F5 J¹ 1-20. Amaziah. J² 21,22. Uzziah, or Azariah.
J¹ K 1,2. Introduction. L 3,4. Events. Personal. L 5-14. Events. Political. K 15-20. Conclusion.
743 to 714 B.C.
14)
1 In the second year of Joash (according to 13:10, Joash [king of Israel] began to reign in the 37th year of Joash [king of Judah]. If Amaziah began in the 2nd year of Joash [king of Israel], he would have reigned only 39 years. But he reigned 40 [12:1]. All depends on mode of reckoning from Nissan, and counting parts of years for complete years. This would at once explain the difference. Our difficulty, as usual, arises fom ignorance Our) son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah (= the strength of Yah [the Lord]) the son of Joash king of Judah.
2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
3 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of Yehovah, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did (he began well and ended badly).
4 However the high places were not taken away (see 1 Kings 15:14): as yet the People did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
L M¹ 5,6. Domestic. M² 7-14. Foreign.
5 And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father.
6 But the sons of the murderers he slew not: according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses (see Ex.17:14), wherein Yehovah commanded, saying, “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.”
M² w 7. Victory over Edom. x 8. Jehoash. Message to. x 9,10. Jehoash. Reply from. w 11-14. Defeat by Israel.
7 He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand (the account in Chronicles supplies the additional particles. See 2 Chron.25:5-11), and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel (= subdued by El [God]) to this day.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.” (meaning much more, see vv.11,12)
9 And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle (or briar or thorn. See 2 Chron.25:18. Job.31:40; "thorn" in 2 Chron.33:11. Job 41:2. Prov.26:6. Song 2:2. Hos.9:6; and "bramble" in Isa.34:13) that [was] in Lebanon sent to the cedar that [was] in Lebanon (for a similar fable see Judg.9:8), saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son to wife:’ and there passed by a wild beast that [was] in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
10 You have indeed smitten Edom, and your heart has lifted you up: glory [of this], and tarry at home: for why should you meddle to [your] hurt, that you shouldest fall, [even] you, and Judah with you?”
11 But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which [belongs] to Judah. (= house of the sun, on frontier of Judah and Dan, 15 miles west of Jerusalem [Josh.15:10]. Now Ain Shems. A city of the priests [Josh.21:9,13,16]. Afterward associated with idolatry, and now with defeat)
12 And Judah was smitten before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.
13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits (*aprox. 633 feet).
14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of Yehovah, and in the treasures of the king's house, and hostages (Heb. sons of securities. Occ. only here and 2 Chron.25:24), and returned to Samaria.
15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash and all that he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.
729 to 714 B.C.
17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish (on the Philistine border in Judah [Josh.15:39]. Now Tel-el-Hesy, and recently escavated with important resuts); but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there (see 8:26).
20 And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
J² y 21. Introduction. Accession. z 22-. Events. y -22. Concluson. Father's death.
21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah (called also Uzziah [15:13,30,32. 2 Chron.26:1. Isa.1:1; 6:1. Hos.1:1. Amos 1:1. Zech 14:5. I Chronicles called Azariah [1 Chron.3:12]. These different names are common, having the same or similar meanings), which [was] sixteen years old (i.e. when "made" king. Only 3 years old at his father's death. See 15:1), and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
22 He rebuilt Elath (or fortified. This implies the subjugation of Edom. Elath on the Red Sea. Cp. 1 Kings 9:26, and, for its eventual loss, 2 Kings 16:6), and restored it to Judah,
after that the king slept with his fathers (see Deut.31:16).
E6 a 23. Introduction. Accession. b 24. Events. Personal. b 25-27. Events. Political. a 28,29. Conclusion. Death.
728 to 687 B.C.
23 In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria (some codices read "over Israel"), [and reigned] forty-one years (see 15:8).
24 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of Yehovah: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin (see 1 Kings 14:16).
