2 Chronicles 25:1

THE TRAGIC RECORD OF AMAZIAH'S REIGN IN JUDAH

VIII. AMAZIAH (800-783 B.C.)

We have already written about a dozen pages in 2 Kings 14 regarding the reign of Amaziah, taking due note of the additional information provided in this chapter. We shall do little here except print the chapter.

AMAZIAH SLAYS THE MURDERERS OF HIS FATHER

"Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, but not with a perfect heart. And it came to pass when the kingdom was established unto him, that he slew his servants who had killed the king his father. But he put not their children to death, 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."

"He did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah" (2 Chronicles 25:2). The qualifying clause, "not with a perfect heart" is in effect an admission that his reign was evil. His doing right in God's sight apparently applies only to his sparing the children of his servants whom he executed for the death of his father.

The commandment of God through Moses, mentioned in 2 Chronicles 25:4, is found in Deuteronomy 24:16. (See our comments in the Commentary on 2 Kings 14 for the very great significance of this reference.)