14:3 And he did [that which was] a right in the sight of the
LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to
all things as Joash his father did.
(a) In the beginning of his reign he seemed to have an
outward show of godliness, but later he became an
idolater and worshipped the idols of the Idumeans.
14:6 But the children of the murderers he b slew not:
according unto that which is written in the book of the law
of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers
shall not be put to death for the children, nor the
children be put to death for the fathers; but every man
shall be put to death for his own sin.
(b) Because they neither consented nor were partakers with
their fathers in that act.
14:7 He slew of c Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and
took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto
this day.
(c) For the Idumeans, whom David had brought to subjection,
rebelled in the time of Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat.
14:8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of
Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, d let
us look one another in the face.
(d) Let us fight hand to hand, and try it by battle, and
not destroy one another's cities.
14:9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of
Judah, saying, The thistle that [was] in Lebanon sent to
the e cedar that [was] in Lebanon, saying, Give thy
daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild
beast that [was] in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
(e) By this parable Jehoash compares himself to a cedar
tree, because of his great kingdom over ten tribes and
Amaziah to the thistle because he ruled over but two
tribes and the wild beasts are Jehoash's soldiers, that
spoiled the cities of Judah.
14:10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted
thee up: f glory [of this], and tarry at home: for why
shouldest thou meddle to [thy] hurt, that thou shouldest
fall, [even] thou, and Judah with thee?
(f) Brag of the victory, so that you stay at home and
do not provoke me.
14:14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels
that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the
treasures of the king's house, and g hostages, and
returned to Samaria.
g That is, which the Israelites had given to them from
Judah for an assurance of peace.
14:19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and
he fled to h Lachish; but they sent after him to
Lachish, and slew him there.
(h) Which Rehoboam built in Judah for a fortress,
(2Ch 11:9).
14:21 And all the people of Judah took i Azariah, which [was]
sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father
Amaziah.
14:22 He built k Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that
the king slept with his fathers.
(k) Which is also called Elanon or Eloth.
14:24 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of the LORD:
he departed not from all the l sins of Jeroboam the son
of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
(l) Because this idolatry was so vile and almost
incredible, that men should forsake the living God, to
worship calves, the work of man's hands, therefore the
Scripture often repeats it in the reproach of all
idolaters.
14:26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, [that it was]
very bitter: for [there was] not any m shut up, nor any
left, nor any helper for Israel.
14:28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did,
and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered
Damascus, and n Hamath, [which belonged] to Judah, for
Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles
of the kings of Israel?
(n) Which was also called Antiochia of Syria or Riblah.
