(22) He built Elath.--The pronoun is emphatic; he, in contrast with his father. "Built," either rebuilt or fortified. The verse is in close connection with the preceding narrative. Amaziah perhaps had not vigorously prosecuted the conquest of Edom, having been greatly weakened by his defeat in the struggle with Jehoash. He may even have suffered some further losses at the hands of the Edomites; and this, as Thenius supposes may have led to the conspiracy which brought about his death and the accession of his son. The warlike youth Uzziah took the field at once, and pushed his victorious arms to the southern extremity of Edom, the port of Elath (2Kings 9:26), and thus restored the state of things which had existed under Solomon and Jehoshaphat.

After that the king slept--i.e., immediately after the murder of Amaziah. Thenius explains the verse with most success, but this clause is still somewhat surprising.

Verse 22. - He built Elath, and restored it to Judah. On the position of Elath, or Eloth, and its importance, see the comment on 1 Kings 9:26. It had been the headquarters of Solomon's fleet (1 Kings 9:26), and again of Jehoshaphat's (1 Kings 22:48; 2 Chronicles 20:36); but had been, of course, recovered by the Edomites when they revolted (2 Kings 8:22). Azariah's re-occupation seems to imply an intention on his part of, renewing the old Red Sea trade. By "built ' in this passage we must understand "rebuilt" or (as in 2 Chronicles 11:6) "fortified." After that the king slept with his fathers. Keil is probably right in understanding this to mean "immediately after he had ascended the throne," or "as soon as ever his father was dead" (see the comment on ver. 19). His further military successes will be considered in the comment on his reign, as sketched in the next chapter.

14:15-22 Amaziah survived his conqueror fifteen years. He was slain by his own subjects. Azariah, or Uzziah, seems to have been very young when his father was slain. Though the years of his reign are reckoned from that event, he was not fully made king till eleven years afterwards.He built Elath,.... A port which belonged to Edom, Deuteronomy 2:8 which very probably David took from them when he made them tributary, and which they retook when they revolted, and Amaziah got again when he defeated them; and this his son rebuilt and fortified:

and restored it to Judah; annexed it to the kingdom of Judah, as in the days of David and Solomon:

after that the king slept with his fathers; after the death of his father Amaziah.