2 Kings 14:13

2Ki 14:13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

Ver. 13. And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah.] Whom he used nothing so courteously as Alexander, Prince of the Bulgarians, did Andronicus II, Emperor of Constantinople, who had sent him a challenge, as here Amaziah did Jehoash. But when Alexander had beaten him out of the field, he nevertheless offered him a peace, and suffered him to return home with his shattered army, advising him to be better advised for the future, and to consider that in each year there are four different seasons; and that in a short moment there may be great changes in human affairs. {a}

{a} Val. Max., Christ, 59.

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.

2Ki 14:13-14. Jehoash took Amaziah king of Judah, &c. — Amaziah’s pedigree comes in here somewhat abruptly. The son of Jehoash, the son of Ahaziah — Because perhaps he had gloried in the dignity of his ancestors, or now smarted for their iniquity. And came to Jerusalem — Which tamely opened to him; probably because he demanded entrance in Amaziah’s name, and with his consent. And brake down the wall of Jerusalem — In reproach to them; and that he might, when he pleased, take possession of the royal city. Josephus says, that he drove his chariot in triumph through the breach. And he took all the gold and silver, &c. — He plundered Jerusalem, and took away all that was valuable, spoiling both the house of the Lord, and the king’s house, of all their treasures. And hostages — To ensure their peaceable conduct. And returned to Samaria — He did not keep Jerusalem, nor seek to gain the possession and dominion of that kingdom; partly, because he thought he could not keep it, considering the difficulty he found in defending his own from such potent and near enemies as the Syrians were, and the great affection which all Judah bore to David’s house; and partly, because God so inclined his heart, that he might make good his promise to David and his family.

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

14:13-14 The extensive demolition of Jerusalem’s wall and the thorough looting of the city testify to Jehoash’s overwhelming victory. Carrying off Temple and palace treasures and taking hostages are often noted in the annals of victorious Assyrian kings. See also 12:17-18; 18:13-15; 24:13-14; 25:8-21; 1 Kgs 14:25-26.

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

Or, brought him.

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

Verse 13. Took Amaziah king of Judah] It is plain that Amaziah afterwards had his liberty; but how or on what terms he got it, is not known. See on the following verse.

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

(13) Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah.—Comp, 2Ki_14:8. Thenius thinks the formal specification of Amaziah’s descent indicates that this narrative was derived from “the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel.” At all events, it emphasises the importance of the incident, which is further indicated in the original by the order of the words: “And Amaziah king of Judah . . . did Jehoash king of Israel take . . .”

Came.—So the Hebrew margin. The Hebrew text has, brought him (way’bî’ô; a rare form). So Chronicles and the Vulg., but not the other versions. Jehoash brought Amaziah a prisoner to his own capital.

Brake down the wall.—Or, made a breach in the wall. No resistance appears to have been offered. Josephus relates that Amaziah was induced by menaces of death to order the gates to be thrown open to the enemy; a needless assumption, considering that the army had been routed and the king was a captive. He adds, that Jehoash rode in his chariot through the breach in the walls, leading Amaziah as a prisoner.

From the gate.—So Chronicles and the Syriac, Vulg., and Arabic here. The Hebrew text has, at the gate, which is due to the common confusion of the letters b and m (be, “in;” min, “from”). The following “unto” shows that “from” is right.

Of Ephraim.—This gate lay on the north side of the city, and was also called the “Gate of Benjamin.” It answers to the modern Damascus gate.

The corner gate.—This gate was at the north-west corner of the wall at the point where it trended southwards.

Four hundred cubits.—That is, about 222 yards. The insolence of a victorious enemy is sufficient to account for this conduct of Jehoash. It was also a forcible way of convincing Amaziah that even his strongest city was not proof against the prowess of Ephraim. Thenius thinks that Jehoash wanted to make room for the triumphal entry of his troops.

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

13. took Amaziah] i.e. Took him prisoner. And there is some difficulty in deciding what became of Amaziah at this time and afterwards. In 2Ch_25:23 it is added that Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem, and the Kethib (= they came) in this verse is intended to give that idea. Both A.V. and R.V. have translated the Keri (= he came). Josephus (Ant. IX. 9. 3) has given an account which makes Amaziah be brought as a captive into his own capital. ‘When the troops (of Judah) were scattered in alarm, Amaziah was left alone and was taken prisoner by the enemy. Then Jehoash threatened to put him to death unless he persuaded the people of Jerusalem to open their gates and admit him with his army into the city. And Amaziah through necessity and in fear for his life caused the enemy to be received. And Jehoash having broken down about four hundred cubits of the walls, drove in his chariot through the opening into Jerusalem, bringing Amaziah as his prisoner.’ This is a picture in which the imagination has added to the details of the sacred narrative. Yet the very formal way in which Amaziah is mentioned in this verse, both here and by the Chronicler, as ‘Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah’, seems to indicate that some crisis in the reign of this king is marked by the defeat at Beth-shemesh. Perhaps he was kept a prisoner till the death of Jehoash. The way in which it is said in verse 17 that Amaziah lived (not reigned) after the death of Jehoash, seems also, from its unusual nature, to mark an exceptional state of things.

from the gate of Ephraim] This portion of the wall was on the north of the city, opening towards the kingdom of Israel, and the demolition of a large part of the wall on that side was meant to leave the city exposed to the entry of the Israelites if they were desirous to come in. The gate was where now is ‘the Damascus gate’.

