CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
2 Chronicles 25
Chapter 25 of 36
Chapter Overview
What happens in 2 Chronicles 25
Amaziah starts well but does not fully commit his heart to God. After defeating Edom, he foolishly worships Edom's gods. A prophet warns him, but he refuses to listen. His pride leads him to challenge Israel and suffer a humiliating defeat.
Scripture
2 Chronicles 25
Amaziah Begins His Reign
Study note
Amaziah was 25 when he became king and reigned 29 years. He did what was right in God's eyes, but not wholeheartedly. He executed the officials who had murdered his father, but following the Law of Moses, he did not kill their children, because the law says each person dies only for their own sin.
1 Amaziah was 25 years old when he became king, and he ruled in Jerusalem for 29 years. His mother was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem. 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.
2 He did what the Lord considered right, but he did not do it with his whole heart. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
3 As soon as he had firm control of the kingdom, he put to death the officials who had murdered his father. Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father.
4 But he did not kill their children. He obeyed what is written in the Law of Moses, where the Lord commanded: 'Parents must not be put to death for what their children do, and children must not be put to death for what their parents do. Each person must be punished for their own sin.' But he slew not their children, but did as it is written in the law in the book of Moses, where the LORD 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.
Amaziah Defeats Edom
Study note
Amaziah assembled an army of 300,000 from Judah and also hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel for about 3.75 tons of silver. A prophet told him to send the Israelite soldiers home because God was not with Israel. When Amaziah worried about the money he had paid, the prophet said, 'The Lord can give you much more than that.' He sent them home, but they were angry and raided Judah's cities on the way back. Amaziah defeated 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
5 Amaziah organized Judah's men by families. He put commanders over groups of a thousand and groups of a hundred. He did this for all of Judah and Benjamin. He counted every man 20 years and older. He found 300,000 soldiers ready for battle, trained with spears and shields. Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together, and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin: and he numbered them from twenty years old and above, and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield.
6 He also hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel for about 3.75 tons of silver. He hired also an hundred thousand mighty men of valour out of Israel for an hundred talents of silver.
7 But a man of God came and told him, "King, do not take the army of Israel with you. The Lord is not with Israel or any of the people of Ephraim." But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.
8 "Even if you go and fight bravely, God will knock you down before the enemy. God has the power to help, and he has the power to knock down." But if thou wilt go, do it, be strong for the battle: God shall make thee fall before the enemy: for God hath power to help, and to cast down.
9 Amaziah asked the man of God, "But what about the 3.75 tons of silver I already paid for the Israelite soldiers?" The man of God answered, "The Lord can give you far more than that." And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The LORD is able to give thee much more than this.
10 So Amaziah sent the Israelite soldiers back home to Ephraim. They were furious with Judah and went home burning with anger. Then Amaziah separated them, to wit, the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger.
11 Amaziah gathered his courage and led his army to the Valley of Salt. There he killed 10,000 soldiers from the land of Seir. And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.
12 Judah's army also captured 10,000 men alive. They took them to the top of a high cliff and threw them off. Every one of them died on the rocks below. And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.
13 Meanwhile, the Israelite soldiers that Amaziah had sent home raided cities in Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon. They killed 3,000 people and took away a large amount of valuables. But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth-horon, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.
Amaziah Worships Edom's Gods
Study note
In a baffling move, after defeating Edom, Amaziah brought back the gods of the defeated Edomites and bowed down to them. God sent a prophet who asked the obvious question: 'Why would you worship gods that couldn't even save their own people from you?' When the king threatened the prophet, the prophet warned that God had decided to destroy Amaziah.
14 After Amaziah came back from defeating the Edomites, he brought the gods of the people of Seir with him. He set them up as his own gods, bowed down to them, and burned incense to them. 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 This made the Lord angry. He sent a prophet who asked, "Why have you worshipped the gods of a people who could not even protect themselves from you?" 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 While the prophet was still talking, the king cut him off: "Did I ask for your opinion? Be quiet, or I will have you killed!" The prophet stopped speaking but added, "I know that God has decided to destroy you, because you have done this and refused to listen to my warning." 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.
Amaziah's Defeat and Death
Study note
Puffed up by his victory over Edom, Amaziah challenged King Joash of Israel to battle. Joash sent back a mocking parable about a thistle challenging a cedar tree. Amaziah refused to listen — the text says God caused this so he could hand Amaziah over for worshipping Edom's gods. Israel defeated Judah, broke down 600 feet of Jerusalem's wall, and plundered the temple. Eventually, Amaziah was assassinated in Lachish after a conspiracy formed against him.
17 After talking it over with his advisors, King Amaziah of Judah sent a message challenging King Joash of Israel to a fight. He said, "Come, let us meet face to face on the battlefield." Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face.
18 But King Joash of Israel sent this reply: "A small thistle in Lebanon once sent a message to a tall cedar tree saying, 'Give your daughter as a wife for my son.' But a wild animal came along and trampled the thistle." And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
19 "You think you are so great because you beat Edom, and now you are full of pride. But you should stay home! Why stir up trouble and bring disaster on yourself and all of Judah?" 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, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
20 But Amaziah refused to listen. God was behind this, planning to hand them over to their enemies because they had worshipped the gods of Edom. But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God, that he might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom.
21 So King Joash of Israel marched out. He and King Amaziah of Judah met in battle at Beth-shemesh in Judah. So Joash the king of Israel went up; and they saw one another in the face, both he and Amaziah king of Judah, at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.
22 Judah was crushed by Israel, and every soldier ran home. And Judah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled every man to his tent.
23 King Joash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah at Beth-shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem. He tore down about 600 feet of Jerusalem's wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. 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, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
24 He took all the gold, silver, and articles found in God's temple that were in the care of Obed-edom, along with the treasures from the royal palace and some hostages. Then he went back to Samaria. And he took all the gold and the silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of God with Obed-edom, and the treasures of the king's house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
25 King Amaziah of Judah outlived King Joash of Israel by fifteen years. And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
26 All else about Amaziah's rule is in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel. 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?
27 After Amaziah turned away from following the Lord, people in Jerusalem plotted to kill him. He ran away to Lachish, but they sent men after him and killed him there. Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there.
28 They brought his body back on horses and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah. And they brought him upon horses, and buried him with his fathers in the city of Judah.
Key Themes
Themes in 2 Chronicles 25
Half-hearted devotion leads to spiritual failureThe foolishness of worshipping defeated godsPride after victory invites defeatRefusing correction accelerates downfall
Apply This Today
Living 2 Chronicles 25
After defeating Edom, Amaziah brought home Edom's idols and worshipped them — gods that could not even save their own people. It makes no sense to give your heart to things that have already proven powerless. Worship only the God who actually delivers.
Go Deeper
Study 2 Chronicles in Covenant Path
Read every chapter with study aids, bookmarks, and daily reading plans — free in the app.