Divrey Hayamim Bais 25

1 5 Amatzyah was 25 old when he began to reign,and he reigned 29 shanah in Yerushalayim. And shem immo was Yehoadan of Yerushalayim.

2 And he did that which was yashar in the eyes of Hashem, but not with a levav shalem.

3 Now it came to pass, when the mamlachah was established under him, that he slaughtered his avadim that had murdered HaMelech Aviv.

4 But he slaughtered not their banim, but did as it is written in the Torah in the Sefer Moshe, where Hashem commanded, saying, The avot shall not die for the banim, neither shall the banim die for the avot, but every ish shall die for his own chet.

5 Moreover Amatzyahu gathered Yehudah together, and set them in order in Bais Avot by officers of thousands and officers of hundreds, throughout all Yehudah and Binyamin; and he mustered them from esrim shanah and above, and found them three hundred elef bachur, battleready choice men, that could handle spear and shield.

6 He hired also a hundred elef gibbor chayil out of Yisroel for a hundred talents of kesef.

7 But there came an Ish HaElohim to him, saying, O HaMelech, let not the Tzeva Yisroel go with thee; for Hashem is not with Yisroel, not with kol Bnei Ephrayim.

8 But if thou wilt go, do it; chazak (be strong) for the milchamah; HaElohim shall make thee fall before the enemy, for Elohim hath ko’ach to help, and to cast down.

9 And Amatzyahu said to the Ish HaElohim, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have paid for the army of Yisroel? And the Ish HaElohim answered, Hashem is able to give thee much more than this.

10 Then Amatzyahu separated them, the army that had come to him from Ephrayim, to go home again; therefore their anger was greatly kindled against Yehudah, and they returned home in chari af (great anger).

11 And Amatzyahu strengthened himself, led forth his army, went to the Gey HaMelach, struck down 10,000 of the Bnei Se’ir.

12 And another 10,000 left chayyim (alive) did the Bnei Yehudah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the cliff, and cast them down from the top of the cliff, that they all were dashed to pieces.

13 But the soldiers of the army which Amatzyahu sent back, that they should not go with him to milchamah, fell upon the cities of Yehudah, from Shomron even unto Beit-Choron, and struck down three thousand of them, and took much plunder.

14 Now it came to pass, after that Amatzyahu returned from the slaughter of the people of Edom, that he brought the elohei Bnei Se’ir, and set them up for him to be elohim, and bowed down himself before them, and burned ketoret unto them.

15 Therefore the Af Hashem was kindled against Amatzyahu, and he sent unto him a navi, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the elohei haAm, which could not deliver their own people out of thine yad?

16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that HaMelech said unto him, Art thou appointed the adviser to HaMelech? Forbear. Why shouldest thou be struck down? Then the navi forbore, and said, I know that Elohim hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not paid heed unto my etza (counsel).

17 Then Amatzyahu Melech Yehudah consulted, and sent to Yoash ben Yehoachaz ben Yehu, Melech Yisroel, saying, Come, let us meet face to face.

18 And Yoash Melech Yisroel sent to Amatzyahu Melech Yehudah, saying, The thistle that was in the Levanon sent to the cedar that was in the Levanon, saying, Give thy bat to beni (my son) as isha; then there passed by a chayyat hasadeh (wild beast) that was in the Levanon, and trode down the thistle.

19 Thou sayest, Hinei, thou hast struck down the people of Edom; and thine lev lifteth thee up to be proud. Abide now at home. Why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Yehudah with thee?

20 But Amatzyah would not hear, for it came from HaElohim, that He might deliver them into the yad of their enemies, because they sought after the elohei Edom.

21 So Yoash Melech Yisroel went up and they met face to face, both he and Amatzyahu Melech Yehudah, at Beit Shemesh, which belongeth to Yehudah.

22 And Yehudah was routed before Yisroel, and they fled every ish to his ohel.

23 And Yoash Melech Yisroel captured Amatzyahu Melech Yehudah ben Yoash ben Yehoachaz, at Beit Shemesh, and brought him to Yerushalayim, and broke down the Chomat Yerushalayim from the Sha’ar Ephrayim to the Sha’ar HaPinnah, a section the length of which was four hundred cubits.