25 He restored the borders of Israel from the entering of Hamath (the pass between Lebanon and Hermon) to the Dead Sea, according to the word of Yehovah Elohim of Israel, which He spoke by the hand of his servant Jonah (= a dove. Named by the Lord Jesus [Matt.12:39,40]), the son of Amittai, the prophet, which [was] of Gath-hepher (= winepress on the hill).
26 For Yehovah saw the affliction of Israel, [that it was] very bitter: for [there was] not any place strengthened or fortified (see Ex.23:5. Deut.32:36. 1 Kings 14:10), nor any helper for Israel.
27 And Yehovah said not that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath (both were included in Solomon's kingdom [1 Kings 4:21]. Damascus lost to Rezin [1 Kings 11:23-25]. This recovery did not last long. See Amos 1:3), [which belongs] to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
687 B.C.
29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, [even] with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead (after an interregnum of 11 years. See 2 Kings 18:8).
F6 c 1,2. Introduction. Accession. d 3,4. Events. Personal. d 5. Events. Political. c 6,7. Concluusion. Death.
15)
1 In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel (so in 2 Chron.26:1-3. Azariah being then 16 [v. 2], and therefore only 3 on the death of his father Amaziah. Hence, there was 1 years interregnum [16-3 = 13]. Amaziah died in the 14th year of Jeroboam. Therefore Azariah begn to reign in the 27th year of Jeroboam [13 + 14 = 27]. This is the 27th year of Jeroboam's partnershp with his father on his going to the Syrian wars) began Azariah (= Uzziah. See 14:21) son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign.
2 Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned fifty-two years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Jecholiah of Jerusalem.
3 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of Yehovah, according to all that his father Amaziah had done (i.e. he began well, but see 2 Chron.26:3-23);
4 Save that the high places were not removed (cp. 1 Kings 12:31): the People sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places.
649 B.C.
5 And Jehovah smote the king (Chronicles comes in here to explain why. See 2 Chron.26:16-21, and note on "Kings" in title of 1 Kings), so that he was a leper unto the day of his death (1 of 9 afflicted with leprosy. See Ex.4:6. No reason is given here, but it is given in the Chronicles according to the object of the latter Book. See note above), and dwelt in a lazar house (see v.7). And Jotham the king's son [was] over the house (or palace: i.e. the king's house, as regent or co-regent), judging the People of the land.
6 And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? (For details see 2 Chron.26:1-15. The writings of Hosea, Joel, Amos, and Jonah belong to this period: from the latter days of Joash [king of Judah] to the end of Uzziah. See the notes on the events in these reigns in their respective prophecies. They fortell the doom of Judah)
7 So Azariah slept with his fathers (in the year of his death [649 B.C.] Isaiah had his vision [Isa.6:1-9. John 12:41], when the "voice" from the Temple prophesied the Dispersion [see the Structure of Isaiah]. Uzziah had been driven from the Temple to lazar house, when Isaiah saw the vision of the Temple in heaven); and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead (= Yehovah is Upright. The first-named of the 4 kings in whose reign Isaiah prophesied [Isa.1:1]. Micah also began to prophecy and mourn over the coming dispersion of Israel. In his stead - there had been an interregnum of 11 or 12 years).
E7 N¹ 8-12. Zachariah. N² 13-16. Shallum. N³ 17-22. Menahem. N4 23-26. Pekahiah. N5 27-31. Pekah.
N¹ e 8. Introduction. Accession. f 9. Events. Personal. f 10. Events. Political. e 11,12. Conclusion. Record and death.
633 B.C.
8 In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah (cp. with 14:29. Jeroboam died in the 14th year of Azariah [or Uzziah]. There must have been an interregnum of 24 years. See also 15:1) did Zachariah (= remembered by Yehovah) the son of Jeroboam reign over Israel in Samaria six months.
9 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of Yehovah, according as his fathers had done: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin (see 1 Kings 14:16).
