2 Kings 14:8
in 2 Kings 14Then 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
KJV
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.
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This verse in 2 Kings 14
Commentary
6 notes on this verseCome, let us look one another in the face - This was a real declaration of war; and the ground of it is most evident from this circumstance: that the one hundred thousand men of Israel that had been dismissed, though they had the stipulated money, taking the advantage of Amaziah’s absence, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria to Beth-horon, and smote three thousand men, and took much spoil, 2Ch 25:10-13. Amaziah no doubt remonstrated with Jehoash, but to no purpose; and therefore he declared war against him.
This site's exposition
let us look one another in the face
on 2 Kings 14:8-10
Flushed with Edom, Amaziah sends a challenge to Jehoash of Israel, and Jehoash answers with a fable rather than an army: a thistle of Lebanon asks a cedar for its daughter in marriage, and a passing beast tramples the thistle without even noticing it. The parable's point is proportion, a small king demanding what only a great one could ask, and Jehoash's counsel that follows is blunt, glory in the victory already won and stay home. Amaziah will not hear it, and the chapter has already told the reader what an unheard warning costs a king.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Sent - This challenge he sent, from self-confidence, and a desire of advancing his glory. But he that is fond either of fighting or going to law, will probably be the first that repents it.
): " Come, let us look one another in the face; let us try our strength in battle." Had he challenged him to a personal duel only, the error would have remained with himself, but each must bring all their forces into the field, and thousands of lives on both sides must be sacrificed to his capricious humour. Hereby he showed himself proud, presumptuous, and prodigal of blood.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz the son of Jehu king of Israel,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Amaziah’s success against Edom had so elated him that he thought himself more than a match for his northern neighbor. The grounds of the quarrel between them were furnished by the conduct of the hired, but dismissed, Israelite soldiers (see the marginal reference). Let us look one another in the face - i. e. “let us meet face to face in arms, and try each other’s strength” 2Ki 14:11-12.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| אָ֣ז | ʾaz | then | H227 → | 141 times |
| שָׁלַ֤ח | shalach | he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| אֲמַצְיָה֙ | ʾamatzyah | Amaziah | H558 → | 40 times |
| מַלְאָכִ֔ים | malakhim | messengers | H4397 → | 213 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| יְהוֹאָ֨שׁ | yehoash | Jehoash | H3060 → | 17 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יְהוֹאָחָ֧ז | yehoachaz | Jehoahaz | H3059 → | 20 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יֵה֛וּא | yehu' | Jehu | H3058 → | 58 times |
| מֶ֥לֶךְ | melekh | [the] king of | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לֵאמֹ֑ר | lemor | <to> saying | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לְכָ֖ה | lekhah | come ! | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| נִתְרָאֶ֥ה | nitraeh | let us look at one another | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| פָנִֽים׃ | fanim | faces | H6440 → | 2123 times |
אָ֣זthen
ʾazH227 →141 times
שָׁלַ֤חhe sent
shalachH7971 →845 times
אֲמַצְיָה֙Amaziah
ʾamatzyahH558 →40 times
מַלְאָכִ֔יםmessengers
malakhimH4397 →213 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
יְהוֹאָ֨שׁJehoash
yehoashH3060 →17 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
יְהוֹאָחָ֧זJehoahaz
yehoachazH3059 →20 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
יֵה֛וּאJehu
yehu'H3058 →58 times
מֶ֥לֶךְ[the] king of
melekhH4428 →2525 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לֵאמֹ֑ר<to> saying
lemorH559 →5305 times
לְכָ֖הcome !
lekhahH1980 →1546 times
נִתְרָאֶ֥הlet us look at one another
nitraehH7200 →1300 times
פָנִֽים׃faces
fanimH6440 →2123 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
Proverbs 13:10Arrogance leads only to strife, but wisdom is with the well-advised.
it leads to
- Proverbs 19:20
Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.
- Proverbs 12:15–16
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.
- Proverbs 17:14
To start a quarrel is to release a flood; so abandon the dispute before it breaks out.
- 1 Timothy 6:4
he is conceited and understands nothing. Instead, he has an unhealthy interest in controversies and semantics, out of which come envy, strife, abusive talk, evil suspicions,
- James 3:14–16
But if you harbor bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast in it or deny the truth.
- Proverbs 19:20
Through
Proverbs 18:6A fool’s lips bring him strife, and his mouth invites a beating.
it leads to
- Proverbs 27:3
A stone is heavy and sand is a burden, but aggravation from a fool outweighs them both.
- Proverbs 22:24–25
Do not make friends with an angry man, and do not associate with a hot-tempered man,
- Proverbs 27:3
Through
2 Kings 14:11But Amaziah would not listen, and Jehoash king of Israel advanced. He and King Amaziah of Judah faced each other at Beth-shemesh in Judah.
it leads to
- Joshua 19:38
Iron, Migdal-el, Horem, Beth-anath, and Beth-shemesh. There were nineteen cities, along with their villages.
- Joshua 19:38
About 2 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.