John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 9. And Jehoash the king of Israel sent to Amaziah the king of Judah , etc.] By the return of his messengers: saying, the thistle that was in Lebanon sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon ; intending by this proverbial way of speaking to humble the pride of Amaziah; comparing him to a thistle or thorn, a low, mean, abject, weak, prickly, and troublesome shrub, and himself to a cedar, a tree high and lofty, strong, large, and spreading: saying, give thy daughter to my son to wife ; signifying, that if in a peaceable manner he had desired to contract affinity with him, and so establish mutual friendship, he should have despised him as being as much below him as the thistle is below a cedar; and therefore should still more despise and defy him, who addressed him in an hostile manner, and in such haughty language: and there passed by a wild beast that was in Lebanon, and trod down the thistle ; and so there was an end put at once to its pride and ambition, and to its treaty with the cedar; intimating hereby, that his soldiers would as easily vanquish and destroy the army of Amaziah as a wild beast can destroy a thistle.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-14 - For some time after the division of the kingdoms, Judah suffered muc 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 mee with hostility between them again. How may a humble man smile to hea two proud and scornful men set their wits on work, to vilify an undervalue one another! Unholy success excites pride; pride excite contentions. The effects of pride in others, are insufferable to thos who are proud themselves. These are the sources of trouble and sin in private life; but when they arise between princes, they become the misery of their whole kingdoms. Jehoash shows Amaziah the folly of his challenge; Thine heart has lifted thee up. The root of all sin is in the heart, thence it flows. It is not Providence, the event, the occasion, whatever it is, that makes men proud, secure, discontented or the like, but their own hearts do it. (2Ki 14:15-22)
Original Hebrew וישׁלח7971 יהואשׁ3060 מלך4428 ישׂראל3478 אל413 אמציהו558 מלך4428 יהודה3063 לאמר559 החוח2336 אשׁר834 בלבנון3844 שׁלח7971 אל413 הארז730 אשׁר834 בלבנון3844 לאמר559 תנה5414 את853 בתך1323 לבני1121 לאשׁה802 ותעבר5674 חית2416 השׂדה7704 אשׁר834 בלבנון3844 ותרמס7429 את853 החוח׃2336
