בֶּן־עֶשְׂרִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנָה מָלַךְ אֲמַצְיָהוּ וְעֶשְׂרִים וָתֵשַׁע שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ יְהוֹעַדָּן   25:1

 מִירוּשָׁלָיִם׃

2Chr. 25:1  King Amaziah was twenty-five years of age, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem.  And the name of his mother was Jehoaddan from Jerusalem.

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 14:2.  The next three verses appear as 2Kin. 14:3 to 14:6, except that an additional verse is found in 2 Kings Chapter 14 (2Kin. 14:4) that doesn’t appear here.

וַיַּעַשׂ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה רַק לֹא בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם׃   25:2

2Chr. 25:2   And he did the right thing in the eyes of the Lord, but not with a whole heart.

וַיְהִי כַּאֲשֶׁר חָזְקָה הַמַּמְלָכָה עָלָיו וַיַּהֲרֹג אֶת־עֲבָדָיו הַמַּכִּים אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ אָבִיו׃   25:3

2Chr. 25:3   And it was as the kingdom became firm by him, that he slew his servants who had been killing his father, the king.

I realize my translation of the last phrase in this verse is awkward.  But the Hebrew is to blame.  The fourth word from the end, הַמַּכִּים, is a participle, not a verb.  All the other translators of whom I am aware translate the word as an active verb.  I presume they do so because of the et before the word translated as the king, which would normally make it the direct object of the word in question, and requires an active verb.  So either the participle is wrong or the et is wrong.  In any case, I translate it as I see it.

וְאֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם לֹא הֵמִית כִּי כַכָּתוּב בַּתּוֹרָה בְּסֵפֶר מֹשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהוָה לֵאמֹר לֹא־יָמוּתוּ אָבוֹת   25:4

 עַל־בָּנִים וּבָנִים לֹא־יָמוּתוּ עַל־אָבוֹת כִּי אִישׁ בְּחֶטְאוֹ יָמוּתוּ׃

2Chr. 25:4   But their children were not put to death, for as was written in the law in the book of Moses that the Lord had commanded saying, “The fathers shall not die on account of the children, and the children shall not die on account of the fathers, but each because of his own sin they shall die.”

וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֲמַצְיָהוּ אֶת־יְהוּדָה וַיַּעֲמִידֵם לְבֵית־אָבוֹת לְשָׂרֵי הָאֲלָפִים וּלְשָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת לְכָל־יְהוּדָה וּבִנְיָמִן   25:5

וַיִּפְקְדֵם לְמִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה וַיִּמְצָאֵם שְׁלֹשׁ־מֵאוֹת אֶלֶף בָּחוּר יוֹצֵא צָבָא אֹחֵז רֹמַח וְצִנָּה׃

2Chr. 25:5   And Amaziah assembled Judah and appointed of them according to households to be the captains of thousands and to be the captains of hundreds for all of Judah and Benjamin, and he counted them from twenty years of age and up and found them to be three hundred thousand young men of a host going forth grasping spear and shield.

This verse and the next five, down to v. 25:10, are not found elsewhere.

וַיִּשְׂכֹּר מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל מֵאָה אֶלֶף גִּבּוֹר חָיִל בְּמֵאָה כִכַּר־כָּסֶף׃   25:6

2Chr. 25:6   And he hired a hundred thousand mighty men of valor from Israel at a hundred talents of silver.

וְאִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים בָּא אֵלָיו לֵאמֹר הַמֶּלֶךְ אַל־יָבֹא עִמְּךָ צְבָא יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי אֵין יְהוָה עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵל כֹּל בְּנֵי   25:7

 אֶפְרָיִם׃

2Chr. 25:7   Then a certain man of God came to him saying, “O king, the host of Israel must not go with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, any of the children of Ephraim.”

