2 Chronicles 25 12

2 Chronicles 25:12 kjv

And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces.

2 Chronicles 25:12 nkjv

Also the children of Judah took captive ten thousand alive, brought them to the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, so that they all were dashed in pieces.

2 Chronicles 25:12 niv

The army of Judah also captured ten thousand men alive, took them to the top of a cliff and threw them down so that all were dashed to pieces.

2 Chronicles 25:12 esv

The men of Judah captured another 10,000 alive and took them to the top of a rock and threw them down from the top of the rock, and they were all dashed to pieces.

2 Chronicles 25:12 nlt

They captured another 10,000 and took them to the top of a cliff and threw them off, dashing them to pieces on the rocks below.

2 Chronicles 25 verses

2 Chronicles 25 12 Meaning

2 Chronicles 25:12 records King Amaziah's extreme and brutal treatment of the captured Edomites after his decisive victory in the Valley of Salt. It states that an additional one thousand five hundred Edomites, who had been taken alive by the Judean army, were led to the summit of a rock, likely a cliff, and deliberately cast down from it. Upon hitting the ground, they were all shattered or dashed to pieces, indicating their complete and violent demise. This act signifies the utter destruction and total victory of Judah over their long-standing adversaries, reflecting the harsh realities of ancient warfare and the severity of Amaziah's vengeance.

2 Chronicles 25 12 Context

This verse is part of the narrative detailing King Amaziah's reign in Judah. Having sought the Lord and assembled a vast army, he was instructed by a man of God to dismiss the Israelite mercenaries he had hired, as the Lord was not with Israel. Amaziah obeyed, despite the significant financial loss and the wrath of the dismissed soldiers, and proceeded to fight Edom (the descendants of Esau) in the Valley of Salt. His victory was overwhelming, with ten thousand Edomite soldiers slain in battle. Verse 12 describes a distinct and even more brutal aftermath of the battle, focusing on the fate of another 1,500 Edomite captives. This specific act highlights the severity of the retribution against Edom, a nation with a long history of animosity towards Israel, stretching back to Jacob and Esau. This extreme act also foreshadows Amaziah's own moral decline, which began soon after this victory with his adoption of Edomite idols.

2 Chronicles 25 12 Word analysis

• וְאֶלֶף֙ (ve'elef) וַחֲמֵשׁ מֵא֣וֹת (va'ḥamēš mē'ōt) - "And a thousand and five hundred": This specifies a significant, albeit precise, number of additional captives beyond the 10,000 killed in battle (verse 11). The use of these specific numbers lends historical detail to the account.

• אֲחֵרִ֔ים (aḥerim) - "others": Denotes a distinct group, separate from those who perished on the battlefield, indicating these were taken as prisoners of war.

• הֵבִ֛יאוּ בְנֵי־יְהוּדָ֥ה (hēḇi'u ḇənê-Yəhûḏāh) - "the sons of Judah brought": An active verb, showing the deliberate action of the Judean soldiers in bringing these captives, suggesting organized and intentional action rather than spontaneous mob violence. They were brought "alive," emphasizing their capture for specific post-battle treatment.

• לְרֹ֣אשׁ הַסֶּ֑לַע (lərō'š haśśela') - "to the top of the rock/cliff": "Sela" (סֶּלַע) means "rock" or "cliff." While some associate it with the Edomite capital Sela (later Petra), the text here denotes a specific, prominent geological feature chosen for execution. The phrase implies a high, imposing place suitable for a fatal drop. Its association with Edomite strongholds (e.g., Obadiah's prophecy) makes the location particularly symbolic for their downfall.

• וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּם֙ (vayašlîḵum) - "and they threw them down/cast them down": This active, decisive verb indicates the method of execution. It is a forceful and intentional act of disposal. The throwing is an act of dehumanization and power display.

• מֵרֹ֣אשׁ הַסֶּ֔לַע (mêrō'š haśśela') - "from the top of the rock/cliff": Reiterates the source of the fall, emphasizing the extreme height and thus the guaranteed lethality of the impact.

• וַיִּבָּקְע֖וּ (vayibbaq'u) - "and they were broken in pieces/dashed to pieces": The verb "בָּקַע" (baqa') means "to cleave, split, burst, break through." In this context, in the passive voice (niphal perfect), it vividly describes the violent outcome of the fall – their bodies being utterly shattered upon impact. This graphic detail underscores the brutal completeness of their destruction.

• כֻּלָּם (kullam) - "all of them": Emphasizes that every one of the 1,500 met this end; there were no survivors, ensuring the complete annihilation of this specific group.

• Words-group analysis:

  • "brought... alive to the top of the rock, and they threw them down... and they were dashed to pieces": This sequence reveals a chillingly deliberate process. First, the captives are brought alive, indicating capture and preservation for a specific purpose. Second, they are taken to the top of the rock, implying a purposeful journey to a designated execution site. Third, they are thrown down, signifying an active, vengeful execution method. Finally, they are dashed to pieces, underscoring the horrific and complete nature of their demise. This premeditated mass execution serves not only as punishment but also as a powerful display of victory and intimidation against a hated enemy. It reflects a primitive and brutal form of justice/vengeance in ancient warfare.

2 Chronicles 25 12 Bonus section

• The practice of throwing people from heights as a form of execution, while not common in detailed biblical law, is attested in extra-biblical sources from the ancient world and reappears in biblical narratives (e.g., attempt on Jesus' life in Luke 4:29-30). Its inclusion here underlines the barbarity and public spectacle intended by the act.
• The "Sela" or rock in this context may carry symbolic weight. For Edom, who dwelled in rocky fortresses and were proud of their unassailable mountain homes (Obadiah), being executed by being thrown from a rock by Judah would be a supreme humiliation, a turning of their natural strength into the instrument of their undoing.
• This act stands in stark contrast to the immediate divine intervention Amaziah received (2 Chr 25:7-8). While the battle victory itself was divinely sanctioned, the extreme cruelty in the aftermath could reflect the escalating brutality inherent in ancient conflict or a reflection of Amaziah's growing vindictiveness which eventually contributed to his personal pride and downfall (2 Chr 25:14-16).
• The incident illustrates that military victories, even those seemingly granted by God, do not automatically guarantee righteous conduct in the victor's aftermath. This episode is a somber reminder of human depravity even amid success.

2 Chronicles 25 12 Commentary

2 Chronicles 25:12 records a profoundly violent act, indicative of the severity of ancient Near Eastern warfare and the long-standing enmity between Judah and Edom. This mass execution by being thrown from a cliff highlights Amaziah's brutal determination to utterly vanquish his enemies, far beyond mere military defeat. It might also be interpreted as a form of "Lex Talionis" (law of retaliation) by Judah against Edom, whose ancestors frequently troubled Israel and later expressed a severe, often unbrotherly, hatred. While it secured Amaziah's military triumph and instilled fear, this act, born of vengeance, also sets a tone for Amaziah's subsequent reign, leading to his own downfall fueled by pride and spiritual compromise. This stark description of complete annihilation serves as a powerful reminder of the destructive nature of warfare and unchecked retribution, though from an ancient perspective, it would have affirmed Amaziah's strength as a ruler who completed the Lord's victory.