Who was King Amaziah in the Bible?

Son of Jehoash, or Joash, king of Judah, and who succeeded to the throne: he reigned 29 years, B.C. 839-810. He walked well at the commencement of his reign. He made war on the Edomites; 10,000 were slain, and 10,000 cast down from the top of the rock. But he brought back the gods of the children of Seir, and bowed down to them, whereby he fell under God's displeasure. He provoked a war with the king of Israel but was defeated, the treasures of Jerusalem were taken, and part of the city wall broken down. He was slain at Lachish whither he had fled from a conspiracy. 2 Kings 14:1-23 ; 2 Chr. 25:1-28.

Joash had only reigned briefly in Israel before Amaziah the son of the other Joash (or Jehoash) became king in Judah. He was 25 when crowned king and reigned 29 years. His mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. She must have been a commendable character, for her son was comparatively obedient to the Lord, though not as faithful as David had been (v.2). He was much like his father, Jehoash, with many things to his credit, though the high places of worship were still maintained during his reign, where the people sacrificed and burned incense (v.3).

Amaziah's reign over Judah (14:1-7; 2 Chron. 25) The conflict between Israel and Judah (14:8-11; 2 Chron. 25:17-24) Judah's defeat and Jerusalem taken (14:12-14) Jehoash and his successor (14:15-16) Death of Amaziah (14:17-20; 2 Chron. 25:26-28) Azariah, King of Judah (14:21-22) Jeroboam II (14:23-29)

Amaziah, a son of Joash, began his reign over Judah. His mother was Jehoaddan (LORD is pleased) of Jerusalem. He did right in the sight of the LORD and yet he followed the errors of his father. His first deed was to deal in judgment with the two servants who had murdered his father in Millo, both of whom were sons of Gentile women (2 Kings 12:19-21; 2 Chron. 24:26). He feared, however, the Word of God. The additional record which is found in Chronicles we shall not follow here, but do so in the annotations of that book. He raised a large army and hired besides 100,000 Israelitish mercenaries at a tremendous cost. He gained a victory over Edom. All the cruelties practised then we shall find recorded in Chronicles. He became lifted up by his victories and then challenged Jehoash, the King of Israel. That King answered by a parable. The thistle in Lebanon is Amaziah; the cedar is Jehoash, King of Israel. The wild beast that was in Lebanon overcoming the thistle (Amaziah) is Jehoash's army. And the King of Israel gave him a solemn warning to desist. But proud Amaziah paid no attention to Jehoash's words. God was behind it all. "It came of God, that He might deliver them into the hand of their enemies, because they sought after the gods of Edom" (2 Chron. 25:20). A complete defeat of Amaziah followed and Jerusalem was taken. And Jehoash "took all the gold and 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 unto Samaria." After this humiliating defeat there followed a revolution in Jerusalem and the unhappy King fled to Lachish, where he was slain. His body was brought back to Jerusalem for burial.

Joash's son Amaziah (strength of the Lord) took up the government in Judah when he was twenty-five years old. His mother's name, Jehoaddan, means "Jehovah is pleased." Perhaps it was through her influence, as her name indicates godliness, that her son began the reign well. He did that which was right in the sight of the LORD. But the Lord, who looks deeper and knows the heart of man, knew that it was "not with a perfect heart." He dealt out justice to the murderers of his father, and also adhered closely to the law of God. In the account in 2 Kings 14 but a passing statement is given on the war with Edom. The details are recorded in the present chapter. He gathered a large army and hired 100,000 mighty men of the kingdom of Israel. It was a hasty deed and showed that Amaziah was not acting in faith. A man of God appeared next and warned him to have nothing to do with the 100,000 hirelings, "for the LORD is not with Israel." This is a good test still in all undertakings. Every believer should ask before he enters upon anything: Can the Lord approve of it? Is the Lord with it? But Amaziah had already paid the hundred talents to the soldiers. So he asked about the money. And the man of God gave a beautiful answer. "The LORD is able to give thee much more than this." Whenever believers face pecuniary losses on account of being true to the Lord and to His Word, they should remember that the Lord, who is thus honored, is able to make up for it and give much more. How many have found out that this is true! He dismissed the hirelings and Israel was angry. Cruel was Amaziah's deed done to the Edomites. After smiting 10,000 of them he took another 10,000 captive and brought them unto the top of the rock and cast them down so that they were broken in pieces. It was a horrible crime. The deed was committed in the wild regions of Selah or Petra (2 Kings 14:7). Evidently Amaziah had become greatly impressed with the magnificent rock temples which he saw in Mount Seir. In their weird and grand temples the Edomites practised their abominable idol-worship with human sacrifices. Some of these "gods" of the children of Seir, Amaziah brought back from his expedition and set them up to be his gods. A prophet rebuked him with a statement of much force. And the king answered with a sneer and a threat, showing how hopeless was his case. Then the prophet became silent after he made the solemn declaration: "I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to my counsel" (verses 15-16).