24 And he took all the zahav and the kesef, and all the vessels that were found in the Beis HaElohim with Oved Edom, and the otzerot Bais HaMelech, the hostages also, and returned to Shomron.

25 And Amatzyahu ben Yoash Melech Yehudah lived after the mot Yoash ben Yehoachaz Melech Yisroel fifteen years.

26 Now the rest of the acts of Amatzyahu, harishonim and ha’acharonim, hinei, are they not written in the Sefer of the Melachim of Yehudah and Yisroel?

27 Now after the time that Amatzyah did turn away from following Hashem they made a kesher against him in Yerushalayim; and he fled to Lachish, but they sent to Lachish after him, and slaughtered him there.

28 And they brought him upon susim, and buried him with Avotav in Ir Yehudah.

Divrey Hayamim Bais 25 Commentary

Chapter 25

Amaziah, king of Judah. (1-13) Amaziah worships the idols of Edom. (14-16) Amaziah's rash challenge. (17-28)

Verses 1-13 Amaziah was no enemy to religion, but cool and indifferent friend. Many do what is good, but not with a perfect heart. Rashness makes work for repentance. But Amaziah's obedience to the command of God was to his honour. A firm belief of God's all-sufficiency to bear us out in our duty, and to make up all the loss and damage was sustain in his service, will make his yoke very easy, and his burden very light. When we are called to part with any thing for God and our religion, it should satisfy us, that God is able to give us much more than this. Convinced sinners, who have not true faith, always object to self-denying obedience. They are like Amaziah; they say, But what shall we do for the hundred talents? What shall we do if by keeping the sabbath holy we lose so many good customers? What shall we do without this gain? What shall we do if we lose the friendship of the world? Many endeavour to quiet their consciences by the pretence that forbidden practices are necessary. The answer is, as here, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. He makes up, even in this world, for all that is given up for his sake.

Verses 14-16 To worship the gods of those whom Amaziah had conquered, who could not help their own worshippers, was the greatest absurdity. If men would consider how unable all those things are to help them, to which they look whenever they forsake God, they would not be such enemies to themselves. The reproof God sent by a prophet was too just to be answered; themselves. The reproof God sent by a prophet was too just to be answered; but he was bidden not to say a word more. The secure sinner rejoices to have silenced his reprovers and monitors; but what comes of it? Those that are deaf to reproof, are ripening for destruction.

Verses 17-28 Never was a proud prince more thoroughly mortified than Amaziah by Joash king of Israel. A man's pride will bring him low, ( Proverbs 29:23 ) ; it goes before his destruction, and deservedly brings it on. He that exalteth himself shall be abased. He that goes forth hastily to strive, will not know what he shall do in the end thereof, when his neighbour has put him to shame, Pr. 25:8 . And what are we when we offer to establish our own righteousness, or presume to justify ourselves before the Most High God, but despicable thistles, that fancy themselves stately cedars? And are not various temptations, is not every corruption, a wild beast of the desert, which will trample on the wretched boaster, and tread his haughty pretensions to the dust? A man's pride shall bring him low; his ruin may be dated from his turning from the Lord.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 25

This chapter begins with the reign of Amaziah, and some of the first acts of it, slaying those that killed his father, 2Ch 25:1-4, raising a large army in his own kingdom, to which he added 100,000 more he hired out of Israel, whom yet he sent home by the advice of a prophet, 2Ch 25:5-10, and with his own army marched against the Edomites, and obtained a victory over them, 2Ch 25:11,12, but the Israelites being displeased with him for dismissing them, fell on some of his cities, and slew many in them, 2Ch 25:13, and such was his stupidity, as to worship the gods of the Edomites he had conquered, for which he was reproved by a prophet, 2Ch 25:14-16 and being elated with his victory, he sent a challenge to the king of Israel, who accepting of it, a battle ensued, in which Judah was worsted, their king taken, and treasuries spoiled, 2Ch 25:17-24, and the chapter is closed with the death and burial of Amaziah, 2Ch 25:25-28.

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