2 Chronicles 25:18

2Ch 25:18 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.

Ver. 18-20, &c., to the end of the chapter. {See Trapp on "2Ki 14:8"} {See Trapp on "2Ki 14:9"} {See Trapp on "2Ki 14:10"}

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_25:18

The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon.

True and false union

Our parable thus distinguishes between true and false union. The true is inward and real; the false is outward and superficial. The true rests on the fitness of things and on eternal laws; the false relies on the capriciousness of human nature and the ebb and flow of circumstances. The false comes through conquest, coercion, and oppression; the true comes from God, righteousness and liberty. You will find these two kinds of union facing us in all relations of life. Take the history of Christianity in the world.

1. The aim of the Roman Catholic Church has been to create union among all Christians. But, while the aim has been good, the method employed has been bad. The union thus sought has been a false one because it has tried to coerce and compel men to acknowledge the Pope to be the one earthly vicar of Christ.

2. A similar policy has been that of the Established Church of England. As soon as the prayer-book was compiled a series of Acts of Parliament were passed--the Act of Uniformity, etc.--to compel all British subjects to conform to its teaching. An effort was made to establish union by Acts of Parliament. The effort with a right and noble aim has failed because based on false methods.

3. Dissenters have also erred in like manner. At the assembly of Westminster divines a number of eminent Christian men drew up a set of doctrines, which were to be the infallible guide for a section of the followers of Christ. If a carpenter has a certain number of boards to make he gets the wood that is necessary; he takes his measurements; he cuts and planes each board exactly to the size, and length, and breadth, and thickness that he desires; he joins the boards together and makes the box, or floor, or other article as the case may be. All are united to complete the one object intended. But it is impossible for us to apply the word union in this sense to intelligent, thinking human beings. You may cut, measure wood and inanimate objects as you please, but here you have to do with creatures in whom there is the Divine gift of reason and free-will. If you wish to unite men under any government, religious or political, you must first appeal to their reason, and leave them free to act as that reason leads them. The only true basis of union among human beings is the Presence of God--in other words, righteousness, justice, liberty, and truth. For where righteousness, justice, liberty, and truth are, there God is. The members of a family are united not by bearing the same name, resembling each other in stature and features, but by doing what is right and just to each other, and by loving one another. The members of the Church of Christ are not united by repeating the same creed, by meeting in the same place of worship, by calling themselves by the same name, but by having hearts glowing with love to one Saviour, and by gladly serving their one Lord. The people of a nation are united together not by national prejudices and oppressive laws so much as by their common loyalty to a righteous and just government. (J. Lewis.)

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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 18. The thistle that was in Lebanon] See the explanation of this 2Kg 14:9. After reciting this fable, the Targum adds, "Thus hast thou done in the time thou didst send unto me, and didst lead up from the house of Israel a hundred thousand strong warriors for a hundred talents of silver: and after they were sent, thou didst not permit them to go with thee to war, but didst send them back, greatly enraged, so that they spread themselves over the country; and having cut off three thousand, they brought back much spoil."

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(18) And Joash king of Israel.—This verse is the same as 2Ki_14:9. (See Notes there.)

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

18. the thistle] R.V. mg., thorn; cp. Pro_26:9 (same Heb. word).

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.

Thistle. This fable insinuated how much Joas despised the insolence of his antagonist, (H.) and Amasias had soon reason to repent. T.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The thistle sent to the cedar. While other history shows frequently the abounding Eastern delight in this exact kind of composition, it will be remembered that it is not absent from Scripture, and that this is not the first recorded instance of it by three hundred and fifty years, for seejh. (Jud 9:7-15) The thistle; Hebrew, jwO. The word occurs, beside the four times here and in the parallel, eight other times: 1Sa_13:6; 2Ch_33:11; Job_31:40 Job_41:2; Pro_26:9; Son_2:2; Isa_34:13; Hos_9:6. Although, then, the word we have here is not the "bramble" (dfa) of Jud_1:9:15, which also is brought before us in its contrast with Lebanon"s cedar, yet the bramble bush, chiefly in virtue of its characteristic thorn, best answers to the average suggestions of all the twelve instances of the use of our word.

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

A thistle that was in Lebanon ... trampled down the thistle

This message is in the form of a parable. The worthless thistle represents Amaziah, and the cedar represents Jehoash. The trampling of the thistle by the beast expresses that something bad will happen to the thistle, and it will be powerless to stop it. The point of the parable is that Amaziah was foolish to challenge Jehoash. (See: Parables)

thistle

This is a small, worthless plant with small, sharp thorns.

cedar

a very large type of tree

your heart has lifted you up

This is an idiom that means he had become proud. AT: "you have become proud" (See: Idiom)

why should you cause yourself trouble and fall, both you and Judah with you?

Jehoash used this rhetorical question to warn Amaziah not to fight with him. It can be translated as a statement. AT: "you should not cause yourself trouble and fall, both you and Judah with you." (See: Rhetorical Question)

fall

Here "fall" is a euphemism for "die." (See: Euphemism)

Judah

Here "Judah" is a metonym for the people who lived in Judah. AT: "the people of Judah" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

Lebanon

beast

proud

trouble

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

The thistle that was in Lebanon which is of short stature.

sent to the cedar which is the greatest prince of all the trees.

passed by and trampled the thistle The cedar did not wish to kill it because it was degrading in his eyes to cut down the thistle, but a beast of the field passed by and trampled it in contempt, for how did he dare to send such a great insult to the lofty cedar? You too are like the thistle, for you have only two tribes, and now my servants will rise up against you and trample you when they hear of this disgrace.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.