10 And Shallum (= retribution) the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the People (as prophesid [Amos 7:9]), and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
11 And the rest of the acts of Zachariah, behold, they [are] written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
12 This [was] the word of Yehovah which He spoke to Jehu (cp. 10:30 and Hos.1:4), saying, “Your sons shall sit on the throne of Israel unto the fourth [generation].” And so it came to pass.
N² g 13. Introducton. Accession. h 14. Event. Personal. g 15. Conclusion. Record. h 16. Events. Political.
662 B.C.
13 Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah (see 14:21); and he reigned a full month in Samaria.
14 For Menahem (= comforter) the son of Gadi went up from Tirzah (= delight. The capital before Samaria [1 Kings 14:17; 15:21; 16:8]. Now Telluzah, about 9 miles north of Samari), and came to Samaria (= watch mountain), and smote Shallum the son of Jabesh in Samaria, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
15 And the rest of the acts of Shallum, and his conspiracy which he made, behold, they [are] written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
16 Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that [were] therein, and the borders thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not [to him], therefore he smote [it; and] all the women therein that were with child he ripped up.
N³ i 17. Introduction. Accession. k 18. Events. Personal. k 19,20. Events. Political. i 21,22. Conclusion. Record. Death.
662 to 652 B.C.
17 In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah (see 14 21) began Menahem the son of Gadi to reign over Israel, [and reigned] ten years in Samaria (their names are mentioned, together with Rezin [16:9], in Tiglath-pilesar's inscriptions).
18 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of Yehovah: he departed not all his days from any of the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin (see 1 Kings 14:16).
19 [And] Pul (= lord. Thought to be the same as Tiglath-pileser [a throne name]. But see 1 Chron.5:26) the king of Assyria came against the land (probably by invitation of Menahem. Cp. Hos.5:13; 7:11; 8:9): and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver (*aprox. 100,000 lbs), that his hand might be with him to confirm the kingdom in his hand.
20 And Menahem exacted the money of Israel (Judah usually bought off foreign invaders [12:18; 16:8; 18:15] ), [even] of all the mighty men of wealth, of each man fifty shekels of silver (= *25 oz.), to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria turned back, and stayed not them in the land (Heb. shãm. Cp. Judg.5:11. Ps.14:5).
21 And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
22 And Menahem slept with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son reigned in his stead.
N4 l 23. Introduction. Accession. m 24. Events. Personal. m 25. Events. Political. l 26. Conclusion. Record.
651 to 649 B.C.
23 In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah (from v.17 there appears to be an interregnum of some months) Pekahiah (= whose eyes Yehovah opened) the son of Menahem began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] two years.
24 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of Yehovah: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
25 But Pekah (= open-eyed. See Isa.7:1) the son of Remaliah, a captain of his, conspired against him, and smote him in Samaria, in the palace of the king's house, with Argob and Arieh, and with him fifty men of the Gileadites: and he killed him, and reigned in his room.
26 And the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all that he did, behold, they [are] written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
N5 n 27. Introduction. Accession. o 28. Events. Personal. o 29,30. Events. Political. n 31. Conclusion. Record.
649 to 629 B.C.
27 In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah Pekah the son of Remaliah began to reign over Israel in Samaria, [and reigned] twenty years (The Assyrian inscription shows only 4 years. But why is writing on stone always assmed to be correct, and on parchment, always wrong? Example: There were two chronological mistakes on the Duke of Cambridge's monument erected in Whitehall, London, which were the subject o a correspondence in the London newspapers of that date. [The Duke died in March, 1904]. On the coffin-plate of King Edward VII, his death is put as occurring in the "ninth" instead of the "tenth" year of his reign. In the inscriptions of Darius Hystaspis on the Behistum Rock (see app. 57 in Companion Bible), no less than 14 "mistakes" made by the graver [one of them actually corrected by himself] are noted as such by the uthors of the exhaustive work on that subject issued by the Trustees of the British Museum).
