He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, yet not like his father David — a carefully measured commendation that immediately establishes limitation. Amaziah "did according to all that Joash his father had done," following Joash's pattern of religious compromise and incomplete reform. The constant refrain of falling short of "David" (דָּוִד, *David*) invokes the Davidic covenant and the ideal of whole-hearted devotion to the LORD. This theological standard, measured against David, becomes the measure of all subsequent kings and their failure.

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