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CHAPTER XXV

Amaziah succeeds his father Joash, and begins his reign well, 1, 2. He slays his father's murderers but spares their children, 3, 4. He reviews and remodels the army, 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, 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, 11, 12. The Israelitish soldiers, sent back, ravage several of the cities of Judah, 13. Amaziah becomes an idolater, 14. Is reproved by a prophet, whom he threatens, and obliges to desist, 15, 16. He challenges Joash, king of Israel, 17; who reproves him by a parable, 18, 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, 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, 25-28.

NOTES ON CHAP. XXV

Verse 2. "He did that which was right" - He began his reign well, but soon became an idolater, 2 Chronicles xxv. 14, 15.

Verse 5. "Gathered Judah together" - He purposed to avenge himself of the Syrians, but wished to know his military strength before he came to a rupture.

Verse 7. "The Lord is not with Israel" - "The WORD of the Lord is not the helper of the Israelites, nor of the kingdom of the tribe of Ephraim." -Targum.

Verse 9. "The Lord is able to give thee much more than this." - Better lose the money than keep the men, for they will be a curse unto thee.

Verse 10. "They returned home in great anger" - They thought they were insulted, and began to meditate revenge. See the notes on 2 Kings xiv. 1-20, where almost every circumstance in this chapter is examined and explained.

Verse 14. "The gods of the children of Seir" - "The idols of the children of Gebal." -Targum.

Verse 16. "Art thou made of the king's counsel?" - How darest thou give advice to, or reprove, a king?

Verse 18. "The thistle that was in Lebanon" - See the explanation of this 2 Kings xiv. 9. After reciting this fable, the Targum adds, "Thus hast thou done in the time thou didst send unto me, and didst lead up from the house of Israel a hundred thousand strong warriors for a hundred talents of silver: and after they were sent, thou didst not permit them to go with thee to war, but didst send them back, greatly enraged, so that they spread themselves over the country; and having cut off three thousand, they brought back much spoil."

Verse 24. "In the house of God with Obed-edom" - From 1 Chron. xxvi. 15 we learn that to Obed-edom and his descendants was allotted the keeping of the house of Asuppim or collections for the Divine treasury.

"And-the hostages" - See on 2 Kings xiv. 14.

Verse 26. "The rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last" - Says the Targum; "The first, when he walked in the fear of the Lord, the last, when he departed from the right way before the Lord; are they not written," &c.