EXPOSITORY (ENGLISH BIBLE)
(16)
As he talked with him.—
When he spake unto him.Art thou made of the king’s counsel?—Literally,A counsellor to the king have we appointed thee?
Why shouldest thou besmitten?—Wherefore should they smite thee?
Hath determined.—Hath counselled. The prophet appropriates the king’s own word, and implies his participation in Divine, if not in royal, counsels.
Because.—The conduct of Amaziah was proof that God had “counselled to destroy him.”
Thou hast done this.—Spurned my warning. Others say: because thou hast adopted the Edomite gods.
Unto my counsel.—Again repeating the king’s expression.
2 Chronicles 25:16.
The king said, Art thou made of the king’s counsel? —Who art thou, that presumest to direct my affairs without my commission?
Forbear; why shouldest thou be smitten? —Provoke me no further, lest I cause thee to be killed for thy impudence. The prophet’s reproof was too just to be answered, and the king could say nothing in excuse for his own folly; but he fell into a passion with the reprover. To the prophet who directed him to send back the army of Israel, he hearkened, though that prophet both contradicted his politics, and lost him a hundred talents of silver: but with this prophet, who only dissuaded him from worshipping the gods of the Edomites, he had no patience, but instantly fell upon him with an unaccountable rage; which must be attributed to the witchcraft of idolatry.
Then the prophet forbare —He ceased to advise or reprove him any further, but only denounced the divine sentence passed upon him, for this contempt of God’s message to him, and his other sins, which came to pass,
2 Chronicles 25:20-27. The secure sinner, perhaps, values himself on his having silenced his reprovers and monitors. But what comes of it?
I know that God has determined to destroy thee —It is a plain indication that thou art marked for ruin;
because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened to the divine counsel —They that are deaf to reproof, are ripening apace for destruction.
25:14-16 To worship the gods of those whom Amaziah had conquered, who could not help their own worshippers, was the greatest absurdity. If men would consider how unable all those things are to help them, to which they look whenever they forsake God, they would not be such enemies to themselves. The reproof God sent by a prophet was too just to be answered; themselves. The reproof God sent by a prophet was too just to be answered; but he was bidden not to say a word more. The secure sinner rejoices to have silenced his reprovers and monitors; but what comes of it? Those that are deaf to reproof, are ripening for destruction.
Art thou made of the king's counsel? - A subtle irony: "Have I made thee one of my council? If not what entitles thee to offer thy advice?"
For the fulfillment of the prophecy, see2 Chronicles 25:22-24,2 Chronicles 25:27.
16. as he talked with him, &c.—Those who were invested with the prophetic character were entitled to counsel kings. Amaziah, had he not been offended by unwelcome truths, would have admitted the claim of this prophet, who was probably the same that had given him counsel previous to the war with Edom. But victory had elated and blinded him.
Art thou made of the king’s counsel? who art thou that presumest to direct and govern my affairs, without my commission?
Why shouldest thou be smitten? provoke me no further, lest I cause thee to be killed for thy sauciness.
I know that God hath determined to destroy thee: this he might know, either by the plain and positive rules of God’s word, as
Proverbs 29:1, or by the suggestion of God’s Spirit.
And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, art thou made of the king's council?.... He was not indeed one of his privy council, made so by him, but he was appointed a counsellor to him by the Lord, the King of kings, to expostulate with him about his idolatry, and to advise him to relinquish it, to whose counsel he ought to have hearkened:
forbear, why shouldest thou be smitten? bidding him hold his peace, and threatening him, that if he did not, he must expect to be smitten; that is, with death, as Zechariah the prophet was by the order of his father:
then the prophet forbore; left off speaking, only added this at parting:
and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee; being given up to hardness of heart, so as to pay no regard to the Lord and his prophets, which was a sure presage of destruction:
because thou hast done this; committed such idolatry, and persisted in it:
and hast not hearkened to my counsel; to reform from it.
And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that{n}the king said unto him, Art thou made of the king's counsel? forbear; why shouldest thou be{o} smitten? Then the prophet forbare, and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee, because thou hast done this, and hast not hearkened unto my counsel.(n) Meaning the king.
(o) So hard it is, for the carnal man to be admonished for his fault, that he condemns, mocks and threatens him who warns him: yea, imprisons him and puts him to death, 2Ch 16:10,18:26,24:21.
