2 Kings12
World English Bible · Public Domain
1Jehoash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.
2Jehoash did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.
4Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into Yahweh’s house, in current money, the money of the people for whom each man is evaluated, and all the money that it comes into any man’s heart to bring into Yahweh’s house,
5let the priests take it to them, each man from his donor; and they shall repair the damage to the house, wherever any damage is found.”
6But it was so, that in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash the priests had not repaired the damage to the house.
7Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the other priests, and said to them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage to the house? Now therefore take no more money from your treasurers, but deliver it for repair of the damage to the house.”
8The priests consented that they should take no more money from the people, and not repair the damage to the house.
9But Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into Yahweh’s house; and the priests who kept the threshold put all the money that was brought into Yahweh’s house into it.
10When they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put it in bags and counted the money that was found in Yahweh’s house.
11They gave the money that was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of Yahweh’s house; and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on Yahweh’s house,
12and to the masons and the stone cutters, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the damage to Yahweh’s house, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.
13But there were not made for Yahweh’s house cups of silver, snuffers, basins, trumpets, any vessels of gold or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into Yahweh’s house;
14for they gave that to those who did the work, and repaired Yahweh’s house with it.
15Moreover they didn’t demand an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to give to those who did the work; for they dealt faithfully.
16The money for the trespass offerings and the money for the sin offerings was not brought into Yahweh’s house. It was the priests’.
17Then Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it; and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
18Jehoash king of Judah took all the holy things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own holy things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of Yahweh’s house, and of the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria; and he went away from Jerusalem.
19Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, aren’t they written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
20His servants arose and made a conspiracy, and struck Joash at the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla.
21For Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in David’s city; and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.
Study Guide
Public-domain commentary and original-language notes for 2 Kings 12.
Chapter Summary
In this chapter: Jehoash orders the repair of the temple. (1–16). He is slain by his servants. (17–21).
vv1-16
It is a great mercy to young people, especially to all young men of rank, like Jehoash, to have those about them who will instruct them to do what is right in the sight of the Lord; and they do wisely and well for themselves, when willing to be counselled and ruled. The temple was out of repair; Jehoash orders the repair of the temple. The king was zealous. God requires those who have power, to use it for the support of religion, the redress of grievances, and repairing of decays. The king employed the priests to manage, as most likely to be hearty in the work. But nothing was done effectually till the twenty-third year of his reign. Another method was therefore taken. When public distributions are made faithfully, public contributions will be made cheerfully. While they were getting all they could for the repair of the temple, they did not break in upon the stated maintenance of the priests. Let not the servants of the temple be starved, under colour of repairing the breaches of it. Those that were intrusted did the business carefully and faithfully. They did not lay it out in ornaments for the temple, till the other work was completed; hence we may learn, in all our expenses, to prefer that which is most needful, and, in dealing for the public, to deal as we would for ourselves.
vv17-21
Let us review the character of Jehoash, and consider what we may learn from it. When we see what a sad conclusion there was to so promising a beginning, it ought to make us seek into our spiritual declinings. If we know any thing of Christ as the foundation of our faith and hope, let us desire to know nothing but Christ. May the work of the blessed Spirit on our souls be manifest; may we see, feel, and be earnest, in seeking after Jesus in all his fulness, suitableness, and grace, that our souls may be brought over from dead works to serve the living and true God.
Key Words
שֶׁבַע: seven (as the sacred full one); also (adverbially) seven times; by implication, a week; by extension, an indefinite number
שָׁנֶה: a year (as a revolution of time)
יֵהוּא: Jehu, the name of five Israelites
יְהוֹאָשׁ: Jehoash, the name of two Israelite kings
מָלַךְ: to reign; inceptively, to ascend the throne; causatively, to induct into royalty; hence (by implication) to take counsel
אַרְבָּעִים: forty
יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם: Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine
אֵם: a mother (as the bond of the family); in a wide sense (both literally and figuratively (like father))
שֵׁם: an appellation, as amark or memorial of individuality; by implication honor, authority, character
צִבְיָּה: Tsibjah, an Israelite
Cross References
2 Kings 12Comprehensive parallel account of the beginning of Jehoash's reign and his temple repairs.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
The Mosaic law concerning half-shekel temple tax for everyone that passeth the account.
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
The priestly valuation and redemption rates for dedicated persons (money every man is set at).
Supported by Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel account providing specific details on Joash's conspiracy, illness, and assassination.
Supported by JFB
Details Joash's severe apostasy and murder of Zechariah after the death of Jehoiada.
Supported by Matthew Henry, Matthew Poole, JFB
Parallel details of Hazael's Syrian invasion, showing it as divine judgment on Joash.
Supported by JFB
Provides the maternal names/origins of Joash's conspirators: Zabad/Jozachar and Jehozabad.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Scriptural model for freewill offerings that come into any man's heart to bring.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Explains that Athaliah's sons had broken up the temple, necessitating these repairs.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Later parallel under Josiah where no reckoning was made with workmen who dealt faithfully.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Law allocating the trespass offering and sin money as the priests' portion.
Supported by JFB
Clarifies that vessels were only made after the primary structural repairs were completed.
Supported by Matthew Henry
Precedent of Asa stripping temple treasures to bribe a foreign king to avert siege.
Supported by Matthew Poole
Demonstrates the persistent failure of even good kings of Judah to abolish high places.
Supported by Matthew Poole
The basic levitical rule: as the sin offering is, so is the trespass offering.
Supported by Matthew Poole