Amaziah, Jeroboam, and Azariah: Second Kings 13 has ended with the description of a modest upturn in Israel’s fortunes. The LORD has saved them, even in the midst of idolatry, because of both his covenant with the patriarchs (2 Kgs. 13:23) and—remembering the context in which the chapter is narrated—his promise to Jehu (2 Kgs. 10:30). The impetus of that recovery continues now into chapter 14, as the house of Jehu brings Israel relief, not only from Aram, but also from a foolishly hostile Judah.

14:1–6  The introductory regnal formulas for Amaziah are the standard ones for relatively good (non-idolatrous) kings of Judah: he did what was right (v. 3) but failed to centralize the worship of the LORD in Jerusalem (the high places . . . were not removed, v. 4). In Amaziah’s case, however, we fi…