And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Joash his father did.
Parallel translations
- WEB He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, yet not like David his father. He did according to all that Joash his father had done.
- BSB And he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. He did everything as his father Joash had done.
- NKJV And he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he did everything as his father Joash had done.
- NASB He did what was right in the sight of the Lord, yet not like his father David; he acted in accordance with everything that his father Joash had done.
- NLT Amaziah did what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight, but not like his ancestor David. Instead, he followed the example of his father, Joash.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Amaziah did right in the Lord's eyes, but not like David; he followed the mixed example of his father Joash.
Overview
His commendation is qualified: genuine but incomplete obedience, falling short of David's wholehearted devotion. The comparison with David, the standard of faithful kingship, exposes the spiritual mediocrity of even Judah's better kings. This recurring shortfall builds longing for the perfectly righteous King, Jesus Christ, who alone fully pleases the Father.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- 2 Chr 25:2–3And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart.
- 2 Chr 24:17Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
- Zech 1:4–6Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD.
- 1 Kgs 11:4For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.
- 2 Chr 24:2And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
- Jer 16:19O LORD, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.
- 1 Kgs 15:3And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.
- 2 Kgs 12:2And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
- 1 Pet 1:18Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
- 2 Chr 25:14–16Now 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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Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 14:3 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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