What is the meaning of 2 Kings 14:7? Amaziah struck down 10,000 Edomites • “Amaziah struck down ten thousand Edomites” (2 Kings 14:7) tells us the victory was literal and sizable. • This clash answers Edom’s earlier revolt against Judah (2 Kings 8:20-22). Amaziah is reasserting God-given authority that had slipped. • Parallel details in 2 Chronicles 25:11-12 show how the king “strengthened himself” and how the defeated Edomites were routed. • The number echoes David’s earlier triumph in the same region (2 Samuel 8:13; 1 Chronicles 18:12), reminding readers that God still fights for Judah as He did in David’s day. in the Valley of Salt • The Valley of Salt sits south of the Dead Sea—barren, harsh, impossible to farm, yet repeatedly the stage for decisive battles (Psalm 60 title; again 2 Samuel 8:13). • God often uses unlikely settings so His power, not favorable terrain, gets the glory (Judges 7:2-7; 1 Samuel 14:6). • For Judah, returning to this valley connects present obedience with past faithfulness, reinforcing national memory of covenant victories. He took Sela in battle • “He also captured Sela in battle” (2 Kings 14:7). Sela—rock-hewn and naturally fortified—was Edom’s strategic stronghold (Isaiah 16:1; Obadiah 3-4). • Conquering such a bastion underscores that no human defense can stand when God grants favor (Psalm 18:2; 2 Corinthians 10:4). • Amaziah’s win temporarily reopened trade routes toward the Gulf of Aqaba, echoing Solomon’s earlier maritime expansion (1 Kings 9:26-28). and called it Joktheel • Renaming Sela “Joktheel” declares victory belongs to the LORD, much like Abram naming places after divine encounters (Genesis 22:14). • Scripture records other kings changing city names to mark God’s acts—e.g., Hezekiah’s “Hezekiah’s Pool” (2 Kings 20:20). • The new name functions as a living testimony to coming generations that God intervened here (Joshua 4:6-7). which is its name to this very day • The phrase “to this very day” invites the original readers to verify the account personally—historical anchoring, not legend (Deuteronomy 34:6; 1 Samuel 27:6). • It quietly urges each generation to remember God’s past works so faith remains grounded in real history (Psalm 78:4-7; Luke 1:1-4). summary 2 Kings 14:7 records a concrete moment when God empowered Amaziah to reclaim territory, subdue rebellion, and broadcast His faithfulness. The valley, the numbers, the captured fortress, and the new name together proclaim that no enemy, environment, or fortification can withstand the LORD’s purposes for His covenant people. |
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