2 Chronicles 25 25

2 Chronicles 25:25 kjv

And Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah lived after the death of Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel fifteen years.

2 Chronicles 25:25 nkjv

Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

2 Chronicles 25:25 niv

Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.

2 Chronicles 25:25 esv

Amaziah the son of Joash, king of Judah, lived fifteen years after the death of Joash the son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel.

2 Chronicles 25:25 nlt

King Amaziah of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash of Israel.

2 Chronicles 25 verses

2 Chronicles 25 25 Meaning

This verse is a precise chronological statement embedded within the narrative of King Amaziah of Judah's reign. It establishes that Amaziah, King of Judah, survived his victorious Israelite counterpart, King Joash, for fifteen years following their conflict. It signifies a period of time, marked by a key event (the death of Joash of Israel), and sets the stage for the final phase of Amaziah's turbulent reign which eventually led to his own assassination. The brevity often implies a period that, from the divine perspective or Chronicler's intent, might have been unproductive or a prolonged state leading to a tragic end.

2 Chronicles 25 25 Context

The twenty-fifth chapter of 2 Chronicles details the reign of King Amaziah of Judah. He initially shows obedience by executing only those directly involved in his father's assassination and relying on God for victory against Edom (2 Chr 25:3-13). However, a significant turning point occurs after his victory over Edom; he brings back their idols and begins to worship them, defying the prophet sent by God (2 Chr 25:14-16). This act of apostasy and pride then leads him to foolishly challenge Joash, king of Israel (2 Chr 25:17), despite Joash's parabled warning (2 Chr 25:18-19). Because of Amaziah's rejection of the LORD's will, God determines to deliver Judah into Israel's hand (2 Chr 25:20). The battle ensues, Judah is defeated, Amaziah is captured, and Jerusalem is plundered and its temple defiled (2 Chr 25:21-24). Verse 25 follows these disastrous events, stating that Amaziah, the defeated king, surprisingly lived for another fifteen years after the death of his captor, Joash of Israel. This prolonged survival, however, does not signify a turn for the better but precedes his ultimate downfall and assassination due to a conspiracy against him, likely a consequence of his earlier misrule and apostasy (2 Chr 25:27-28). The immediate historical context is the period of the divided monarchy in the 8th century BC, highlighting the constant threat of inter-kingdom conflicts and the devastating consequences of idolatry and disobedience.

2 Chronicles 25 25 Word analysis

• And: This conjunctive word links the preceding narrative of Amaziah's military defeat and Jerusalem's plunder to this specific chronological statement. It maintains the flow of the historical account.
• Amaziah: (Hebrew: אֲמַצְיָה - 'Amatsyah) The name means "Yah is strong" or "strengthened by Yah". This is profoundly ironic, given that Amaziah's ultimate downfall resulted from trusting in his own strength, pride, and even foreign gods rather than the true strength of Yahweh. His character in 2 Chr 25:2, "did what was right... not with a loyal heart," foreshadows this inconsistency.
• the son of Joash king of Judah: This clearly identifies Amaziah by his lineage and kingdom. "Joash" here refers to King Joash of Judah (Amaziah's father, 2 Chr 24:1-2), distinguishing him from the other Joash in the verse. The identification establishes the dynastic succession and Judah's lineage.
• lived: (Hebrew: חָיָה - chayah) Implies continued existence, survived. It's a statement of historical fact, marking a period of time. Despite suffering a humiliating defeat and loss, Amaziah's physical life continued. The text's directness avoids glorifying his extended life, but rather places it in relation to his adversary's end.
• after the death of: This phrase establishes a crucial chronological benchmark. It signifies that Amaziah outlived his more successful contemporary rival. It highlights the reversal of fortunes where the victor passes away before the vanquished.
• Joash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel: This distinctly identifies the other king, the victorious monarch of the northern kingdom, by his name, lineage, and kingdom. The distinction is crucial, as multiple kings shared these names across both kingdoms. Joash of Israel had inflicted significant damage upon Judah, Jerusalem, and Amaziah.
• fifteen years: This precise duration (a decade and a half) underscores a measurable period. In biblical narrative, specific numbers can emphasize duration of consequences, a period of grace, or simply accurate historical recording. For Amaziah, these fifteen years were not marked by repentance or recovery, but by the seeds of conspiracy and a lack of true devotion.
• Amaziah... lived after the death of Joash... fifteen years: This phrase group concisely encapsulates the main point of the verse – the duration of Amaziah's survival post-major conflict. It highlights an unexpected outcome (the defeated outliving the victor) which, for Amaziah, turned out to be a period leading to his demise. It sets up the later mention of his conspiracy and assassination, demonstrating that these "fifteen years" were not years of revival but continued decline for the king of Judah. The Chronicler frequently emphasizes the span of kings' lives as part of their total reign summary, and here, this specific "after" period indicates a continued, significant time under his rule, post-judgment.

2 Chronicles 25 25 Bonus section

• The detail of Amaziah outliving Joash highlights a subtle theological point within the Chronistic history: immediate human victory or defeat in battle is not always the final verdict of divine justice. Joash, though a divine instrument for Amaziah's punishment, also reigned in a kingdom plagued by spiritual apostasy.
• The emphasis on "fifteen years" without specific positive achievements suggests that this period may have been seen by the Chronicler as essentially wasted time from a spiritual perspective for Amaziah. Unlike some kings who had a period of repentance and revival, Amaziah's narrative indicates continued departure from God, culminating in conspiracy and assassination (2 Chr 25:27-28).
• The distinction between "Joash king of Judah" and "Joash king of Israel" underscores the ongoing issue of the divided monarchy and the chronicler's meticulous historical record-keeping, avoiding potential confusion while providing precise genealogical and territorial identification.

2 Chronicles 25 25 Commentary

2 Chronicles 25:25 serves as a concise yet telling chronological marker in the downfall of King Amaziah. Following his ignominious defeat by Joash of Israel, Amaziah's continued reign for fifteen years after his victorious rival's death does not indicate recovery or redemption. Instead, it underscores a period that would eventually culminate in his assassination, rooted in the spiritual compromise and pride that had already brought disaster upon his kingdom. The Chronicler often highlights the duration of kings' reigns, and this specific temporal note, "after the death of Joash," indicates that even though Amaziah survived the direct consequence of his hubris, he could not escape the ultimate divine judgment for turning from God and bringing foreign idols into the very Temple precinct. It points to a lingering consequence of sin, a time of continued moral and political decline rather than repentance, ultimately proving that merely surviving physically is not synonymous with divine blessing or restoration.