But there came a man of God to him, saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for the LORD is not with Israel, to wit, with all the children of Ephraim.
But a man of God came to him and said, 'O king, don't let Israel's army go with you into battle, because the LORD is not with Israel—that is, with all the people of Ephraim.'
The writer is showing how God sent a prophet to warn King Amaziah not to rely on Israel's army for help because God was not supporting Israel at that time.
📚 Historical Context
This occurred during the reign of King Amaziah of Judah (around 796-767 BC), who had hired 100,000 soldiers from the northern kingdom of Israel to help fight the Edomites. At this time, the kingdom was divided into two parts: Judah in the south and Israel (often called Ephraim after its dominant tribe) in the north. The northern kingdom had fallen into idolatry and spiritual rebellion against God.
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