Commentary for II Kings 14:31

And named it Yokseil. For it set his teeth on edge, as it is written, “After Amatzyohu came from killing the Edomites, he brought the gods of the children of Seir, etc., for deities, he would bow down to them, etc.,”¹II Divrei Hayomim 25:14. and the prophet rebuked him and said to him, “I know that God has made a plan to destroy you.”²Ibid. v. 16. Now what was the advice? That He persuaded him to incite the king of Yisroel.

Amatzyoh then sent messengers, etc., “let us battle each other.” [By going] to war.³Previously, Yehoash’s men had invaded Yehudah in a surprise attack, because Amatzyohu had abruptly dismissed Yehoash’s men from going to war with him. See II Divrei Hayomim 25:10, 13. Amatzyohu now challenged Amatzyohu to confront him in battle.—Metzudas Dovid

“The thistle that was in Levanon. Shechem son of Chamor.

Sent [a message] to the cedar tree. Yaakov.

And it passed by the wild beast [that was in Levanon]. “Yaakov’s sons came upon the slain.”⁴Bereishis 34:27. Here too, you come to compare yourself to me. This comparison was to humiliate him, for he likened him [Amatzyohu] to a thistle, and himself to a cedar [tree].⁵Yehoash, whose grandfather Yeihu, completely destroyed Achov and his family, was mocking Amatzyohu, who was Achov’s descendant.

And the wild beast that was in Levanon passed by and trampled, etc. Because you are arrogant, the troops of my armies will trample you too.

And the children [held] hostage. The children of the princes, who were placed in the king’s palace as security that their fathers would not rebel against him. And so did [Targum] Yonoson render, “ the children of the princes.”

And Amatzyohu … lived, etc. The entire fifteen years, Uzziyohu his son reigned during his lifetime, for so it is written, “And since the time that Amatzyoh turned away from following the Adonoy.”⁶II Divrei Hayomim 25:27.

They conspired a revolt against him, etc. Because they heard what the prophet said, “that God has made a plan to destroy you.”⁷Ibid. v. 16.

And he fled to Lakish. He was there for the entire fifteen years.

After the king lay with his forefathers. After the death of his father Amatzyoh. From here you deduce that Uzziyoh reigned during his father’s lifetime. Nevertheless, Eilas was not delivered into his hand until after his father’s death, for if he did not reign during his father’s lifetime, why was it necessary to state, “after the king lay with his forefathers”? And when you count the days of the Beis [Hamikdosh] according to the years of the kings, if you do not subtract these fifteen years, which are counted for Amatzyoh and Uzziyohu, you will find that it existed four hundred twenty-five years.⁸The Beis Hamikdosh stood 410 years according to the Gemara in Maseches Yoma 9a; this figure can be arrived at by subtracting these 15 years from 425.

He restored. From the hand of Arom.

Yonah son of Amitai. He was the one who anointed Yeihu, who said to him, “[Your] descendants of the fourth generation will occupy [the throne of Yisroel].”⁹Yonah 3:1. Our Rabbis, however, deduced, “And the word of Adonoy came to Yonah a second time,”¹⁰Alternatively, God spoke to Yonah only twice concerning Nineveh, but He spoke to him many times concerning other matters.—Radak but not a third time, because he demanded the honor of the son, but he did not demand the honor of the Father. This verse was therefore difficult to them, and they reconciled it [as follows]: Just like the word of Adonoy, Who had spoken through Yonah concerning Nineveh, and the evil decree was overturned for good, so was it changed for Yisroel in the days of Yerovom son of Yoash, from the distress in which they were found, that “the Arom’s king had destroyed them and trampled them like dirt,”¹¹Above, 13:7. and now it was changed for the good.¹²See Maseches Yevamos 98a.

Intensifying increasingly. Very vexing, contrarios, in O.F., as in, “who will rebel [יַמְרֶה] against your command,”¹³Yehoshua 1:18. [and as in,] “You have been contrary [מַמְרִים],”¹⁴Devorim 9:24. [and as in,] “and they were a source of spiritual bitterness [מֹרַת רוּח].”¹⁵Bereishis 26:38. Others interpret מוֹרֶה מְאֹד as “very low,” an expression of, “He hurled [יָרָה] into the sea.”¹⁶Shemos 15:4.