AMAZIAH'S MILITARY STRENGTH, AND CONQUEST OF EDOM

(2Chronicles 25:5-13).

This section is for the most part peculiar to Chronicles. In Kings the conquest of Edom is recorded in a single verse (2Kings 14:7).

(5) And made them captains over thousands.--Rather, And made them stand (marshalled them) according to father houses, to wit, according to the captains of thousands and according to the captains of hundreds of all Judah and Benjamin.

Numbered.--Mustered.

Twenty years old.--The military age: Numbers 1:2-3; 1Chronicles 27:23.

Three hundred thousand.--A total immensely below that of the forces of Jehoshaphat (2Chronicles 17:14-18), and not much more than half that of Asa's (2Chronicles 14:8). All these high numbers are no doubt suspicious; but a certain relative propriety is observable in the present instance, inasmuch as the country had suffered great losses by the disastrous wars of Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash.

Able to go forth to war.--Literally, going out in the host. (See Num. l.c.)

That could handle spear and shield.--Grasping lance and target, i.e., heavy-armed warriors. (Comp. 1Chronicles 12:8.)

Verse 5. - This and the following five verses are entirely omitted in the parallel, which contents itself with giving in its ver. 7, in fewer words, but with the supplement of other matter, what is contained in our ver. 11. Found them three hundred thousand. Compare Asa's "five hundred and eighty thousand" (2 Chronicles 14:8), and Jehoshaphat's "eleven hundred and sixty thousand" (2 Chronicles 17:14-19; see note, however, on these verses, and the improbability of numbers so high). The Hebrew text of the second clause of this verse simply says, "he set them" (יַעֲמִידֵם), or placed them according to... fathers' houses, under captains, etc., glancing most naturally at Numbers 1:2-2:34. Twenty years old and above (comp. 1 Chronicles 27:23).

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.Moreover Amaziah gathered Judah together,.... The inhabitants thereof:

and made them captains over thousands, and captains over hundreds, according to the houses of their fathers, throughout all Judah and Benjamin; he divided the people, according to their families throughout his kingdom, into thousands and hundreds, and out of their respective families appointed captains over them:

and he numbered them from twenty years old and above; the usual age men were numbered at for war, to the fiftieth, according to Josephus; the Roman law (a) obliged none to be soldiers after fifty, nor might any be dismissed before (b); the age of military men with the Romans was from seventeen to forty six, or, as some, forty five; but with the Persians from twenty as here to fifty (c):

and found them three hundred thousand choice men, able to go forth to war, that could handle spear and shield; which shows that their number was greatly decreased since the times of Jehoshaphat, 2 Chronicles 17:14, occasioned by the wars under Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Joash; some copies of the Vulgate Latin (d) have only 30,000.

(a) Seneca de Brevitate Vitae, c. 20. (b) Liv. Hist. l. 42. c. 33. (c) Alex. ab. Alex. Genial. Dier. l. 1. c. 20. (d) Ed. of Sixtus V. the Lovain and MSS. in James's Corruption of the Fathers, p. 295.