The comment on the war between Amaziah and the king of Israel is given in 2 Kings 14. Amaziah was slain in Lachish.

Amaziah, the son of Joash, made a promising start, for it is written of him, “he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord,” but unhappily, it had to be qualified with the words, “but not with a perfect heart” (2 Chr. 25:2). His father had been assassinated by the son of an Ammonitess and the son of a Moabitess, and when the kingdom was established in the hand of Amaziah, he slew the murderers of his father, but, in this action, the king had regard to the “law in the book of Moses, where the Lord commended, 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” (verse 4).

How good it is to see the son of Joash pay heed to the word of God. When he gathered his forces to fight with the Edomites, he very unwisely sought the help of Israel, but listened to the counsel of the man of God, and sent the men of Israel back. God answered his trust in Him, and delivered the Edomites into his hand; but the unwise king brought back the idols of Edom, and fell down before them. For this the anger of the Lord was kindled against him, and He sent a prophet to rebuke and reason with the king, but the king would not listen, saying to the prophet of the Lord, “Art thou made of the king’s counsel? forbear, after having said to Amaziah, “I know that God hast determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel” (verse 16).

As the prophet had warned, the judgment of God fell upon Amaziah. First, the king of Israel defeated him in battle, and took away the gold and silver, and all the vessels of the Lord’s house, and all the treasures of the king’s house. The Lord gave the king a long time in which to repent, for he lived fifteen years after the king who had spoiled Jerusalem; but there does not seem to have been any sign of repentance with Amaziah, for his history closes with the words, “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” (verse 27). What a sad end after such a promising start.

The reign of Amaziah was relatively long, -- 29 years, because, as his father Joash, he at first did what was outwardly right in the eyes of the Lord, though his heart was not fully for the Lord (v. 2). Like Joash also, his testimony for good broke down in his later years, so that it is questionable if he knew the Lord at all.

AMAZIAH did right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart, at the beginning of his reign, but in the end he worshipped the gods of Edom and would not listen to God's prophets. "Now, after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the Lord, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem … and slew him" (2 Chr. 25:27).

Amaziah, the son of Joash king of Judah, began to reign in the second year of Joash king of Israel. He reigned fifteen years simultaneously with this king and twenty-nine years in all at Jerusalem. At this point let us notice here in the history in kings, the role of mothers in the conduct of their children. When these mothers come from Judah and Jerusalem, it is rare to see their sons follow the worship of false gods. Only the four last kings of Judah, in the time of its thorough decadence, escape this influence of their mothers, who were of the same tribe and were themselves enveloped, so to speak, in this apostasy. It is said of these kings, that they "did evil in the sight of Jehovah, according to all that his father(s) had done." But we shall come back to this remark again.

And then in the next chapter (2 Kings 14), whatever might be the measure of right, evil takes its way even in Judah. "And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hands, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father. But the children of the murderers he slew not; according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein Jehovah 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. He slew of Edom, in the valley of salt, ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel to this day." Amaziah thus shows a measure of righteousness, but his heart becomes, at last, lifted up within him, and he challenges the king of Israel; and the solemn fact appears that God will never sanction the presumption of a righteous man, that God will rather take the part of the bad man who is challenged presumptuously than of the righteous man that challenges him presumptuously. It is a solemn thing when the folly of God's people thus makes it necessary for God so to deal. It was so then, but the truth is, God will always be where righteousness is, and there is not a single failure in righteousness though it be in God's own people, where God does not set His face against it.

Amaziah succeeds his father, in mercy to the people, but in faithfulness to His covenant with Israel. The stream of iniquity from Solomon to Zedekiah is frequently turned aside, but not uninterruptedly as in the case of the revolted apostate tribes, where, from Jeroboam to Hoshea, all did evil. And we see in this how the Lord Jehovah rises above the provocation of the sins of Judah. The great end which God has purposed within Himself is ever before Him, and to this He makes everything here below to tend, not the irresponsible creation only, but responsible and accountable man. Joash was righteously requited for the killing of Zechariah; the Lord required it of him, so that man is individually responsible and righteously judged, while every, the minutest, event is in His hand to control and direct as He shall please. How can man dare to pronounce upon such wisdom as this? Rather let us bow our heads and adore.

That an evil-doing son should succeed a righteous father is a proof that an evil nature is not made good by righteous example or precept, though that evil nature may become apparently worse through unrighteousness being constantly presented and enforced by example and precept. But that a son even in such circumstances should do that which is right in the sight of the Lord, when a righteous son succeeds a wicked father, is a proof of the interposition of God in the power of His grace. So in this case Amaziah, who did right, succeeds Joash his father who at last. did wickedly. It was a little brightness for Judah, but only a short time; for "he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart." And before he died, the little brightness passed away, and domestic treachery deals with him as with his father.