Amaziah (1 Chronicles 6:45)

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).