A king of the southern kingdom of Judah. He was a son of Joash.
About Amaziah
The ninth king of Judah, who ruled from 796 to 767 BC. At age 25, he became king after his father, King Joash. Amaziah’s mother was Jehoaddin. Assassins killed Joash after he was king for 40 years (2 Kings 12:19–21). Amaziah ruled Judah for 29 years before assassins also killed him (14:18–20). When Amaziah began his reign, another Joash was ruling the northern kingdom of Israel (14:1–2).
Amaziah was not like his ancestor David (2 Kings 14:3). Like his father, Amaziah did things that pleased God but failed to remove the pagan shrines that were corrupting the nation’s religious life. He respected the law of Moses, at least at the beginning (14:4–6).
Amaziah did not act wisely toward the rival kingdom of Israel. He went to war against the Edomites. He hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel. But he was warned by a prophet not to use them in battle, so Amaziah sent them home.
On their way out of Judah, the angry soldiers raided cities. They killed 3,000 people. Amaziah’s troops were victorious against the Edomites. At the Valley of Salt, they killed 10,000 of the enemy in battle. They killed another 10,000 prisoners (2 Chronicles 25:5–13).
Foolishly, Amaziah brought Edomite idols or false gods back with him after his conquest. He worshiped them. The Lord sent a prophet to tell Amaziah he would be destroyed for worshiping the idols (2 Chronicles 25:14–16). Proud of his conquest of Edom, Amaziah soon declared war on King Joash of Israel. Joash warned him in a parable that Judah would be crushed like a flower. Amaziah refused to back down. The two armies met at Beth-shemesh in Judah. Amaziah’s army was defeated. The Israelites captured Jerusalem and robbed the temple and palace.
Amaziah was taken prisoner but was evidently left in Jerusalem. He outlived Joash of Israel by 15 years (2 Chronicles 25:17–26). Amaziah was murdered in Lachish. He had fled there when he heard about a plot against him in Jerusalem. His body was brought back to the capital city and buried in the royal cemetery (2 Chronicles 25:27–28).
Family Relationships
Key References
In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah.
Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.
From the time that Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.
All Scripture References (34)
2 Kings (14)
As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with all his accomplishments and his might, including his war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
In the second year of the reign of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz over Israel, Amaziah son of Joash became king of Judah.
Then Amaziah sent messengers to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.
But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.
But Amaziah would not listen, so Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah.
There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Ahaziah. Then Jehoash went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.
As for the rest of the acts of Jehoash, along with his accomplishments, his might, and how he waged war against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?
Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.
As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?
Then all the people of Judah took Azariah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
In the fifteenth year of the reign of Amaziah son of Joash over Judah, Jeroboam son of Jehoash became king of Israel, and he reigned in Samaria forty-one years.
In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam’s reign over Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah became king of Judah.
And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.
1 Chronicles (1)
Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,
2 Chronicles (19)
The accounts of the sons of Joash and the many pronouncements about him, and of the restoration of the house of God, are indeed written in the Treatise of the Book of the Kings. And his son Amaziah reigned in his place.
Amaziah was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddan; she was from Jerusalem.
Then Amaziah gathered the people of Judah and assigned them according to their families to commanders of thousands and of hundreds. And he numbered those twenty years of age or older throughout Judah and Benjamin and found 300,000 chosen men able to serve in the army, bearing the spear and shield.
Amaziah asked the man of God, “What should I do about the hundred talents I have given to the troops of Israel?” And the man of God replied, “The LORD is able to give you much more than this.”
So Amaziah dismissed the troops who had come to him from Ephraim and sent them home. And they were furious with Judah and returned home in great anger.
Amaziah, however, summoned his strength and led his troops to the Valley of Salt, where he struck down 10,000 men of Seir,
Meanwhile the troops that Amaziah had dismissed from battle raided the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon. They struck down 3,000 people and carried off a great deal of plunder.
When Amaziah returned from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought back the gods of the Seirites, set them up as his own gods, bowed before them, and burned sacrifices to them.
Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”
Then Amaziah king of Judah took counsel and sent word to the king of Israel Jehoash son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu. “Come, let us meet face to face,” he said.
But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.
But Amaziah would not listen, for this had come from God in order to deliver them into the hand of Jehoash, because they had sought the gods of Edom.
So Jehoash king of Israel advanced, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah.
There at Beth-shemesh, Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, the son of Jehoahaz. Then Jehoash brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate—a section of four hundred cubits.
Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.
As for the rest of the acts of Amaziah, from beginning to end, are they not written in the Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel?
From the time that Amaziah turned from following the LORD, a conspiracy was formed against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.
All the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Amaziah had done.