Matthew Poole and continuators on 2 Kings 14

IN the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel , reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.

i. e. After he began to Reign alone: for he Reigned two or three Years with his Farther: O[illegible: 1+ letters] which see on chap. 13. 10.

Marginal references: 2 C[illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1 word].

2 He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mothers name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.

To wit, 14 Years with Ioash King of Israel, who Reigned onely 16 Years, chap. 13. 10. and 15 Years after the death of Ioash, or with Ieroboam the Son of Ioash, as is affirmed here, ver. 17. and 2 Chron. 25. 25.

3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD , yet not like David his father : he did according to all things as Joash his father did .

That which was in some sort agreeable to Gods Will.

Not sincerely, 2 Chron. 25. 2.

i. e. For a time served God aright, but afterwards fell to Idolatry, 1 Chron. 25. 14. as Ioash had done, 2 King. 12. 3.

4 Howbeit , the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice, and burnt incense on the high places.

Though he did right, &c. for this Particle is to be joyned with those words, the rest being to be closed with a Parenthesis.

5 ¶ And it came to pass assoon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father .

Whereby it is implied, that his Fathers Murderers had powerful Friends and Abetrors, and that their Fact was in some sort approved by the generality of the People, to whom Ioash had made himself hateful by his Apostacy to Idolatry, and by his ingratitude to the House of Iehoiada.

Marginal references: Chap. 12▪ [illegible: 1 word].

6 But the children of the murderer he slew not ▪ according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.

Wherein he shewed some Faith and Courage, that he would obey this Command of God, though it was very hazardous to himself, such persons being likely to seek revenge for their Fathers death.

Marginal references: Deut. 24. [illegible: 1 word]. Ezek. 18, [illegible: 1 word].

7 He slew of Edom in the valley of salt , ten thousand, and took ‖ Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel , unto this day.

i. e. Of the Edomites, or the children of Seir, as they are called 2 Chron. 25. [illegible: 1+ letters] 1. either, because they dwelt in Seir; See Gen. 36. 8. or, because these people were confederates. And he invaded these People because they were Subjects to his Kingdom, from which they had revolted in Ioram's days, 2 King. 8. 20.

Which was the Land of Edom: Of which see 2 Sam. 8. 13. Psal. 60. 2.

Or, the rock: the chief City of that part of Arabia, called by other Authors Petra, which signifies a rock, because it was built upon a Rock, [illegible: 1+ letters] Chron. 25. 12

Which signifies, the obedience of God, i. e. given him by God as a reward of his Obeidence to Gods Message by the Prophet, 2 Chron. 25. 8, 9.

Marginal references: Or, the rock.

8 ¶ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face .

Let us fight personally, and with our Armies. This challenge he sent, partly upon the late and great in[illegible: 1+ letters]uries done by the Israelites to his people, 2 Chron. 25. 10, 13. and partly, from self-confidence, and a desire of advancing his Glory and Empire by his Arms.

9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon , saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife : and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle .

By the thistle, a low and contemptible, yet troublesome, Shrub, he understands Amaziah; and by the cedar, himself, whom he intimates to be far stronger than he, and out of his reach.

Let us make a match, i. e. let us fight. Onely he expresseth this Bloody work in a civil manner, as Amaziah had done, ver. 8. and as Abner did, 2 Sam. 2. 14. Or, let thy Kingdom and mine be United under one King, as formerly they were; and let us decide it by a pitched Battel, whether thou or I shall be that King. Or, as some expound it, by affirming, That it was great arrogancy and presumption for him to desire a Friendly League or Affinity with him; he leaves him to guess how intolerable it was that he should undertake to wage War against him.

And with no less ease shall my Soldiers tread down thee and thy Forces.

10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this , and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

Content thy self with that Glory and Success, and let not thine Ambition betray thee to ruin.

Marginal references: [illegible: 1 word]. at thy [illegible: 1 word].

11 But Amaziah would not hear : therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up , and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah .

Because God blinded and hardned him to his destruction for his abominable and ridiculous Idolatry, 2 Chron. 25. 10.

To wit, into the Kingdom of Iudah, carrying the War into his Enemies Countrey.

