2 Kings 14 · Verse 9

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.
2 Kings 14:9, King James Version

2 Kings 14:9 in other translations

BSBBut Jehoash king of Israel replied to Amaziah king of Judah: “A thistle in Lebanon sent a message to a cedar in Lebanon, saying, ‘Give your daughter to my son in marriage.’ Then a wild beast in Lebanon came along and trampled the thistle.
WEBJehoash 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 your daughter to my son as wife.’ Then a wild animal that was in Lebanon passed by, and trampled down the thistle.
ASVAnd 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 trod down the thistle.
YLTAnd Jehoash king of Israel sendeth unto Amaziah king of Judah, saying, ‘The thorn that is in Lebanon hath sent unto the cedar that is in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son for a wife; and pass by doth a beast of the field that is in Lebanon, and treadeth down the thorn.
DARBYAnd Jehoash king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, The thorn-bush that is in Lebanon sent to the cedar that is in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son as wife; and there passed by the wild beast that is in Lebanon, and trode down the thorn-bush.
BBEAnd Jehoash, king of Israel, sent to Amaziah, king of Judah, saying, The thorn-tree in Lebanon sent to the cedar in Lebanon, saying, Give your daughter to my son for a wife: and a beast from the woodland in Lebanon went by, crushing the thorn under his feet.
WebsterAnd 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 for a wife: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle.

What does 2 Kings 14:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
9. Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah--People in the East very often express their sentiments in a parabolic form, especially when they intend to convey unwelcome truths or a contemptuous sneer. This was the design of the admonitory fable related by Joash in his reply. The thistle, a low shrub, might be chosen to represent Amaziah, a petty prince; the cedar, the powerful sovereign of Israel, and the wild beast that trampled down the thistle the overwhelming army with which Israel could desolate Judah. But, perhaps, without making so minute an application, the parable may be explained generally, as describing in a striking manner the effects of pride and ambition, towering far beyond their natural sphere, and sure to fall with a sudden and ruinous crash. The moral of the fable is contained in 2Ki 14:10.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 9 Jehoash - sent to Amaziah - saying - The meaning of this parable is plain. The thistle that was in Lebanon - Amaziah, king of Judah, sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon - Jehoash, king of Israel, saying, Give thy daughter - a part of thy kingdom, to my son to wife - to be united to, and possessed by the kings of Judah. And there passed by a wild beast - Jehoash and his enraged army, and trode down the thistle - utterly discomfited Amaziah and his troops, pillaged the temple, and broke down the walls of Jerusalem: see 2Kgs 14:12-14. Probably Amaziah had required certain cities of Israel to be given up to Judah; if so, this accounts for that part of the parable, Give thy daughter to my son to wife.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on 2 Kings 14:8-14

For some time after the division of the kingdoms, Judah suffered much from the enmity of Israel. After Asa's time, it suffered more by the friendship of Israel, and by the alliance made with them. Now we meet with hostility between them again. How may a humble man smile to hear two proud and scornful men set their wits on work, to vilify and undervalue one another! Unholy success excites pride; pride excites…

Read the full comment on 2 Kings 14:8-14 →

2 Kings 14:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיִּשְׁלַ֞חvai.yish.Lachand he sentH7971
יְהוֹאָ֣שׁye.ho.'AshJehoashH3060
מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428
יִשְׂרָאֵ֗לYis.ra.'ElIsraelH3478
אֶל\־'el-toH413
אֲמַצְיָ֣הוּ'a.matz.Ya.huAmaziahH558
מֶֽלֶךְ\־Me.lekh-[the] king ofH4428
יְהוּדָה֮ye.hu.DahJudahH3063
לֵאמֹר֒le.Mor<to> sayingH559
הַח֜וֹחַha.Cho.ach<the> thornbushH2336
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
בַּלְּבָנ֗וֹןba.le.va.Non[was] in <the> LebanonH3844
שָׁ֠לַחSha.lachit sentH7971
אֶל\־'el-toH413
הָאֶ֜רֶזha.'E.rez<the> cedarH730
אֲשֶׁ֤ר'a.SherwhichH834
בַּלְּבָנוֹן֙ba.le.va.nOn[was] in <the> LebanonH3844
לֵאמֹ֔רle.Mor<to> sayingH559
תְּנָֽה\־te.nah-give !H5414
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
בִּתְּךָ֥bi.te.Khadaughter yourH1323
לִבְנִ֖יliv.Nito son myH1121
לְאִשָּׁ֑הle.'i.Shahto a wifeH802
וַֽתַּעֲבֹ֞רva.ta.'a.Vorand it passed byH5674
חַיַּ֤תchai.Yat[the] animal ofH2416
הַשָּׂדֶה֙ha.sa.Dehthe fieldH7704
אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.SherwhichH834
בַּלְּבָנ֔וֹןba.le.va.Non[was] in <the> LebanonH3844
וַתִּרְמֹ֖סva.tir.Mosand it trampledH7429
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַחֽוֹחַ\׃ha.Cho.achthe thornbushH2336

