2 Kings 14 Retribution or Revenge?

seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
2 Kings 14:1 In the second year of Jehoash[a] son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign. 2 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. 3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash. 4 The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

5 After the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, he executed the officials who had murdered his father the king. 6 Yet he did not put the children of the assassins to death, in accordance with what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses where the Lord commanded: “Parents are not to be put to death for their children, nor children put to death for their parents; each will die for their own sin.”(b)

a. 2 Kings 14:1 Hebrew Joash, a variant of Jehoash; also in verses 13, 23 and 27
b. 2 Kings 14:6 Deut. 24:16

Is this revenge or restitution? They killed his father.

First off, according to GodVine... I need to deal with some numbers. Apparently there is some clarification about the years of reign in verses 1&2.

In the second year of Joash - This second year should be understood as referring to the time when his father Jehoahaz associated him with himself in the kingdom: for he reigned two years with his father; so this second year of Joash is the first of his absolute and independent government.

Joash of Judah reigned forty years 2 Kings 12:1, and Joash of Israel ascended the throne in his namesake's thirty-seventh year 2 Kings 13:10; hence, we should have expected to hear that Amaziah succeeded his father in the fourth rather than in the second year of Joash (of Israel). The usual explanation of the discrepancy is to suppose a double accession of the Israelite Joash - as co-partner with his father in the thirty-seventh year of his namesake, as sole king two years afterward.

He did ... as Joash - There is a curious parity between the lives of Joash and Amaziah. Both were zealous for Yahweh in the earlier portion of their reigns, but in the latter part fell away; both disregarded the rebukes of prophets; and both, having forsaken God, were in the end conspired against and slain (compare 2 Chronicles 24:25; 2 Chronicles 25:27).

As soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand - No doubt those wicked men, Jozachar and Jehozabad, who murdered his father, had considerable power and influence; and therefore he found it dangerous to bring them to justice, till he was assured of the loyalty of his other officers: when this was clear, he called them to account, and put them to death.

I keep getting the characters mixed up... especially while I'm trying to figure out how to pronounce these names. It's going to be important in the next couple of verses.

Amaziah is from Judah. That's where Jerusalem is. They just fixed up the Temple but then they took all the gold out of the treasury and all the artifacts from the Temple and traded them to Syria for some peace. They were so broke... I figure... that they couldn't pay their troops... so the troops revolted and Amaziah became king after his father was murdered.

Jehoash is from Israel.

I'm not going to quibble of words.... I figure it's retribution.

Retribution - punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong or criminal act
Revenge - the action of inflicting hurt or harm on someone for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands.

:coffee:
 
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