Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Chronicles 25
Charles Ellicott Commentary
2 Chronicles 25
Charles Ellicott Commentary
2 Chronicles 25
"Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother`s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem. And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, but not with a perfect heart." — 2 Chronicles 25:1-2 (ASV)
THE REIGN OF AMAZIAH (Compare to 2 Kings 14:1–20).
DURATION AND CHARACTER OF THE REIGN. EXECUTION OF THE MURDERERS OF JOASH (2 Chronicles 25:1–4).
Amaziah ... the Lord. —So 2 Kings 14:2.
But not with a perfect heart. —This is a brief equivalent of the words of the older text: only not like David his father: according to all that Joash his father had done, he did. The reference to Joash is omitted, perhaps because that king appears to less advantage in the Chronicles than in Kings. In fact, the chronicler’s estimate of both princes is less favourable than that of the older historian. Such differences are perfectly natural, and it is needless to attempt to reconcile or eliminate them.
"Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established unto him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father." — 2 Chronicles 25:3 (ASV)
The kingdom was established to him. —Or, The sovereignty (power) was confirmed to him. Vulgate, “cumque roboratum videret sibi imperium.”
"But he put not their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moses, as Jehovah commanded, saying, The fathers shall not die for the children, neither shall the children die for the fathers; but every man shall die for his own sin." — 2 Chronicles 25:4 (ASV)
But he slew not their children. —The verse coincides almost exactly with 2 Kings 14:6. Literally, And their sons he did not put to death; but according to what is written in the Torah, in the book of Moses, which Jehovah commanded, etc. The reference is evidently to Deuteronomy 24:16, which is more exactly repeated in Kings than here.
But every man shall die for his own sin. —Literally, But, each for (in) his own sin, they shall be put to death. Kings has the singular.
"Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and ordered them according to their fathers` houses, under captains of thousands and captains of hundreds, even all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and upward, and found them three hundred thousand chosen men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield." — 2 Chronicles 25:5 (ASV)
AMAZIAH’S MILITARY STRENGTH, AND CONQUEST OF EDOM
(2 Chronicles 25:5–13).
This section is for the most part peculiar to Chronicles. In Kings the conquest of Edom is recorded in a single verse (2 Kings 14:7).
And made them captains over thousands. —Rather, And made them stand (marshalled them) according to father houses, namely, according to the captains of thousands and according to the captains of hundreds of all Judah and Benjamin.
Numbered. — Mustered.
Twenty years old. —The military age: Numbers 1:2–3; 1 Chronicles 27:23.
Three hundred thousand. —A total immensely below that of the forces of Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:14–18), and not much more than half that of Asa’s (2 Chronicles 14:8). All these high numbers are no doubt suspicious; but a certain relative propriety is observable in the present instance, inasmuch as the country had suffered great losses by the disastrous wars of Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash.
Able to go forth to war. —Literally, going out in the host (See Numbers, in the place cited).
That could handle spear and shield. — Grasping lance and target, i.e., heavy-armed warriors (Compare to 1 Chronicles 12:8).
"He hired also a hundred thousand mighty men of valor out of Israel for a hundred talents of silver." — 2 Chronicles 25:6 (ASV)
He hired also ... out of Israel — that is, from the northern kingdom. The number has probably suffered in transmission. Thenius pronounces the fact historical, although not recorded in Kings.
An hundred talents of silver. — Worth about £40,000 of our money, reckoning £400 to the talent. What such a sum would represent in the days of Amaziah cannot be determined with certainty.
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