2 Kings 14:8-9

14:8 Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel. He said, “Come, let’s meet face to face.” ¹  14:9 King Jehoash of Israel sent this message back to King Amaziah of Judah, “A thornbush in Lebanon sent this message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son as a wife.’ Then a wild animal ²  of Lebanon came by and trampled down the thorn. ³ 

2 Kings 14:11

14:11 But Amaziah would not heed the warning, ⁴  so King Jehoash of Israel attacked. ⁵  He and King Amaziah of Judah met face to face ⁶  in Beth Shemesh of Judah.

2 Kings 14:13

14:13 King Jehoash of Israel captured King Amaziah of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, in Beth Shemesh. He ⁷  attacked ⁸  Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to the Corner Gate – a distance of about six hundred feet. ⁹ 

2 Kings 14:15-17

14:15 The rest of the events of Jehoash’s ¹⁰  reign, including all his accomplishments and his successful war with King Amaziah of Judah, are recorded in the scroll called the Annals of the Kings of Israel. ¹¹  14:16 Jehoash passed away ¹²  and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel. His son Jeroboam replaced him as king.)

14:17 King Amaziah son of Joash of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of King Jehoash son of Jehoahaz of Israel.

---

¹ tn Heb “let us look at each other [in the] face.” The expression refers here to meeting in battle. See v. 11.

² tn Heb “the animal of the field.”

³ sn Judah is the thorn in the allegory. Amaziah’s success has deceived him into thinking he is on the same level as the major powers in the area (symbolized by the cedar). In reality he is not capable of withstanding an attack by a real military power such as Israel (symbolized by the wild animal).

⁴ tn Heb “did not listen.”

⁵ tn Heb “went up.”

⁶ tn Heb “looked at each other [in the] face.”

⁷ tc The MT has the plural form of the verb, but the final vav (ו) is virtually dittographic. The word that immediately follows in the Hebrew text begins with a yod (י). The form should be emended to the singular, which is consistent in number with the verb (“he broke down”) that follows.

⁸ tn Heb “came to.”

⁹ tn Heb “four hundred cubits.” The standard cubit in the OT is assumed by most authorities to be about eighteen inches (45 cm) long.

¹⁰ sn Jehoash and Joash are alternate forms of the same name.

¹¹ tn Heb “As for the rest of the events of Jehoash, and all which he did and his strength, [and] how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written on the scroll of the events of the days of the kings of Israel?”

¹² tn Heb “lay down with his fathers.”