English Standard Version
2 Kings 14:9
9And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, "A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.
2 Kings 14:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle.
- New International Version (NIV)But Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle underfoot.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, “The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son as wife’; and a wild beast that was in Lebanon passed by and trampled the thistle.
- New Living Translation (NLT)But King Jehoash of Israel replied to King Amaziah of Judah with this story: “Out in the Lebanon mountains, a thistle sent a message to a mighty cedar tree: ‘Give your daughter in marriage to my son.’ But just then a wild animal of Lebanon came by and stepped on the thistle, crushing it!
Context of 2 Kings 14:9
7He struck down ten thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt and took Sela by storm, and called it Joktheel, which is its name to this day. 8Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, "Come, let us look one another in the face." And Jehoash king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, "A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle. 10You have indeed struck down Edom, and your heart has lifted you up. Be content with your glory, and stay at home, for why should you provoke trouble so that you fall, you and Judah with you?" 11But Amaziah would not listen. So Jehoash king of Israel went up, and he and Amaziah king of Judah faced one another in battle at Beth-shemesh, which belongs to Judah.
Read all of 2 Kings 142 Kings 14:9 word by word
וַיִּשְׁלַ֞ח יְהוֹאָ֣שׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶל־אֲמַצְיָ֣הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה֮ לֵאמֹר֒ הַח֜וֹחַ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּלְּבָנ֗וֹן שָׁ֠לַח אֶל־הָאֶ֜רֶז אֲשֶׁ֤ר בַּלְּבָנוֹן֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תְּנָֽה־אֶת־בִּתְּךָ֥ לִבְנִ֖י לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַֽתַּעֲבֹ֞ר חַיַּ֤ת הַשָּׂדֶה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּלְּבָנ֔וֹן וַתִּרְמֹ֖ס אֶת־הַחֽוֹחַ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And Jehoashיְהוֹאָשׁyehô'âsh · JehoashH3060
- the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
- to Amaziahאֲמַצְיָ֫הוּ'ămatsyâh 'ămatsyâhû · AmaziahH558
- of Judahיְהוּדָהyehûdâh · JudahH3063
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- The thistleחוֹחַchôach · thistleH2336
- in Lebanonלְבָנוֹןlebânôn · LebanonH3844
- to the cedarאֶ֫רֶז'erez · cedarH730
- Giveנָתַןnâthan · to give: give(marriage)H5414
- thy daughterבַּתbath · daughterH1323
- to my sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- to wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
- and there passedעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- by a wildשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: wildlifeH7704
- beastחַיָּהchay · living thingH2416
- and trode downרָמַסrâmas · to trampleH7429
Cross-references for 2 Kings 14:9
- Judges 9:8The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'
- 2 Samuel 12:1And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
- 1 Kings 4:33He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall. He spoke also of beasts, and of birds, and of reptiles, and of fish.
- Ezekiel 20:49Then I said, "Ah, Lord God! They are saying of me, 'Is he not a maker of parables?'"
- 2 Chronicles 25:18And Joash the king of Israel sent word to Amaziah king of Judah, "A thistle on Lebanon sent to a cedar on Lebanon, saying, 'Give your daughter to my son for a wife,' and a wild beast of Lebanon passed by and trampled down the thistle.
- Job 31:18(for from my youth the fatherless grew up with me as with a father, and from my mother's womb I guided the widow),
- 1 Samuel 13:6When the men of Israel saw that they were in trouble (for the people were hard pressed), the people hid themselves in caves and in holes and in rocks and in tombs and in cisterns,
- 2 Chronicles 33:11Therefore the Lord brought upon them the commanders of the army of the king of Assyria, who captured Manasseh with hooks and bound him with chains of bronze and brought him to Babylon.
- Proverbs 26:9Like a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
- Proverbs 2:2making your ear attentive to wisdom and inclining your heart to understanding;
- Hosea 9:6For behold, they are going away from destruction; but Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them. Nettles shall possess their precious things of silver; thorns shall be in their tents.
- 2 Chronicles 25:10Then Amaziah discharged the army that had come to him from Ephraim to go home again. And they became very angry with Judah and returned home in fierce anger.
Commentaries on 2 Kings 14:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Jehoash - sent to Amaziah - saying - The meaning of this parable is plain. The thistle that was in Lebanon - Amaziah, king of Judah, sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon - Jehoash, king of Israel, saying, Give thy daughter - a part of thy kingdom, to my son to wife - to be united to, and possessed by the kings of Judah. And there passed by a wild beast - Jehoash and his enraged army, and trode down the thistle - utterly discomfited Amaziah and his…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9The Oriental use of apologues on the most solemn and serious occasions is well known to all, and scarcely needs illustration (compare marginal reference). It is a common feature of such apologues that they are not exact parallels to the case whereto they are applied, but only general or partial resemblances. Hence, there is need of caution in applying the several points of the illustration.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-14Verses 8-14 For some time after the division of the kingdoms, Judah suffered much from the enmity of Israel. After Asa's time, it suffered more by the friendship of Israel, and by the alliance made with them. Now we meet with hostility between them again. How may a humble man smile to hear two proud and scornful men set their wits on work, to vilify and undervalue one another! Unholy success excites pride; pride excites contentions. The effects of pride…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 9-10Jehoash responded with a parable (see Judges 9:7–15). Basically, Amaziah had as much chance of beating Israel in war as a small thistle demanding something from a strong cedar tree. Amaziah and Judah would be defeated as easily as a random step would crush the proud thistle.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 99. Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah--People in the East very often express their sentiments in a parabolic form, especially when they intend to convey unwelcome truths or a contemptuous sneer. This was the design of the admonitory fable related by Joash in his reply. The thistle, a low shrub, might be chosen to represent Amaziah, a petty prince; the cedar, the powerful sovereign of Israel, and the wild beast that trampled down the thistle the…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Kings 14:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Kings 14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries