2 Kings 14 9

2 Kings 14:9 kjv

And Jehoash the 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 Kings 14:9 nkjv

And Jehoash 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 Kings 14:9 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 Kings 14:9 esv

And Jehoash 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 Kings 14:9 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 Kings 14 verses

2 Kings 14 9 Meaning

King Jehoash of Israel, in response to the challenge issued by King Amaziah of Judah, delivered a proverb-like parable. The meaning conveyed is a sharp, demeaning rebuke, likening Amaziah (inflated by a minor victory) to a common, easily crushed thistle, presumptuously seeking an alliance with the mighty cedar (representing Jehoash/Israel). The parable concludes by depicting the thistle's swift destruction by a "wild beast," metaphorically predicting Amaziah's inevitable defeat due to his arrogance and misjudgment of Israel's power. It warns against challenging a superior force and the destructive nature of pride.

2 Kings 14 9 Context

This verse is set during the co-regency of Jehoash (also called Joash in Israel, not the king of Judah with the same name) over Israel and Amaziah over Judah. Chapter 14 of 2 Kings opens with Amaziah becoming king of Judah. He initially performs good acts but later shifts towards pride, especially after a successful military campaign against Edom where he recaptured Sela (Petra) and killed ten thousand Edomites (2 Kgs 14:7). Elated by this victory, Amaziah presumptuously sends a challenge to Jehoash, King of Israel, effectively saying "come, let us look one another in the face" (2 Kgs 14:8), an invitation to battle. Jehoash's response in verse 9 is not only a refusal but a sarcastic and prophetic parable designed to humiliate Amaziah and warn him of the foolishness of his challenge, a warning Amaziah ultimately ignored, leading to a crushing defeat by Israel (2 Kgs 14:11-14).

2 Kings 14 9 Word analysis

• And Jehoash king of Israel sent: Identifies the sender and recipient of the message, establishing the context as a high-level diplomatic communication.

• to Amaziah king of Judah, saying: Indicates a direct response to a previous message (2 Kgs 14:8).

• “A thistle (Hebrew: הַחוֹחַ, hacḥōaḥ, "the thorn-bush" or "the thistle"): Represents Amaziah. The choice of "thistle" signifies something low, weak, yet thorny and annoying—insignificant but aggressive. It's easily uprooted and destroyed.

• on Lebanon: Lebanon was renowned for its majestic cedars, symbolizing strength and permanence. Placing a "thistle on Lebanon" is ironic, highlighting the disproportionate self-importance of the thistle compared to its true stature in a landscape of giants.

• sent to a cedar (Hebrew: הָאֶרֶז, hāʾerez, "the cedar"): Represents King Jehoash and the Kingdom of Israel. Cedars of Lebanon were famed for their size, strength, durability, and value, often used in building palaces and the Temple (1 Kgs 5:6-10). It embodies power, grandeur, and resilience.

• on Lebanon, saying: Reinforces the image of the majestic environment and the perceived relative positions.

• ‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife.’: This phrase, typically a request from an inferior to a superior seeking an alliance (or from an equal to an equal for political marriage), is presented here as an audacious demand from the thistle (Amaziah) to the cedar (Jehoash). This reversal highlights Amaziah's immense hubris and his perception of himself as worthy of such an elevated alliance. It is a sign of extreme arrogance, assuming parity or superiority.

• And a wild beast (Hebrew: חַיַּת הַשָּׂדֶה, ḥayyat haśśāḏeh, "beast of the field/wild animal"): Represents an unexpected, uncontrollable, and destructive external force. In this context, it foreshadows Israel's army, or more broadly, the consequences of ill-advised aggression. It implies a swift, decisive, and humbling intervention.

• of Lebanon passed by: Emphasizes the harsh realities of the region where strong and unexpected forces operate. "Passed by" suggests the ease and inevitability of the destruction.

• and trampled down (Hebrew: רָמְסָה, rāmasāh, "it trampled/trod down"): Signifies complete and humiliating destruction. It implies utter defeat, making the thistle's brief moment of pride entirely meaningless and self-destructive.

• Words-group analysis:

  • “A thistle... sent to a cedar...‘Give your daughter to my son for a wife.’”: This entire opening part forms the parable's premise, revealing the shocking and misplaced presumption of the weaker party (Amaziah/thistle) in demanding equality or superiority from the stronger party (Jehoash/cedar) through a dynastic proposal. It showcases a profound misunderstanding of the power dynamics.
  • “And a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.”: This second part serves as the parable's prophetic conclusion, illustrating the swift and decisive consequence of the thistle's arrogance. It predicts not just defeat but utter devastation for the presumptuous Amaziah, highlighting the fragility of pride when confronted by superior, external power.

2 Kings 14 9 Bonus section

The use of animal and plant fables (like Jotham's fable in Judg 9:7-15) was a common literary and rhetorical device in the ancient Near East, often employed in wisdom literature or as political warnings and satires. Jehoash's parable is thus culturally sophisticated and strategically pointed. The parable's force is amplified by the fact that cedar trees represented strength and might, often symbolizing human greatness, as seen in prophetic warnings where God promises to cut down proud "cedars" (Isa 2:13, Ezek 31:3-12). Conversely, the "thistle" (חוח, choach) could also carry connotations of a vexation or obstacle, as described in Numbers 33:55, further highlighting the nuisance Amaziah was to Jehoash rather than a true threat.

2 Kings 14 9 Commentary

2 Kings 14:9 delivers a masterful, though veiled, prophetic message from King Jehoash to the prideful Amaziah. The parable itself functions as both a grave warning and a contemptuous dismissal of Amaziah’s challenge. Jehoash, through the vivid imagery of a fragile thistle presumptuously seeking a royal marriage with a mighty cedar, exposes Amaziah's delusion following his relatively minor victory over Edom. The swift intervention of a "wild beast" brutally crushing the thistle succinctly illustrates that an arrogant, lesser power attempting to confront a greater one will face inevitable and devastating consequences. This parable served as a profound object lesson on humility, warning against overestimating one's own strength and underestimating an opponent, a lesson tragically affirmed by Amaziah’s subsequent defeat.