2 Chronicles 25:7

7 But a prophet went to the king and said to him, "Don't take these Israelite soldiers with you. The Lord is not with these people from the Northern Kingdom.

2 Chronicles 25:7 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 25:7

But there came a man of God to him
Who the Jews say ^F6 was the brother of the king, Amos, the father of Isaiah, but without foundation:

saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee;
to war against Edom; meaning the 100,000 men he had hired, and suggesting that to have them with him would not be to his advantage, but his detriment, for the following reason:

for the Lord is not with Israel,
to wit,

with all the children of Ephraim;
they being idolaters, worshippers of the calves; and as they had forsaken the Lord, he had forsaken them; therefore no help could be expected from them; the Targum is,

``the Word of the Lord is not their help.''

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FOOTNOTES:

F6 Seder Olam Rabba, c. 20. Shalshalet Hakabala, fol. 11. 2.

2 Chronicles 25:7 In-Context

5 King Amaziah organized all the men of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin into army units, according to the clans they belonged to, and placed officers in command of units of a thousand and units of a hundred. This included all men twenty years of age or older, 300,000 in all. They were picked troops, ready for battle, skilled in using spears and shields.

6 In addition, he hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel at a cost of about four tons of silver.

7 But a prophet went to the king and said to him, "Don't take these Israelite soldiers with you. The Lord is not with these people from the Northern Kingdom.

8 You may think that they will make you stronger in battle, but it is God who has the power to give victory or defeat, and he will let your enemies defeat you."

9 Amaziah asked the prophet, "But what about all that silver I have already paid for them?" The prophet replied, "The Lord can give you back more than that!"