Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 25:14

Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up [to be] his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

14 16 (not in Kings). Amaziah’s Idolatry and the Prophet’s Rebuke

14. bowed down and burned ] The tenses in the Heb. are imperfect and imply that this became Amaziah’s practice. The act was according to a policy frequently pursued in ancient times. Solomon affords an instance of it (1Ki 11:7).

Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

The practice of carrying off the images of the gods from a conquered country, or city, as trophies of victory, was common among the nations of the East. Sometimes as with the Romans, the object was worship, especially when the gods were previously among those of the conquering country, and the images had the reputation of special sanctity.

Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible

2Ch 25:14

Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir.

Amaziahs apostacy

To act like Amaziah–to go out to battle in the name of Jehovah, directed and encouraged by His prophet, to conquer by the grace of the God of Israel, and then to desert Jehovah of hosts, the giver of victory, for the paltry and discredited idols of the conquered Edomites–this was sheer madness. And yet as Greece enslaved her Roman conquerors, so the victor has often been won to the faith of the vanquished. The Church subdued the barbarians who had overwhelmed the empire, and the heathen Saxons adopted at last the religion of the conquered Britons. (W. H. Bennett, M.A.)

Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell

Verse 14. The gods of the children of Seir] “The idols of the children of Gebal.” – Targum.

Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible

14-16. Amaziah . . . brought thegods of the children of SeirThe Edomites worshipped the sununder different forms and with various rites. But burning incenseupon altars was a principal act of worship, and this was the verything Amaziah is described as having with strange infatuationperformed. Whether he had been captivated with the beauty of theimages, or hoped by honoring the gods to disarm their spite at himfor his conquest and harsh treatment of their votaries, his conductin establishing these objects of religious homage in Jerusalem wasfoolish, ignorant, and highly offensive to God, who commissioned aprophet to rebuke him for his apostasy, and threaten him with thecalamity that soon after befell him.

Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites,…. Instead of returning thanks to God for the victory obtained, and giving him the glory of it:

that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods; what were the gods of the Edomites is nowhere said in Scripture; only Josephus l speaks of the priests of Coze, which he says was a god of the Idumaeans:

and bowed himself before them, and burned incense unto them; which was the greatest piece of sottishhess and stupidity imaginable, to worship the gods of a nation conquered by him; for since they could not save them, what help could he expect from them?

l Antiqu. l. l5. c. 7. sect. 9.

Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible

      14 Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.   15 Wherefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent unto him a prophet, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people, which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand?   16 And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.

      Here is, I. The revolt of Amaziah from the God of Israel to the gods of the Edomites. Egregious folly! Ahaz worshipped the gods of those that had conquered him, for which he had some little colour, ch. xxviii. 23. But to worship the gods of those whom he had conquered, who could not protect their own worshippers, was the greatest absurdity that could be. What did he see in the gods of the children of Seir that could tempt him to set them up for his gods and bow himself down before them? v. 14. If he had cast the idols down from the rock and broken them to pieces, instead of the prisoners, he would have manifested more of the piety as well as more of the pity of an Israelite; but perhaps for that barbarous inhumanity he was given up to this ridiculous idolatry.

      II. The reproof which God sent to him, by a prophet, for this sin. The anger of the Lord was kindled against him, and justly; yet, before he sent to destroy him, he sent to convince and reclaim him, and so to prevent his destruction. The prophet reasoned with him very fairly and very mildly: Why hast thou sought the favour of those gods which could not deliver their own people? v. 15. If men would but duly consider the inability of all those things to help them to which they have recourse when they forsake God, they would not be such enemies to themselves.

      III. The check he gave to the reprover, v. 16. He could say nothing in excuse of his own folly; the reproof was too just to be answered. But he fell into a passion with the reprover. 1. He taunted him as saucy and impertinent, and meddling with that which did not belong to him: Art thou made of the king’s counsel? Could not a man speak reasonably to him, but he must be upbraided as usurping the place of a privy-counsellor? But, as a prophet, he really was made of the king’s counsel by the King of kings, in duty to whom the king was bound not only to hear, but to ask and take his counsel. 2. He silenced him, bade him forbear and say not a word more to him. He said to the seer, See not, Isa. xxx. 10. Men would gladly have their prophets thus under their girdles, as we say, to speak just when and what they would have them speak, and not otherwise. 3. He threatened him: “Why shouldst thou be smitten? It is at thy peril if thou sayest a word more of this matter.” He seems to remind him of Zechariah’s fate in the last reign, who was put to death for making bold with the king; and bids him take warning by him. Thus he justifies the killing of that prophet by menacing this, and so, in effect, makes himself guilty of the blood of both. He had hearkened to the prophet who ordered him to send back the army of Israel, and was ruled by him, though he contradicted his politics and lost him 100 talents, v. 10. But this prophet, who dissuaded him from worshipping the gods of the Edomites, he ran upon with an unaccountable rage, which must be attributed to the witchcraft of idolatry. He was easily persuaded to part with his talents of silver, but by no means with his gods of silver.

      IV. The doom which the prophet passed upon him for this. He had more to say to him by way of instruction and advice; but, finding him obstinate in his iniquity, he forbore. He is joined to idols; let him alone, Hos. iv. 17. Miserable is the condition of that man with whom the blessed Spirit, by ministers and conscience, forbears to strive, Gen. vi. 3. And both the reprovers in the gate and that in the bosom, if long brow-beaten and baffled, will at length forbear. So I gave them up to their own hearts’ lusts. The secure sinner perhaps values himself upon it as a noble and happy achievement to have silenced his reprovers and monitors, and to get clear of them; but what comes of it? “I know that God has determined to destroy thee; it is a plain indication that thou art marked for ruin that thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my counsel.” Those that are deaf to reproof are ripening apace for destruction, Prov. xxix. 1.

Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary

AMAZIAH ADOPTS THE EDOMITE FORM OF WORSHIP, AND SPURNS A PROPHETIC WARNING (2Ch. 25:14-16).

(14) From the slaughter.From smiting.

Brought the gods.The Assyrian inscriptions often refer to this custom of carrying off the idols of conquered countries. Esarhaddon states that he restored the gods of Hazael, king of Arabia, at that princes entreaty, after engraving on them the might of Asshur and his own name. Assurbanipal recovered an image of Nana, which an Elamite sovereign had carried off one thousand six hundred and thirty-five years previously.

The children of Seir.Bn Seir, the tribal designation of the Edomites (1Ch. 1:38).

Set them up to be his gods.Not necessarily abandoning the worship of Jehovah. (Comp. the conduct of Ahaz, 2Ch. 28:23; 2Ki. 16:10, et seq.; also 2Ki. 17:27-33.) Thenius says this contradicts 2Ki. 14:3; and it may be allowed that the chronicler portrays Amaziah in a darker light than the older account. This only proves independence of judgment and the possession of additional information. Thenius and Bertheau further suppose that the chronicler, from his theocratic standpoint, merely inferred the idolatry of Amaziah from his ill success against Israel. It is more likely that it was mentioned in one of the histories which the compiler had before him.

Bowed down himself.Literally, And before them would he bow himself, and to them would he offer incense; relating his habitual practice.

Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)

Amaziah’s Idolatry and Defeat by Israel

v. 14. Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, which, however, gave him no lasting advantages, 2Ch 21:10, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, the idols of the conquered army, to which he had taken a liking for some reason, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them, for they were, at least in part, images of the sun, and the burning of incense was one of the principal acts of worship in their honor. v 15. Wherefore the anger of the Lord was kindled against Amaziah, and He sent unto him a prophet, perhaps the very man whose counsel the king had formerly heeded, which said unto him, Why hast thou sought after the gods of the people which could not deliver their own people out of thine hand? The very foolishness of his action should have struck Amaziah.

v. 16. And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? literally, “Have we made thee counselor to the king?” He who would at another time have welcomed the advice of Jehovah’s servant was now so puffed up by; his recent success that he resented every form of interference. Forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? He was so far gone in his blindness that he threatened to harm the prophet of Jehovah if he persisted in his advice. Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee because thou hast done this and hast not hearkened unto my counsel. Since Amaziah willfully hardened his heart and blinded his eyes, therefore the Lord would use this state of mind for his own destruction, punishing him with his own sins.

v. 17. Then Amaziah, king of Judah, took advice, he accepted counsel from another quarter, and sent to Joaz, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face, a challenge to measure the strength of their respective armies in battle.

v. 18. And Joash, king of Israel, sent to Amaziah, king of Judah, saying, The thistle, a low, shrubby thornbush, that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife, an unheard-of assumption; and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon and trode down the thistle, trampled it under foot for the worthless and insignificant weed that it was. The meaning of the parable is clear. The thorn-bush represented Amaziah, a petty prince, the cedar, the powerful sovereign of Israel, and the wild beast that trampled under foot the thistle, the overwhelming army with which Israel would subdue and exterminate Judah.

v. 19. Thou sayest, Lo, thou hast smitten the Edomites; and thine heart lifteth thee up to boast. Abide now at home; why shouldest thou meddle to thine hurt, deliberately inviting disaster by this unprovoked attack upon Israel, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

v. 20. But Amaziah would not hear, since he was in a state of deliberate blindness; for it came of God, that He might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.

v. 21. So Joash, the king of Israel, went up, he determined upon a surprise attack before Amaziah had completed his military preparations; and they saw one another in the face, they measured their strength in battle, both he and Amaziah, king of Judah, at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah, on the southern border of Dan, northwest of Jerusalem.

v. 22. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, utterly routed in battle, and they fled every man to his tent.

v. 23. And Joash, the king of Israel, took Amaziah, king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem, a captive in his own capital, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits, to signify that he could at any time march into the city.

v. 24. And he took all the gold and the silver and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, who had charge of these treasures, and the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, which would insure him against a repetition of the attacks on the part of Amaziah, and returned to Samaria.

v. 25. And Amaziah, the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived after the death of Joash, son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, fifteen years.

v. 26. Now, the rest of the acts of Amaziah, first and last, behold, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel? Cf 2 Kings 14.

v. 27. Now, after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the Lord, when he abandoned himself to idolatry, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish, on the border; of Philistia; but they sent to Lachish after him and slew him there.

v. 28. And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah, that is, in the City of David, 2Ki 14:20. Conspiracy and rebellion are scourges with which God has punished many a proud tyrant.

Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann

Was there ever a more glaring instance of wickedness and folly? He is permitted to scourge Edom for idolatry, and then sets up idols himself.

Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)

2Ch 25:14 Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up [to be] his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.

Ver. 14. He brought the gods of the children of Seir. ] The old Romans, having subdued any nation, set up their gods to themselves also, to win their favour; Amaziah might do this haply for the like reason. The Jews fable that when those ten thousand Edomites were cast down from the rock, a voice from the idols was heard, This cometh upon you because ye have neglected to worship us; and that Amaziah, hearing this, did as he did. The truth is, he was given up of God unto this sin of idolatry, for a just punishment of his pride and hypocrisy; as were also the Turks to the Mohammedan superstition, which they received together with the kingdom of Persia, won by Tangrolipix, sultan of the Turks, A.D. 1030. So that hard it is to say, saith the historian, which nation lost more, – the Saracens and Persians by the loss of so great a kingdom, or the Turks by embracing so great a vanity. a

a Turk. Hist.

Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)