2 Kings 14: Two Kings and a Thistle
Amaziah of Judah defeats Edom but is humbled by Israel, while Jeroboam II restores Israel's borders by the mercy of the Lord.
2 Kings 14 (WEB)
1 In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel began Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah to reign.
2 He was twenty-five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty-nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jehoaddin of Jerusalem.
3 He did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh, yet not like David his father: he did according to all that Joash his father had done.
4 However the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
5 As soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, he killed his servants who had slain the king his father:
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 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.”
7 He killed of Edom in the Valley of Salt ten thousand, and took Sela by war, and called its name Joktheel, to this day.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, “Come, let us look one another in the face.”
9 Jehoash 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.
10 You 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 should fall, even you, and Judah with you?’”
11 But 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.
12 Judah was defeated by Israel; and they fled every man to his tent.
13 Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth Shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
14 He took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in Yahweh’s house, and in the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
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?
16 Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his place.
17 Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
19 They made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.
20 They brought him on horses; and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
21 All the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the place of his father Amaziah.
22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
23 In 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.
24 He did that which was evil in the sight of Yahweh: he didn’t depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, with which he made Israel to sin.
25 He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, according to Yahweh’s word, the God of Israel, which he spoke by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath Hepher.
26 For Yahweh saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was no one shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel.
27 Yahweh 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.
28 Now 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?
29 Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his place.
2 Kings 14 (KJV)
1 In the second year of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel reigned Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah.
2 He 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.
3 And 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.
4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice and burnt incense on the high places.
5 And 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.
6 But 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.
7 He 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.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
9 And Jehoash 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 thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
11 But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth–shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.
12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to their tents.
13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth–shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of the Lord, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.
15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.
17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
18 And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.
20 And they brought him on horses: and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, which was sixteen years old, and made him king instead of his father Amaziah.
22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
23 In 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, and reigned forty and one years.
24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.
25 He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath–hepher.
26 For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel.
27 And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.
2 Kings 14 (ASV)
1 In the second year of Joash son of Joahaz king of Israel began Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah to reign.
2 He 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.
3 And 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.
4 Howbeit the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
5 And 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:
6 but 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.
7 He 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.
8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
9 And Jehoash 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 thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle.
10 Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thy heart hath lifted thee up: glory thereof, and abide at home; for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?
11 But Amaziah would not hear. So Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemesh, which belongeth to Judah.
12 And Judah was put to the worse before Israel; and they fled every man to his tent.
13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
14 And he took all the gold and silver, and all the vessels that were found in the house of Jehovah, and in the treasures of the king’s house, the hostages also, and returned to Samaria.
15 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
16 And Jehoash slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel; and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead.
17 And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.
18 Now the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
19 And they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.
20 And they brought him upon horses; and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David.
21 And all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.
22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.
23 In 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, and reigned forty and one years.
24 And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin.
25 He restored the border of Israel from the entrance of Hamath unto the sea of the Arabah, according to the word of Jehovah, the God of Israel, which he spake by his servant Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, who was of Gath-hepher.
26 For Jehovah saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter; for there was none shut up nor left at large, neither was there any helper for Israel.
27 And Jehovah said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
28 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which had belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?
29 And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zechariah his son reigned in his stead.
Summary
Amaziah becomes king of Judah and does what is right in the eyes of Yahweh, though not like David, and he leaves the high places standing. When he executes the servants who murdered his father, he spares their children in obedience to the law of Moses, that each should die for his own sin. Flush with a victory over Edom in the Valley of Salt, Amaziah grows proud and challenges Jehoash king of Israel to battle. Jehoash answers with the fable of a lowly thistle that presumed to match the great cedar and was trampled, warning Amaziah to enjoy his glory at home. Amaziah will not listen, and Judah is routed at Beth Shemesh; the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and the temple treasures carried to Samaria. In the north, Jeroboam II reigns long and does evil, yet the Lord uses him to restore Israel's borders, for Yahweh sees Israel's bitter affliction and has not yet purposed to blot out their name. The chapter shows human pride toppled and divine mercy at work even through unworthy rulers.
Main Characters
- Amaziah — King of Judah who does right yet not wholeheartedly; victorious over Edom, his heart is lifted up, and his challenge to Israel ends in defeat and conspiracy.
- Jehoash — King of Israel who answers Amaziah's challenge with a parable of the thistle and the cedar, then defeats Judah and plunders Jerusalem.
- Jeroboam II — Long-reigning king of Israel who walks in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, yet is the means by which the Lord restores Israel's borders.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God who sees Israel's bitter affliction and saves them by Jeroboam's hand, not yet blotting out the name of Israel from under the sky.
Key Verse
2 Kings 14:27 (WEB)
Yahweh 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.
Lessons Learned
- Doing what is partly right, while leaving the high places standing, is a half-hearted obedience the Lord notices.
- Pride after a victory can blind us to our true limits and lead us into needless ruin.
- God's law restrains vengeance: each person bears responsibility for his own sin.
- The Lord can show mercy and accomplish good even through rulers who do evil in his sight.
- Obedience must follow God's word, not our anger. Amaziah spares the murderers' children “according to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses” (2 Kings 14:6, WEB), letting Scripture govern his justice.
- A lifted-up heart goes before a fall. Jehoash warns, “your heart has lifted you up” (2 Kings 14:10, WEB), and Amaziah's refusal to heed it brings Judah to defeat.
- Pride invites disaster. “But Amaziah would not listen” (2 Kings 14:11, WEB), and the wall of Jerusalem was broken down and its treasures carried away.
- God's mercy is moved by our affliction. “For Yahweh saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter” (2 Kings 14:26, WEB), and he sent deliverance even through an unfaithful king.
- How does Amaziah's handling of his father's murderers show respect for God's law?
- What does Jehoash's fable of the thistle and the cedar reveal about Amaziah's pride?
- Why does the Lord grant Israel relief and expanded borders through a king who does evil?
- What does it mean that God had not said he would blot out the name of Israel, and how does that point to his patience?
- Where has a recent success tempted you toward pride, and how might you enjoy God's gifts without overreaching?
- Amaziah executes the assassins but spares their children, citing Moses' law that the fathers shall not die for the children nor children for fathers (14:5-6). Even in justice he submits to God's written word rather than to clan vengeance—a model of letting Scripture shape our actions.
- Jehoash likens Amaziah to a lowly thistle presuming to match a great cedar, trampled by a passing beast (14:9-10). The fable names Amaziah's inflated self-estimate after Edom and warns that pride seeking a fight will bring him and Judah to harm.
- The text says plainly that Yahweh saw Israel's bitter affliction and that there was no helper, so he saved them by Jeroboam's hand (14:26-27). God's mercy is not earned by the king's righteousness; it flows from his compassion and his covenant patience toward his people.
- It signals that judgment, though deserved and coming, is delayed by grace. The Lord's restraint here foreshadows a longer patience that ultimately preserves a remnant and keeps alive the hope of redemption running toward Christ.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to recall a win that stirred pride and to consider gratitude and contentment as guards against overreach. As leader, keep the tone gentle, pointing to the God who gives every good gift.