2 Kings 14:22

2Ki 14:22 He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

Ver. 22. He built Elath.] A place of great importance, as being a port town, say some, near the Red Sea.

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 14:22. He built Elath — Repaired and fortified it; for it was built before, Deu 2:8. And restored it to Judah — From whom it had revolted with the rest of Edom, in which land it lay, upon the Red sea. After that the king — Namely, his father Amaziah; slept with his fathers — The meaning is, that Amaziah did not perfect his conquest of Edom, but left some work there for his son to do.

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

14:22 Elath, built by Solomon (2 Chr 8:17) on the Gulf of Aqaba, provided an important commercial gateway to the Red Sea.

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

Which is also called Elanon or Eloth.

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

He built Elath--fortified that seaport. It had revolted with the rest of Edom, but was now recovered by Uzziah. His father, who did not complete the conquest of Edom, had left him that work to do.

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

Verse 22. He built Elath] This city belonged to the Edomites; and was situated on the eastern branch of the Red Sea, thence called the Elanitic Gulf. It had probably suffered much in the late war; and was now rebuilt by Uzziah, and brought entirely under the dominion of Judah.

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

(22) He built Elath.—The pronoun is emphatic; he, in contrast with his father. “Built,” either rebuilt or fortified. The verse is in close connection with the preceding narrative. Amaziah perhaps had not vigorously prosecuted the conquest of Edom, having been greatly weakened by his defeat in the struggle with Jehoash. He may even have suffered some further losses at the hands of the Edomites; and this, as Thenius supposes may have led to the conspiracy which brought about his death and the accession of his son. The warlike youth Uzziah took the field at once, and pushed his victorious arms to the southern extremity of Edom, the port of Elath (2Ki_9:26), and thus restored the state of things which had existed under Solomon and Jehoshaphat.

After that the king slept—i.e., immediately after the murder of Amaziah. Thenius explains the verse with most success, but this clause is still somewhat surprising.

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

22. He built Elath] Elath (also written Eloth) was at the northern extremity of the Gulf of Akabah. It is said in 1Ki_9:26 to have belonged to Edom, but at this time Judah was powerful enough to secure a road through Edom for trade purposes, and so extend the sway of their kingdom to the same point southward which they had occupied in the days of Solomon. Between that time and this, Elath had most likely fallen into decay. Hence the mention of ‘building’, which of course means restoration. (See on 2Ki_15:35.)

and restored it to Judah] As it had been in the days of Solomon. We need not suppose that more was done than to secure a passage through Edom between Elath and Jerusalem. Edom was of small use to Judah, but a port on the Red Sea was a great acquisition.

after that the king slept with his fathers] This is another of those vague notices which indicate an unusual state of things in Judah at this period. It would almost seem as though Azariah had been put in authority, if not on the throne, before the death of his father, and that he had been making his plans beforehand, only waiting for his father’s death to carry them out. He was without doubt a popular monarch, for it is said (verse 21) that all Judah agreed on him for king.

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.

He restored the coast of Israel,.... The cities upon it, which had been taken away from them by their enemies:

from the entering of Hamath; which was the northern border of the land of Canaan, the entrance into it from Syria, see Num 34:8,

unto the sea of the plain: of Jordan, called sometimes the salt sea and the Dead Sea; the lake Asphaltites, as Josephus (k), where formerly stood Sodom and Gomorrah:

according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah the son of Amittai; the same with him whose prophecy among the small prophets bears this name; and though his prophecy concerning Jeroboam's success and victories is not there, nor anywhere else, recorded at length, yet needed not to be doubted of; this is the first of the prophets spoken of whose books are extant:

which was of Gathhepher; a city in the tribe of Zebulun, Jos 19:13, which contradicts a notion of the Jews, that no prophet came out of Galilee, when the very first of those that were the penmen of the books of prophecies was from thence, see Joh 7:52.

(k) Ut supra, (Antiqu. l. 9.) c. 10. sect. 1.

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

Elath, or Eloth (marginal reference 1Ki 9:26), was near Ezion-Geber, in the Gulf of Akabah. It had been lost to the Jews on the revolt of Edom from Joram 2Ki 8:22. Uzziah’s re-establishment of the place, rendered possible by his father’s successes 2Ki 14:7, was one of his first acts, and seems to imply a desire to renew the commercial projects which Solomon had successfully carried out, and which Jehoshaphat had vainly attempted 1Ki 22:48.

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

Built, or rebuilt Elath; which gives its name to the eastern branch of the Red Sea. David had possession of all Idumea. Amasias had reconquered a great part, and his son pushed his conquests still further.

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).

He built Elath, i.e. repaired and fortified it; for it was built before, Deu 2:8.

Restored it to Judah; from whom it had revolted with the rest of Edom, in which land this place was upon the Red Sea.

The king, i.e. his father Amaziah; who did not perfect his conquest of Edom, but left some work for his son.

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

22. Built Elath, and restored it to Judah — This fragmentary notice of the chief triumph of Judah during Azariah’s reign seems to have been thrown in here to show that the son of Amaziah was chiefly distinguished, like his father, for his work in the territories of Edom. Elath, which Azariah is here said to have built — that is, repaired and fortified — is first mentioned in connexion with the journey of Israel through the desert, (Deu_2:8,) and again at 1Ki_9:26, where see note. It was situated at the head of the eastern arm of the Red Sea, and the ancient site is now marked by extensive mounds of rubbish.

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

He built Elath, and restored it to Judah. On the position of Elath, or Eloth, and its importance, see the comment on 1Ki_9:26. It had been the headquarters of Solomon"s fleet, (1Ki_9:26) and again of Jehoshaphat"s (1Ki_22:48; 2Ch_20:36) but had been, of course, recovered by the Edomites when they revolted. (2Ki_8:22) Azariah"s re-occupation seems to imply an intention on his part of, renewing the old Red Sea trade. By "built" in this passage we must understand "rebuilt" or (as in 2Ch_11:6) "fortified." After that the king slept with his fathers. Keil is probably right in understanding this to mean "immediately after he had ascended the throne," or "as soon as ever his father was dead" (see the comment on ver. 19). His further military successes will be considered in the comment on his reign, as sketched in the next chapter.

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

After the king lay with his forefathers. After the death of his father Amatzyoh. From here you deduce that Uzziyoh reigned during his father’s lifetime. Nevertheless, Eilas was not delivered into his hand until after his father’s death, for if he did not reign during his father’s lifetime, why was it necessary to state, “after the king lay with his forefathers”? And when you count the days of the Beis [Hamikdosh] according to the years of the kings, if you do not subtract these fifteen years, which are counted for Amatzyoh and Uzziyohu, you will find that it existed four hundred twenty-five years.

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.