II Kings 14:1-7 · Bible study
2 Kings 14:1-7 Commentary: Amaziah's Reign
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Examine Amaziah's reign: his obedience to the law in sparing children of murderers, his victory over Edom, and the chronological puzzle of his accession.
Research Summary
- Meaning of the passage: Amaziah begins his reign by obeying God’s law in the matter of capital punishment, gains a military victory over Edom, yet fails to remove the high places, a pattern of partial obedience that would lead to his downfall.
- Key words in the passage: High places (H1116 בָּמָה), to smite/strike (H5221 נָכָה), to die/be put to death (H4191 מוּת), law of Moses (H8451 תּוֹרָה, H4872 מֹשֶׁה), to capture/seize (H8610 תָּפַשׂ).
- Main debate among scholars: The chronological synchronism: how Amaziah’s “second year of Joash of Israel” can be reconciled with data from 2 Kings 12:1 and 13:10 that suggest a fourth-year start.
- Theological theme(s): Individual responsibility for sin before God; the conflict between divine law and cultural norms; the incompleteness of half-hearted reform.
- Best use in teaching/preaching: To illustrate the need for whole-hearted obedience, the cost of following Scripture against the grain of society, and the principle that personal success does not guarantee continued faithfulness.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah.
2He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.
3And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. He did everything as his father Joash had done.
4Nevertheless, the high places were not taken away, and the people continued sacrificing and burning incense on the high places.
5As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king.
6Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to death for their children, and children must not be put to death for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.”
7Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1In the second year of Joash, son of Joahaz, king of Israel, Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah began to reign.
2He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem.
3He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, yet not like David his father. He did according to all that Joash his father had done.
4However the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.
5As soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, he killed his servants who had slain the king his father,
6but the children of the murderers he didn’t put to death, according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as Yahweh 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 die for his own sin.”
7He killed ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel, to this day.
KJV King James Version 1769
1In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.
2He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
3And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.
4Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
5And 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.
6But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the Lord 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.
7He slew of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel unto this day.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel began Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah to reign.
2He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem.
3And he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, yet not like David his father: he did according to all that Joash his father had done.
4Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
5And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, that he slew his servants who had slain the king his father:
6but the children of the murderers he put not to death; according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as 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 die for his own sin.
7He slew of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called the name of it Joktheel, unto this day.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned hath Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah;
2a son of twenty and five years was he in his reigning, and twenty and nine years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Jehoaddan of Jerusalem,
3and he doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah, only not like David his father, according to all that Joash his father did he hath done,
4only, the high places have not turned aside--yet are the people sacrificing and making perfume in high places.
5And it cometh to pass, when the kingdom hath been strong in his hand, that he smiteth his servants, those smiting the king his father,
6and the sons of those smiting him he hath not put to death, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses that Jehovah commanded, saying, `Fathers are not put to death for sons, and sons are not put to death for fathers, but each for his own sin is put to death.'
7He hath smitten Edom, in the valley of salt--ten thousand, and seized Selah in war, and one calleth its name Joktheel unto this day,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, began Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, to reign.
2He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
3And he did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, yet not like David his father: he did according to all that Joash his father had done.
4Only, the high places were not removed: the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
5And it came to pass when the kingdom was established in his hand, that he slew his servants who had smitten the king his father.
6But the children of those that smote [him] he did not put to death; 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, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
7He smote of Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand, and took Sela in the war, and called the name of it Joktheel to this day.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1In the second year of Joas son of Joachaz, king of Israel, reigned Amasias son of Joas, king of Juda.
2He was five and twenty years old when he began to reign; and nine and twenty years he reigned in Jerusalem; the name of his mother was Joadan, of Jerusalem.
3And he did that which was right before the Lord, but yet not like David his father. He did according to all things that Joas his father, did:
4But this only, that he took not away the high places; for yet the people sacrificed, and burnt incense in the high places:
5And when he had possession of the kingdom, he put his servants to death that had slain the king, his father.
6But the children of the murderers he did not put to death, according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the Lord commanded, saying: The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: but every man shall die for his own sin.
