2 Chronicles 25:16 kjv
And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.
2 Chronicles 25:16 nkjv
So it was, as he talked with him, that the king said to him, "Have we made you the king's counselor? Cease! Why should you be killed?" Then the prophet ceased, and said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not heeded my advice."
2 Chronicles 25:16 niv
While he was still speaking, the king said to him, "Have we appointed you an adviser to the king? Stop! Why be struck down?" So the prophet stopped but said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel."
2 Chronicles 25:16 esv
But as he was speaking, the king said to him, "Have we made you a royal counselor? Stop! Why should you be struck down?" So the prophet stopped, but said, "I know that God has determined to destroy you, because you have done this and have not listened to my counsel."
2 Chronicles 25:16 nlt
But the king interrupted him and said, "Since when have I made you the king's counselor? Be quiet now before I have you killed!" So the prophet stopped with this warning: "I know that God has determined to destroy you because you have done this and have refused to accept my counsel."
2 Chronicles 25 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:15 | "But it shall come to pass, if thou wilt not hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God..." | Disobedience brings curses. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | "For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft... because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD..." | Rebellion equals witchcraft, rejecting God's word. |
| 1 Ki 13:21-22 | "...Because thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment..." | Disobeying prophetic word leads to judgment. |
| 1 Ki 22:8 | "And the king of Israel said unto Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man, Micaiah... I hate him; for he doth not prophesy good concerning me..." | King's aversion to truthful prophecy. |
| 1 Ki 22:20-23 | "And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?..." | God's hand in king's downfall. |
| 2 Ki 17:14-15 | "Notwithstanding they would not hear... they rejected his statutes, and his covenant..." | Rejection of God's word and statutes. |
| 2 Chron 25:20 | "But Amaziah would not hear; for it came of God to deliver them into the hand of their enemies..." | God's judgment allows enemies to prevail. |
| Isa 30:9-11 | "...this is a rebellious people... Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not..." | Rejection of true prophecy for comfort. |
| Jer 7:25-26 | "Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt... I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets... yet they hearkened not unto me..." | Consistent rejection of prophets throughout history. |
| Jer 25:4 | "And the LORD hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets... but ye have not hearkened..." | God repeatedly sends prophets, people ignore. |
| Hos 4:6 | "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee..." | Rejection of knowledge/truth leads to destruction. |
| Amos 3:7 | "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." | God reveals His plans through His prophets. |
| Prov 1:24-26 | "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel..." | Consequences of rejecting wisdom and counsel. |
| Prov 1:30-31 | "They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way..." | Despising counsel leads to negative consequences. |
| Prov 16:18 | "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." | Pride is a precursor to ruin. |
| Prov 29:1 | "He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy." | Stubborn refusal to heed warnings brings sudden end. |
| Matt 23:37-38 | "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... how often would I have gathered thy children... and ye would not! Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." | Jerusalem's destruction for rejecting God's sending. |
| Luke 7:30 | "But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves..." | Religious leaders rejected God's plan. |
| Acts 7:51-52 | "Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears... ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye." | Resistance to God's Spirit, like past generations. |
| Rom 1:24 | "Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts..." | God "gives up" those who persist in sin. |
| 2 Thes 2:10-12 | "...because they received not the love of the truth... And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion..." | Rejection of truth leads to delusion and judgment. |
| Heb 12:25 | "See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth..." | Severe consequences for refusing God's voice. |
2 Chronicles 25 verses
2 Chronicles 25 16 Meaning
This verse describes a confrontation between King Amaziah and a prophet of the Lord. After the prophet confronted Amaziah for worshiping the gods of Edom, Amaziah hostilely dismisses the prophet, questioning his authority and threatening him with death. In response, the prophet ceases his counsel but declares that God has determined to destroy Amaziah because of his idolatry and his rejection of divine warning. It marks a pivotal moment where Amaziah seals his fate through rebellion and refusal to listen to God's word.
2 Chronicles 25 16 Context
Chapter 25 details the reign of King Amaziah of Judah. He began well, executing those who had assassinated his father but obeying the Mosaic Law by not killing their children. His major misstep was hiring 100,000 Israelite soldiers for a war against Edom, prompting a "man of God" (another prophet) to warn him not to involve these unholy Northern Kingdom soldiers, lest he forfeit divine help and blessing. Amaziah, prioritizing obedience, dismissed the mercenaries, even though it cost him a significant sum of money. Despite this act of faith, after his victory against Edom, Amaziah inexplicably brought back the Edomite gods and set them up as his own, burning incense to them (2 Chron 25:14). It is this idolatry that the prophet (distinct from the earlier "man of God") addresses in the preceding verse (2 Chron 25:15), questioning why Amaziah would worship gods that couldn't even save their own people. Verse 16 captures Amaziah's furious and contemptuous response to this direct challenge, illustrating his turn from obedience to proud rebellion, leading to his downfall. This historical context emphasizes the severity of rejecting divine counsel after an initial show of faith and God's intervention.
