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AMAZIAH
1. Ninth king of Judah (796–767 BC), who at age 25 succeeded his father, King Joash, when Joash was assassinated after a 40-year reign (2 Kgs 12:19-21). Amaziah’s mother was Jehoaddin. He ruled Judah for 29 years before he too was killed by assassins (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 Kgs 14:3). Like his father, Amaziah did things that pleased God, but he failed to remove the pagan shrines that were corrupting the nation’s religious life. He himself was respectful of the law of Moses, at least at the beginning (14:4-6).
Amaziah was unwise in his dealings with the rival kingdom of Israel. To go to war against the Edomites, he hired 100,000 mercenaries from Israel. Warned by a prophet not to use them in battle, Amaziah discharged them. On their way out of Judah the angry soldiers raided cities and killed 3,000 people. Nevertheless, Amaziah’s troops were victorious against the Edomites. At the Valley of Salt they killed 10,000 of the enemy in battle and executed another 10,000 prisoners (2 Chr 25:5-13).
Foolishly, Amaziah brought Edomite idols back with him after his conquest and was soon worshiping them. The Lord sent a prophet to announce Amaziah’s doom for such spiritual rebellion (2 Chr 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 thistle. Amaziah refused to back down, and the two armies met at Beth-shemesh in Judah. Amaziah’s army was routed. Jerusalem was captured and the temple and palace looted. Amaziah was taken prisoner but was evidently left in Jerusalem. He outlived Joash of Israel by 15 years (2 Chr 25:17-26). Amaziah was murdered in Lachish, to which he had fled 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 Chr 25:27-28).
2. Father of Joshah, a member of Simeon’s tribe (1 Chr 4:34).
3. Hilkiah’s son, a Levite of Merari’s clan (1 Chr 6:45).
4. Priest of Bethel in the days of Jeroboam II and an opponent of the prophet Amos (Am 7:10-17).