Original Word: אֲמַצְיָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name Masculine
Transliteration: Amatsyah
Pronunciation: ah-mats-YAH-hoo or ah-mats-YAH
Phonetic Spelling: (am-ats-yaw')
KJV: Amaziah
NASB: Amaziah
Word Origin: [from H553 (אָמַץ - courageous) and H3050 (יָהּ - LORD)]

1. strength of Jah
2. Amatsjah, the name of four Israelites

Amaziah

Or mamatsyahuw {am-ats-yaw'-hoo}; from 'amats and Yahh; strength of Jah; Amatsjah, the name of four Israelites -- Amaziah.

see HEBREW 'amats

see HEBREW Yahh

Word Origin
from amets and Yah
Definition
"Yah is mighty," the name of several Isr.
NASB Translation
Amaziah (40).

אֲמַצְיָ֫הוּ, אֲמַצְיָה proper name, masculine (׳י has been)

1 king of Judah, son of Joash, father of Azariah; אֲמַצְיָהוּ 2 Kings 14:1,9 + 8t. 2 Kings 14; 2 Kings 15:3; 1 Chronicles 3:12; 2Chronicles 24:27; 25:1 15t. 2 Chronicles 24; 26:1,4; אֲמַצְיָה 2 Kings 12:22; 2 Kings 13:12; 2 Kings 14:8; 2 Kings 15:1.

2 אֲמַצְיָה, a Simeonite 1 Chronicles 4:34.

3 id., a Levite 1 Chronicles 6:30.

4 priest of Bethel, under Jeroboam. II, Amos 7:10,12,14.

Name and Meaning

Amaziah (“Yahweh has strengthened”) appears about forty times in the Hebrew Scriptures, designating four different men whose lives illustrate the difference between relying on the strength of the LORD and trusting in human power.

Individuals Named Amaziah

1. Amaziah son of Joash, eighth king of Judah (2 Kings 14; 2 Chronicles 25).
2. Amaziah, priest of Bethel who opposed the prophet Amos (Amos 7:10-17).
3. Amaziah, a Levite descendant of Merari (1 Chronicles 6:45).
4. Amaziah, a Simeonite whose son Joshah helped settle the Negev (1 Chronicles 4:34).

Amaziah King of Judah

Early Reforms and Justice (2 Kings 14:1-6; 2 Chronicles 25:1-4)

Acceding to the throne around 796 B.C., Amaziah “did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not wholeheartedly” (2 Chronicles 25:2). His first notable act was measured justice: he executed the assassins of his father Joash yet spared their children, obeying Deuteronomy 24:16.

Victory over Edom (2 Chronicles 25:5-13)

Mobilizing a 300,000-man army, he hired 100,000 mercenaries from the northern kingdom but dismissed them after a prophetic rebuke. Trusting the LORD’s word, he routed the Edomites in the Valley of Salt and captured Sela, renaming it Joktheel. The victory shows the effectiveness of obedience even when it appears militarily unsound.

Pride, Idolatry, and Defeat (2 Chronicles 25:14-24; 2 Kings 14:7-14)

Amaziah brought home Edomite idols and “bowed down before them and burned sacrifices to them” (2 Chronicles 25:14). Ignoring a prophet’s warning, he challenged Jehoash of Israel and was defeated at Beth-shemesh. Jerusalem’s wall was broken, the temple plundered, and hostages taken—strong commentary on the folly of idolatry and pride.

Final Years and Assassination (2 Kings 14:17-20; 2 Chronicles 25:25-28)

Though spared by Jehoash, Amaziah never recovered authority. Popular discontent forced him to flee to Lachish, where conspirators killed him. He was buried in the City of David, a sober reminder that half-hearted devotion yields a truncated legacy.

Spiritual Lessons from King Amaziah

• Partial obedience brings partial blessing; wholehearted loyalty is required (Psalm 86:11).
• Military or political strength cannot compensate for spiritual compromise.
• Victory can become a snare when it breeds self-confidence rather than gratitude.
• God’s prophets must be heeded even when their counsel counters conventional wisdom.

Amaziah the Priest of Bethel (Amos 7:10-17)

Serving under Jeroboam II, this Amaziah embodied institutional religion aligned with political power. He accused Amos of conspiracy: “The land cannot endure all his words” (Amos 7:10). Amos answered, “I was not a prophet nor the son of a prophet… but the LORD took me” (Amos 7:14-15). The priest’s opposition illustrates the perennial conflict between prophetic truth and religious establishment. Amos foretold judgment on Amaziah’s family, Bethel’s sanctuary, and the nation—fulfilled in the Assyrian exile.

Lesser-Known Amaziahs

Levite Musician (1 Chronicles 6:45)

Amaziah the Merarite served in the temple music ministry established by David. Though only briefly mentioned, his inclusion affirms the continuity of faithful Levitical service across generations.

Simeonite Ancestor (1 Chronicles 4:34)

As father of Joshah, he belonged to a clan that expanded southward. The chronicler records these settlements to show God’s provision for all tribes.

Key Themes and Doctrinal Implications

Covenant Faithfulness

The contrasting Amaziahs highlight covenant obligations: the king failed by syncretism; the priest failed by political religion; the Levite and Simeonite are remembered simply for covenant participation.

Prophetic Authority

Both royal and priestly resistance to prophetic rebuke led to downfall. Scripture elevates the God-sent word above throne and altar alike.

The Peril of Pride

Amaziah’s shift from humble obedience to boastful aggression demonstrates Proverbs 16:18: “Pride goes before destruction.”

Divine Sovereignty over Nations

Judah’s fortunes under Amaziah, Edom’s defeat, Israel’s temporary triumph, and Assyria’s future invasion of Bethel all unfold under God’s directing hand, reinforcing the trustworthiness of His promises.

New Testament Echoes

Half-hearted discipleship condemned in Amaziah mirrors Revelation 3:16, while Amos’s defense of his divine calling anticipates Paul’s in Galatians 1:15-16. The pattern warns believers to “serve the LORD with sincerity and truth” (Joshua 24:14) and to “test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21).

See Also

Joash; Edom; Beth-shemesh; Amos; Pride; Prophetic Ministry; Covenant Obedience

אֲמַצְיָ֑הוּ אֲמַצְיָ֔ה אֲמַצְיָ֔הוּ אֲמַצְיָ֖ה אֲמַצְיָ֗הוּ אֲמַצְיָ֙הוּ֙ אֲמַצְיָ֣ה אֲמַצְיָ֣הוּ אֲמַצְיָ֤הוּ אֲמַצְיָ֥ה אֲמַצְיָ֥הוּ אֲמַצְיָ֧הוּ אֲמַצְיָ֨הוּ אֲמַצְיָֽה׃ אֲמַצְיָֽהוּ׃ אֲמַצְיָה֙ אמציה אמציה׃ אמציהו אמציהו׃ בַּאֲמַצְיָ֑הוּ באמציהו וַאֲמַצְיָ֙הוּ֙ וַאֲמַצְיָ֣הוּ ואמציהו לַאֲמַצְיָ֥הוּ לאמציהו ’ă·maṣ·yā·hū ’ă·maṣ·yāh ’ămaṣyāh ’ămaṣyāhū amatzYah amatzYahu ba’ămaṣyāhū ba·’ă·maṣ·yā·hū baamatzYahu la’ămaṣyāhū la·’ă·maṣ·yā·hū laamatzYahu vaamatzYahu wa’ămaṣyāhū wa·’ă·maṣ·yā·hūInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts