But Amaziah would not hear. Therefore Jehoash king of Israel went up; and he and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Bethshemesh, which belongeth to Judah.

2 KINGS 14:11KJV
Know the Bible

2 Kings 14:11 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 14:11 mean?

2 Kings 14:11 describes how King Amaziah of Judah refused to listen, leading King Jehoash of Israel to march out against him. The two kings confronted each other face-to-face at Bethshemesh, a town belonging to Judah, setting the stage for a direct conflict between their nations.

This verse is part of a historical account where Amaziah, after ignoring warnings, challenges Israel and brings about a battle. The meeting at Bethshemesh is significant because it marks the moment when words give way to war, and both leaders are present in person, highlighting the seriousness of the confrontation.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 14:11

  • "hear" (שָׁמַע, shamaʿ): This word means to listen or obey. The verse emphasizes that Amaziah did not just fail to hear physically, but he refused to heed or accept advice, showing stubbornness.
  • "looked" (רָאָה, raʾah) and "face" (פָּנִים, panim): The phrase about looking one another in the face uses these words to stress a direct, personal encounter. This is not just armies meeting, but the two kings themselves standing face-to-face, underscoring the confrontation's intensity.
  • "Bethshemesh" (בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ, Beit Shemesh): Naming this specific town, which belonged to Judah, highlights that the battle happened on Amaziah's own territory, adding to the gravity of the situation.

Why 2 Kings 14:11 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Amaziah's downfall began with his refusal to listen, not just a military mistake, but a failure to heed wise counsel.
  • The mention of both kings meeting face-to-face shows the personal nature of the conflict, not just a distant war between nations.
  • By specifying Bethshemesh as the location, the verse connects the event to Judah's land, making the consequences of Amaziah's actions more immediate for his own people.

Where else these words appear

“Jehoash” Hebrew H3060 · used in 16 verses

  • 2 Kings 11:21 Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
  • 2 Kings 12:7 Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.
  • 2 Kings 14:9 And Jehoash the 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.

“Bethshemesh” Hebrew H1053 · used in 19 verses

  • Joshua 15:10 And the border compassed from Baalah westward unto mount Seir, and passed along unto the side of mount Jearim, which is Chesalon, on the north side, and went down to Bethshemesh, and passed on to Timnah:
  • 1 Samuel 6:12 And the kine took the straight way to the way of Bethshemesh, and went along the highway, lowing as they went, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left; and the lords of the Philistines went after them unto the border of Bethshemesh.
  • 2 Kings 14:13 And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

“Amaziah” Hebrew H558 · used in 39 verses

  • 2 Kings 12:21 For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
  • 2 Kings 15:3 And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father Amaziah had done;
  • 2 Chronicles 25:17 Then Amaziah king of Judah took advice, and sent to Joash, the son of Jehoahaz, the son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us see one another in the face.