2 Chronicles 25:14
in 2 Chronicles 25When 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.
KJV
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 25
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The practice of carrying off the images of the gods from a conquered country, or city, as trophies of victory, was common among the nations of the East. Sometimes as with the Romans, the object was worship, especially when the gods were previously among those of the conquering country, and the images had the reputation of special sanctity.
This site's exposition
brought the gods of the children of Seir
Amaziah comes home from Edom and sets up the gods of Seir, bowing down and burning incense to them, and Chronicles states the irony plainly: these are the gods of a people he has just defeated. Kings never records this episode; the idolatry and everything that follows from it belongs to Chronicles alone. The God who answered his one prayer for silver at verse 9 is exchanged, within the same chapter, for gods that could not save their own worshippers.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
If he had cast the idols down from the rock and broken them to pieces, instead of the prisoners, he would have manifested more of the piety as well as more of the pity of an Israelite; but perhaps for that barbarous inhumanity he was given up to this ridiculous idolatry. The reproof which God sent to him, by a prophet, for this sin.
The revolt of Amaziah from the God of Israel to the gods of the Edomites. Ahaz worshipped the gods of those that had conquered him, for which he had some little colour, ch. xxviii. But to worship the gods of those whom he had conquered, who could not protect their own worshippers, was the greatest absurdity that could be.
Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Amaziah . . . brought the gods of the children of Seir--The Edomites worshipped the sun under different forms and with various rites. But burning incense upon altars was a principal act of worship, and this was the very thing Amaziah is described as having with strange infatuation performed.
The gods of the children of Seir - “The idols of the children of Gebal.” - Targum.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
raided the cities of Judah from Samaria to Beth-Horon after they returned to their place, as above, “they were very angry with Judah and returned to their place.
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
19 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיְהִ֗י | vayhi | and it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| אַחֲרֵ֨י | ʾacharei | after | H310 → | 715 times |
| ב֤וֹא | vo' | came | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֲמַצְיָ֙הוּ֙ | ʾamatzyahu | Amaziah | H558 → | 40 times |
| מֵֽהַכּ֣וֹת | mehakot | from defeating | H5221 → | 499 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲדוֹמִ֔ים | ʾadomim | [the] Edomites | H130 → | |
| וַיָּבֵ֗א | vaiyave' | and he brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֱלֹהֵי֙ | ʾelohei | [the] gods of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| בְּנֵ֣י | benei | [the] people of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| שֵׂעִ֔יר | seir | Seir | H8165 → | 39 times |
| וַיַּֽעֲמִידֵ֥ם | vaiyaamidem | and he set up them | H5975 → | 521 times |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | for himself | ||
| לֵאלֹהִ֑ים | lelohim | to gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| וְלִפְנֵיהֶ֥ם | velifneihem | and <to> before them | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה | yishtachaveh | he bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| וְלָהֶ֥ם | velahem | and to them | ||
| יְקַטֵּֽר׃ | yekater | he made smoke | H6999 → | 116 times |
וַיְהִ֗יand it was
vayhiH1961 →3559 times
אַחֲרֵ֨יafter
ʾachareiH310 →715 times
ב֤וֹאcame
vo'H935 →2568 times
אֲמַצְיָ֙הוּ֙Amaziah
ʾamatzyahuH558 →40 times
מֵֽהַכּ֣וֹתfrom defeating
mehakotH5221 →499 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲדוֹמִ֔ים[the] Edomites
ʾadomimH130 →
וַיָּבֵ֗אand he brought
vaiyave'H935 →2568 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֱלֹהֵי֙[the] gods of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
בְּנֵ֣י[the] people of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
שֵׂעִ֔ירSeir
seirH8165 →39 times
וַיַּֽעֲמִידֵ֥םand he set up them
vaiyaamidemH5975 →521 times
ל֖וֹfor himself
lo
לֵאלֹהִ֑יםto gods
lelohimH430 →2601 times
וְלִפְנֵיהֶ֥םand <to> before them
velifneihemH6440 →2123 times
יִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖הhe bowed down
yishtachavehH7812 →172 times
וְלָהֶ֥םand to them
velahem
יְקַטֵּֽר׃he made smoke
yekaterH6999 →116 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
Deuteronomy 7:5Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.
it leads to
- Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
- Deuteronomy 12:2–3
Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.
- Exodus 34:13
Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.
- Exodus 23:24
Through
Deuteronomy 7:25You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it…
it leads to
- Exodus 32:20
Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink…
- 1 Chronicles 14:12
There the Philistines abandoned their gods, and David ordered that they be burned in the fire.
- Deuteronomy 17:1
You shall not sacrifice to the LORD your God an ox or a sheep with any defect or serious flaw, for that is detestable to the LORD your God.
- Joshua 7:21
When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in…
- Exodus 32:20
Through
2 Samuel 5:21There the Philistines abandoned their idols, and David and his men carried them away.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 14:11–12
So David and his men went up to Baal-perazim, where he defeated the Philistines and said, “Like a bursting flood, God has burst out against my enemies by my hand.” So they called that…
- 1 Chronicles 14:11–12
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.