amaziah meant to punish Joash, Jehovah meant to punish Amaziah: which of the two, the King of Judah or the King of kings, was the more... read more
The thistle … sent to the cedar . While other history shows frequently the abounding Eastern delight in this exact kind of composition, it will be remembered that it is not absent from Scripture, and that this is not the first recorded instance of it by three hundred and fifty years, for see 9:7-15 . The thistle; Hebrew, הַחוֹחַ . The word occurs, beside the four times here and in the parallel, eight other times: 1 Samuel 13:6 ; 2 Chronicles 33:11 ; Job 31:40 ; Job 41:2 ; ... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 25:17-28
We have here this degenerate prince mortified by his neighbour and murdered by his own subjects. I. Never was proud prince more thoroughly mortified than Amaziah was by Joash king of Israel. 1. This part of the story (which was as fully related 2 Kgs. 14:8-22, as it is here)--embracing the foolish challenge which Amaziah sent to Joash (2 Chron. 25:17), his haughty scornful answer to it (2 Chron. 25:18), with the friendly advice he gave him to sit still and know when he was well off, (2 Chron.... read more