28 And he did [that which was] evil in the sight of Yehovah: he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria (see note on "Pul", v.19), and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead (these names are entioned in Tiglath's own inscriptions), and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria (this deportation took place in 734 B.C., and is referreed to in Isa.9:1,2).
30 And Hoshea (= salvation) the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah (i.e. in 629 B.C. This was 9 years before he succeeded in obtaining the throne, which was in the 12th year of Ahaz [17:1]. In v.33, 16 years. So this 20th year must be reckoned from his father's being struck with leprosy, as distinctly stated in v.5).
31 And the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all that he did, behold, they [are] written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
F7 O¹ 15:32-38. Jotham. O² 16:1-20. Ahaz.
O¹ p 32,33. Introduction. q 34. Events. Personal. r 35. Events. Public. r 36. Events. Public. q 37. Event. Personal. p 38. Conclusion.
32 In the second year of Pekah the son of Remaliah king of Israel began Jotham (= Yehovah is Upright) the son of Uzziah king of Judah to reign.
33 Twenty-five years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem (i.e. from his accession, on the death of Uzziah his father, for whom he reigned 4 years. See v.30 above). And his mother's name [was] Jerusha, the daughter of Zadok (= just. The high priest [1 Chron.6:12]. Perhaps this is why he invaded the priest's office).
34 And he did [that which was] right in the sight of Yehovah: he did according to all [the good] that his father Uzziah had done.
35 However the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burned incense still in the high places. He built the higher gate of the house of Yehovah (cp. 2 Chron.27:3).
36 Now the rest of the acts of Jotham, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? (cp. 2 Chron. 27:2-8)
37 In those days Yehovah began to send against Judah Rezin the king of Syria (= firm. The war which broke out in the reign of Ahaz was already threatening. Cp. Isa.7:1-16), and Pekah the son of Remaliah.
38 And Jotham slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father: and Ahaz his son reigned in his stead.
O² s 1-2-. Introduction. Accession. t -2-4. Personal. Apostacy. u 5-9. Events. Political. t 10-18. Personal. Apostasy. s 19,20. Conclusion. Record and death.
632 to 616 B.C.
16)
1 In the seventeenth year of Pekah the son of Remaliah Ahaz the son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign. (= possessor. One of the 4kings in whose reign Isaiah prophesied. Cp. 2 Chron.28:1. Isa.1:1)
2 Twenty years old [was] Ahaz when he began to reign, and reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem (there is no rason for concluding that "there must be an error in one of the passages" [viz. 16:2 and 18:2], for Ahaz begins in 632 B.C. and reigns till 616. As he was 20 when he began, he was born in 652, and died when 36. Hezekiah begins in 617, and reigns 29 years, till 588. As he was 25 when he began he was therefore born in 642, and died when he was 54. From this it is clear that Ahaz was between 10 and 11 when his son Hezikiah was born. This sounds only improbable to Western ears. But, to Eastern ears and physiological phenomena, there is nothing unusual, and nothing to justify a conclusion that the text is corrupt - the usual excuse for ignorance of the facts),
and did not [that which was] right in the sight of Yehovah his Elohim, like David his father.
3 But he walked in the way of the kings of Israel (cp. 2 Chron.28:2), yea, and made his son (see note on 2 Chron.28:3) to pass through the fire (the first king of Judah to do this. Followe in it by Manasseh [21:6; 23:10].Cp. Jer.7:31. Ezek.20:26, and Lev.18:21), according to the abominations of the nations, whom Yehovah cast out from before the sons of Israel.