7He slew of Edom in the valley of the Saltpits, ten thousand men, and took the rock by war, and called the name thereof Jectehel, unto this day.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Kings 14:1
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree that Amaziah began his reign in accordance with the law, executing his father’s murderers while sparing their children in explicit obedience to Deuteronomy 24:16, a practice noted as rare by Barnes and commended by Matthew Henry for its faith and courage. Both Keil & Delitzsch and the Cambridge Bible highlight the cultural context: the typical Eastern custom of slaughtering entire families of traitors (see Daniel 6:24), making Amaziah’s restraint striking. On the chronological synchronism (the “second year” of Joash of Israel vs. the expected fourth), Barnes, Gill, and Keil offer explanations ranging from co-regency to inclusive counting, agreeing that the discrepancy stems from ancient regnal-year reckoning rather than factual error. Regarding Amaziah’s spiritual evaluation, all agree he “did right in the eyes of Yahweh” yet fell short of David’s devotion (2 Chronicles 25:2), and like his father Joash he tolerated the high places, a persistent flaw in Judah’s worship. His victory over Edom, noted as ten thousand slain and the capture of Sela (Petra), is seen as a successful but incomplete conquest that later led to pride and his downfall against Israel (2 Kings 14:8-14).
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Co-regency view: Barnes posits that Joash of Israel was made co-regent with his father before ruling alone, so the ‘second year’ dates from the co-regency. This aligns the text with 2 Kings 13:10.
- Inclusive reckoning view: Keil & Delitzsch and Gill argue that the year Joash of Israel ascended the throne was counted as both his first year and, because it overlapped with the end of Joash of Judah’s reign, also as the year for Amaziah’s succession.
- Scribal explanation view: A minority suggestion (not explicitly endorsed by supplied sources but acknowledged) is that a copyist wrote ‘second’ instead of ‘fourth’—a relatively simple numerical error. This view lacks manuscript evidence.
What is clear: Despite the chronological puzzle, all traditions affirm that Amaziah began his reign after the murder of his father Joash and that his reign overlapped with that of Joash of Israel, following the standard succession of the house of David.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Chronology of Amaziah's accession | All commentators recognize a discrepancy between the text's statement that Amaziah became king in the second year of Joash of Israel and the data from 2 Kings 12:1 and 13:10 that would suggest the fourth year. | Some (e.g., Barnes) propose a period of co-regency for Joash; others (Gill, Keil & Delitzsch) argue for inclusive counting of regnal years; a few suggest a minor scribal harmonization is needed. Each view attempts to show the text is consistent when ancient calendars are understood. |
| Evaluation of Amaziah's spiritual state | All agree he did what was right in Yahweh's eyes, especially at the start of his reign, but he did not match David's devotion and he tolerated the high places. | Some emphasize that his goodness was only external and gradually failed, pointing to his later idolatry (2 Chronicles 25:14). Others focus on the early fidelity and see the later collapse as a second fall, not a judgment on the entire reign. |
| Sparing the children of the murderers | Commentators uniformly note this was a rare act of clemency that obeyed Deuteronomy 24:16, contrary to ancient Near Eastern custom. | Matthew Henry and Jamieson-Fausset-Brown commend it as an act of faith and courage. Wesley notes it was 'hazardous to himself.' A few (e.g., Clarke) point out that the king waited until his power was secure, suggesting political calculation as well as religious obedience. |
| The high places | All agree the high places were not removed, and that this was a failure on Amaziah's part, continuing a pattern in Judah. | Some see it as a mild criticism, the people still used them, but the king may not have personally endorsed them. Others read it as a significant mark against his reign, foreshadowing the reforms needed later. |
| Victory over Edom and its aftermath | The victory was decisive, 10,000 slain, capture of Sela, and is attributed to God's help. | The short account in Kings focuses on the outcome; Chronicles adds the prophet's instruction not to use Israelite mercenaries (2 Chronicles 25:5-10). Whether Amaziah's compliance with that command accounts for the victory is debated. Some emphasize that the victory then fueled his pride, leading to the disastrous war with Israel. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Amaziah’s reign opens with a chronological puzzle. Second Kings 13:10 reports that Joash of Israel began to rule in the thirty-seventh year of Joash of Judah, who reigned forty years. That would place Amaziah’s accession in the fourth year of Joash of Israel, not the second as stated here. Barnes, Gill, and Keil & Delitzsch each address this. Barnes suggests a double accession, Joash as co-regent with his father before sole rule. Keil and Gill appeal to inclusive counting of regnal years or a short gap between the end of Joash of Judah’s reign and the start of his son’s. All agree the text is reliable once ancient reckoning conventions are understood.
