Amaziah

Amaziah, son of Joash, was the ninth king of Judah who reigned for 29 years.

The name Amaziah means “the strength of the Lord”

MaleKingTribe of JudahDivided Monarchy eraOld Testament3 books50 verses

Summary

A king of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2 Kings 12:21; referred to as Amaziah (אֲמַצְיָ֫הוּ); a son of Joash and Jehoaddan; husband of Jecoliah; father of Uzziah.

Events

Dates are approximate

Glossary entries

Amaziah

Family members

Father

Joash

Mother

Jehoaddan

Spouse

Jecoliah

Children

Uzziah

Alternative names

Mentions

Includes 16 verses that refer to Amaziah without naming them, as “he”, “she”, or the subject of a verb.

  1. His servants Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer struck him down, and he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the City of David, and his son Amaziah reigned in his place.
  2. As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with all his accomplishments and his might, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
  3. In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah.
  4. 2 Kings 14:2Referred to, not named
    He 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.
  5. 2 Kings 14:3Referred to, not named
    And 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.
  6. 2 Kings 14:5Referred to, not named
    As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king.
  7. 2 Kings 14:6Referred to, not named
    Yet 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.”
  8. 2 Kings 14:7Referred to, not named
    Amaziah 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.
  9. Then Amaziah sent messengers to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.
  10. But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.
  11. 2 Kings 14:10Referred to, not named
    You have indeed defeated Edom, and your heart has become proud. Glory in that and stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”
  12. But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah.
  13. There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.
  14. As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with his accomplishments, his might, and how he waged war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
  15. Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.
  16. As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
  17. 2 Kings 14:19Referred to, not named
    And conspirators plotted against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.
  18. 2 Kings 14:20Referred to, not named
    They carried him back on horses and buried him in Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David.
  19. Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
  20. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah son of Joash over Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria forty-one years.
  21. In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah.
  22. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
  23. Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,
  24. The accounts of the sons of Joash and the many pronouncements about him, and of the restoration of the house of God, are indeed written in the Treatise of the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah reigned in his place.
  25. Amaziah 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.
  26. 2 Chronicles 25:2Referred to, not named
    And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly.
  27. 2 Chronicles 25:3Referred to, not named
    As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king.
  28. 2 Chronicles 25:4Referred to, not named
    Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted according to what is written in the Law, in the Book 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.”
  29. Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and Benjamin and found 300,000 chosen men able to serve in the army, bearing the spear and shield.
  30. 2 Chronicles 25:6Referred to, not named
    He also hired 100,000 mighty men of valor from Israel for a hundred talents of silver.
  31. 2 Chronicles 25:7Referred to, not named
    But a man of God came to him and said, “O king, do not let the army of Israel go with you, for the LORD is not with Israel—not with any of the Ephraimites.
  32. Amaziah asked the man of God, “What should I do about the hundred talents I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God replied, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.”
  33. So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. And they were furious with Judah and returned home in great anger.
  34. Amaziah, however, summoned his strength and led his troops to the Valley of Salt, where he struck down 10,000 men of Seir,
  35. Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had dismissed from battle raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon. They struck down 3,000 people and carried off a great deal of plunder.
  36. When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them.
  37. Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”
  38. 2 Chronicles 25:16Referred to, not named
    While he was still speaking, the king asked, “Have we made you the counselor to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?” So the prophet stopped, but he said, “I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice.”
  39. Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.
  40. But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.
  41. 2 Chronicles 25:19Referred to, not named
    You have said, ‘Look, I have defeated Edom,’ and your heart has become proud and boastful. Now stay at home. Why should you stir up trouble so that you fall—you and Judah with you?”
  42. But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.
  43. So Jehoash king of Israel advanced, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah.
  44. There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.
  45. Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.
  46. As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?
  47. From the time that Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.
  48. 2 Chronicles 25:28Referred to, not named
    They carried him back on horses and buried him with his fathers in the City of Judah.
  49. All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
  50. And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.