2 Kings 12:1-16. Joash reigns well but the high places are not removed. The house of the Lord is restored (2 Chronicles 24:1-14) 1. _Jehoash_began _to reign, and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem_ The R.V. puts the words into the usual order in these recitals, by placing -began" before -Jehoash... [ Continue Reading ]
_all his days_ In the original there is a division here in the verse, and the pronoun which both A.V. and R.V. render -wherein" should, as the text stands, be translated -because". This statement that Jehoash did what was right _all his days_is opposed to the narrative in Chronicles. The LXX. appear... [ Continue Reading ]
_But_[R.V. HOWBEIT] _the high places were not taken away_ Worship having been permitted there before the temple was erected, it was difficult to draw the people away from them, as they would be nearer at hand than the one place set apart for sacrifice, viz. Jerusalem, and they would also have acquir... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Jehoash said to the priests_ Even if we had not the definite statement which stands 2 Chronicles 24:7 of the depredations made on the temple by the sons of Athaliah, we can understand how under her rule the temple would be neglected and allowed to get out of repair. Hence the need which Jehoash... [ Continue Reading ]
_let the priests take_it _to them, every man of his acquaintance_ This passage is not easy to understand until we have along with it the parallel account of the Chronicler. From 2 Kings it might be thought that the words of Jehoash applied to such offerings as were made at the temple, and then it wo... [ Continue Reading ]
_In the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash_ By which time he must have attained the age of thirty and was able to act with decision. According to the Chronicler the first order had been, -See that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not". That account also makes Jehoiada more... [ Continue Reading ]
_Why repair ye not the breaches?_ No answer is given to this question either here or in 2 Chronicles. There can be no doubt that with the decay of the house of the Lord, the decrease of the offerings had also taken place. The priests and Levites had perhaps found much difficulty in increasing the su... [ Continue Reading ]
_the priests consented to receive no_more _money … neither to repair_ R.V. THAT THEY SHOULD TAKE NO MORE MONEY … NEITHER REPAIR. They had clearly found the work beyond them, and were glad to be relieved both of the collection and the laying out of the fund. This consent of theirs is not alluded to b... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Jehoiada the priest took a chest_ The Chronicler says -At the king's commandment they made a chest". It is manifest that both king and priests were at one in changing the plan for raising a repair-fund. But it is not without interest to note that the narrative of Chronicles, which is assumed to... [ Continue Reading ]
_when they saw that_there was _much money in the chest_ They could tell this by lifting, and beside this the priests were eye-witnesses of the liberal contribution. _the king's scribe_ This was the royal secretary, through whom the king would be kept acquainted with the progress of the fund. It app... [ Continue Reading ]
_they gave the money, being told_ R.V. THAT WAS WEIGHED OUT. Here by employing a different word the writer makes plain what was meant by the previous -telling" or -counting". The Chronicler adds that when this was done, the chest was carried back to its place, and that they did this from day to day,... [ Continue Reading ]
_and to buy timber and hewed stone_ R.V. AND FOR BUYING TIMBER AND HEWN STONE. The whole passage thus becomes, as the Hebrew makes it, dependent on the previous verb -they paid it out", so that the overseers are represented as paying all wages and buying all materials.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Howbeit_[R.V. BUT] _there were not made_for _the house of the Lord_ The compiler of Kings makes mention of certain vessels and implements which _were not made_at this time and from these contributions. Such were cups of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, and vessels of gold or vessels of silver, &... [ Continue Reading ]
_but_[R.V. FOR] _they gave that to the workmen_ R.V. TO THEM THAT DID THE WORK. The Hebrew expression is the same as in verse 11, and signifies the overseers, not the craftsmen.... [ Continue Reading ]
_the men into whose hand they delivered_ This must refer to certain treasurers into whose care each new chest full of offerings was entrusted. These were selected at first as being men who were sure to deal uprightly, and to them, without demanding any account, all was given over, and through their... [ Continue Reading ]
_The trespass money_ R.V. THE MONEY FOR THE GUILT OFFERINGS. -Guilt offering" was adopted by R.V. in Leviticus 5:1-6 and throughout the law for the -trespass-offering" of A.V., to accord with the verb and the adjective which are rendered in that leading passage -to be guilty" and -guilty". -Trespass... [ Continue Reading ]
Hazael threatens to attack Jerusalem, but is bought off by Jehoash. A conspiracy is formed against Jehoash, and he is murdered (2 Chronicles 24:23-27) 17. _Hazael_ See chap. 2 Kings 8:8. _fought against Gath_ Gath was one of the five great cities of the Philistines, though it is not clear whether... [ Continue Reading ]
_hallowed_things] See above on verse 4. _kings of Judah had dedicate_ No doubt there were occasions in almost every reign when the king was able to give from his conquests some gift as a thankoffering to God for success. Hence the sacred treasures would come to be of great value. _and he went away... [ Continue Reading ]
_And_[R.V. NOW] _the rest of the acts of Joash_ Here and in the next verse the shorter form of the king's name is introduced. Some of the acts of Joash have been noticed above on verse 17. The compiler of Kings seems to have thought it unnecessary to mention anything but the way in which the true he... [ Continue Reading ]
_And his servants arose_ The Chronicler tells us that the Syrians left the king suffering from -great diseases", perhaps from wounds received in some battle against the Syrians. He adds also that it was because of the blood -of the _sons_of Jehoiada" that the conspiracy was formed against Joash. Fro... [ Continue Reading ]
_For Jozachar_[R.V. JOZACAR] _the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer_ In 2 Chron. the names of the conspirators are given as -Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shemrith a Moabitess". Between זבד Zabad and זכר Zacar, the abbreviated form of Jozacar, it is... [ Continue Reading ]