Son of Yoash; reigned 29 years in Yerushalayim
Executed his father's assassins upon securing the throne, but — citing Deuteronomy 24:16 — did not put their children to death, an explicit scriptural restraint noted approvingly (2 Kings 14:5–6)
Defeated Edom in the Valley of Salt (2 Chronicles 25:11–12), but then brought Edomite gods back to Yehudah and worshiped them — for which a prophet rebuked him, and Amatzyahu threatened the prophet's life (2 Chronicles 25:14–16)
Foolishly challenged Yo'ash, king of Israel, to battle despite the prophet's warning; Yehudah was defeated at Beit-Shemesh, Yerushalayim's wall was breached, and Temple treasures were taken (2 Kings 14:8–14, 2 Chronicles 25:17–24)
A conspiracy formed against him in Yerushalayim; he fled to Lachish but was pursued and killed there (2 Kings 14:19–20, 2 Chronicles 25:27–28)
“Spared the children of his father's killers per the Torah — yet adopted Edom's gods and was killed at Lachish”
Traditional note: 2 Kings 14:2 names Amatzyahu's mother as 'Yeho'adan of Yerushalayim' — named in scripture but not modeled as a separate entry in this dataset (see the general note on queen mothers in 'rechavam' and 'maakah-bat-avshalom'). This is the second of the three kings (Achazyahu, Yoash, Amatzyahu) that Matthew 1:8 compresses past in a single step from Yoram to Uziyahu — see the note on 'achazyahu-melech-yehudah' for the fuller discussion of that compression.