The sparing of the murderers’ children cuts against the grain of the ancient Near East. In Assyrian and Babylonian custom, a traitor’s whole household was wiped out (compare Daniel 6:24). The law in Deuteronomy 24:16 was explicit: each person dies for his own sin. Amaziah’s obedience required courage, the spared children could later seek vengeance. Clarke notes that the king waited until his kingdom was “established in his hand,” suggesting the assassins held real power.
The high places (bāmôt) were local altars often associated with Canaanite practices, though at times used for Yahweh worship. Both the author of Kings and the Chronicler remark that they were not removed, indicating an incomplete religious reform that would trouble Judah until Hezekiah and Josiah.
The Edom campaign took place in the Valley of Salt, the marshy plain at the southern end of the Dead Sea. Sela is almost certainly the later capital of Edom, Petra, a fortress carved into rock. Amaziah renamed it Joktheel, meaning “given by God” or “subdued by God,” acknowledging divine help (Wesley). The victory was substantial but would lead to pride, a theme the surrounding narrative develops (2 Kings 14:8-14).
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants that affect the interpretation of this passage. The single scribal detail observed is in verse 6: the Kethib (written text) has יָמוּת (yāmût, “he dies”) while the Qere (read text) is יָמֵת (yāmēt, “he will be put to death”). Keil & Delitzsch consider the Kethib the original reading, consistent with the Deuteronomy citation. The name of Amaziah’s mother appears as Jehoaddan (WEB, Kethib) or Jehoaddin (Cambridge, following the Qere); both refer to the same person.
Reception History
This passage has been cited in Christian tradition as a model of submission Mosaic law over prevailing customs. Early church fathers such as Tertullian used the principle of individual responsibility for sin against those who would punish children for parents’ faults, connecting it to Ezekiel 18. Protestant reformers like Calvin pointed to Amaziah’s partial obedience as a warning against self-satisfied religion. In Jewish exegesis, the sparing of the children became a key text for judicial restraint and the prohibition of collective punishment. The victory at Sela is sometimes seen typologically as the defeat of the “rock” of human pride, though such allegories are not universally accepted. Modern preachers frequently return to the unresolved high places as a metaphor for persistent, unreformed sin in the believer’s life.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- A right start, not a perfect heart. Amaziah did what was right in Yahweh’s eyes, but the narrator twice qualifies him: not like David, and like Joash. Partial obedience leaves room for enduring corruption, the high places remained.
- Law above custom. In a culture that killed entire families, Amaziah followed Deuteronomy 24:16 and spared the children. True justice limits punishment to the guilty and trusts God with the consequences.
- Victory and its shadow. The victory over Edom was real and God-given. Yet the next chapter shows Amaziah’s pride leading to a catastrophic defeat. Success does not guarantee future humility.
Five-Point Outline
- Accession and chronology: God’s providence unfolds within messy human history, even regnal years require patient explanation.
- Choosing obedience at personal risk: Sparing the children was not only just but also politically dangerous. Obedience sometimes costs popularity.
- The persistence of incomplete reform: The high places were not taken away. A good beginning must lead to thorough change, leaving one area untouched can spread.
- Remembering God in victory: Amaziah renamed Sela Joktheel. He acknowledged that conquest came from Yahweh. Memory of God’s help guards against pride.
- The danger of success: The Edom victory inflated Amaziah’s heart (2 Kings 14:10). External gain can mask internal drift if we are not vigilant.
Illustration Hooks
- A CEO who enforces safety rules for the whole company but lets a hazardous practice continue because of cost. Partial compliance still leaves danger.
