Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
Joash. Compare 2 Kings 12:1 , 2 Kings 12:2 .
And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all the days of Jehoiada the priest.
the LORD. Hebrew. Jehovah. App-4 .
And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.
for him: i.e. Joash. Was this because the line was almost extinct, or from lack of faith?
And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the LORD.
it came to pass. Compare 2 Kings 12:4 , 2 Kings 12:5 .
to repair. See 2 Chronicles 24:7 .
And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.
of all Israel. See note on 1 Kings 12:17 .
money = silver.
God. Hebrew. Elohim. App-4 .
And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?
the king called. In the twenty-third year (2 Kings 12:6 ).
collection = the tribute of the half-shekel redemption money ( Exo 50:13-16 ). See App-51 .
Moses the servant of the LORD. See note on Deuteronomy 34:5 .
congregation = assembly.
tabernacle. Hebrew. 'ohel. App-40 .
For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.
sons of Athaliah. Ahaziah and his brethren before they were slain (2 Chronicles 21:17 ), which may have been allowed in consequence of their sin. Compare 2 Chronicles 21:10-12 .
that wicked woman. The term found only here.
dedicated = holy. See note on Exodus 3:5 .
And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the LORD.
And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the LORD the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.
Moses the servant of God. See note on 1 Chronicles 6:49 .
And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.
Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the LORD.
such as did the work . Hebrew text reads sing, "him who did". The Authorized Version, following some codices, with Aramaean, Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulg, reads plural
So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.
by them: i.e. by their hand: i.e. by their direction.
And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the LORD, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the LORD continually all the days of Jehoiada.
But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.
an hundred and thirty years. Unprecedented since Joshua ( 2Ch 24:29 ). Born in Solomon's reign, he lived through six others.
And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.
among the kings. An honour refused to Joash. Compare 2 Chronicles 24:25 .
Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
made obeisance. With the view of obtaining the king's consent to their renewal of idolatry.
And they left the house of the LORD God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.
groves. Hebrew. 'Asherah. See App-42 .
idols = grievous images.
wrath came. From Jehovah. Compare verses: 2 Chronicles 24:23-24 .
Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the LORD; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.
they testified against them. The Vulgate reads quos protestantes = who in protesting against them. Thus, the first instance of the word "Protestant" is found in the Vulgate, and not in the history of the Reformation. Pr o = for, and testans = witnessing, is positive, not negative. It denotes a witnessing for God and His truth, not merely against evil.
And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
Spirit. Hebrew. ruach. App-9 .
came upon = clothed.
Zechariah the son of Jehoiada . In Zechariah 1:1 and Matthew 23:35 a second name is given, "son of Barachias". On the use of two or more names see note on 1 Chronicles 25:11 . It is quite needless to assume that there is any error, when so simple a solution lies on the surface.
saith = hath said. A rare form of the verb.
And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD.
stoned him. One of nine persons stoned. See note on Leviticus 24:14 .
at the commandment of the king. One of eleven rulers offended with God's servants. See note on Exodus 10:28 .
Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it.
he: i.e. Zechariah.
and require it. The very words twice used by the Lord Jesus in Luke 11:50 , Luke 11:51 . Compare Matthew 23:35 .
And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.
host = force.
destroyed all the princes. Who had led the People astray. This is how the "wrath came "(2 Chronicles 24:18 ).
For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.
And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.
sons. Put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Genus), App-6 , for Jehoiada's one son: thus emphasizing the son who was slain (2 Chronicles 24:20-21 ). The Septuagint and Vulgate read it "son" (without the Figure of speech)
not in the sepulchres. As Ahaz (2 Chronicles 28:27 ).
And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.
Zabad . . . Jehozabad. Slaves, but the executioners of God's judgment. Zabad had another name (Jozachar), used in 2 Kings 12:21 .
Shimrith. In 2 Kings 12:21 he has another name, "Shomer", if not his father's name.
Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.
burdens laid upon him. By the king of Syria (2 Kings 12:18 ). repairing (verses: 2 Chronicles 24:4-14 ).
behold. Figure of speech Asterismos. App-6 .
story = the commentary. See note on 2 Chronicles 13:22 , the only other place in which the word is found.
his son. Not so in Israel. There they set up whom they chose (1 Kings 15:27 ; 1 Kings 16:15 , 1 Kings 16:22 ). Here is seen Jehovah's faithfulness, in "the sure mercies of David" (2 Samuel 7:16 . Psalms 89:34-36 ).