2 Chronicles 25:11

2Ch 25:11 And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.

Ver. 11. And Amaziah strengthened himself.] Cum coepisset esse animo fortl et fidenti, He had a good name; it imported "one strong in the Lord and in the power of his might"; but he was far enough from that.

And went to the valley of Salt.] See 2Ki 14:7.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 25:11-12. Amaziah strengthened himself — With his own men only. And smote of the children of Seir ten thousand — Who, it appears, were left dead upon the field. How many were only wounded: and not killed, we are not told; but undoubtedly not a few. Other ten thousand did the children of Judah cast down from the rock — A most cruel execution, which can no way be justified, unless the children of Seir had been used to serve in that manner all they took captive of Judah.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

25:11 The Valley of Salt was a perennial battlefield south of the Dead Sea; David had also fought with the Edomites there (2 Sam 8:13; see Ps 60). • Amaziah did not capture the port at Elath (2 Chr 26:2); his conquest was limited to northern Edom.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For the Idumeans whom David had brought to subjection, rebelled under Jehoram Jehoshaphat’s son.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

valley of salt--This ravine lies to the south of the Dead Sea. The arms of Amaziah, in reward for his obedience to the divine will, were crowned with victory--ten thousand of the Edomites were slain on the field, and as many taken prisoners, who were put to death by precipitation "from the top of the rock" [Ch2 25:12]. This rock might be situated in the neighborhood of the battlefield, but more probably it formed one of the high craggy cliffs of Selah (Petra), the capital of the Edomites, whither Amaziah marched directly from the Valley of Salt, and which he captured (Kg2 14:7). The savage cruelty dealt out to them was either in retaliation for similar barbarities inflicted on the Hebrews, or to strike terror into so rebellious a people for the future. The mode of execution, by dashing against stones (Psa 137:9), was common among many ancient nations.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(11) And Amaziah strengthened himself.—Shewed himself strong or courageous, took courage; as the prophet had bidden him do (2Ch_25:8). (Comp. 2Ch_15:8.)

And went to the valley of salt.—Comp. 2Ki_14:7 : “He it was who smote Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand; and he took Sela in the war, and called its name Joktheel, unto this day.” The valley of salt lay to the south-east of the Dead Sea (2Sa_8:13; 1Ch_18:12).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11, 12 (cp. 2Ki_14:7). Victory over Edom

11. strengthened himself] R.V. took courage; cp. 2Ch_1:1 (note).

the valley of salt] The scene of one of David’s victories (1Ch_18:12; see note there).

children of Seir] The Edomites were so called because “Mount Seir” was part of their territory; Deu_2:5.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive,.... The rest of the army of the Edomites, which amounted to the same number, fell into their hands, and they took them, and carried them off:

and brought them unto the top of the rock; very probably the same on which the city Petra, the metropolis of Edom, was built, called also Selah, Kg2 14:7 both which names signify a rock. Josephus (g) calls it the great rock in Arabia; that is, Arabia Petraea:

and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they were broken all in pieces; burst asunder, bones broken, and limb from limb separated. This sort of punishment was inflicted by the Romans on various malefactors, by casting them down from the Tarpeian rock (h); and in Greece, according to the Delphian law, such as were guilty of sacrilege were led to a rock, and cast down headlong from thence (i): and now in Turkey, at a place called Constantine, a town situated on the top of a great rock, the usual way of executing great criminals is by pushing them from off the cliff (k); see Luk 4:29, but to use captives taken in war after this manner seems cruel and barbarous; and what should be the reason of such treatment of them is not easy to say.

(g) Antiqu. l. 9. c. 9. sect. 1. (h) Liv. Hist. l. 6. c. 20. Patercul. Hist. Roman. l. 2. Aurel. Victor. de Vir. Illustr. c. 27, 70. Vid, Rycquium de Capitol. Roman. c. 4. p. 45, &c. (i) Aelian. Var. Hist. l. 11. c. 5. (k) Pitt's Account of the Mahometans, ch. 1. p. 10.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The children of Seir - i. e. the Edomites (see the marginal reference “h”).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Strengthened himself. The hithp, conjugation of our already familiar verb qzj it was not a healthy strengthening, and this may be considered denoted in the fact that the work was all his own, and that he wrought himself up. The valley of salt. Commonly supposed to be the plain south of the Salt Sea, but according to Stanley ("Sinai and Palestine," Appendix. 5, pp. 482, 483), more probably a "ravine near Petra" (1Ch_18:12; 2Sa_8:13) (For the association of Seir with Edom, see Gen_36:17-20; 2Ch_20:10)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

took courage

"became brave"

Valley of Salt

This is an area near the Dead Sea.

ten thousand men ... another ten thousand

"10,000 men ... another 10,000 soldiers" (See: Numbers)

so that they were all broken in pieces

This is an exaggeration to emphasize the thoroughness of the slaughter. AT: "so that they were all completely destroyed" (See: Hyperbole and Generalization)

translationWords

kingdom of Judah

life

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.