Bible Commentaries

Reign of Amaziah

This chapter is derived in the main from 2 Kings 14:1-20, but with two insertions, 2 Kings 14:5-10 and 2 Kings 14:13-16.

5. Made them captains, etc.] better, 'arranged them according to their fathers' houses under captains.' From twenty years old] Under this age military service was not required: Numbers 1:3; 1 Chronicles 27:23.

7. With all.. Ephraim] added to explain the sense in which 'Israel' is used, since ordinarily in Chronicles it is equivalent to Judah: see on 2 Chronicles 12:6. For the protest against an alliance with the northern kingdom cp. 2 Chronicles 19:2; 2 Chronicles 20:37.

8. But if thou wilt go] LXX has 'if thou thinkest to prevail with these' (i.e. the forces from Ephraim) 'God shall make thee fall.'

11. The children of Seir] i.e. the Edomites.

13. From Samaria] i.e. from the frontier of the kingdom (not from its capital).

14. He brought the gods, etc.] Similarly the Philistines brought away the ark which the Israelites had carried with them into battle at Ebenezer: 1 Samuel 4:11.

17. Come, let us, etc.] In connexion with the preceding narrative Amaziah's challenge might be explained as due to a desire to have satisfaction for the conduct of the Israelite forces as described in 2 Chronicles 25:13, but see on 2 Kings 14:8.

23. Jehoahaz] i.e. Ahaziah: 2 Chronicles 21:17.

24. With Obededom] i.e. with the descendants of Obededom, who were porters of the Temple: 1 Chronicles 26:4-8.

28. The city of Judah] LXX has 'the city of David,' as in 2 Kings 14:20 and 2 Chronicles 24:1; 2 Chronicles 16:14; 2 Chronicles 21:1, 2 Chronicles 21:20, etc.