(16) As he talked with him.--When he spake unto him.

Art thou made of the king's counsel?--Literally, A counsellor to the king have we appointed thee?

Why shouldest thou be smitten?--Wherefore should they smite thee?

Hath determined.--Hath counselled. The prophet appropriates the king's own word, and implies his participation in Divine, if not in royal, counsels.

Because.--The conduct of Amaziah was proof that God had "counselled to destroy him."

Thou hast done this.--Spurned my warning. Others say: because thou hast adopted the Edomite gods.

Unto my counsel.--Again repeating the king's expression.

Verse 16. - The chapter well keeps up in this verse its graphic character, though the culminating instances of it are yet to come. Forbear. The faithful prophet is "wise as the serpent, harmless as the dove." He does forbear, but not till the application of his speech, and all that was needful is most outspokenly (more so than before he had heard the usual coward fashion of the tyrant's threat) pronounced. His forbearing, therefore, is open to no charge of moral cowardice and unprophet-like infidelity.

25:14-16 To worship the gods of those whom Amaziah had conquered, who could not help their own worshippers, was the greatest absurdity. If men would consider how unable all those things are to help them, to which they look whenever they forsake God, they would not be such enemies to themselves. The reproof God sent by a prophet was too just to be answered; themselves. The reproof God sent by a prophet was too just to be answered; but he was bidden not to say a word more. The secure sinner rejoices to have silenced his reprovers and monitors; but what comes of it? Those that are deaf to reproof, are ripening for destruction.And it came to pass, as he talked with him, that the king said unto him, art thou made of the king's council?.... He was not indeed one of his privy council, made so by him, but he was appointed a counsellor to him by the Lord, the King of kings, to expostulate with him about his idolatry, and to advise him to relinquish it, to whose counsel he ought to have hearkened:

forbear, why shouldest thou be smitten? bidding him hold his peace, and threatening him, that if he did not, he must expect to be smitten; that is, with death, as Zechariah the prophet was by the order of his father:

then the prophet forbore; left off speaking, only added this at parting:

and said, I know that God hath determined to destroy thee; being given up to hardness of heart, so as to pay no regard to the Lord and his prophets, which was a sure presage of destruction:

because thou hast done this; committed such idolatry, and persisted in it:

and hast not hearkened to my counsel; to reform from it.