15. which have not delivered] Such deliverance being in popular thought the proof of a deity’s power; compare Isaiah xxxvi. 18 ff., xxxvii. 18 ff.
¹⁶And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, Have we made thee of the king’s counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.
16. of the king’s counsel] Literally, “counsellor to the king.”
hath determined] Literally, “hath counselled” (with a play on the king’s word).
17–24 (= 2 Kings xiv. 8–14).
Amaziah Conquered by Joash.
The overwhelming defeat of Amaziah by Joash of Israel, involving the destruction of part of the defences of Jerusalem and the plundering of the Temple, must have been an affair of the highest importance in Judean history. The relative weakness of Judah compared with Israel is still less apparent in Chronicles than in Kings. For a discussion of the evidence see Cook in Encyclopedia Britannica, s.v. Jews, p. 379.
¹⁷Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
17. took advice] Took counsel, presumably (according to the Chronicler’s narrative) with a view to demanding satisfaction from Joash for the ravages of the Israelite mercenaries (verse 13). The sequel suggests that Joash refused to give satisfaction.
let us look one another in the face] The proposal may be either to fight or (better) to discuss Amaziah’s claims, the two kings meeting as equals. The latter is probably the right alternative, for the answer of Joash draws a scoffing parallel between Amaziah’s proposition and a thorn’s proposal of alliance with a cedar. Had Amaziah’s words been a challenge to fight, Joash’s answer might rather have taken the form of the parable in Judges ix. 15, “The thorn said, Fire shall come out of the thorn and devour the cedars of Lebanon,” etc.
¹⁸And Joash king of Israel sent to Amaziah, king of Judah, saying, The thistle[¹] 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.