2 Chronicles 25:11

And 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 2 Kings 14:7.

25:1-13 Amaziah was no enemy to religion, but cool and indifferent friend. Many do what is good, but not with a perfect heart. Rashness makes work for repentance. But Amaziah's obedience to the command of God was to his honour. A firm belief of God's all-sufficiency to bear us out in our duty, and to make up all the loss and damage was sustain in his service, will make his yoke very easy, and his burden very light. When we are called to part with any thing for God and our religion, it should satisfy us, that God is able to give us much more than this. Convinced sinners, who have not true faith, always object to self-denying obedience. They are like Amaziah; they say, But what shall we do for the hundred talents? What shall we do if by keeping the sabbath holy we lose so many good customers? What shall we do without this gain? What shall we do if we lose the friendship of the world? Many endeavour to quiet their consciences by the pretence that forbidden practices are necessary. The answer is, as here, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this. He makes up, even in this world, for all that is given up for his sake.

2 Chronicles 25:11-12 . Amaziah strengthened himself — With his own men only. And smote of the children of Seir ten thousand — Who, it appears, were left dead upon the field. How many were only wounded: and not killed, we are not told; but undoubtedly not a few. Other ten thousand did the children of Judah cast down from the rock — A most cruel execution, which can no way be justified, unless the children of Seir had been used to serve in that manner all they took captive of Judah.

11, 12 (cp. 2 Kings 14:7 ). Victory over Edom 11 . strengthened himself ] R.V. took courage ; cp. 2 Chronicles 1:1 (note). the valley of salt ] The scene of one of David’s victories ( 1 Chronicles 18:12 ; see note there). children of Seir ] The Edomites were so called because “Mount Seir” was part of their territory; Deuteronomy 2:5 .

Verse 11. - Strengthened himself . The hithp, conjugation of our already familiar verb חָזַק ; it was not a healthy strengthening, and this may be considered denoted in the fact that the work was all his own, and that he wrought himself up. The valley of salt. Commonly supposed to be the plain south of the Salt Sea, but according to Stanley ('Sinai and Palestine,' Appendix. § 2. 5, pp. 482, 483), more probably a "ravine near Petra" ( 1 Chronicles 18:12 ; 2 Samuel 8:13 ). (For the association of Seir with Edom, see Genesis 36:17-20 ; 2 Chronicles 20:10 .) 2 Chronicles 25:11

(11) And Amaziah strengthened himself. — Shewed himself strong or courageous, took courage; as the prophet had bidden him do ( 2Chronicles 25:8 ). (Comp. 2Chronicles 15:8 .) And went to the valley of salt.—Comp. 2Kings 14:7 : “He it was who smote Edom in the valley of salt ten thousand; and he took Sela in the war, and called its name Joktheel, unto this day.” The valley of salt lay to the south-east of the Dead Sea (2Samuel 8:13; 1Chronicles 18:12).

11. valley of salt—This ravine lies to the south of the Dead Sea. The arms of Amaziah, in reward for his obedience to the divine will, were crowned with victory—ten thousand of the Edomites were slain on the field, and as many taken prisoners, who were put to death by precipitation "from the top of the rock" [2Ch 25:12]. This rock might be situated in the neighborhood of the battlefield, but more probably it formed one of the high craggy cliffs of Selah (Petra), the capital of the Edomites, whither Amaziah marched directly from the Valley of Salt, and which he captured (2Ki 14:7). 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.

CHAPTER 25 2Ch 25:1-4. Amaziah Begins to Reign Well. 1. Amaziah was twenty and five years old, &c.—(See 2Ki 14:1-6).Amaziah beginneth to reign well; slayeth his father’s murderers, 2 Chronicles 25:1-4. Having hired an army of Israelites against the Edomites, at the word of a prophet he dismisseth them, 2 Chronicles 25:5-10; and with his own people overthroweth the Edomites: the Israelites in their return home spoil, 2 Chronicles 25:11-13. Amaziah serveth the gods of Edom, and despiseth the admonition of the prophet, 2 Chronicles 25:14-16. He provoketh Joash to his overthrow, 2 Chronicles 25:17-21. His reign; he is slain by conspiracy, 2 Chronicles 25:25-28. Of this verse, and ver. 2-4, See Poole "2 Kings 14:1", etc.

But Amaziah courageously led his people into the Valley of Salt, and smote the Edomites. התחזק, as in 2 Chronicles 15:8 , refers back to חזק, 2 Chronicles 25:8 : he showed himself strong, according to the word of the prophet. As to the Valley of Salt, see on 2 Samuel 8:13 and 1 Chronicles 18:12 . Besides the 10,000 slain in the battle, the men of Judah took 10,000 other Edomites prisoners, whom they cast from the top of a rock. This statement is wanting in 2 Kings 14:7 , where, instead of it, the capture of the city Sela (Petra) is mentioned. The conjecture of Thenius, that this last statement of the Chronicle has been derived from a text of the Kings which had become illegible at this place, has already been rejected as untenable by Bertheau. Except the word סלע, the two texts have nothing in common with each other; but it does suggest itself that הסּלע ראשׁ, the top of the rock (which has become famous by this event), is to be looked for in the neighbourhood of the city Selah, as the war was ended only by the capture of Selah. Besides the battle in the Valley of Salt there were still further battles; and in the Numbers 10 ,000, manifestly the whole of the prisoners taken in the war are comprehended, who, as irreconcilable enemies of Judah, were not made slaves, but were slain by being thrown down from a perpendicular rock.