4 And he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.
5 Then Rezin king of Syria (cp. Isa.7. He and Pekah are the two firebrands of Isa.7:4. The events in vv.5-9 are said by some to contradict 2 Chron.28:5-20; but the event recorded in 2 Chron. happened the year before, directly after [2 Chron.28:5-20], in 631 B.C. Rezin and Pekah both attacked directly after his accession [successfully]. But they confederated unsuccessfully) and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war (Pekah's design to persuade Ahaz failed; and he tried to supersede him himself ["Tabeal" being a cipher for Remaliah]. Cp. Isa.7:6): and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome [him] (because of the promise to David. Cp. Isa.7:7,16).
6 At that time Rezin king of Syria (probably Edom [from Aram]. See below) recovered Elath to Syria (It had belonged to Edom [14:22]), and drove the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day.
7 So Ahaz sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria (this was opposed by Isaiah [7:17]. Cp. Hos.5:13; 7:11,12; 8:9; 11:5. Tiglat-pilesr is the "razor" of Isa.7:20), saying, “I [am] your servant and yor son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.”
8 And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of Yehovah (some codices read, "treasures of the house"), and in the treasures of the king's house, and sent [it for] a present to the king of Assyria (Tiglath-pileser regarded it [in his inscription] as tribute).
9 And the king of Assyria hearkened unto him: for the king of Assyria went up against Damascus, and took it, and carried [the people of] it captive to Kir, and slew Rezin.
t v 10-13. The Altar. w 14. Removal. v 15,16. The Altar. w 17,18. Alterations.
10 And king Ahaz went to Damascus (called Jehoahaz in Tiglath-pileser's great triumphal inscriptions. The first syllable of his name droped in Scripture, as he was unworthy of it) to meet (and do him honor. Hence the solemn warnings of Isa.8:13,14,19) Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and saw an altar that [was] at Damascus: and king Ahaz sent to Urijah the priest the likeness (or sketch) of the altar, and the pattern (or mode) of it, according to all the workmanship thereof.
11 And Urijah the priest (= light of Yehovah. Perhaps the Uriah of Isa.8:2. His name does not occur in the list of high priests [1 Chron.6:3-15]. Note the emphatic repitition of "Ahaz the king" and "Urijah the priest") built an altar according to all that king Ahaz had sent from Damascus: so Urijah the priest made [it] against king Ahaz came from Damascus.
12 And when the king was come from Damascus, the king saw the altar: and the king approached to the altar, and offered thereon.
13 And he offered up his burnt offering and his meal offering, and poured his drink offering, and sprinkled the blood of his peace offerings, upon the altar.
14 And he brought also the brasen altar (cp. 1 Kings 8:64), which [was] before Yehovah, from the forefront of the house, from between the altar and the house of Yehovah, and put it on the north side of the altar (i.e. the new altar).
15 And king Ahaz commanded Urijah the priest, saying, “Upon the great altar (i.e. the new altar) burn the morning burnt offering, and the evening meal offering, and the king's burnt sacrifice, and his meal offering, with the burnt offering of all the people of the land, and their meal offering, and their drink offerings; and sprinkle upon it all the blood of the burnt offering, and all the blood of the sacrifice: and the brasen altar shall be for me to enquire [by].” (i.e. to consider further what shll be done with it)
16 Thus did Urijah the priest (unlike Azuriah in 2 Chron.26:17,18), according to all that king Ahaz commanded.
17 And king Ahaz cut off the borders of the bases, and removed the laver from off them (cp. 1 Kings 7:23-39. 2 Chron. 28:24,25); and took down the sea from off the brasen oxen that [were] under it (cp. 1 Kings7:23-26), and put it upon a pavement of stones.
18 And the covered way for the sabbath that they had built in the house, and the king's entry outside, turned he from the house of Yehovah because of the king of Assyria.
19 Now the rest of the acts of Ahaz and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? (cp. 2 Chron.28:24,25. He shut up the house of Yehovah altogether)
616 B.C.
20 And Ahaz slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David (but not in the tombs of the kings. Cp. 2 Chron.28:27, where observe the phrase "kings of Israel"): and Hezekiah his son reigned in his stead.