The History of the Old Testament Methodized, Chapter 5 · Section 19 · Concurrent kings · Judah · Amaziah
The 9th. King of Judah, AMAZIAH.AMAZIAH the Son of Joaſh was twenty five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty nine years†Tis ſaid that in the ſecond year of Joaſh King of Iſrael he began to reign, that is in the ſecond year of Joa…h after he began to reign alone, his father Jehoahaz being dead. For Joa h began to reign three years before h…s father died, and that was the 37th. year of Joaſh King of Judah (the father of Amaziah) who reigned forty years compleat..
In the beginning of his reign he did that which was right in the ſight of the Lord, viz. that which was for the ſubſtance of it good and approved of God, yet not with an upright heart like David, but according to what Joaſh his Father had done. For ſuch as his Father was, ſuch was he. His Father a while (out of reſpect to men, viz. as long as Jehoiada lived) did that which was right, but afterwards fell away to Idolatry, and ſo did he. As his Father did not ſuppreſs the worſhip of God in high places, no more did he. As ſoon as he was ſetled in the Government he put to death thoſe that had killed the King his Father, who it ſeems were great men, and had Court-offices, (and therefore call'd his ſervants) whom at firſt for fear of danger he forbore to meddle with, but when he ſaw a fit opportunity, and felt his own ſtrength, he dealt with them, yet ſpared their children according to the Law of God, Deut. 24.16. The fathers ſhall not be put to death for the children, neither ſhall the children for the fathers, every man ſhall be put to death for his own ſin. About the 13 or 14 year of his reign he reſolved to make war upon the Edomites who in his Grandfather Jehoram's time had rebelled againſt the Kingdom of Judah, and ſo continued unto this time. In order hereunto he muſters three hundred thouſand choice men of his own ſubjects, ſuch as were able for war, and could handle ſpear and ſhield, and made Colonels over thouſands, and Captains over hundreds according to the dignity of their families. But notwithſtanding he had ſo great an Army it ſeems he did not much confide in them, but thought it better in point of policy to manage this war by Auxiliaries, and accordingly hired an hundred thouſand able valiant men of the Iſraelites (who in thoſe times by reaſon of their ſucceſsful wars againſt the Syrians were accounted excellent Souldiers) to go with him againſt the Edomites, and gave them an hundred talents of ſilver *That is, thirty ſeven thouſand, five hundred pound ſterling. See 1 Chron. 22.14. So every Regiment conſiſting of a thouſand had a Talent of ſilver, that is 375 l.to engage them in this ſervice. A Prophet comes to him from the Lord, and adviſes him to diſmiſs theſe Iſraelites, for the Lord was not with them †2 Chron. 25.7. to wit, with any of the children of Ephraim. Ephraim is here put for the ten Tribes, being the greateſt Tribe of the ten, and having the priviledg of the firſt born, Gen. 48.19., God did not love them becauſe they were Idolaters, though he did ſometimes proſper them in their wars againſt the cruel Syrians. But (ſays he) if thou wilt go up to fight againſt the Edomites with theſe Iſraelites, (contrary to the declared mind of God) do it at thy own peril, and make thy ſelf as ſtrong as thou canſt for the battel, and ſee what will come of it, Aſſure thy ſelf God will make thee fall before the enemy. For God alone hath power to help or caſt down; ſucceſs in war is wholly ordered by him. The King was ſomething ſtartled at this meſſage, but (ſays he) if I ſhould diſmiſs them what ſhall I do for the hundred Talents that I have given them; I know not how to recover them from ſuch a numerous company, without much hazard, and much bloodſhed. The Prophet anſwers, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. So Amaziah ſeparated them from his own Army to which they were joined, and ſent them home again. But they being thus diſmiſſed were exceeding angry, and lookt upon themſelves as ſlighted and ſcorned, as if their aid and aſſiſtance had not been of any value; wherefore in their return home they fell upon the Cities of Judah, viz. ſuch as were the frontier Towns bordering all along the breadth thereof upon the Kingdom of Iſrael, and ſlew three thouſand of the ſubjects of Judah, and carried away much ſpoil.
Amaziah having diſmiſſed the Iſraelites, marches with his own Army into the Edomites Country, and there obtain'd a great victory over them, wherein he ſlew ten thouſand of them, and took ten thouſand priſoners, whom he caſt down from the Rock Selah, and ſo broke them in pieces. Poſſibly he us'd them with the greater ſeverity becauſe of their revolt from the Crown of Judah, and their unwillingneſs to return to their obedience thereunto.