- A school policy that expels one student for theft but does not address the culture of bullying. The visible problem is solved, the root remains.
- A driver who obeys every stop sign but speeds through a yellow light. Obedience is selective, and one violation can cause a crash.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- Why does the Bible include such seemingly trivial details as regnal years?
- Does God still call us to obey his law when it goes against our culture or personal safety?
- How do we know when a success is from God versus a setup for pride?
Leading a Discussion
Amaziah’s story is a case study in the tension between obedience and cultural pressure. He kept the letter of the law regarding capital punishment, yet he tolerated worship at the high places. For small groups, this passage raises questions about partial compliance, the cost of following Scripture at odds with convention, and the danger of letting one area of life remain unreformed.
Discussion Questions
- Observation: What specific actions does the text describe that Amaziah did right? Where does it say he fell short?
- Observation: What law did Amaziah follow when he spared the children of the murderers? (Look at Deuteronomy 24:16.) Why might it have been surprising that he obeyed?
- Interpretation: Why do you think the narrator repeats the note about high places? What do the high places represent about Amaziah’s reign and about Judah’s spiritual condition?
- Interpretation: The surrounding context shows that Amaziah’s victory over Edom led to a foolish war with Israel (2 Kings 14:8-14). What does that sequence suggest about the relationship between success and pride?
- Application: What are “high places” in our own lives, areas where we know we should change but have not yet addressed?
- Application: When have you faced pressure to follow a cultural practice that conflicted with a clear biblical command? How did you respond?
- Application: How can we celebrate victories God gives without becoming proud or overconfident?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 13:10 | In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah, Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz began to reign over Israel in Samaria for sixteen years. |
| II Kings 14:15 | Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? |
| I Chronicles 3:12 | Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son, |
| II Chronicles 25:1 | Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan, of Jerusalem. |
| II Chronicles 25:4 | But he didn’t put their children to death, but did according to that which is written in the law in the book of Moses, as Yahweh commanded, 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.” |
| I Kings 11:4 | When Solomon was old, his wives turned away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father was. |
| I Kings 15:3 | He walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him; and his heart was not perfect with Yahweh his God, as the heart of David his father. |
| II Kings 12:2 | Jehoash did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes observe that Amaziah followed the Lord but fell short of David's example, keeping the high places active. The notes especially highlight his sparing of the assassins' children, pointing to the Law that each person bears punishment for his own sin alone, not for a parent's.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill highlights that Amaziah's obedience to God's law was partial: he did what was right externally but not with the wholehearted devotion of David. A clear example is his exact compliance with Deuteronomy 24:16 by sparing the murderers' children, a rare instance of strict justice. Gill also notes that Amaziah named the conquered city Joktheel, meaning "obedience of God," to memorialize his obedience to the prophet that secured victory.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB observes that Amaziah obeyed God's law as a constitutional king, but his obedience lacked the wholehearted sincerity of David. His early justice was tempered by political caution, as he waited until his throne was secure before punishing his father's murderers. Yet he showed remarkable restraint by sparing their children, following the Mosaic law against the cruel customs of his time.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch traces Amaziah's disastrous war with Israel back to the pride that swelled after his Edomite victory. They interpret the thorn-bush fable as a vivid warning against overrating one's strength: the proud man who steps beyond his place invites sudden ruin. For them, Amaziah's real enemy was not Joash but his own lifted heart.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange argues that Amaziah's refusal to execute the murderers' children was not a sign of growing humanity, but simple obedience to the Mosaic Law. He sees this as evidence that the book of Deuteronomy existed in Amaziah's day, contrary to critics who date it much later.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry pinpoints the gap between Amaziah's external obedience and David's heart-felt devotion. Amaziah kept the forms of worship but lacked the same faith, sincerity, and resolve. Henry also notes how long-standing corruptions like the high places cling on once they have gained acceptance through habit.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley observes that long-established corruptions are hard to remove, like the high places. The ruler showed faith and courage by sparing lives even at personal risk, obeying God's command. The name Joktheel, meaning obedience of God, was given as a reward for such obedience.