2 Chronicles 25 13

2 Chronicles 25:13 kjv

But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Bethhoron, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

2 Chronicles 25:13 nkjv

But as for the soldiers of the army which Amaziah had discharged, so that they would not go with him to battle, they raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon, killed three thousand in them, and took much spoil.

2 Chronicles 25:13 niv

Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had sent back and had not allowed to take part in the war raided towns belonging to Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon. They killed three thousand people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

2 Chronicles 25:13 esv

But the men of the army whom Amaziah sent back, not letting them go with him to battle, raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and struck down 3,000 people in them and took much spoil.

2 Chronicles 25:13 nlt

Meanwhile, the hired troops that Amaziah had sent home raided several of the towns of Judah between Samaria and Beth-horon. They killed 3,000 people and carried off great quantities of plunder.

2 Chronicles 25 verses

2 Chronicles 25 13 Meaning

This verse describes the immediate, negative repercussions faced by the kingdom of Judah following King Amaziah's decision to dismiss the Israelite mercenary troops he had initially hired but was instructed by a prophet of God to send away. The angered Northern Israelite troops, feeling wronged by their dismissal, returned northward through Judah. During their journey, they launched raids against several cities of Judah, from the region of Samaria down to Beth Horon, causing significant devastation by killing three thousand people and carrying off extensive plunder. This act of violence and pillage demonstrated the profound cost and unexpected consequences of Amaziah's initial reliance on foreign, ungodly alliances, despite his subsequent act of obedience.

2 Chronicles 25 13 Context

King Amaziah of Judah, in preparation for war against Edom (2 Chron 25:5-6), had hired 100,000 valiant warriors from Israel for one hundred talents of silver. However, a man of God warned him against taking these Northern Kingdom troops, stating that "the LORD is not with Israel, with all these sons of Ephraim" (2 Chron 25:7). The prophet advised Amaziah to rely solely on the LORD, assuring him that God had the power to help or overthrow regardless of the size of his army. Amaziah, although lamenting the loss of the silver already paid, ultimately obeyed God's command and sent the Israelite mercenaries back (2 Chron 25:10). His act of obedience allowed Judah to secure a great victory against Edom (2 Chron 25:11-12). However, the verse under analysis describes the consequence of dismissing the Israelite troops; their anger over being dismissed and missing out on potential spoil drove them to take revenge by raiding Judahite cities on their journey home, inflicting significant casualties and plunder. This serves as an immediate negative consequence, not for Amaziah's obedience, but for his initial, disobedient act of seeking ungodly alliances, showcasing the ripple effect of prior spiritual compromises.

2 Chronicles 25 13 Word analysis

• But: Signals a strong contrast and turn of events, pivoting from Amaziah's victory against Edom to the immediate calamity befalling Judah.
• the troops that Amaziah had sent back: Refers specifically to the Israelite mercenaries from the Northern Kingdom, hired by Amaziah, then dismissed at God's command (2 Chron 25:10). This highlights the source of the conflict – those previously intended as allies.
• not allowing them to go with him to battle: Specifies the immediate cause of their anger. They felt wronged by their dismissal, having been hired for battle and then excluded, especially missing out on potential plunder from the Edomite conflict.
• raided (פָּשְׁטוּ, pāšṭû): This Hebrew verb denotes a sudden, violent invasion or spread, often with intent to plunder or destroy. It conveys aggressive, hostile action rather than just traveling.
• the cities of Judah: The specific targets of the mercenaries' aggression. This is ironic and tragic, as these were intended to be allies, but became victims of a violent act of reprisal.
• from Samaria to Beth Horon: Defines the geographical extent of their destructive path. Samaria, the capital of the Northern Kingdom, signifies their point of origin (or at least the general northern region from which they were sent home). Beth Horon (likely referring to both Upper and Lower Beth Horon) were strategic towns situated on a crucial pass on the border of Ephraim and Benjamin, leading to Judah, highlighting their deep penetration into Judahite territory during their angry return.
• struck down three thousand people in them: Specifies the devastating human cost. Three thousand is a significant number, indicating a severe loss of life within a small region or population centers. This demonstrates the ruthlessness and scale of the attack.
• and carried off much spoil (וַיָּבֹזוּ בִּזָּה רַבָּה, wayyāḇōzū bizzāh rabbāh): Literally "and they plundered much plunder." This phrase emphasizes the extensive material loss for Judah and the primary motivation (revenge and material gain) for the mercenaries' actions, who likely felt cheated out of the plunder from the Edomite war.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "But the troops that Amaziah had sent back, not allowing them to go with him to battle": This clause vividly details the circumstances leading to the mercenary attack. It underscores their identity, the specific command that caused their grievance (being dismissed), and their thwarted expectation of participation and reward, which fueled their rage and desire for retaliation.
• "raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth Horon, struck down three thousand people in them, and carried off much spoil": This comprehensive description encapsulates the full extent of the mercenaries' destructive acts. It paints a picture of their geographical path of terror, the brutal human toll they exacted, and their ultimate objective of material gain. This portrays the direct and devastating consequence for Judah due to Amaziah's prior (though later corrected) error of engaging with ungodly foreign assistance.

2 Chronicles 25 13 Bonus section

This incident, where Israelite mercenaries raid Judah, is particularly poignant because it underscores the deep, often hostile, division between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, despite their shared ancestry. It foreshadows the larger conflict between Amaziah and Joash of Israel that erupts in the very next verses (2 Chron 25:17-24), showing how this mercenary raid contributed to escalating tensions and eventual warfare between the two Hebrew nations. It acts as a clear demonstration that relying on those who are not walking with the Lord can backfire severely, bringing harm from the very quarter from which help was sought. Furthermore, the event reveals the complex intertwining of divine will and human agency: God's command saved Judah from defeat by Edom, yet the consequences of human choice (the mercenaries' greed and wrath) still manifested devastation, illustrating God's overarching sovereignty even amidst human sin.

2 Chronicles 25 13 Commentary

2 Chronicles 25:13 succinctly describes a catastrophic aftermath for Judah, arising from King Amaziah's initial compromise and the resulting ire of the Israelite mercenaries. While Amaziah's eventual obedience in dismissing these troops brought him divine aid and victory against Edom, the preceding engagement with an ungodly alliance had enduring repercussions. The discharged troops, fueled by anger and a sense of betrayal at missing out on battle and plunder, turned their aggression on their intended allies, devastating Judahite cities. This highlights several principles: that even righteous actions (like obeying God's command) do not always negate the consequences of previous, disobedient choices; the inherent danger and untrustworthiness of ungodly alliances; and the destructive power of human anger and greed when not restrained by divine principle. The immense human and material cost incurred serves as a somber illustration of the real-world ramifications of misplacing trust or compromising spiritual principles for perceived temporal gain.