2 Kings Chapter 14 — The Reigns of Amaziah and Jeroboam II
King Amaziah of Judah defeats Edom but is later defeated by King Jehoash of Israel, while Jeroboam II reigns in Israel and expands its borders.
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 the LORD’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 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 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.
8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let’s look one another in the face.”
9Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife.’ Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle.
10You have indeed struck Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Enjoy the glory of it, and stay at home; for why should you meddle to your harm, that you fall, even you, and Judah with you?”
11But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth Shemesh, which belongs to Judah.
12Judah was defeated by Israel; and each man fled to his tent.
13Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh and came to Jerusalem, then broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.*A cubit is the length from the tip of the middle finger to the elbow on a man’s arm, or about 18 inches or 46 centimeters.
14He took all the gold and silver and all the vessels that were found in the LORD’s house and in the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
15Now 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?
16Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.
17Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel, fifteen years.
18Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
19They made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there.
20They brought him on horses, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in David’s city.
21All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.
22He built Elath and restored it to Judah. After that the king slept with his fathers.
23In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria for forty-one years.
24He did that which was evil in the LORD’s sight. He didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
25He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to the LORD, the God of Israel’s word, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was from Gath Hepher.
26For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter for all, slave and free; and there was no helper for Israel.
27The LORD didn’t say that he would blot out the name of Israel from under the sky; but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
28Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he fought, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, for Israel, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
29Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.
WEB Translation
Notable Verses
2 Kings 14:6
“but 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 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 die for his own sin.””
This verse highlights Amaziah's adherence to the Mosaic Law regarding individual accountability.
2 Kings 14:26
“For the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter for all, slave and free; and there was no helper for Israel.”
This verse explains that God's intervention through Jeroboam II was motivated by His compassion for the people's suffering.
Chapter Summary
2 Kings 14 details the reign of Amaziah in Judah, who followed God's law but failed to remove the high places. After conquering Edom, Amaziah grew proud and challenged King Jehoash of Israel to battle. Despite a warning parable from Jehoash about a thistle and a cedar, Amaziah persisted, leading to Judah's defeat, the looting of the temple, and the partial destruction of Jerusalem's walls. Amaziah was later killed in a conspiracy and succeeded by his son Azariah. In the north, Jeroboam II began a long reign in Israel. Although he continued in the sins of his predecessors, he successfully restored Israel's borders from Hamath to the Dead Sea. This restoration was a result of God’s compassion for Israel’s bitter suffering, as prophesied by Jonah the son of Amittai, showing that God had not yet chosen to blot out Israel's name despite their disobedience.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jehoash used the parable to mock Amaziah's pride. He compared Amaziah to a lowly thistle trying to make an alliance with a mighty cedar, warning him that his recent victory over Edom had made him overconfident and that he should stay home to avoid disaster.
After his defeat by Israel, a conspiracy was formed against Amaziah in Jerusalem. He fled to the city of Lachish, but his enemies pursued him there and killed him. He was brought back on horses and buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem.
The chapter mentions Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet from Gath Hepher. He is the same Jonah from the Book of Jonah, and he prophesied that Jeroboam II would restore the borders of Israel.
Study Note
This chapter contains the only mention of the prophet Jonah outside the Book of Jonah in the Hebrew Bible, providing historical context for his ministry during the reign of Jeroboam II.
Related Chapters
2 Chronicles 25
Provides a parallel and more detailed account of Amaziah’s reign and his war with Israel.
Jonah 1
Introduces the prophet Jonah, who is mentioned in this chapter as a messenger to Jeroboam II.
Deuteronomy 24
Contains the specific law regarding individual responsibility that Amaziah followed in verse 6.
Continue in the App
Get the full experience — immersive audio, instant explanations, highlights, notes, and reading plans.