2 Kings 14:1-6

1 Amaziah son of Joash began to rule over Judah in the second year of the reign of King Jehoash of Israel.

2 Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother was Jehoaddin from Jerusalem.

3 Amaziah did what was pleasing in the LORD ’s sight, but not like his ancestor David. Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash.

4 Amaziah did not destroy the pagan shrines, and the people still offered sacrifices and burned incense there.

5 When Amaziah was well established as king, he executed the officials who had assassinated his father.

6 However, he did not kill the children of the assassins, for he obeyed the command of the LORD as written by Moses in the Book of the Law: “Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.”

2 Kings 14:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 14

In this chapter we have the good reign of Amaziah king of Judah, his victories over the Edomites, and war with Jehoash king of Israel, by whom he was taken, who died quickly after, 2Ki 14:1-16, but Amaziah lived fifteen years afterwards, and was slain by a conspiracy against him, and Azariah his son reigned in his stead, 2Ki 14:17-22, and a short account is given of the reign of Jeroboam the second, king of Israel, 2Ki 14:23-29.

Footnotes

• [a]. Hebrew Joash, a variant spelling of Jehoash; also in 14:13, 23, 27 .
• [b]. Deut 24:16 .