2 Kings 14:8 kjv
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
2 Kings 14:8 nkjv
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us face one another in battle."
2 Kings 14:8 niv
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, with the challenge: "Come, let us face each other in battle."
2 Kings 14:8 esv
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face."
2 Kings 14:8 nlt
One day Amaziah sent messengers with this challenge to Israel's king Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz and grandson of Jehu: "Come and meet me in battle!"
2 Kings 14 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Chron 25:17 | Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent to Joash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face." | Parallel account of Amaziah's challenge. |
| Prov 16:18 | Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall. | Amaziah's pride after victory. |
| Prov 18:12 | Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor. | Link between haughtiness and destruction. |
| Matt 23:12 | Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. | Principle of humbling the proud. |
| Lk 14:11 | For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. | Reinforces the consequence of self-exaltation. |
| Prov 20:3 | It is an honor for a man to keep aloof from strife, but every fool will be quarreling. | Folly of seeking unnecessary conflict. |
| Jas 4:1-2 | What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you?...You desire and do not have... | Source of conflict often stemming from selfish desires. |
| 2 Chron 25:15 | Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against Amaziah, and he sent to him a prophet... | God's displeasure with Amaziah before the battle due to idolatry. |
| Deut 1:41-44 | But you rebelled against the command of the LORD... and presumptuously went up into the hill country... | Warning against presumptuous actions and consequences. |
| 1 Ki 12:21 | When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah... to fight against the house of Israel... | Example of inter-kingdom conflict between Judah and Israel. |
| 1 Ki 14:30 | And there was war continually between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. | Continuous conflict between the divided kingdoms. |
| 2 Sam 2:14 | And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men arise and play before us.” | Similar challenging invitation to confrontation. |
| 1 Sam 17:8-10 | Then Goliath stood and shouted to the ranks of Israel, "Why have you come out to draw up for battle? Am I not a Philistine...choose a man for yourselves..." | A more direct challenge to individual combat, illustrating the challenge concept. |
| Neh 6:11 | But I said, "Should such a man as I flee? And what man such as I could go into the temple and live? I will not go in." | Nehemiah refusing a treacherous face-to-face encounter. |
| Ps 27:8 | You have said, "Seek my face." My heart says to you, "Your face, LORD, do I seek." | "Seeking the face" of God in contrast to "looking in the face" of an enemy. |
| Ps 34:16 | The face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. | God's confrontational "face" against wickedness. |
| Hos 10:2 | Their heart is false; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and destroy their pillars. | False confidence and coming destruction. |
| Isa 30:1-3 | "Ah, stubborn children," declares the LORD, "who carry out a plan, but not mine...who set out to go down to Egypt, without asking for my decision..." | Disobeying God's counsel leads to trouble. Amaziah ignored a prophet. |
| Isa 40:22 | It is he who sits above the circle of the earth...who stretches out the heavens like a curtain... | Contrast to human kings' pride; God's sovereign power. |
| Isa 40:29-31 | He gives power to the faint...but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength... | Reliance on God for strength, not one's own power or military might. |
| Zech 12:3 | On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely injure themselves. | Warnings against contending with God's chosen city/people. |
| Jer 9:23-24 | Thus says the LORD: "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches... | Warning against boasting in human strength or wisdom. |
| Mic 6:8 | He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? | Emphasis on humility, contrasting Amaziah's pride. |
2 Kings 14 verses
2 Kings 14 8 Meaning
This verse describes King Amaziah of Judah initiating a challenge to King Jehoash of Israel, essentially calling for a military confrontation. Filled with newfound confidence after his victory over Edom, Amaziah sought to settle an outstanding issue or assert dominance over the northern kingdom. The phrase "Come, let us look one another in the face" is an ancient idiomatic expression for a direct confrontation, signifying a challenge to battle, where the armies of both kings would meet.
2 Kings 14 8 Context
King Amaziah of Judah, whose reign began after his father Joash was murdered, started his rule "right in the eyes of the Lord" but "not with a whole heart" (2 Chron 25:2). He justly executed his father's murderers but respected the Law by not punishing their children (Deut 24:16). His significant military feat was his successful campaign against Edom in the Valley of Salt, where he killed 10,000 Edomites and captured Selah (which he renamed Joktheel). Before this victory, he had hired 100,000 Israelite mercenaries, but dismissed them on the command of a prophet, incurring their wrath and causing them to raid Judean towns. His military success against Edom, achieved with God's help after he obeyed the prophet regarding the mercenaries, seemed to inflate his confidence and perhaps a sense of invincibility. It led him to worship the Edomite gods (2 Chron 25:14), further displeasing the Lord. This newfound pride, coupled with potential grievances from the earlier mercenary incident (who reportedly pillaged Judah's cities upon being dismissed), likely fueled his audacious challenge to Jehoash, King of Israel. The relations between the divided kingdoms of Judah and Israel were often fraught with tension, mistrust, and occasional open warfare. Amaziah's challenge marks the onset of another such conflict, rooted in human pride and deviation from God's way.
2 Kings 14 8 Word analysis
- Then (וַיִּשְׁלַח - vayishlakh): "And he sent" or "then he sent." The consecutive waw points to a sequential action following Amaziah's victories. This direct action signifies a deliberate decision on Amaziah's part to initiate conflict.
