2 Chronicles 25 18

2 Chronicles 25:18 kjv

And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.

2 Chronicles 25:18 nkjv

And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, "The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son as wife'; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.

2 Chronicles 25:18 niv

But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: "A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, 'Give your daughter to my son in marriage.' Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.

2 Chronicles 25:18 esv

And Joash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, "A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.

2 Chronicles 25:18 nlt

But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: "Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: 'Give your daughter in marriage to my son.' But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!

2 Chronicles 25 verses

2 Chronicles 25 18 Meaning

2 Chronicles 25:18 recounts the diplomatic, yet sarcastic and ultimately prophetic, reply of Joash, King of Israel, to Amaziah, King of Judah. Amaziah, puffed up by a recent victory over Edom, foolishly challenged Joash to a direct military confrontation. Joash, rather than engaging directly or formally, responded with a pointed parable. He likened the presumptuous Amaziah to a lowly "thistle" in Lebanon that sent a proud message to the majestic "cedar" of Lebanon, proposing a marital alliance – an implied claim of equal standing. The parable concludes with a "wild beast" effortlessly trampling the thistle. This parable served as a severe warning, metaphorically portraying Amaziah's perceived insignificance and vulnerability, and foreshadowing the effortless destruction that would befall him should he insist on provoking a stronger power like Israel. It highlights the folly of pride and unheeded counsel leading to ruin.

2 Chronicles 25 18 Context

This verse is situated at a critical juncture in the reign of Amaziah, King of Judah (2 Chronicles 25). His reign begins with obedience (2 Ch 25:2), though not wholeheartedly. He then faces a moral dilemma when advised by a prophet to dismiss mercenaries he had hired from Israel, which he reluctantly does, losing a significant sum of silver (2 Ch 25:5-10). Despite this act of obedience, his victory over Edom (2 Ch 25:11-12) ironically becomes his downfall. Instead of giving thanks to the Lord, he brings back the idols of Edom and worships them (2 Ch 25:14), directly after receiving divine aid. When a prophet warns him against this apostasy, Amaziah defiantly dismisses him (2 Ch 25:15-16). In his inflated pride, spurred by the Edomite victory and possibly his newly acquired idols, he foolishly challenges Joash, King of Israel, setting the stage for Joash’s dismissive, parabolic reply in 2 Chronicles 25:18. The immediate historical context is the tension between the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah, and Amaziah’s spiritual declension precedes and precipitates his military and political blunder.

2 Chronicles 25 18 Word analysis

• Then: Temporal conjunction, marking a sequence of events. Indicates Joash's immediate response to Amaziah's challenge.

• Joash, King of Israel: Joash (יהוֹאָשׁ - Yeho'ash), meaning "Yahweh has given" or "given by Yahweh," was a strong and victorious king of Israel (2 Kgs 13:25). His identity highlights the authority and power behind the parable, contrasting sharply with Amaziah's pride-induced foolishness.

• sent to Amaziah, King of Judah: Indicates a formal diplomatic communication. This underscores the serious nature of the challenge and Joash’s considered, rather than impulsive, reply.

• saying: Introduces the parable, indicating a form of indirect communication designed to convey a deeper, often stinging, truth.

• A thistle (חוֹחַ - choch): Refers to a thorny, low-lying, often despised plant, easily crushed or burnt. It signifies insignificance, weakness, vulnerability, and contempt. This immediately demeans Amaziah. It's often used metaphorically for wickedness or futility.

  • Significance: Represents Amaziah's true spiritual and political stature in Joash's eyes—a puny, troublesome weed despite his recent military success.

• that was in Lebanon: Lebanon was famous for its grand cedars and forests. This placement emphasizes the thistle's natural habitat amidst greater flora, highlighting its stark contrast and audacity in challenging a dominant species. It implies an out-of-place arrogance.

• sent to the cedar (אֶרֶז - erez): The cedar of Lebanon is renowned throughout the Bible as a symbol of majesty, strength, endurance, pride, and loftiness (e.g., Ps 92:12, Isa 2:13). It represents Joash (Israel) and the greater power and established stability of his kingdom.

  • Significance: Symbolizes the great king and the robust kingdom being presumptuously addressed by the small "thistle."

• that was in Lebanon: Reaffirms the natural superiority and prime habitat of the cedar.

• saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife.’: A formal request for a marriage alliance, customary between royal houses to solidify peace and establish parity or hierarchy.

  • Significance: In this parable, the thistle's "demand" for such an alliance represents Amaziah's challenge—a claim of equal standing and the right to engage in war or partnership on an even footing with a superior power. It is presumptuous and indicative of an inflated self-perception.

• And a wild beast (חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה - hayyat hassadeh): Refers to any untamed creature of the field, capable of unexpected and devastating actions. This element represents the unforeseen destructive consequences that would inevitably follow Amaziah’s rash challenge. It symbolizes an uncontrollable force, or more specifically, Joash himself as an unstoppable military force.

  • Significance: Portrays the inevitable and overwhelming destructive force that will casually crush the presumptuous "thistle." It indicates that the impending defeat would be swift and effortless from Joash’s perspective.

• that was in Lebanon: Again, places the action in the natural, shared environment.

• passed by: Implies a casual, unintentional action, not a deliberate, malicious attack motivated by specific animosity. The beast simply moved along, and the thistle was in its path.

  • Significance: Highlights the effortless nature of the impending destruction, conveying contempt and indicating the thistle's utter insignificance to the "wild beast." Joash suggests Judah would be crushed without significant effort on Israel's part.

• and trampled down the thistle: A definitive and destructive act, confirming the thistle's utter lack of strength and its inability to withstand any significant force.

  • Significance: Foreshadows Amaziah’s defeat in battle, suggesting that his kingdom would be effortlessly subdued, confirming the futility of his challenge.

Words-Group by Words-Group analysis:

• "A thistle...sent to the cedar...saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife.’": This core exchange highlights the audacity and absurdity of the challenge. It underscores the profound imbalance of power. Amaziah's demand for confrontation is viewed by Joash as foolishly requesting parity with a superior force. The image of the lowly thistle seeking alliance with the mighty cedar underscores the disparity in prestige and strength between Judah (under Amaziah's foolish leadership) and Israel (under Joash).
• "And a wild beast...passed by and trampled down the thistle.": This final outcome is a clear and severe warning. The "wild beast" can be interpreted as an external, inevitable force, or more directly as Joash's own military might. The ease of the "trampling" emphasizes the contempt Joash held for Amaziah's boast. It communicates that Joash wouldn't even need to exert himself significantly to defeat Judah, likening Amaziah's defeat to an incidental inconvenience for a much stronger force. This vivid imagery is both a prediction and a chilling display of scorn.

2 Chronicles 25 18 Bonus section

The parable in 2 Chronicles 25:18 aligns with common ancient Near Eastern literary and didactic traditions of using animal or plant fables to convey moral or political lessons, much like Jotham's parable of the trees in Jdg 9. It functions not merely as a narrative device but as a potent theological statement. Amaziah's challenge arose not purely from military confidence but from his spiritual blindness, aggravated by his embrace of Edomite idols immediately following divine victory (2 Ch 25:14). His arrogance stemmed from a self-inflated view disconnected from divine favor, making him particularly susceptible to a fall. The cedar and thistle were well-known symbols; the audience would immediately grasp the power dynamics and the contempt Joash intended to convey. The subsequent defeat of Judah and the desecration of the temple (2 Ch 25:21-24) provided immediate and stark confirmation of the parable's truth and God's hand in humbling the proud.

2 Chronicles 25 18 Commentary

Joash's parabolic response to Amaziah's arrogant challenge in 2 Chronicles 25:18 serves as a concise yet powerful prophetic warning. It's a masterful display of both wisdom and scorn, delivering a devastating message wrapped in metaphorical language. By casting Amaziah as the humble "thistle" and himself (or his kingdom) as the formidable "cedar," Joash communicates the vast disparity in power and consequence between their two nations. The thistle's audacious request for an alliance symbolizes Amaziah's presumptuous demand for battle, elevating his status beyond reality. The chilling conclusion of the parable—the "wild beast" trampling the thistle effortlessly—was a clear and immediate forecast of Judah's impending defeat, emphasizing the casual ease with which Israel would overwhelm them. This event underscores the biblical principle that pride precedes destruction (Prov 16:18) and that rejecting wise counsel (as Amaziah rejected the prophet's warning about idolatry, 2 Ch 25:15-16) often leads to divine judgment and ruin.