Having thus conquered the Edomites, among other ſpoils he brought away their Gods alſo, and by a monſtrous impiety ſet them up to be his Gods, and bowed down before them, and burnt incenſe unto them. David did not uſe to do ſo, but burnt the gods of his enemies which he took, ſee 1 Chron. 14.12. But this man ſeems more infatuated and bewitched with Idolatry than Ahab himſelf. The anger of the Lord was hereupon exceedingly kindled againſt Amaziah, and he ſent a Prophet to him, who ſaid to him, Why haſt thou ſought after the gods of the Edomites which could not deliver their own people (viz. the people that worſhipped them) out of thy hands? The King being vexed at this free reproof of the Prophet, would not let him go on, but ſaid, Who made you of the Kings councel? I charge thee forbear ſpeaking any many, or ſpeak at thy own peril. So the Prophet forbore, and only ſaid, I know that the Lord hath determined to deſtroy thee, becauſe thou haſt done this great wickedneſs in ſetting up theſe Idols, and now refuſeſt to hearken to my counſel.
Amaziah being puft up, and grown inſolent upon his good ſucceſs againſt the Edomites, and taking advice of ſome ſuch Counſellors as Rehoboam did, in a vain and proud manner ſends a challenge to Joaſh King of Iſrael, ſaying to him, Come let us look one another in the face, and meet in a pitched field with our Armies. Probably the injury done him by the Iſraelites whom he diſmiſſed when he undertook his late expedition againſt the Edomites, was that which provoked him to challenge Joaſh, and this late wrong might probably bring other old matters to remembrance. Joaſh (who was a Prince as proud and haughty every whit as Amaziah) anſwers him in a ſcornful manner by a Parable: The Thiſtle (ſays he) that was in Lebanon ſent to the Cedar, ſaying, Give thy daughter to my ſon to wife, and there paſſed by a wild beaſt and trod down the Thiſtle. Whereby he intimates that it would be inſufferable pride in the Thiſtle to preſume to deſire the Cedars daughter as a wife for his ſon. For he that ſeeks to match his child with another mans, ſuppoſes himſelf equal to that other man. But he takes it in great ſcorn that Amaziah ſhould think himſelf equal to him. But if it be too much preſumption for the Thiſtle to offer to make affinity with the Cedar, how much more preſumption is it to make war againſt him, which he would have Amaziah to know was his preſent caſe. He further tells him, Indeed he had ſmitten the Edomites, and thereupon he perceived his heart was proud, and much lifted up. But however he adviſes him to content himſelf with that victory, and to tarry at home, and not meddle with him to his hurt, leſt he and Judah with him fall in the enterprize. But Amaziah was nothing mov'd with what he ſaid, (for whom God intendeth to deſtroy, he uſually firſt hardens) and God intended to puniſh him for his abominable Idolatry, into which he had lately fallen. Joaſh underſtanding this would not ſtay till Amaziah came to him, but he enters Judah with a ſtrong Army, wiſely reſolving to make his Enemies Country the ſtage of the war. So they met in a pitcht field at Bethſhemeſh (which belongs to Judah) and Judah was worſted before Iſrael, and Amaziah himſelf taken priſoner, and brought in Triumph *Thus in this Amaziah (the Son of Joaſh King of Judah) God did yet further revenge the death of Zachariah the Son of Jehniada, who was moſt inhumanely and ungratefully murdered in his fathers days, according to what he ſaid at his death, the Lord will look upon it and require it; and withall Amaziah himſelf was ſeverely puniſhed for his Apoſtacy to Idolatry.to Jeruſalem by Joaſh; which City (as it ſeems ſtanding out againſt him, he battered down that part of the wall by the North-gate which was towards Ephraim, even four hundred cubits in length, and ſo took the City by force; then he ſeized upon all the gold and ſilver, and all the veſſels that were found in the houſe of the Lord, with the poſterity of Obed-Edom (who were porters and keepers of the treaſures in the Temple, 1 Chron. 26.15.) as alſo the treaſures of the Kings houſe. And having made what ſpoil he thought fit in Jeruſalem, he ſet Amaziah free upon certain conditions impoſed upon him and his ſubjects, and for the ſurer performance of the Covenants on Judah's part, he took hoſtages of him, viz. ſome noble mens children whom he carried along with him to Samaria. And he choſe rather to go away with his preſent ſpoil than to hazard all by endeavouring to conquer the Kingdom of Judah, which he was not like to hold if he did obtain, the ſubjects thereof being ſo greatly addicted to the houſe of David. Amaziah lived after this fifteen years, but a very miſerable life, for his ſubjects were ſo diſaffected to him for the Idolatry he had brought in, that from that time they began to conſpire againſt him, though it broke not forth openly, till by his raſh unadviſed and unproſperous war with Joaſh he had brought ſo many miſeries upon his Kingdom. The conſpiracy now breaking forth, he fled to Lachiſh, and poſſibly there hid himſelf, and lived in obſcurity; ſo thoſe that had conſpired againſt him (as it ſeems) governed the affairs of the Kingdom in his abſence. About twelve years after theſe conſpirators (being men of power in the Kingdom) upon ſome new occaſion were ſo enraged againſt him that they ſent ſome to Lachiſh to ſlay him. Amaziah being dead they brought him from Lachiſh in a Chariot drawn with horſes, and buried him in Jeruſalem with his fathers.
2 King. 14. from v. 1. to 21.
2 Chron. 25. wh. Ch.