UNROLL
Dawn over a broad valley of wheat fields and olive groves under low mist, a small walled town on a low mound in the middle distance, and two thin lines of smoke rising from far-off camps on the slopes, under a calm pale sky.

The Book of

2 Kings 14

One victory makes a king of Judah proud. Israel’s king answers him with a fable about a thistle.

29 verses≈ 6 min5 peopleBSB

Images are artistic interpretations.

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In this chapter

Where we are

  1. 1–8ElishaThe prophet's double portion
  2. 9–12JehuThe house of Ahab falls
  3. 13–17Last kings of IsraelSamaria fallsChapter 14
  4. 18–20HezekiahTrust in the LORD
  5. 21–23JosiahThe Book found
  6. 24–25ExileJerusalem falls

Amaziah Reigns in Judah

Judah

Amaziah of Judah · 29 years

  1. Jehoash’s 2nd year

    Amaziah son of Joash

    In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah.

  2. King at twenty-five

    He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.

  3. His mother Jehoaddan

    His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.

  4. did right

    Right, but not as David

    And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done.

  5. As his father Joash had done

    He did everything as his father Joash had done.

  6. The high places remain

    Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.

Tap to go deeper: meaning, history and related Scripture

As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king. Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”

Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.

2 Kings 14:6

Morning in red sandstone mountains: a high rock plateau with sheer cliffs rises over a stony valley, small tents on the valley floor and a thin line of soldiers climbing a narrow track toward the rock.

Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.

Jehoash Defeats Amaziah

Then Amaziah sent messengers to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu.

Amaziah

“Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.

Jehoash

But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah. And Judah was routed before Israel, and every man fled to his home.

Dusk outside a city's north side: a long stretch of thick stone wall lies broken down into a sloping heap of rubble beside a plain gate, and far off a small line of laden donkeys heads away toward the hills.

There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.

He took all the gold and silver and all the articles found in the house of the LORD and in the treasuries of the royal palace, as well as some hostages. Then he returned to Samaria.

0:25

Narrated by Bob Souer · BSB audio, public domain

Question

Quick question

Jehoash answered Amaziah’s challenge with a fable: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon.”

In Jehoash’s fable, who asked for a marriage?

Jeroboam II Succeeds Jehoash in Israel

Israel

Jehoash’s end

  1. Chronicles of Israel

    His war with Amaziah recorded

    As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with his accomplishments, his might, and how he waged war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

  2. Buried with Israel’s kings

    And Jehoash rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.

  3. son of Jehoash

    Jeroboam reigns

    And his son Jeroboam reigned in his place.

The Death of Amaziah

Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel. As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

Evening across rolling hills: a high, steep city mound with a sloping stone base, a double ring of plain walls, a broad gate and a massive platform on its summit, a road winding up to the gate.

And conspirators plotted against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there. They carried him back on horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.

Azariah Succeeds Amaziah in Judah

Bright morning at the head of a gulf, red granite mountains behind: masons raise new stone and mud-brick walls around a small town on the gravel shore, donkeys carrying stone, a single-masted boat drawn up on the beach.

Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah. Azariah was the one who rebuilt Elath and restored it to Judah after King Amaziah rested with his fathers.

Reflect

Your heart has become proud

Amaziah won one victory and went looking for another he could not win. Jehoash’s advice was blunt: “Glory in that and stay at home.” Where has success made you restless or proud? Write down what it would look like for you to be content with what God has already given.

Jeroboam II Reigns in Israel

Israel

Jeroboam II of Israel · 41 years

  1. Amaziah’s 15th year

    Jeroboam son of Jehoash

    In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah son of Joash over Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria forty-one years.

  2. did evil

    In the first Jeroboam’s sins

    And he did evil in the sight of the LORD and did not turn away from all the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had caused Israel to commit.

To Lebo-hamathDead SeaGath-hepherSamaria

Stylised map · locations approximate

On the map

From Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah

Jeroboam II restored Israel’s border from Lebo-hamath in the far north to the Sea of the Arabah, the Dead Sea, as the prophet Jonah of Gath-hepher in Galilee had foretold. His wars reached Damascus and Hamath, beyond the map’s northern edge. Gath-hepher is probably Khirbet ez-Zurra, north-east of Nazareth.

This Jeroboam restored the boundary of Israel from Lebo-hamath to the Sea of the Arabah, according to the word that the LORD, the God of Israel, had spoken through His servant Jonah son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath-hepher.

For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites, both slave and free, was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel, and since the LORD had said that He would not blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

2 Kings 14:26–27

Israel

Jeroboam II’s end

  1. Chronicles of Israel

    His wars and might recorded

    As for the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, along with all his accomplishments and might, and how he waged war and recovered both Damascus and Hamath for Israel from Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

  2. Rests with Israel’s kings

    And Jeroboam rested with his fathers, the kings of Israel.

  3. son of Jeroboam

    Zechariah reigns

    And his son Zechariah reigned in his place.

Pray

No one to help

“There was no one to help Israel,” yet the LORD saw their bitter affliction and saved them, even through a king who did evil. Thank Him that He sees when no one else can help. Ask Him for a humble heart that does not go looking for trouble. Pray for your own nation, that God would be merciful to it as He was to Israel.

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2 Kings 14

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A verse to carry with you

For the LORD saw that the affliction of the Israelites, both slave and free, was very bitter. There was no one to help Israel, and since the LORD had said that He would not blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.

2 Kings 14:26–27

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