2 Kings 14

Chapter context

What is happening in 2 Kings 14?

prophetic witnessjudgmentexileidolatry

2 Kings 14 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as decline of Judah. Second Kings follows the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, recounts the decline of both kingdoms, and ends with Jerusalem’s fall and a faint glimmer of Davidic continuity. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prophetic witness, judgment, and exile in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah. ² He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. ³ And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did. ⁴ Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places. ⁵ And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father. ⁶ But the children of the murderers he 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. ⁷ He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day. ⁸ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face. ⁹ And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the 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. ¹⁰ Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: 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? ¹¹ But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah. ¹² And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents. ¹³ And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 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 hostages, and returned to Samaria. ¹⁵ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ¹⁶ And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead. ¹⁷ And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years. ¹⁸ And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? ¹⁹ Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there. ²⁰ And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. ²¹ And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. ²² He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. ²³ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. ²⁴ And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. ²⁵ He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gathhepher. ²⁶ For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. ²⁷ And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. 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 Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? ²⁹ And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.

Study helps

Glossary

Amaziah Person v. 1, 8-9, 11, 13, 15, 17-18, 21, 23: Strengthened by Jehovah. (1. ) A Levite, son of Hilkiah, of the descendants of Ethan the Merarite ( 1 Chr. 6:45 ). (2. ) The son and successor of Joash, and eighth king of the separate kingdom of Judah ( 2 Kings 14:1-4 ).
Jehoahaz Person v. 1, 8, 17: Jehovah his sustainer, or he whom Jehovah holdeth. (1. ) The youngest son of Jehoram, king of Judah ( 2 Chr. 21:17 ; 22:1 , 6, 8, 9); usually Ahaziah (q. v. ).
Joash Person v. 1, 3, 17, 23, 27: Whom Jehovah bestowed. (1. ) A contracted form of Jehoash, the father of Gideon ( Judg. 6:11 , 29; 8:13, 29, 32). (2. ) One of the Benjamite archers who joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:3 ).
Jehoaddan Person v. 2: Jehovah his ornament, the wife of King Jehoash, and mother of King Amaziah ( 2 Kings 14:2 ).
Jerusalem Place v. 2, 13, 19-20: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
David Person v. 3, 20: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Edom Place v. 7, 10: Biblical region. Modern identification: Buseira.
Sela Place v. 7: Subdued by God. (1. ) A city of Judah near Lachish (Josh. 15, 38). Perhaps the ruin Kutlaneh, south of Gezer. (2. ) Amaziah, king of Judah, undertook a great expedition against Edom. Modern identification: Sela.
Valley of Salt Place v. 7: Biblical special. Modern identification: Es Sebkha.
Jehoash Person v. 8-9, 11, 13, 15-17: Jehovah-given. (1. ) The son of King Ahaziah. While yet an infant, he was saved from the general massacre of the family by his aunt Jehosheba, and was apparently the only surviving descendant of Solomon.
Jehu Person v. 8: Jehovah is he. (1. ) The son of Obed, and father of Azariah ( 1 Chr. 2:38 ). (2. ) One of the Benjamite slingers that joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:3 ).
Lebanon Place v. 9: Biblical region. Modern identification: Jezzine.
Beth-shemesh Place v. 11, 13: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tel Bet Shemesh.
Corner Gate Place v. 13: Biblical gate. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Ephraim Gate Place v. 13: Biblical gate. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Samaria Place v. 14, 16, 23, 29: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Samaria.
Jeroboam Person v. 16, 23-24, 27-29: Increase of the people. (1. ) The son of Nebat ( 1 Kings 11:26-39 ), “an Ephrathite,” the first king of the ten tribes, over whom he reigned twenty-two years (B. C. 976-945).
Lachish Place v. 19: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell ed Duweir.
City People v. 20: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
City of David Place v. 20: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: City of David.
Azariah Person v. 21: Whom Jehovah helps. (1. ) Son of Ethan, of the tribe of Judah ( 1 Chr. 2:8 ). (2. ) Son of Ahimaaz, who succeeded his grandfather Zadok as high priest ( 1 Chr. 6:9 ; 1 Kings 4:2 ) in the days of Solomon.
Elath Place v. 22: Grove; trees, ( Deut. 2:8 ), also in plural form Eloth ( 1 Kings 9:26 , etc. ); called by the Greeks and Romans Elana; a city of Idumea, on the east, i. e., the Elanitic, gulf, or the Gulf of Akabah, of the Red Sea. Modern identification: Aqaba.
Nebat Person v. 24: Sight; aspect, the father of Jeroboam, the king of Israel ( 1 Kings 11:26 , etc. ).
Amittai Person v. 25: True, the father of Jonah the prophet, a native of Gath-hepher ( 2 Kings 14:25 ; Jonah 1:1 ).
Gath-hepher Place v. 25: Wine-press of the well, a town of Lower Galilee, about 5 miles from Nazareth; the birthplace of Jonah ( 2 Kings 14:25 ); the same as Gittah-hepher ( Josh. 19:13 ). Modern identification: Tel Gat Hefer.
Jonah Person v. 25: A dove, the son of Amittai of Gath-hepher. He was a prophet of Israel, and predicted the restoration of the ancient boundaries ( 2 Kings 14:25-27 ) of the kingdom.
Lebo-hamath Place v. 25: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Labweh.
Salt Sea Place v. 25: (Heb. yam), signifies (1) “the gathering together of the waters,” the ocean ( Gen. 1:10 ); (2) a river, as the Nile ( Isa. 19:5 ), the Euphrates ( Isa. 21:1 ; Jer. 51:36 ); (3) the Red Sea. Modern identification: Dead Sea.
Damascus Place v. 28: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Damascus.
Hamath Place v. 28: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Hama.
Zachariah Person v. 29: Remembered by the Lord. (1. ) Son of Jeroboam II., king of Israel.