25:2 And he did [that which was] a right in the sight of the
LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
(a) Meaning, in respect to his predecessors, though he had
his imperfections.
25:4 But he slew not their children, but [did] as [it is]
written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD
commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the b
children, neither shall the children die for the fathers,
but every man shall die for his own sin.
(b) That is, for the fault the child is punished for
unless he is guilty of the same.
25:5 Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them
captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds,
according to the houses of [their] fathers, throughout all
Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from c twenty
years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand
choice [men, able] to go forth to war, that could handle
spear and shield.
(c) So many as were able to bear weapons and go to war.
25:6 He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour d
out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver.
(d) That is, out of the ten tribes who had separated
themselves before both from God and their true king.
25:7 But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not
the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD [is] not e
with Israel, [to wit, with] all the children of Ephraim.
(e) Therefore to think to have help from them, whom the
Lord does not favour, is to cast off the help of the
Lord.
25:8 But f if thou wilt go, do [it], be strong for the battle:
God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath
power to help, and to cast down.
(f) If you will not give credit to my words.
25:9 And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do
for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of
Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to
g give thee much more than this.
(g) He shows that if we depend only on God, we will not
need to be troubled by these worldly things, for he
will give at all times that which will be necessary if
we obey his word.
25:11 And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his
people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the
children of h Seir ten thousand.
(h) For the Idumeans whom David had brought to subjection
rebelled under Jehoram Jehoshaphat's son.
25:12 And [other] ten thousand [left] alive did the children of
Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of
the i rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock,
that they all were broken in pieces.
(i) In (2Ki 14:7) this rock is called the city Sela.
25:13 But the soldiers of the k army which Amaziah sent back,
that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the
cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and
smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.
(k) That is, the 100,000 of Israel.
25:14 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
l bowed down himself before them, and burned incense
unto them.
(l) That where he should have praised God for his benefits
and great victory, he fell from God and most vilely
dishonoured him.
25:15 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 m deliver their own people out of thine
hand?
(m) He proves that whatever cannot save himself nor his
worshipper is no god but an idol.
25:16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that n [the
king] said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel?
forbear; why shouldest thou be o 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.
(n) Meaning the king.
(o) So hard it is, for the carnal man to be admonished for
his fault, that he condemns, mocks and threatens him
who warns him: yea, imprisons him and puts him to
death, (2Ch 16:10,18:26,24:21).
25:17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash,
the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel,
saying, Come, p let us see one another in the face.
(p) That is, let us try the matter hand to hand: for he
was offended, that the army of the Israelites whom he
had in wages and dismissed by the counsel of the
prophet, had destroyed certain of the cities of Judah.
25:20 But Amaziah would not hear; for q it [came] of God, that
he might deliver them into the hand [of their enemies],
because they sought after the gods of Edom.
(q) Thus God often plagues by those means on which men
must rely, to teach them to seek help only from him,
and to show his judgments, he moves their hearts to
follow that which will lead to their destruction.
25:24 And [he took] all the gold and the silver, and all the
vessels that were found in the house of God with r
Obededom, and the treasures of the king's house, the
hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
(r) Meaning, the successors of Obededom: for the house
bore the name of the chief father.
