And certain of the heads of the children of Ephraim, Azariah the son of Johanan, Berechiah the son of Meshillemoth, and Hezekiah the son of Shallum, and Amasa the son of Hadlai, stood up against them that came from the war,
Israel's army is marching home with 200,000 captives from Judah, and the prophet Oded has just told them to send the prisoners back. Verse 12 names four men of Ephraim who block the road — leaders of a kingdom that had turned away from God.
God sent the rebuke through a prophet. The question was who in Israel would answer it — the king, Pekah, or someone else.
The Lord sent the prophet Oded to rebuke the men of Israel and to tell them to send back their captives. We read of no response from Pekah. But four of the heads of the children of Ephraim publicly acknowledged their nation's guilt before the Lord... It is good to see, even at this low point in Israel's history, a remnant responding to the word of the Lord.
These men had no royal order behind them, and they did not send for one.
Pekah, the king of Israel, is not mentioned as having anything to do with the protest of these four men. It is good to see that they did the right thing without consulting the king. Their word had good effect on the warriors. The soldiers left the captives and the spoil for the leaders to do with as they saw fit.
Their argument is not that Judah is innocent. It is that Israel already owes more than it can pay. One writer traces that debt back to Israel's break with the house of David.
Israel had taken an apostate place before God. Yet Israel still had some righteous men who felt their position. They were men of weight and influence, and they would not add to their trespass by keeping the captives from Judah. "Our trespass" was no doubt their great trespass in rebelling against the house of David... Israel seemed to be more open to correction than Judah. With some of them, at least, memory drew out a confession. They remembered what they had been under David, and how they had sinned and forfeited every mercy promised in the covenant when they rebelled against Rehoboam. So they said, "for our trespass is great, and there is fierce wrath against Israel."
Older translations read "trespass" here, where the ESV has "guilt."
Samaria was a city sunk in idol worship. That is what makes this scene surprising.
Here is faithfulness and denunciation of sin where one might least expect it — in the city of Samaria, and from leaders, heads of the people. There were not ten righteous men in Sodom; and Samaria, one might think, was not much better. But not everyone there had bowed the knee to Baal. These men speak for truth and right with boldness, right in the face of a returning, victorious army... The righteous Lord who loves righteousness has seen to it that these men of tender heart and upright conscience should be "mentioned by name." The God of Israel has placed this incident on eternal record, so that people might know that He never forgets a kindness done to His people, even while they suffer the just punishment of their sins.
Stopping the wrong was only half of it. The prophet's appeal changed what happened to the captives.
Here is a noble example of the power of love in the most degenerate times of Judah... But in place of slavery, through the touching appeals of the Lord's prophet, they were all set at liberty, and not only at liberty, but with every mark of tender affection.
God meant this kindness as a call to Judah. King Ahaz read nothing in it.
The return of the captives and the cause of it could have been no secret to Judah and Ahaz; but it had no effect on the dull hearts of the men of Judah, who were already feeling the judgment of God. They may not have realised it, but the judgment was plain. The LORD was calling them to remember His goodness. He did this by causing the Israelites to send Judah's captives home fed and clothed. Yet "At that time King Ahaz sent to the king of Assyria for help."
- Warning — God sent Oded to a victorious army. The king gave no answer, so the word fell to others to obey.
- Standing — four heads of Ephraim did the right thing without asking the king, and the armed men handed over both captives and plunder.
- Trespass — their reason was not Judah's guilt but their own. Their debt was already great, and they would not add to it.
- Mercy — the protest did not stop at refusal. The captives went home clothed, fed and carried, with every mark of tender affection.
- Refusal — the same kindness left Ahaz unmoved. He sent to Assyria instead, while God kept these four names on eternal record.
and said to them, Ye shall not bring in the captives hither; because, for our guilt before Jehovah, ye think to increase our sins and our trespasses for our trespass is great, and fierce wrath is upon Israel.
Commentary for this verse has not been generated yet.
Then the armed men left the captives and the spoil before the princes and all the congregation.
An army of Israel had just crushed Judah and marched home with 200,000 captives. In this verse those soldiers set both prisoners and plunder down in front of their own leaders — so what changed their minds?
The rebuke that stopped this army came from inside the northern kingdom, not from Jerusalem.
Here is faithfulness, and open condemnation of sin, where one might least expect it — in the city of Samaria, and from leaders, heads of the people. There were not ten righteous men in Sodom; and Samaria, one might think, was not much better. But not all there had bowed the knee to Baal. These men speak for truth and right with boldness, straight in the face of a returning, victorious army. And their words have the effect they aimed at, because the wicked will sometimes listen to the words of the righteous in a most wonderful way.
The prophet was a man named Oded. His message landed while the army was celebrating a win.
Who Oded was we do not know. He was a true and courageous prophet of Jehovah in the middle of idolatrous Samaria, a city rushing toward the doom foretold for it. Only a true prophet clothed with the Spirit of power could speak such a daring message. It came at a time of victory and excitement, and its aim was to humble the people.
The leaders did not plead that the captives were innocent. They owned their own guilt. Their words about a great trespass reach back past this battle to the day the kingdom split.
Israel had taken a place of turning away from God. Yet it still had some righteous men who felt their position. They were men of weight and influence, and they would not add to their trespass by keeping the captives from Judah. "Our trespass" was no doubt their great trespass in rebelling against the house of David. The rebuke of Oded and the protest of the four princes send the captives home. Israel seemed to be more open to correction than Judah.
Nothing in the account says the king approved this.
Pekah, the king of Israel, is not mentioned as having anything to do with the protest of these four men. But it is good to see that they did right without consulting the king. Their word had a good effect on the warriors. The warriors then left the captives and the spoil for the leaders to handle as they saw fit.
