What is the meaning of 2 Kings 14:20? They carried him back • “They” points to the Judean conspirators who had tracked King Amaziah to Lachish, struck him down, and then assumed responsibility for his remains (2 Kings 14:19; 2 Chronicles 25:27–28). • Bringing the fallen monarch home shows that—even in rebellion—Judah still honored the office God had established (compare 1 Samuel 31:12–13, where brave men retrieved Saul’s body). • God’s Word consistently calls His people to treat the dead with dignity; leaving a body exposed was a mark of curse (Deuteronomy 21:22-23). By returning Amaziah, the conspirators affirmed that the LORD’s covenant line deserved respect, even when the king’s own choices had led to judgment. on horses • Horses were the quickest means of transport and signified royal prerogative (2 Kings 9:28; Esther 6:8). • The phrase shows urgency—there was no lengthy state procession. They moved swiftly, avoiding unrest that might arise if Judah’s king lay unburied. • Although Deuteronomy 17:16 warns Israel’s kings not to trust in multiplying horses, the use of horses here is not condemned; it is simply a practical, honorable conveyance of a royal corpse. and buried him • Burial rather than exposure or cremation aligns with the faith of the patriarchs, who anticipated bodily resurrection (Genesis 50:25; Hebrews 11:22). • Scripture repeatedly records kings “resting” with their fathers (1 Kings 2:10; 22:50), underscoring God’s pattern of orderly succession and the hope that death is not the end. • Amaziah’s moral failures did not cancel his covenant identity; he still received a king’s burial (contrast 2 Chronicles 21:19–20, where wicked Jehoram was denied an honorable burial). in Jerusalem • Jerusalem, the city God chose for His Name (1 Kings 11:36; Psalm 132:13), remained the center of worship and national identity despite Amaziah’s defeat. • Returning the king to the capital visually restored unity. Divisive conspiracy had removed him, but corporate burial in God’s city called the nation back to order under the Davidic line. • Even after chastening, the Lord’s purposes for Jerusalem stood firm—He disciplines yet preserves (Psalm 48:8; Isaiah 31:5). with his fathers • The phrase echoes the covenant promise of 2 Samuel 7:12 that David’s line would endure. Amaziah joined the company of ancestral kings, a reminder that God’s covenant continues through successive generations. • Being “with his fathers” communicates rest and reunion, a concept later clarified in Daniel 12:2 and John 11:25. • The conspirators’ act inadvertently affirmed what they had opposed: the continuity of David’s throne until the arrival of the Messiah (Luke 1:32-33). in the City of David • The City of David (Zion) held the royal tombs (2 Kings 15:38; 2 Chronicles 21:1). Placement there marked Amaziah as a legitimate heir, unlike certain kings buried elsewhere in disgrace (2 Chronicles 28:27). • The location ties every Davidic king—and ultimately the reader—back to God’s covenant faithfulness. From this same ridge the greater Son of David would later triumph over death (Acts 2:29-32). summary 2 Kings 14:20 records more than funeral logistics; it testifies that, even after discipline, God honors His covenant. Amaziah’s body is swiftly returned, borne on horses, and laid to rest in Jerusalem with his fathers in the City of David. Each phrase reinforces the LORD’s steadfast commitment to the Davidic line, the dignity of His appointed office, and the hope of resurrection that undergirds every believer’s confidence in the literal, trustworthy Word of God. |
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