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.

Now the rest of the acts of Jehoash which he did, and his might,.... His valiant and mighty acts which he did in his wars with the Syrians, Kg2 13:25,

and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah; a short account of which is given in the preceding verses:

are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? a book very often mentioned and referred to, as containing the history of the events and transactions of every reign.

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

The object of breaking down the wall was to leave Jerusalem at the mercy of her rival; and it must have been among the conditions of the peace that the breach thus made should not be repaired.

Gates in Oriental cities are named from the places to which they lead. The gate of Ephraim must therefore have been a north gate: perhaps also known, later on, by the name of the “gate of Benjamin” Jer 37:13; Zec 14:10. The corner gate was probably a gate at the northwest angle of the city, where the north wall approached the Valley of Hinnom. The entire breach was thus in the north wall, on the side where Jerusalem was naturally the weakest. Josephus says that Joash drove his chariot through the breach into the town, a practice not unusual with conquerors.

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

Cubits. Josephus says 300, and that he led Amasias in triumph through the ruins, (Antiquities ix. 10.) on the west side, (Calmet) or on the north. (Villalpand) (Menochius)

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).

Came to Jerusalem; commanding entrance in Amaziah’s name, and with his consent, which he durst not deny.

The gate of Ephraim; which led to Ephraim.

Four hundred cubits; which was done, partly in scorn and contempt, and partly that he might re-enter and retake it, if they should attempt to renew the war.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

13. Brake down the wall of Jerusalem — The northern wall.

Gate of Ephraim — The same, doubtless, as the gate of Benjamin, (Jer_37:13; Zec_14:10,) and so called from being the principal entrance to the city in the direction of these tribes. Its location was probably not far from the modern Damascus gate. Compare Neh_8:16; Neh_12:39.

Corner gate — Situated probably at the northwestern corner of the same wall. Compare Jer_31:38; Zec_14:10.

Four hundred cubits — About seven hundred feet.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And Jehoash King of Israel took Amaziah King of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah at Beth-shemesh Josephus says (l.s.c. ) that Amaziah was deserted by his troops, who were seized with a sudden panic and fled from the fieldand came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem. According to Josephus, Joash threatened his prisoner with death unless the gates of Jerusalem were opened to him, and his army admitted into the town; and it was upon Amaziah"s representations that the surrender was made as soon as the Israelite army appeared before the place. The breach in the wall was therefore not the result of siege operations, but the act of a conqueror, who desired to leave his enemy as defenseless as possible. From the gate of Ephraim; i.e. the main gate in the northern wall of the city that by which travelers ordinarily proceeded into the territory of the tribe of Ephraim. In later times it seems to have been called indifferently "the gate of Ephraim" (Neh_8:16 Neh_12:39) and "the gate of Benjamin" (Jer_37:13; Zec_14:10) The great north road, which passed through it, led across the Benjamite into the Ephraim-its territory. Unto the corner gate. The, "corner gate" is generally thought to have been that at the north-western angle of the City wall, where it turned southward, but this is perhaps doubtful. The exact line of the city wall in the time of Amaziah is exceedingly uncertain. Four hundred cubits; six hundred feet, or two hundred yards. This seems to have been the entire distance between the two gates. As there were at least thirteen gates in the circuit of the walls (Neh_3:1-31 Neh_12:31-39; Zec_14:10) which were probably not mere extensive than those of the present town (3960 yards), the distance of two hundred yards between one gate and another would not be improbable, the average distance being about three hundred yards.

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

Ahaziah - Amaziah's pedigree comes in somewhat abruptly, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah: Probably because he now smarted, for the iniquity of his ancestors.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

This is what happened after the army of Israel defeated the army of Judah at Beth Shemesh.

He came ... He took

Here "He" refers to Jehoash and his army. AT: "Jehoash and his army came ... Jehoash's soldiers took" (See: Synecdoche)

Ephraim Gate ... Corner Gate

There are the names of gates in the wall of Jerusalem. (See: How to Translate Names)

four hundred cubits

"about 180 meters" (See: Numbers)

cubits

A cubit was about 46 centimeters. (See: Biblical Distance)

with hostages also, and returned to Samaria

This implies that Jehoash needed to take these hostages to prevent Amaziah from attacking again. This can be made explicit. AT: "and they also took to Samaria some prisoners to make sure that Amaziah would cause them no more trouble" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

translationWords

Jerusalem

Ephraim

gate

gold

silver

house of God

Samaria

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