Which is added to distinguish it from that Bethshemesh in Issachar, and another in Naphthali, Ios. 19. 22, 38.

12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to their tents.

Being unsatisfied in the ground and manner of the quarrel, and discouraged by their Kings Idolatry, and smitten by God with a spirit of fear.

Marginal references: Heb. was [illegible: 1 word].

13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem , and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, from the gate of Ephraim , unto the corner-gate, four hundred cubits .

Commanding entrance in Amaziah's name, and with his consent, which he durst not deny.

Which led to Ephraim.

Which was done, partly in scorn and contempt; and partly, that he might re-enter and re-take it, if they should attempt to renew the War.

14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the kings house, and hostages , and returned to Samaria .

To assure their peaceable carriage towards him.

He did not keep Ierusalem, nor seek to gain the possession and dominion of that Kingdom; partly, because he thought he could not keep it, considering the difficulty he found in keeping his own from such potent and near Enemies as the Syrians were; and the great affection which [illegible: 1 word] Iudah bare to David's House▪ and partly, because God so inclined his heart, that he might make good his promue to David and his Family.

19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish , but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

i. e. The People, or the Princes and chief men among them, possibly those whose Sons he had delivered up as Hostages to Iehoash, with the connivence, if not approbation of the People; as appears, because the desig[illegible: 1+ letters] was carried on openly, and steddily, and irresistibly, as the following words shew.

A strong City in Iudah, towards the Philistines: Of which see Ios. 10. 31. and 15. 39. 2 King. 19. [illegible: 1+ letters].

Either, secret Murderers: or rather, bands of Soldiers: for this Rebellion was carried on by strong hand, and open force. Compare 2 King. 12. 20. and 15. 10, 15.

Marginal references: 2 Chr. 25▪ 27.

20 And they brought him on horses , and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.

Or, with horses, to wit, in a Chariot.

21 ¶ And all the people of Judah took Azariah, (which was sixteen years old) and made him king in stead of his father Amaziah .

Which they did, either in opposition to the conspirators: or, to shew their affection to the House of David, and that their quarrel was onely personal against Amaziah, whom they looked upon as the Author of all their late Calamites. This Azariah is called Uzziah, 2 King. 15. 30. 2 Chron. 26. 1. both names signifying the same thing for substance; that, Gods help; and this, Gods strength.

Marginal references: Chap. 15. 13. 2 Chron. 26. 1. he is called Uzziah.

22 He built Elath , and restored it to Judah , after that the king slept with his fathers.

i. e. Repaired and Fortified it: for it was built before, Deut. 2. 8.

From whom it had revolted with the rest of Edom, in which Land this place was, upon the Red-Sea.

i. e. His Father Amaziah; who did not perfect his Conquest of Edom, but left some work for his Son.

25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entring of Ha[illegible: 1+ letters]nath , unto the sea of the plain , according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah , the son of Amittai the prophet, which was of Gath-Hepher.

Which was the Northern border of the Kingdom of Israel, Numb. 13. 21. and 34. 8.

i. e. Unto the dead Sea, which once was a goodly plain, Gen. 13. 10. which was their Southern border.

Or, Ionas, one of the small Prophets; though this Prophecy of his be not Recorded there; and there[illegible: 1+ letters]re it is remembred here.

Marginal references: Matth. 22. 39, 40. called Jonas.

26 For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter : for there was not any shut up, nor any left , nor any helper for Israel.

Whereby he was moved to pity and help them, though they were an unworthy people.

See of this Phrase on Deut. 32. 36. 1 King. 14. 10. and 21. 21.

27 And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.

i. e. Not yet: he had not yet declared this, as afterwards he did by the succeeding Prophets, though not in those words. See Hos. 1. 5, 6, 9.

28 ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah , are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?

These were Cities of Syria, but were taken from the Syrians by David and Solomon, 2 Sam. 8. 6. 2 Chron. 8. 3. and probably by them incorporated with, and added to the possessions of their own Tribe, to which from that time they belonged; but afterwards they were re-taken by the Syrians; and were now recovered by this Ieroboam.

Marginal references: For Israel.