כִּי אִם־בֹּא אַתָּה עֲשֵׂה חֲזַק לַמִּלְחָמָה יַכְשִׁילְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים לִפְנֵי אוֹיֵב כִּי יֶשׁ־כֹּחַ בֵּאלֹהִים לַעְזוֹר   25:8

 וּלְהַכְשִׁיל׃

2Chr. 25:8   “Surely if you go, make strong for war.  God shall make you falter before the enemy, for there is power in God to help or to hinder.”

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲמַצְיָהוּ לְאִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים וּמַה־לַּעֲשׂוֹת לִמְאַת הַכִּכָּר אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לִגְדוּד יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֹּאמֶר אִישׁ   25:9

 הָאֱלֹהִים יֵשׁ לַיהוָה לָתֶת לְךָ הַרְבֵּה מִזֶּה׃

2Chr. 25:9   And Amaziah said to the man of God, “And what is to be done concerning the hundred talents that I gave to the band of Israel?”  And the man of God said, “It is the Lord's to give much more than this to you.”

וַיַּבְדִּילֵם אֲמַצְיָהוּ לְהַגְּדוּד אֲשֶׁר־בָּא אֵלָיו מֵאֶפְרַיִם לָלֶכֶת לִמְקוֹמָם וַיִּחַר אַפָּם מְאֹד בִּיהוּדָה   25:10

 וַיָּשׁוּבוּ לִמְקוֹמָם בָּחֳרִי־אָף׃

2Chr. 25:10   So Amaziah separated those belonging to the band that came to him from Ephraim to go to their land.  But their anger was kindled greatly at Judah as they returned to their land in burning anger.

וַאֲמַצְיָהוּ הִתְחַזַּק וַיִּנְהַג אֶת־עַמּוֹ וַיֵּלֶךְ גֵּיא הַמֶּלַח וַיַּךְ אֶת־בְּנֵי־שֵׂעִיר עֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים׃   25:11

2Chr. 25:11   And Amaziah toughened himself and led his people out and went to the Valley of Salt and smote the children of Seir, ten thousand.

There is some similarity between this verse and 2KIn. 14:7.

וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים חַיִּים שָׁבוּ בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה וַיְבִיאוּם לְרֹאשׁ הַסָּלַע וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּם מֵרֹאשׁ־הַסֶּלַע וְכֻלָּם   25:12

 נִבְקָעוּ׃

2Chr. 25:12   And the children of Judah took ten thousand living captive, and they brought them to the top of a rock and cast them from the top of the rock, and all of them were broken.

This verse and the next four are missing from 2Kings Chapter 14.

וּבְנֵי הַגְּדוּד אֲשֶׁר הֵשִׁיב אֲמַצְיָהוּ מִלֶּכֶת עִמּוֹ לַמִּלְחָמָה וַיִּפְשְׁטוּ בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה מִשֹּׁמְרוֹן וְעַד־בֵּית   25:13

 חוֹרוֹן וַיַּכּוּ מֵהֶם שְׁלֹשֶׁת אֲלָפִים וַיָּבֹזּוּ בִּזָּה רַבָּה׃

2Chr. 25:13   Now the young men of the band that Amaziah had turned back from going with him to war, they then spread out throughout the cities of Judah from Samaria and as far as Beth-horon and smote three thousand from them and took much spoil.

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי בוֹא אֲמַצְיָהוּ מֵהַכּוֹת אֶת־אֲדוֹמִים וַיָּבֵא אֶת־אֱלֹהֵי בְּנֵי שֵׂעִיר וַיַּעֲמִידֵם לוֹ לֵאלֹהִים   25:14

 וְלִפְנֵיהֶם יִשְׁתַּחֲוֶה וְלָהֶם יְקַטֵּר׃

2Chr. 25:14   And it was after Amaziah came from smiting Edomites that he brought in the gods of the children of Seir and set them up to be gods for him and would prostrate himself before them and sacrifice to them.