2 Chronicles 25 16 Word analysis
- And as he talked with him: This indicates an ongoing conversation. The prophet (referencing 2 Chron 25:15) was presumably continuing to admonish King Amaziah.
- the king said unto him: Marks the point of Amaziah's direct and authoritative interjection, expressing his strong displeasure with the prophet's words.
- Art thou made of the king's counsel?: Hebrew: הֲיוֹעֵץ לַמֶּלֶךְ (ha-yoēts lam-melekh) – literally, "Are you counselor to the king?" This is a rhetorical, condescending question. Amaziah challenges the prophet's legitimate right or position to advise or reprove him. Kings typically had official counselors; the prophet's authority derived directly from God, transcending earthly appointments. Amaziah dismisses the prophet's divine mandate.
- forbear: Hebrew: חֲדַל (khadal) – an imperative meaning "stop," "cease," "desist." It is a blunt command to the prophet to halt his preaching immediately. It reveals Amaziah's irritation and desire to end the uncomfortable truth.
- why shouldest thou be smitten?: Hebrew: לָמָּה יַכּוּכָה (lam-mah yakkuka) – "Why should you be struck down/killed?" This is an open threat. Kings possessed ultimate power, including execution. Amaziah warns the prophet of the fatal consequences of continuing his address, essentially daring him.
- Then the prophet forbore: Hebrew: וַיֶּחְדַּל הַנָּבִיא (vay-yekhdal han-navi') – "And the prophet ceased." The prophet obeyed the command to stop speaking, but his silence was not an admission of defeat or fear. It was a cessation of further immediate counsel, likely an understanding that further words were useless, and a recognition of God's prior determination.
- and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee: Hebrew: כִּי יָדַעְתִּי כִּי יָעַץ אֱלֹהִים לְהַשְׁחִיתֶךָ (ki yādati ki ya’ats ’elohim l'hashkhtekha) – "for I know that God has determined/counseled to destroy you." The Hebrew root ya'aṣ is significant. Amaziah asked "Are you counsel (yoēts) to the king?". The prophet replies that God (Elohim) has "counseled" (ya'aṣ) destruction. This wordplay underscores the prophet's true authority as one who knows God's actual counsel, which stands in contrast to Amaziah's limited human counsel. The word לְהַשְׁחִיתֶךָ (l'hashkhtekha) means "to ruin," "to lay waste," "to bring to an end." It speaks to God's definitive judgment.
- because thou hast done this: Refers directly to Amaziah's specific sin of idolatry—worshiping the Edomite gods (2 Chron 25:14). It is the catalyst for the prophet's dire pronouncement.
- and hast not hearkened unto my counsel: This highlights Amaziah's broader defiance and rejection of God's revealed will through His prophet (referring to the initial confrontation in 2 Chron 25:15 where the prophet rebuked his idolatry). "Hearkened" implies listening with the intent to obey. Amaziah did not just hear; he utterly ignored and rejected.
2 Chronicles 25 16 Bonus section
Amaziah's trajectory illustrates a dangerous pattern seen throughout the Bible: partial obedience followed by complete rebellion. He initially listened to God regarding the Israelite mercenaries (2 Chron 25:9-10), yet this brief moment of faith was overshadowed by his unfaithfulness with the Edomite gods. This immediate turning to idolatry after victory suggests a superficial faith driven by convenience or immediate outcome rather than a deep commitment to the Lord. His defiant question to the prophet shows that his pride had become thoroughly inflated, to the point of actively resisting God's warnings. The phrase "I know that God hath determined to destroy thee" is not the prophet speaking in anger, but delivering a certain, sovereign pronouncement from God Himself, indicating that Amaziah's continuous rebellion and hardheartedness had led him past the point of no return. His fate was sealed not by an arbitrary decision but by his own willful, repeated rejection of divine truth and the Lord's clear instruction. This sets the stage for Amaziah's foolish challenge to King Joash of Israel and his subsequent demise (2 Chron 25:17-27).
2 Chronicles 25 16 Commentary
This verse stands as a stark testament to the consequences of rejecting God's word spoken through His prophets. Amaziah, once obedient in one matter (dismissing mercenaries), became hardened by success and succumbed to the foolishness of idolatry. His response to the prophet is saturated with pride, self-importance, and a dangerous contempt for divine authority. By asking "Art thou made of the king's counsel?", he not only denies the prophet's spiritual legitimacy but also elevates his own judgment and earthly authority above God's. His threat, "why shouldest thou be smitten?", reveals a tyrannical mindset, willing to suppress truth with violence. The prophet's retort is not one of surrender but of divine clarity. His cessation of speaking is not retreat, but a divine signaling that further persuasion is futile because God has sealed Amaziah's fate. The striking use of ya'aṣ (counsel/determine) in response to Amaziah's question underscores that while Amaziah may question human authority, God's counsel and determination are sovereign and unstoppable, especially when rejected. This confrontation marks the turning point in Amaziah's reign, leading directly to his later arrogance, subsequent defeat, and ultimate assassination, all orchestrated by the very God whose counsel he scorned. It emphasizes that persistent rebellion against God's direct word results in a hardened heart and predetermined judgment.