2 Chronicles 25:11
in 2 Chronicles 25Amaziah, however, summoned his strength and led his troops to the Valley of Salt, where he struck down 10,000 men of Seir,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Amaziah took courage, and led forth his people, and went to the Valley of Salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.
KJV
And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 25
Commentary
5 notes on this verseAnd Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people,.... To go to war with the Edomites; not discouraged by the dismission of the hired troops, but trusting in the promise and power of God, he went forth with boldness and intrepidity: and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir, ten thousand; the Edomites; so called, not because they were the posterity of Seir, but because they dwelt in Seir, from whence they drove the descendants of Seir, and dwelt in their stead; see 2Ki 14:7.
This site's exposition
led his troops to the Valley of Salt
on 2 Chronicles 25:11-12
Kings records the ten thousand struck down in a single clause. Chronicles adds a second ten thousand, taken alive, carried to “the top of a cliff” and thrown down. It sharpens the irony of verse 14, where the victor bows to the gods of the people he defeated.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
He left dead upon the spot, in the field of battle, 10,000 men; 10,000 more he took prisoners, and barbarously killed them all by throwing them down some steep and craggy precipice. What provocation he had to exercise this cruelty towards them we are not told; but it was certainly very severe.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
The savage cruelty dealt out to them was either in retaliation for similar barbarities inflicted on the Hebrews, or to strike terror into so rebellious a people for the future. The mode of execution, by dashing against stones (Ps 137:9), was common among many ancient nations.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The children of Seir - i. e. the Edomites (see the marginal reference “h”).
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
and they were all split open, etc..after [Amaziah] had come, etc. In Lam. Rabbah it says about him, “whether he is angry or he laughs” (Prov.:9).
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַאֲמַצְיָ֙הוּ֙ | vaamatzyahu | and Amaziah | H558 → | 40 times |
| הִתְחַזַּ֔ק | hitchazak | he strengthened himself | H2388 → | 291 times |
| וַיִּנְהַג֙ | vaiyinhag | and he led out | H5090 → | |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמּ֔וֹ | amo | people his | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he went | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| גֵּ֣יא | gei' | [the] Valley of | H1516 → | 59 times |
| הַמֶּ֑לַח | hamelach | <the> Salt | H4417 → | |
| וַיַּ֥ךְ | vaiyakh | and he struck down | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנֵי־ | benei- | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שֵׂעִ֖יר | seir | Seir | H8165 → | 39 times |
| עֲשֶׂ֥רֶת | ʾaseret | ten | H6235 → | 176 times |
| אֲלָפִֽים׃ | ʾalafim | thousand<s> | H505 → | 505 times |
וַאֲמַצְיָ֙הוּ֙and Amaziah
vaamatzyahuH558 →40 times
הִתְחַזַּ֔קhe strengthened himself
hitchazakH2388 →291 times
וַיִּנְהַג֙and he led out
vaiyinhagH5090 →
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַמּ֔וֹpeople his
amoH5971 →1873 times
וַיֵּ֖לֶךְand he went
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
גֵּ֣יא[the] Valley of
gei'H1516 →59 times
הַמֶּ֑לַח<the> Salt
hamelachH4417 →
וַיַּ֥ךְand he struck down
vaiyakhH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנֵי־[the] people of
benei-H1121 →4930 times
שֵׂעִ֖ירSeir
seirH8165 →39 times
עֲשֶׂ֥רֶתten
ʾaseretH6235 →176 times
אֲלָפִֽים׃thousand<s>
ʾalafimH505 →505 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Psalms 60:1You have rejected us, O God; You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us!
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 8:12–13
from Edom and Moab, from the Ammonites and Philistines and Amalekites, and from the spoil of Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah.
- 2 Samuel 8:3
David also defeated Hadadezer son of Rehob, king of Zobah, who had marched out to restore his dominion along the Euphrates River.
- Psalms 44:9
But You have rejected and humbled us; You no longer go forth with our armies.
- 1 Chronicles 18:3
As far as Hamath, David also defeated King Hadadezer of Zobah, who had marched out to establish his dominion along the Euphrates River.
- 2 Samuel 8:12–13
Through
2 Kings 14:7Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 18:12
Moreover, Abishai son of Zeruiah struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Psalms 60:1
You have rejected us, O God; You have broken us; You have been angry; restore us!
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 2 Samuel 8:13
And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
- 1 Chronicles 18:12
Through
2 Samuel 8:13And David made a name for himself when he returned from striking down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt.
it leads to
- 2 Kings 14:7
Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites in the Valley of Salt. He took Sela in battle and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this very day.
- 2 Kings 14:7
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.