וַיִּחַר־אַף יְהוָה בַּאֲמַצְיָהוּ וַיִּשְׁלַח אֵלָיו נָבִיא וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ לָמָּה דָרַשְׁתָּ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵי הָעָם אֲשֶׁר   25:15

 לֹא־הִצִּילוּ אֶת־עַמָּם מִיָּדֶךָ׃

2Chr. 25:15   So the “anger” of the Lord was kindled at Amaziah and He sent a prophet to him, and he said to him, “Why do you seek the gods of a people that did not deliver their own people from your hand?”

וַיְהִי בְּדַבְּרוֹ אֵלָיו וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ הַלְיוֹעֵץ לַמֶּלֶךְ נְתַנּוּךָ חֲדַל־לְךָ לָמָּה יַכּוּךָ וַיֶּחְדַּל הַנָּבִיא וַיֹּאמֶר יָדַעְתִּי   25:16

כִּי־יָעַץ אֱלֹהִים לְהַשְׁחִיתֶךָ כִּי־עָשִׂיתָ זֹּאת וְלֹא שָׁמַעְתָּ לַעֲצָתִי׃

2Chr. 25:16   And it was during his speaking to him that he replied to him, as a counsel to the king, “Did we appoint you?  Hold yourself back.  Why should they smite you?” So the prophet desisted, but he said, “I know that God plans to destroy you because you have done this, and you have not listened to my counsel.”

וַיִּוָּעַץ אֲמַצְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וַיִּשְׁלַח אֶל־יֹואָשׁ בֶּן־יְהֹואָחָז בֶּן־יֵהוּא מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל   25:17

 לֵאמֹר (לְךָ) [לְכָה] נִתְרָאֶה פָנִים׃

2Chr. 25:17   And Amaziah, king of Judah, deliberated and he sent to Joash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us present faces.”

The words of this verse are mostly similar to those in 2Kin. 14:8.  But the word in the parentheses is an improper form for the imperative translated as come.  It is spelled correctly in the brackets, as it is in 2Kin. 14:8.

וַיִּשְׁלַח יוֹאָשׁ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל־אֲמַצְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹר הַחוֹחַ אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן שָׁלַח אֶל־הָאֶרֶז   25:18

 אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן לֵאמֹר תְּנָה־אֶת־בִּתְּךָ לִבְנִי לְאִשָּׁה וַתַּעֲבֹר חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה אֲשֶׁר בַּלְּבָנוֹן וַתִּרְמֹס אֶת־הַחוֹחַ׃

2Chr. 25:18   And Joash, king of Israel, sent to Amaziah, king of Judah, saying, “The brier that is in Lebanon sends to the cedar that is in Lebanon saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife.  And a beast of the field that is in Lebanon passes by and tramples the brier.”

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 14:9.

אָמַרְתָּ הִנֵּה הִכִּיתָ אֶת־אֱדוֹם וּנְשָׂאֲךָ לִבְּךָ לְהַכְבִּיד עַתָּה שְׁבָה בְּבֵיתֶךָ לָמָּה תִתְגָּרֶה בְּרָעָה וְנָפַלְתָּ   25:19

 אַתָּה וִיהוּדָה עִמָּךְ׃

2Chr. 25:19   “You say lo, you have smitten Edom; so your heart would lift you up to bestow honor.  Remain now in your house.  Why should you meddle with evil and fall, you and Judah with you?”

This verse has some similarity to 2Kin. 14:10.

וְלֹא־שָׁמַע אֲמַצְיָהוּ כִּי מֵהָאֱלֹהִים הִיא לְמַעַן תִּתָּם בְּיָד כִּי דָרְשׁוּ אֵת אֱלֹהֵי אֱדוֹם׃   25:20

2Chr. 25:20   But Amaziah did not listen, for it was from God, so that He could deliver them into a hand because they had sought the Gods of Edom.

This verse and the next are combined in 2Kin. 14:11.  The reason given here for why Amaziah didn’t listen is absent from 2Kin. 14:11.

