2 Kings 14:5

As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Amaziah has just ascended the throne of Judah following the assassination of his father, King Joash. The narrative positions him at the immediate moment of securing his royal authority before addressing judicial accountability.

The words — The phrase חָזְקָה הַמַּמְלָכָה בְּיָדוֹ (cha.ze.Kah ha.mam.la.Khah be./ya.D/o) literally means "the kingdom was secure in his hand." The verb וַיַּךְ (va/i.yaKh) denotes "he struck down" or executed the conspirators.

The thread — The assassination of Joash is recorded in 2 Kings 12:20 and paralleled in 2 Chronicles 25:3. The subsequent limitation on capital punishment in verse 6 directly applies the principle from Numbers 35:33 against polluting the land with bloodguilt.

Why it lands — The text states that Amaziah acted immediately to remove his father's killers, then explicitly refuses to extend the executions to their sons. It requires the reader to see that royal justice is constrained by statutory law rather than personal retribution.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיְהִ֕יva/y.Hiand/ it was כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רka./'a.Sherjust/ when חָזְקָ֥הcha.ze.Kahit was secure הַמַּמְלָכָ֖הha./mam.la.Khahthe/ kingdom בְּיָד֑וֹbe./ya.D/oin/ hand/ his וַיַּךְ֙va/i.yaKhand/ he struck down אֶת־'et-<obj.>עֲבָדָ֔יו'a.va.Da/vservants/ his הַמַּכִּ֖יםha./ma.Kimwho/ had struck down אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַמֶּ֥לֶךְha./Me.lekhthe/ king אָבִֽיו׃'a.Vi/vfather/ his

King James Version

And it came to pass, as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that he slew his servants which had slain the king his father.

Cross-references

Numbers 35:33 Do not pollute the land where you live, for bloodshed pollutes the land, and no atonement can be made for the land on which the blood is shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it.
2 Kings 12:20 And the servants of Joash rose up and formed a conspiracy and killed him at Beth-millo, on the road down to Silla.
2 Chronicles 25:3 As soon as the kingdom was firmly in his grasp, Amaziah executed the servants who had murdered his father the king.
Genesis 9:6 Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood will be shed; for in His own image God has made mankind.
Exodus 21:12 Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death.