Joash 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 his wife. Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle.
Parallel Translations
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Joash 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 his wife. Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle.
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And Joash 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.
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And Joash 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 the wild beasts that were in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle.
Cross-references (3)
Passages linked to 2 Chronicles 25:18 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Judges 9:8-15 The trees set out to anoint a king over themselves. They said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ “But the olive tree said to them, ‘Should I stop producing my oil, with which they honor God and man by me, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?’ “The trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come and reign over us.’ “But the fig tree said to them, ‘Should I leave my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?’ “The trees said to the vine, ‘Come and reign over us.’ “The vine said to them, ‘Should I leave my new wine, which cheers God and man, and go to wave back and forth over the trees?’ “Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come and reign over us.’ “The bramble said to the trees, ‘If in truth you anoint me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; and if not, let fire come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’
- 1 Kings 4:33 He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows out of the wall; he also spoke of animals, of birds, of creeping things, and of fish.
- Psalms 80:13 The boar out of the wood ravages it. The wild animals of the field feed on it.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (8 sources)
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain 2Ch 25:18 And Joash king of Israel sent to…
2Ch 25:18 And Joash 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.
Ver. 18-20, &c., to the end of the chapter. {See Trapp on "2Ki 14:8"} {See Trapp on "2Ki 14:9"} {See Trapp on "2Ki 14:10"}
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain Verse 18. The thistle that was in Lebanon] See…
Verse 18. The thistle that was in Lebanon] See the explanation of this 2Kg 14:9. After reciting this fable, the Targum adds, "Thus hast thou done in the time thou didst send unto me, and didst lead up from the house of Israel a hundred thousand strong warriors for a hundred talents of silver: and after they were sent, thou didst not permit them to go with thee to war, but didst send them back, greatly enraged, so that they spread themselves over the country; and having cut off three thousand, they brought back much spoil."
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain Thistle. This fable insinuated how much Joas despised the…
Thistle. This fable insinuated how much Joas despised the insolence of his antagonist, (H.) and Amasias had soon reason to repent. T.
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 18. the thistle] R.V. mg., thorn; cp. Pro_26:9 (same…
18. the thistle] R.V. mg., thorn; cp. Pro_26:9 (same Heb. word).
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain (18) And Joash king of Israel.—This verse is the…
(18) And Joash king of Israel.—This verse is the same as 2Ki_14:9. (See Notes there.)
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain The thistle sent to the cedar. While other history…
The thistle sent to the cedar. While other history shows frequently the abounding Eastern delight in this exact kind of composition, it will be remembered that it is not absent from Scripture, and that this is not the first recorded instance of it by three hundred and fifty years, for seejh. (Jud 9:7-15) The thistle; Hebrew, jwO. The word occurs, beside the four times here and in the parallel, eight other times: 1Sa_13:6; 2Ch_33:11; Job_31:40 Job_41:2; Pro_26:9; Son_2:2; Isa_34:13; Hos_9:6. Although, then, the word we have here is not the "bramble" (dfa) of Jud_1:9:15, which also is brought before us in its contrast with Lebanon"s cedar, yet the bramble bush, chiefly in virtue of its characteristic thorn, best answers to the average suggestions of all the twelve instances of the use of our word.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Biblical Illustrator 1887 · Public Domain The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the…
2Ch_25:18
The thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon.
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True and false union
Our parable thus distinguishes between true and false union. The true is inward and real; the false is outward and superficial. The true rests on the fitness of things and on eternal laws; the false relies on the capriciousness of human nature and the ebb and flow of circumstances. The false comes through conquest, coercion, and oppression; the true comes from God, righteousness and liberty. You will find these two kinds of union facing us in all relations of life. Take the history of Christianity in the world.
1. The aim of the Roman Catholic Church has been to create union among all Christians. But, while the aim has been good, the method employed has been bad. The union thus sought has been a false one because it has tried to coerce and compel men to acknowledge the Pope to be the one earthly vicar of Christ.
2. A similar policy has been that of the Established Church of England. As soon as the prayer-book was compiled a series of Acts of Parliament were passed--the Act of Uniformity, etc.--to compel all British subjects to conform to its teaching. An effort was made to establish union by Acts of Parliament. The effort with a right and noble aim has failed because based on false methods.
3. Dissenters have also erred in like manner. At the assembly of Westminster divines a number of eminent Christian men drew up a set of doctrines, which were to be the infallible guide for a section of the followers of Christ. If a carpenter has a certain number of boards to make he gets the wood that is necessary; he takes his measurements; he cuts and planes each board exactly to the size, and length, and breadth, and thickness that he desires; he joins the boards together and makes the box, or floor, or other article as the case may be. All are united to complete the one object intended. But it is impossible for us to apply the word union in this sense to intelligent, thinking human beings. You may cut, measure wood and inanimate objects as you please, but here you have to do with creatures in whom there is the Divine gift of reason and free-will. If you wish to unite men under any government, religious or political, you must first appeal to their reason, and leave them free to act as that reason leads them. The only true basis of union among human beings is the Presence of God--in other words, righteousness, justice, liberty, and truth. For where righteousness, justice, liberty, and truth are, there God is. The members of a family are united not by bearing the same name, resembling each other in stature and features, but by doing what is right and just to each other, and by loving one another. The members of the Church of Christ are not united by repeating the same creed, by meeting in the same place of worship, by calling themselves by the same name, but by having hearts glowing with love to one Saviour, and by gladly serving their one Lord. The people of a nation are united together not by national prejudices and oppressive laws so much as by their common loyalty to a righteous and just government. (J. Lewis.)
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The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 A thistle that was in Lebanon ... trampled down…
A thistle that was in Lebanon ... trampled down the thistle
This message is in the form of a parable. The worthless thistle represents Amaziah, and the cedar represents Jehoash. The trampling of the thistle by the beast expresses that something bad will happen to the thistle, and it will be powerless to stop it. The point of the parable is that Amaziah was foolish to challenge Jehoash. (See: Parables)
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thistle
This is a small, worthless plant with small, sharp thorns.
cedar
a very large type of tree
your heart has lifted you up
This is an idiom that means he had become proud. AT: "you have become proud" (See: Idiom)
why should you cause yourself trouble and fall, both you and Judah with you?
Jehoash used this rhetorical question to warn Amaziah not to fight with him. It can be translated as a statement. AT: "you should not cause yourself trouble and fall, both you and Judah with you." (See: Rhetorical Question)
fall
Here "fall" is a euphemism for "die." (See: Euphemism)
Judah
Here "Judah" is a metonym for the people who lived in Judah. AT: "the people of Judah" (See: Metonymy)
translationWords
Lebanon
beast
proud
trouble
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.