2 Chronicles 25

25:1 The twenty-nine years of Amaziah’s reign (796–767 BC) included a long co-regency with his son Uzziah from 792 BC.

25:2 but not wholeheartedly: See 2 Kgs 14:3-4 for further details.

25:3-4 Amaziah . . . executed the officials to avenge his father and carry out the justice prescribed in the Law.

25:5 The inclusion of Benjamin in this listing of military officers indicates that this tribe was part of the kingdom of Judah at that time.

25:6 Amaziah’s force of 300,000 was smaller than Asa’s (580,000) or Jehoshaphat’s (1,160,000) had been; this might explain Amaziah’s desire to hire additional troops from Israel (the northern kingdom).

25:7-8 The phrase a man of God was a way to refer to a prophet (as in Deut 33:1; 1 Sam 2:27; 9:6-10; 1 Kgs 13:1-31). • The kingdom of Israel was politically foreign and spiritually apostate. Relying on Israel’s troops for military strength would bring spiritual compromise and God’s opposition.

25:11 The Valley of Salt was a perennial battlefield south of the Dead Sea; David had also fought with the Edomites there (2 Sam 8:13; see Ps 60). • Amaziah did not capture the port at Elath (2 Chr 26:2); his conquest was limited to northern Edom.

25:14-15 Conquerors sometimes worshiped the gods of a vanquished nation, wrongly believing that the gods of the defeated people had helped them to victory. Amaziah held this pagan mindset; he did not believe that the Lord is the only true God (see Isa 40:18-28; 42:8; Jer 10:1-16).

25:20 Amaziah’s pride was manifested in his failure to seek God. While he seriously overestimated his military capability after defeating Edom, his decision to go to war against Jehoash was actually the result of trusting other gods and of ignoring God’s judgment that followed (cp. 18:9-34; 2 Thes 2:11).

25:21 Beth-shemesh protected the entrance to the Sorek Valley and Jerusalem’s access to the coast. Jehoash might have been seeking to cut off Jerusalem’s access to trade, or he might have been trying to increase his own access.

25:23 The Ephraim Gate was on the north side of the city, while the Corner Gate was on the western wall.