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Kings 14:9

  • Judges 9:8-15

    The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they said unto the olive tree, Reign thou over us. But the olive tree said unto them, Should I leave my fatness, wherewith by me they honour God and man, and go to be promoted over the trees? And the trees said to the fig tree, Come thou, and reign over us. But the fig tree said unto them, Should I forsake my sweetness, and my good fruit, and go to be promoted over the trees? …

  • Proverbs 26:9

    As a thorn goeth up into the hand of a drunkard, so is a parable in the mouth of fools.

  • 2 Chronicles 25:10-13

    Then Amaziah separated them, to wit, the army that was come to him out of Ephraim, to go home again: wherefore their anger was greatly kindled against Judah, and they returned home in great anger. And Amaziah strengthened himself, and led forth his people, and went to the valley of salt, and smote of the children of Seir ten thousand. And other ten thousand left alive did the children of Judah carry away captive, and brought them unto the top of the rock, and cast them down from the top of the rock, that they all were broken in pieces. But the soldiers of the army which Amaziah sent back, that they should not go with him to battle, fell upon the cities of Judah, from Samaria even unto Beth–horon, and smote three thousand of them, and took much spoil.

  • 2 Chronicles 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.

  • Song of Solomon 2:2

    As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.

  • Ezekiel 20:49

    Then said I, Ah Lord God! they say of me, Doth he not speak parables?

  • Hosea 9:6

    For, lo, they are gone because of destruction: Egypt shall gather them up, Memphis shall bury them: the pleasant places for their silver, nettles shall possess them: thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

  • 1 Samuel 13:6

    When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.

  • Isaiah 34:13

    And thorns shall come up in her palaces, nettles and brambles in the fortresses thereof: and it shall be an habitation of dragons, and a court for owls.

  • 2 Samuel 12:1-4

    And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.

  • 2 Chronicles 33:11

    Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

  • 1 Kings 4:33

    And he spake of trees, from the cedar tree that is in Lebanon even unto the hyssop that springeth out of the wall: he spake also of beasts, and of fowl, and of creeping things, and of fishes.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
The thistle.
Jud 9:8-15; 2Sa 12:1-4; 1Ki 4:33; Eze 20:49The word {choach,} which is rendered here, and in 2 Ch 25:18; Job 31:18, thistle, in 1 Sa 13:6, thicket in Isa 34:13, bramble, and in 2 Ch 33:11; Pr 26:9; So 2:2; Ho 9:6 thorn, is probably the black thorn, or sloe tree, the {prunus spinosa} of Linnæus, as the same word signifies in Arabic. There is a vast deal of insolent dignity in this remonstrance of Jehoash; but it has nothing conciliatory; no proposal of making amends for the injury his army had done to the unoffending inhabitants of Judah. (2 Ch 25:10-13.) The comparatively useless thorn, which may by chance lacerate the incautious passenger, is made the emblem of the house of Judah and David, while the house of Jehu is represented by the stately cedar.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Kings 14:8

    Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoash, the son of Jehoahaz son of Jehu, king of Israel, saying, Come, let us look one another in the face.

  • 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.

  • 2 Kings 14:10

    Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for why shouldest thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou shouldest fall, even thou, and Judah with thee?

Read all of 2 Kings 14

2 Kings 14:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y Joas rey de Israel envió á Amasías rey de Judá esta respuesta: El cardillo que está en el Líbano envió á decir al cedro que está en el Líbano: Da tu hija por mujer á mi hijo. Y pasaron las bestias fieras que están en el Líbano, y hollaron el cardillo.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Et Joas, roi d’Israël, envoya vers Amatsia, roi de Juda, disant: L’épine qui est au Liban a envoyé au cèdre qui est au Liban, disant: Donne ta fille pour femme à mon fils. Et une bête des champs qui est au Liban a passé, et a foulé l’épine.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Da sandte Joas, der König von Israel, zu Amazja, dem König von Juda, und sprach: Der Dornstrauch auf dem Libanon sandte zu der Ceder auf dem Libanon und ließ ihr sagen: Gib meinem Sohne deine Tochter zum Weibe! Da lief das Getier des Feldes, das auf dem Libanon ist, vorüber und zertrat den Dornstrauch.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Remisitque Joas rex Israël ad Amasiam regem Juda, dicens: Carduus Libani misit ad cedrum quæ est in Libano, dicens: Da filiam tuam filio meo uxorem. Transieruntque bestiæ saltus quæ sunt in Libano, et conculcaverunt carduum.