Amaziah
(the strength of the Lord).
Son of Joash, and eighth king of Judah, reigned B.C. 837-809. He succeeded to the throne at the age of 25, on the murder of his father, and punished the murderers. In order to restore his kingdom to the greatness of Jehoshaphat’s days, he made war on the Edomites, defeated them in the Valley of Salt, south of the Dead Sea, and took their capital, Selah or Petra, to which he gave the name of Jokteel, i.e. “God-subdued.
” Flushed with his success, he challenged Joash king of Israel to battle, but was completely defeated, and himself was taken prisoner and conveyed by Joash to Jerusalem, which opened its gates to the conqueror. Amaziah lived 15 years after the death of Joash; and in the 29th year of his reign was murdered by conspirators at Lachish, whither he had retired from Jerusalem for safety. (2 Chronicles 25:27) A descendant of Simeon (1 Chronicles 4:34) A Levite.
(1 Chronicles 6:45) Priest of the golden calf at Bethel who endeavored to drive the prophet Amos from Israel into Judah. (Amos 7:11,12,14)
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia on Amaziah
Amaziah am-a-zi'-a ('amatsyah, 'amatsyahu, "Yahweh is mighty"; 2Ki 14:1-20; 2Ch 25:1-28). Son of Jehoash, and tenth king of Judah. Amaziah had a peaceable accession at the age of 25. A depleted treasury, a despoiled palace and temple, and a discouraged people were among the consequences of his father's war with Hazael, king of Syria. When settled on the throne, Amaziah brought to justice the men who had assassinated his father. Amaziah verbal citation of De 24:16 in 2Ki 14:6, forbidding the punishment of children for a father's offense, shows that the laws of this book were then known, and were recognized as authoritative, and, in theory, as governing the nation. His accession may be dated circa 812 (some put later). ⇒See a list of verses on AMAZIAH in the Bible. 1. The Edomite War: The young king's plan for the rehabilitation of his people was the restoration of the kingdom's military prestige, so severely lowered in his father's reign. A militia army, composed of all the young men above 20 years of age, was first organized and placed upon a war footing (2Ch 25:5; the number given,…
Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible on Amaziah
1. The name of a king of Judah who succeeded his father Jehoash uiion the assassination of the latter (c. 800. B.C.). The cliief interest of his reign centres in liis wars with Edom and ^vith Israel (2 K 14, 2 Ch 25). In the first of these campaigns, Edom, which had revolted from Judah during the reign of Jehoram, the son of Jehoshaphat, suffered a severe defeat in the Valley of Salt, and the capital Sela or Petra fell into the hands of the enemy (2 K 14'). Elated by this success, Amaziah challenged to a conflict his neighbour Jehoash, the grandson of Jehu. This powerful monarch showed no anxiety to try con- clusions with his presumptuous rival, to whom he addressed the well-known parable of the thistle and the cedar (w '■'"). Amaziah, however, stung by the moral of this parable, refused to listen to the well- meant adWce, and rushed blindly upon his fate. At the battle of Beth-shemesh the forces of Judah were utterly routed, and the king himself taken prisoner. Jehoash followed up his victory by capturing Jerusalem, partially destroying its walls, Eillaging the temple and the palace…
Fausset's Bible Dictionary on Amaziah
1. Son of Joash; on his accession to the Jewish throne punished his father's murderers, but not their children (Deu 24:16); a merciful trait of character, which it is implied other kings had not. He had reigned jointly with his father at least one year before Joash's death; for 2Ki 13:10 compared with 2Ki 14:1 proves he reigned in the 39th year of Jonah of Judah; 2Ch 24:1 shows that Joash of Judah reigned 40 years; therefore Amaziah must have been reigning one year before Joash's death, The reason comes out in that incidental way which precludes the idea of forgery, and confirms the truth of the history. In 2Ch 24:23; 2Ch 24:25 we read: "the host of Syria came up against him (Joash) ... to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes; ... and when they were departed (for they left him in great diseases) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed." The "great diseases" under which Joash labored, at the time of the Syrian invasion, were no doubt the cause of Amaziah his son being admitted to a share in the gove…
References
- Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
- Easton, M.G. (1893) Easton's Bible Dictionary. 3rd edn. Thomas Nelson. [Public Domain]
- Nave, O.J. (1897) Nave's Topical Bible. Topical Bible Publishing Co.. [Public Domain]
- Hastings, J. (ed.) (1909) A Dictionary of the Bible. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Smith, W. (ed.) (1884) Smith's Bible Dictionary. London: John Murray. [Public Domain]
- Fausset, A.R. (1878) Fausset's Bible Dictionary. [Public Domain]A Critical and Expository Bible Cyclopaedia