Of Amaziah, son of Joash, we read but little that commends him in the sight of God. We need not doubt that the mention of his mother's name is for a reason, and that seems to be connected with his character and conduct which are referred to immediately afterward. Jehoaddan is one of twelve mothers named in succession in this part of 2 Kings. We judge that she had done what she could for her boy, in training him for the duties and responsibilities of the king of Judah, pointing him to his great ancestor king David, who except for one flagrant sin which cost him dearly, was a man who feared God and walked before Him.
But Amaziah had a poor example in his own father there was a measure of godliness about him, but his record was not better than his father's. 2 Chronicles 25:22And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, but not with a perfect heart. (2 Chronicles 25:2) adds the key to Amaziah's history: he served God after a fashion, but not with a full heart.
He righteously punished the murderers of his father, and profiting by the defeat that his father had suffered from the Syrians, he strengthened his army. But this led to Amaziah's worshiping the false gods of the Edomites whom he attacked and subdued. This part of his history is left untold in 2 Kings, because the moral history, the motives of the heart, are rather the subject of the Chronicles than of the Kings.
In our chapter we learn of Amaziah's being lifted up with pride, and what befell him because of it, but Chronicles shows there was a deeper cause—idolatry— which invited his humiliation at the hand of the king of Israel. He came to a violent death, too,—not very unusual for the kings of Israel, yet not so often the case with those of Judah. But Judah was fast following in the footsteps of the larger kingdom.
Azariah, better known by the name of Uzziah given in 2 Chronicles 26; Hosea 1:1,1The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. (Hosea 1:1) and Amos 1:11The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. (Amos 1:1) followed Amaziah to the throne of Judah. We learn of his reign in the following chapter, but here we are introduced again to the affairs of Israel, over whom a second Jeroboam was now reigning. This Jeroboam was like so many of his predecessors of whom language similar to verse 24 is used, "He did evil in the sight of the Lord," etc.
Verse 25 fixes the date of the prophet Jonah, and we are reminded in the appearance of the three prophets, Hosea, Amos and Jonah at this time, that God's care for His poor wayward people had not ceased.
Would they return to the God of their fathers? Alas, no.