- Amaziah (אֲמַצְיָה - Amatsyah): King of Judah. His name means "strength of the LORD" or "Yahweh is mighty." Ironically, he would rely on his own strength rather than the LORD's in this challenge, leading to his downfall. His name also reflects the divine promise to his kingdom, yet his actions often undermined it.
- sent (וַיִּשְׁלַח - vayishlakh): To send forth, stretch out, or dispatch. Here, messengers are dispatched, indicating a formal communication, often for significant diplomatic or military intent. This wasn't a casual invitation.
- messengers (מַלְאָכִים - mal'akhim): Emissaries, delegates, or angels. The same Hebrew word refers to human representatives or divine ones. Sending "messengers" implied a formal declaration or proposition, giving the challenge weight and authority from the king himself. It wasn't a private dispute but a state matter.
- to Jehoash (אֶל-יְהוֹאָשׁ - el-Yeho'ash): The preposition el signifies "to" or "towards." Jehoash was the King of Israel, distinct from Joash, King of Judah (Amaziah's father). Jehoash of Israel, though he initially did "what was evil in the sight of the LORD" (2 Ki 13:11), had also secured victories against Syria based on Elisha's prophecy, suggesting he was a formidable military leader in his own right, perhaps equally confident.
- son of Jehoahaz (בֶּן-יְהוֹאָחָז - ben-Yeho'akhaz): Standard genealogical identifier, highlighting the succession of Israelite kings. Jehoahaz was a wicked king of Israel who brought much suffering upon his kingdom, yet God had shown some mercy through Joash.
- son of Jehu (בֶּן-יֵהוּא - ben-Yehu): Further genealogical detail. Jehu was the founder of Israel's longest-reigning dynasty (though often unstable), commissioned by God to purge Ahab's house. His dynasty brought some stability, yet consistently practiced idolatry.
- king of Israel (מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל - melekh Yisra'el): Designates Jehoash's full title and authority as ruler of the northern kingdom, providing the context for this inter-kingdom dispute.
- saying (לֵאמֹר - lemor): A common Hebrew literary device indicating that the following words are a direct quote or the content of the message. It introduces the specific, challenging words of Amaziah.
- "Come, let us look one another in the face." (לְכָה נִתְרָאֶה פָנִים - lekha nitra'eh panim):
- "Come" (לְכָה - lekha): An imperative, inviting or commanding a coming forth, often in preparation for an action.
- "let us look one another" (נִתְרָאֶה - nitra'eh): This is a reflexive (Niphal stem) form of the verb ra'ah (to see, perceive, behold). The reflexive suggests a mutual seeing, a direct encounter where both parties present themselves. It's not a casual glance but an intentional and full confrontation.
- "in the face" (פָנִים - panim): Literally "face" or "faces." The Hebrew panim pluralizes even when referring to a single face, implying totality or intensity. When used in the context of "seeing faces" in confrontation, it emphasizes direct, personal engagement. This phrase signifies a military challenge, a call to a decisive battle. It implies not just a meeting but a measuring of strength and a readiness for a fight to the finish. It’s an idiom for setting battle lines.
- Words-group Analysis:
- "sent messengers to Jehoash...saying": Highlights the official, deliberate, and formal nature of Amaziah's challenge. It was a well-thought-out communication, not a spontaneous outburst. This structure emphasizes the gravity of the diplomatic move, escalating tensions between the two Hebrew kingdoms.
- "Come, let us look one another in the face.": This phrase, at the heart of the verse, encapsulates the military challenge. It signifies a dare, an invitation to a direct armed conflict, an opportunity to decide who is superior. It’s a common ancient Near Eastern idiom for battle. Its directness underscores Amaziah's confidence, likely born from his recent victory over Edom, and his presumed desire for supremacy or retaliation.
2 Kings 14 8 Bonus section
The context of Amaziah's reign and this challenge specifically illustrate a critical biblical theme: the danger of misplaced confidence and spiritual complacency. Though Amaziah started well, his heart was not "wholly true" to the Lord, and his obedience was conditional or opportunistic. His decision to provoke Israel suggests a lack of divine guidance sought or followed, contrasting sharply with his earlier obedience regarding the Israelite mercenaries which brought God's favor. This military challenge also might have been seen by Amaziah as an opportunity to avenge the raids of the disgruntled Israelite mercenaries dismissed before his Edomite campaign, thus transforming personal injury into national conflict.
2 Kings 14 8 Commentary
2 Kings 14:8 captures Amaziah's audacious challenge to King Jehoash of Israel, born of a mixture of hubris and a potential desire for retribution. His recent, divinely aided victory over Edom inflated his self-perception, blinding him to the prophet's warnings and the wisdom of peace. The challenge "Come, let us look one another in the face" was a direct declaration of war, expressing his overconfidence and willingness to settle differences by force. It revealed a man no longer walking humbly with God but presuming upon his own military prowess. This pride, unaddressed, would lead to Judah's defeat, Jerusalem's partial destruction, and Amaziah's capture and humiliation, fulfilling the prophetic warning (2 Chron 25:15-16). This verse serves as a sober reminder that reliance on self and material victory, rather than the Lord, often precedes a downfall.