וַיַּעַל יוֹאָשׁ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתְרָאוּ פָנִים הוּא וַאֲמַצְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בְּבֵית שֶׁמֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר לִיהוּדָה׃   25:21

2Chr. 25:21   And Joash, king of Israel, came up and he and Amaziah, king of Judah, faced one another at Beth-shemesh, which was Judah's.

וַיִּנָּגֶף יְהוּדָה לִפְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּנֻסוּ אִישׁ לְאֹהָלָיו׃   25:22

2Chr. 25:22   And Judah stumbled before Israel, and they fled each to his tent.

וְאֵת אֲמַצְיָהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה בֶּן־יוֹאָשׁ בֶּן־יְהוֹאָחָז תָּפַשׂ יוֹאָשׁ מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּבֵית שָׁמֶשׁ וַיְבִיאֵהוּ   25:23

 יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיִּפְרֹץ בְּחוֹמַת יְרוּשָׁלִַם מִשַּׁעַר אֶפְרַיִם עַד־שַׁעַר הַפּוֹנֶה אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת אַמָּה׃

2Chr. 25:23   And Joash, king of Israel, took Amaziah son of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Judah, at Beth-shemesh and brought him to Jerusalem and broke through the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim four hundred cubits up to the corner gate,

This verse is similar to 2Kin. 14:13.

וְכָל־הַזָּהָב וְהַכֶּסֶף וְאֵת כָּל־הַכֵּלִים הַנִּמְצְאִים בְּבֵית־הָאֱלֹהִים עִם־עֹבֵד אֱדוֹם וְאֶת־אֹצְרוֹת בֵּית   25:24

 הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֵת בְּנֵי הַתַּעֲרֻבוֹת וַיָּשָׁב שֹׁמְרוֹן׃

2Chr. 25:24   and 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 house of the king, and the hostages, and he returned to Samaria.

I have presumed this verse follows the preceding one, describing more of what Joash took.  The translators of all but two of the popular bibles insert words similar to he took, which don’t appear in the Hebrew.  The reason for this is probably that the words do appear in 2Kin. 14:14.  The two exceptions also insert these words but put them inside brackets to show they are missing in the Hebrew.  As far as I am concerned the meaning of the verse is plain enough as it stands.

וַיְחִי אֲמַצְיָהוּ בֶן־יוֹאָשׁ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אַחֲרֵי מוֹת יוֹאָשׁ בֶּן־יְהוֹאָחָז מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל חֲמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה׃   25:25

2Chr. 25:25   And Amaziah son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

This verse is not found in 2Kings Chapter 14.

וְיֶתֶר דִּבְרֵי אֲמַצְיָהוּ הָרִאשֹׁנִים וְהָאַחֲרוֹנִים הֲלֹא הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים עַל־סֵפֶר מַלְכֵי־יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל׃   25:26

2Chr. 25:26   Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, the first of them as well as the last of them, behold, are they not recorded on the book of the kings of Judah and Israel?

This verse is somewhat similar to 2Kin. 14:18.

וּמֵעֵת אֲשֶׁר־סָר אֲמַצְיָהוּ מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה וַיִּקְשְׁרוּ עָלָיו קֶשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלִַם וַיָּנָס לָכִישָׁה וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ אַחֲרָיו   25:27

 לָכִישָׁה וַיְמִיתֻהוּ שָׁם׃

2Chr. 25:27   Now from the time that Amaziah had turned from following after the Lord, then they had made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish, and they slew him there.

This verse and the next are fairly similar to 2Kin. 14:19 and 14:20.

וַיִּשָּׂאֻהוּ עַל־הַסּוּסִים וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ עִם־אֲבֹתָיו בְּעִיר יְהוּדָה׃   25:28

2Chr. 25:28   Then they carried him on the horses and buried him with his ancestors in the city of Judah.

The city of Judah mentioned here is most likely an obscure reference to the city of David, as Amaziah was a direct descendant of David’s and would be buried with the former kings.

 

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2Chronicles 25