The goods set down in this verse do not go back into Samaria's treasury. In the next verse they are spent on the very people they were stripped from.
We have another equally noble example of the power of love in the most degenerate times of Judah. 2 Chronicles 28:1-15. The prophet Oded met the children of Israel carrying two hundred thousand of their brothers into captivity — the people of Judah and Jerusalem, including women, sons, and daughters. But instead of slavery, through the moving appeals of the Lord's prophet, they were all set free, and not only set free, but treated with every mark of tender affection.
Scripture records these men by name, one by one. That was no accident.
Their conduct was morally beautiful. It looks even more beautiful against the dark background of the evil times and kingdom they lived in. And the righteous Lord who loves righteousness has made sure that Scripture names these men of tender heart and upright conscience. The incident is like a little gleam of light shining out of a darkness that was deepening fast. The God of Israel has placed it on eternal record and spread it far and wide. He did this so that men might know He never forgets a kindness done to His people, even when they are suffering the just punishment of their sins under His government.
The captives walked home. Ahaz, watching it happen, drew no conclusion from it.
The return of the captives, and the reason for it, could have been no secret to Judah and Ahaz. But it had no effect on the dulled hearts of the men of Judah. They were already feeling the judgment of God. They might not have noticed it, but the judgment was just as visible. The LORD was calling them to remember His goodness, as He made the Israelites send back the captives of Judah fed and clothed. He was also calling them to remember His just wrath, which let the Edomites and the Philistines strike and invade Judah. Yet "At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help," and paid for it with the gold of the temple and of his palace.
- Voice. The rebuke came from the least likely place. Samaria had turned from God, yet a prophet and four named leaders there spoke it straight into a victorious army's face.
- Conscience. The soldiers moved because they owned their own guilt. Their great trespass reached back to their rebellion against the house of David.
- Release. That conscience produced this verse. The soldiers set down captives and plunder, and they never waited for the king to approve.
- Kindness. The leaders then spent the spoil on the captives. Plunder became clothing, food, and a ride home for the weak.
- Record. God had these kind men named in Scripture forever. He never forgets a kindness done to His people. Ahaz watched the whole mercy and still sent to Assyria for help.
And the men that have been expressed by name rose up, and took the captives, and with the spoil clothed all that were naked among them, and arrayed them, and shod them, and gave them to eat and to drink, and anointed them, and carried all the feeble of them on asses, and brought them to Jericho the city of palm-trees, to their brethren. And they returned to Samaria.
The king of Israel plays no part in this scene. The response comes from men who heard God's word and acted on it, and one writer notes how rare and welcome that is.
We do not read of any response from Pekah, but four of the leaders of the tribe of Ephraim openly acknowledged their nation's guilt before the Lord... It is good to see, even at this low point in Israel's history, a remnant responding to the word of the Lord.
These men did not wait for permission from the throne. They also faced battle-hardened soldiers who had every reason to keep their prize.
Pekah, the king of Israel, is not mentioned as having anything to do with the protest of these four men. But it is good to see that they did what was right without consulting the king. Their word had good effect on the warriors, who left the captives and the spoil for the leaders to do with as they saw fit. Then these men showed proper concern for the captives. They used the spoil to clothe and feed them, and even provided donkeys for those who were feeble. They brought them to Jericho, to return them to Judah.
The prophet's appeal was for the captives' freedom. The verse describes far more — clothing, sandals, food, drink, oil, and transport for those too weak to walk.
We have another noble example of the power of love in the most corrupt times of Judah. The prophet Oded met the people of Israel as they carried 200,000 of their brothers into captivity — the people of Judah and Jerusalem, including women, sons and daughters. But instead of slavery, the moving appeals of the Lord's prophet set them all free. And they were not only set free, but treated with every mark of tender affection.
Everything given to the captives came out of the plunder taken from them. The goods meant to enrich the victors were spent on the defeated instead.
The verse opens by pointing back to men listed by name in the previous verses. One writer takes that naming as God's own doing.
Their conduct was morally beautiful. It shines all the more against the dark background of the evil times and kingdom in which they lived. And the righteous Lord who loves righteousness has seen to it that these men of tender heart and upright conscience should be named. The incident is like a little gleam of light shining out of the fast-deepening darkness. The God of Israel has placed it on eternal record and made it widely known, so that people might know He never forgets a kindness done to His people — even when they are suffering the just punishment of their sins under His government.
The returned captives carried a message to Judah from God. King Ahaz turned elsewhere for help.
Israel seemed to be more open to correction than Judah... The LORD was calling Judah to remember His goodness. He did it by causing the Israelites to send back the captives of Judah fed and clothed. He was calling them to remember His just anger too, in allowing the Edomites and the Philistines to strike and invade Judah. Yet "At that time King Ahaz sent to the kings of Assyria for help," and paid for it with the gold of the temple and of his palace.
And the city of Jericho became "the city of palm trees" once more. There they clothed the naked, fed the hungry, and helped the feeble. There brothers long separated came together again, and the people obeyed the Word of God. So it shall be with every one of us who turn wholly to the Lord and hold to Him with purpose of heart. The grace that began with our salvation will not fail us; it is enough for our whole lives, in every phase of them.
- Word. A prophet's rebuke stopped an army at the height of its victory. Four leaders took it to heart and acted without waiting for their king.
- Conscience. They owned their nation's guilt before the Lord and gave back what their army had taken.
- Mercy. Release was not enough. The plunder itself became clothing, food, oil and transport for the very people it came from.
- Names. God put men of tender heart and upright conscience on record by name. He never forgets a kindness done to His people.
- Call. That kindness was God calling Judah to remember His goodness. Ahaz answered by sending temple gold to Assyria.