2 Kings 14:22 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 14:22 mean?

2 Kings 14:22 describes how Azariah, king of Judah, rebuilt the city of Elath and brought it back under Judah’s control. The verse places this achievement after the death of his father, Amaziah, showing a change in control of a strategically placed city.

The narrator identifies Azariah in the preceding verse. Elath lay near the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, an area important for routes connecting the Red Sea with inland territories.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 14:22

• “built” — בָּנָה (banah): This word can mean to build or rebuild. Here, the mention of restoring Elath suggests work on an existing place, rather than the founding of a new city.
• “restored” — שׁוּב (shuv): This word often means to return or bring back. Applied to Elath, it pictures the city coming back under Judah’s rule.
• “slept” — שָׁכַב (shakhav): This word means to lie down or sleep. In the phrase “slept with his fathers,” it is a gentle way of saying that the king died and joined his ancestors in death.

Why 2 Kings 14:22 matters

• The verse distinguishes the two kings by their actions. Azariah is the one who acts; “the king” who slept with his fathers is his father, Amaziah.
• “Restored it to Judah” indicates a political change as well as building work. Elath was brought back into Judah’s territory, not merely repaired for its own inhabitants.