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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
25:1-28 Amaziah. This section is drawn mainly from 2 Kings 14:2-20, with a long interpolation (2 Chron. 25:5-16) accounting for Amaziah's defeat by Israel. His reign () is divided into a period of relative obedience and blessing, followed by outright apostasy and judgment. Yet throughout his reign, Amaziah is basically halfhearted and divided in his loyalty to God, so his final failure is one of steady degeneration rather than radical reversal. Amaziah's reign included a long co-regency () with his son Uzziah as a result of his capture by the Israelite (northern) king Joash (v. 23).
25:2 yet not with a whole heart. Second Kings 14:4 mentions Amaziah's failure to remove the high places.
25:5-16 This provides the background and aftermath to the comment in 2 Kings 14:7 on the war against Edom. Amaziah's decision to hire mercenaries from the northern kingdom (2 Chron. 25:6) is denounced by an unnamed prophet because the Lord is not with Israel (on account of its continuing idolatry; see 2 Kings 13:11), and because a king should trust in God rather than his army (2 Chron. 25:8). Encouraged by the thought of material gain, Amaziah heeds the prophet's call to dismiss the mercenaries and proceeds to a bloodthirsty victory against the men of Seir (an alternative name for Edom, Gen. 32:3). Amaziah's worship of the captured Edomite gods (perhaps to placate their presumed displeasure) only provokes Yahweh's anger. Again, the possibility of repentance is offered by God's prophet (see 2 Chron. 25:19), but Amaziah seals his fate by silencing godly counsel in favor of his own advisers (v. 17).
25:11 Valley of Salt. See note on 2 Kings 14:7.
25:17-24 wild beast . . . trampled down the thistle. See note on 2 Kings 14:9-10. Israelite (northern) king Joash interprets Amaziah's invitation as a veiled challenge to battle, perhaps in order to avenge the rampage of the Israelite mercenaries against the towns of Judah (2 Chron. 25:13). The Chronicler's added comment in v. 20 that Amaziah's refusal to heed Joash's blunt advice was of God points to God's sovereign control over human decisions as much as actions (see 10:15; 22:7). Amaziah is sorely rewarded for his pride (25:19; see Prov. 16:18) as well as his idolatry. Obed-edom. See 1 Chron. 13:14 and 26:15.
25:25-28 The Chronicler adds that the conspiracy against Amaziah (see note on 2 Kings 14:19) began when he turned away from the Lord, which may be a reference to his apostasy in 2 Chron. 25:14 and 20. Perhaps an alliance of priests and military leaders, similar to the one that overthrew Athaliah for Joash (ch. 23), collaborated to repay Amaziah for despoiling the temple and for his defeat by Israel.
