2 Kings 14

Amaziah ruled for twenty-nine years from 796 to 767 BC and shared power with his son Uzziah starting in 792 BC.

Although Amaziah's spiritual evaluation was acceptable, he did not fully commit to serving the Lord like his ancestor David (2 Chronicles 25:2). David remained the spiritual benchmark for judging the kings of Judah (2 Kings 16:2; 18:3; 1 Kings 15:5, 11). Judah struggled with the ongoing issue of tolerating long-standing pagan shrines (2 Kings 12:3; 1 Kings 14:23; 15:14; 22:43).

When Amaziah executed his father’s killers, he obeyed the law that says parents and children should not be punished for each other’s crimes (Deuteronomy 24:16; see also 2 Chronicles 25:4). He put the killers to death but did not kill their children.

• 10,000 Edomites: Amaziah's victory is briefly mentioned here but detailed in 2 Chronicles 25:5–15. God granted Amaziah this win but later reprimanded him. He was criticized for hiring Israelite soldiers and for bringing home and worshiping Edomite gods.

• The Valley of Salt is about three miles south of the Dead Sea.

• Sela is traditionally seen as a site among the rocks and cliffs near Petra in modern Jordan. Capturing this well-defended location showed that Amaziah's victory was given by God.

Amaziah challenged Israel's King Jehoash, possibly seeking revenge (see 2 Chronicles 25:13). Amaziah might have also grown too confident and proud after his recent win over Edom.

Jehoash responded with a parable (see Judges 9:7–15). Basically, Amaziah had as much chance of beating Israel in war as a small thistle demanding something from a strong cedar tree. Amaziah and Judah would be defeated as easily as a random step would crush the proud thistle.

Beth-shemesh, a fortress town fifteen miles west of Jerusalem, was a natural site for the battle between Israel and Judah. The city's history dates back to when Judah took control after the Danites moved north (Joshus 21:16; see also 1 Samuel 6:1–14; 2 Chronicles 28:18).

The complete destruction of Jerusalem's wall and the looting of the city show Jehoash's decisive victory. Taking treasures from the temple and palace and capturing hostages were common actions by victorious Assyrian kings. See also 2 Kings 12:17–18; 18:13–15; 24:13–14; 25:8–21; 1 Kings 14:25–26.

• Some believe Jehoash took Amaziah to Samaria, where he stayed captive until Jehoash died. After his release, Amaziah ruled with his son Uzziah for fifteen years.

• the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah: See study note on 1 Kings 14:29–31.

• Like his father Joash (2 Kings 12:20–21), Amaziah was killed by assassins. The writer of Chronicles says his lack of faith led to the plot against him (2 Chronicles 25:27).

• Lachish, southwest of Jerusalem, was where King Sennacherib of Assyria won a key battle during his invasion of Judah in 701 BC (2 Kings 18:14). Nebuchadnezzar II also captured it during his attack on Jerusalem in 588 BC (Jeremiah 34:7).

Uzziah's fifty-two-year reign ended in 740 BC. He started as co-ruler with his father at age sixteen in 792 BC. It seems Jehoash and Amaziah also made their sons co-rulers before going to war to ensure a smooth government transition.

Elath, built by Solomon (2 Chronicles 8:17) on the Gulf of Aqaba, served as a key trade gateway to the Red Sea.

In the fifteenth year of King Amaziah's rule in Judah, Jeroboam II began his independent reign in 782 BC. He ruled for forty-one years, including the time he ruled with his father from 793 to 782 BC.

Jeroboam II continued the false religion started by Jeroboam I (1 Kings 12:28–33) that eventually caused Israel's downfall (2 Kings 17:21–23; 1 Kings 14:16).

• At this time, Israel and Judah lived peacefully, allowing both kingdoms to thrive and regain nearly all the land Solomon once controlled (see 2 Chronicles 26:6–15).

• Lebo-hamath, mentioned in Egyptian and Assyrian records, was about forty-five miles north of Damascus in the Beqa‘ Valley. Jeroboam’s conquests show the northern kingdom’s military strength. Israel defeated the Arameans because Aram was weakened by Adad-nirari III of Assyria's earlier conquests.

• Jonah is the well-known prophet who predicted Nineveh's destruction but felt disappointed when God spared its repentant people (Jonah 3:3–4:3).

• He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam: God saw the people's helplessness and stayed true to the covenant with Israel's ancestors (2 Kings 13:23).

• the rest of the acts of Jeroboam: The narrator suggests Jeroboam's God-given power and wealth. The Samaria ostraca (inscribed pottery fragments) also shows that this was a time of prosperity. The prophecies of Hosea and Amos reveal that despite the wealth during Jeroboam's reign, the Israelites did not turn to the Lord.