2 Chronicles 25:7

7 A holy man showed up and said, "No, O king - don't let those northern Israelite soldiers into your army; God is not on their side, nor with any of the Ephraimites.

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 Amaziah organized Judah and sorted out Judah and Benjamin by families and by military units. Men twenty years and older had to register - they ended up with 300,000 judged capable of military service.

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

7 A holy man showed up and said, "No, O king - don't let those northern Israelite soldiers into your army; God is not on their side, nor with any of the Ephraimites.

8 Instead, you go by yourself and be strong. God and God only has the power to help or hurt your cause."

9 But Amaziah said to the holy man, "But what about all this money - these tons of silver I have already paid out to hire these men?" "God's help is worth far more to you than that," said the holy man.