2 Chronicles 25:22

And Iudah was put to the worse before Israel, and they fled euery man to his tent. 2 Chronicles 25:22 (KJV)

Context: To better understand the verse, it’s important to consider the context in which it is found. 2 Chronicles is a book that provides an account of the kings of Judah, and this particular verse is part of the narrative about King Amaziah.

King Amaziah: King Amaziah reigned in Judah for 29 years and was considered a generally righteous king. However, he was not completely faithful to God. In 2 Chronicles 25, it is recorded that Amaziah gathered an army of 300,000 men to go to war against the Edomites.

Battle against Edom: In the preceding verses, we learn that Amaziah sought the assistance of Israel and paid them 100 talents of silver to secure troops. However, a prophet warned him not to bring the Israelite troops into battle, for God was not with them. Despite the warning, Amaziah insisted and sent the Israelite troops home, which made them angry.

Confrontation with Israel: After his victory over the Edomites, Amaziah returned to Jerusalem. However, the Israelite soldiers who were dismissed by him were filled with anger and looted cities in Judah on their way back to Israel. He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers. Elath was a port city located on the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba. It had previously belonged to Judah but had been lost to Edom during the reign of King Jehoram (2 Kings 8:20). The act of rebuilding and restoring Elath signified a desire to regain control over strategic territories and strengthen Judah’s influence.

Death of the king: The verse concludes by stating that “the king slept with his fathers,” which is a common biblical phrase that means the king died and was buried with his ancestors.