2 Chronicles 25:13 Коментар

Amaziah's reign, recorded in this chapter, was not one of the worse and yet for from good. Most of the passages in this chapter we had before more briefly related, 2 Kings 14. Here we find Amaziah, I. A just revenger of his father's death (Ch2 25:1-4). II. An obedient observer of the command of God (Ch2 25:5-10). III. A cruel conqueror of the Edomites (Ch2 25:11-13). IV. a foolish worshipper of the gods of Edom and impatient of reproof for it (Ch2 25:14-16). V. Rashly challenging the king of Israel, and smarting for his rashness (Ch2 25:17-24). And, lastly, ending his days ingloriously (Ch2 25:25-28).

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 25 This chapter begins with the reign of Amaziah, and some of the first acts of it, slaying those that killed his father, Ch2 25:1, raising a large army in his own kingdom, to which he added 100,000 more he hired out of Israel, whom yet he sent home by the advice of a prophet, Ch2 25:5, and with his own army marched against the Edomites, and obtained a victory over them, Ch2 25:11, but the Israelites being displeased with him for dismissing them, fell on some of his cities, and slew many in them, Ch2 25:13, and such was his stupidity, as to worship the gods of the Edomites he had conquered, for which he was reproved by a prophet, Ch2 25:14 and being elated with his victory, he sent a challenge to the king of Israel, who accepting of it, a battle ensued, in which Judah was worsted, their king taken, and treasuries spoiled, Ch2 25:17, and the chapter is closed with the death and burial of Amaziah, Ch2 25:25.

Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites,.... Instead of returning thanks to God for the victory obtained, and giving him the glory of it: that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods; what were the gods of the Edomites is nowhere said in Scripture; only Josephus (l) speaks of the priests of Coze, which he says was a god of the Idumaeans: and bowed himself before them, and burned incense unto them; which was the greatest piece of sottishhess and stupidity imaginable, to worship the gods of a nation conquered by him; for since they could not save them, what help could he expect from them? (l) Antiqu. l. l5. c. 7. sect. 9.

Amaziah succeeds his father Joash, and begins his reign well, Ch2 25:1, Ch2 25:2. He slays his father's murderers but spares their children, Ch2 25:3, Ch2 25:4. He reviews and remodels the army, Ch2 25:5; and hires a hundred thousand soldiers out of Israel, whom, on the expostulation of a prophet, he sends home again, without bringing them into active service; at which they are greatly offended, Ch2 25:6-10. He attacks the Syrians, kills ten thousand, and takes ten thousand prisoners, whom he precipitates from the top of a rock, so that they are dashed to pieces, Ch2 25:11, Ch2 25:12. The Israelitish soldiers, sent back, ravage several of the cities of Judah, Ch2 25:13. Amaziah becomes an idolater, Ch2 25:14. Is reproved by a prophet, whom he threatens, and obliges to desist, Ch2 25:15, Ch2 25:16. He challenges Joash, king of Israel, Ch2 25:17; who reproves him by a parable, Ch2 25:18, Ch2 25:19. Not desisting, the armies meet, the Jews are overthrown, and Amaziah taken prisoner by Joash, who ravages the temple, and takes away all the treasures of the king, Ch2 25:20-24. The reign of Amaziah: a conspiracy is formed against him; he flees to Lachish, whither he is pursued and slain; is brought to Jerusalem, and buried with his fathers, Ch2 25:25-28.

AMAZIAH BEGINS TO REIGN WELL. (Ch2 25:1-4) Amaziah was twenty and five years old, &c.--(See Kg2 14:1-6).

The statements as to Uzziah's attainment of dominion, the building of the seaport town Elath on the Red Sea, the length and character of his reign (Ch2 26:1-4), agree entirely with Kg2 14:21-22, and Kg2 15:2-3; see the commentary on these passages. Uzziah (עזּיּהוּ) is called in Ch1 3:12 and in 2 Kings (generally) Azariah (עזריה); cf. on the use of the two names, the commentary on Kg2 14:21. - In Ch2 26:5, instead of the standing formula, "only the high places were not removed," etc.) Kings), Uzziah's attitude towards the Lord is more exactly defined thus: "He was seeking God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God; and in the days when he sought Jahve, God gave him success." In לדרשׁ ויהי the infinitive with ל is subordinated to היה, to express the duration of his seeking, for which the participle is elsewhere used. Nothing further is known of the Zechariah here mentioned: the commentators hold him to have been an important prophet; for had he been a priest, or the high priest, probably הכּהן would have been used. The reading האלהים בּראות (Keth.) is surprising. ה המּבין ב can only denote, who had insight into (or understanding for the) seeing of God; cf. Dan 1:17. But Kimchi's idea, which other old commentators share, that this is a periphrasis to denote the prophetic endowment or activity of the man, is opposed by this, that "the seeing of God" which was granted to the elders of Israel at the making of the covenant, Exo 24:10, cannot be regarded as a thing within the sphere of human action or practice, while the prophetic beholding in vision is essentially different from the seeing of God, and is, moreover, never so called. בראות would therefore seem to be an orthographical error for ביראת, some MSS having ביראות or ביראת (cf. de Rossi, variae lectt.); and the lxx, Syr., Targ., Arab., Raschi, Kimchi, and others giving the reading בּיראת ה המּבין, who was a teacher (instructor) in the fear of God, in favour of which also Vitringa, proll. in Jes. p. 4, has decided.