- 42-
to him the counsel of God to his destruction.* It would now appear how the king's own
chosen counselors would themselves bring about this "counsel" of God.
- See the previous note.
As we have suggested, it is not unlikely that the war between Judah and Israel really grew
out of the dismissal of the Israelitish auxiliaries from the host of Judah. This would be the
more probable if the account of Josephus is trustworthy, that Amaziah had hired these
soldiers directly from the king of Israel, and that on their return to their homes they had
laid waste Judaean territory. And this would also better account for the challenge to
fight* which Amaziah, with advice of his council, addressed to Jehoash, king of Israel,
than to view it as a demand for submission and return to obedience to the Davidic rule,
which, according to Josephus, formed the burden of this message.
- Such is also the view of Kimchi. "Let us look one another in the face" - let us fight: as it
were, see who is the better man - a characteristic Oriental phrase.
If the challenge of Amaziah was peculiarly Oriental and boastful in its tone, the reply of
Jehoash equaled and even surpassed it in these respects. The allegory* which he used
about the "thorn" in Lebanon that had sought a family alliance with the cedar, meant that
it was absolute folly on the part of Amaziah to regard himself as the equal of Jehoash.
- This, rather than a parable.
Yet this was implied in his purpose of measuring himself with him. A contest between
them! Why, a beast of the field in Lebanon passing over the thorn would crush it down.*
Then followed the mocking application of the simile:
"Thou hast indeed smitten Edom make thyself glorious [enjoy thy glory], and abide at
home' why shouldest thou meddle** with evil, that thou fall, thou and Judah with thee?"
(2 Kings 14:10.)
- A "thornbush," not, "a thistle," as in the A.V.
** In the Hithpael, when the word is used in connection with war.
The advice was sound, though extremely provocative to one in the mood of Amaziah. But
Jehoash did not await his attack. Marching southwards, he met the Judaean army at Beth
Shemesh, the south-eastern point in the ancient possession of Dan, close to the border of
Philistia,* situated in a beautiful valley only eight or nine hours west of Jerusalem. The
battle was most disastrous for Judah. The army fled; Amaziah was taken prisoner; and the
Israelitish host advanced unopposed to Jerusalem. Here they made a breach in the wall
400 cubits (or about 600 feet**) wide, from the northern gate of Ephraim (or Benjamin,
(^)