XII. THE REIGN OF JEHOASH, OR JOASH. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 24) (1) FORTY YEARS. — A common round number. David and Solomon are each said to have reigned forty years. HIS MOTHER’S NAME. — The author of these short abstracts generally gives this particular in regard to the kings of Judah. BEER-SHEBA... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL HIS DAYS WHEREIN JEHOIADA THE PRIEST INSTRUCTED HIM. — The Hebrew is ambiguous, but may certainly mean this, which is the rendering of the LXX. and Vulg. (The accent dividing the verse ought to fall on “the Lord” rather than on “his days.”) Perhaps the peculiar form of the sentence arose in this... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT. — _Save that_; as at 2 Kings 15:4. (For the statement of the verse, comp. 1 Kings 15:14.) SACRIFICED... BURNT. — _Were wont to sacrifice... burn._ The worship of the high places continued even under the _régime_ of Jehoiada.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MONEY’ OF THE DEDICATED THINGS. — Comp. 1 Kings 15:15. IS BROUGHT — _i.e._, from time to time. All the silver given for the purposes of the sanctuary is meant. EVEN THE MONEY OF EVERY ONE THAT PASSETH THE ACCOUNT. — _Rather, to wit, current money_ (Genesis 23:16). The currency at this period c... [ Continue Reading ]
(4-16) The restoration of the Temple.... [ Continue Reading ]
EVERY MAN OF HIS ACQUAINTANCE. — See 2 Chronicles 24:5. From that passage it is evident that the chronicler understood that the priests were required to collect such moneys, each in his own city and district, year by year. Our text, taken alone, would seem to imply that persons going to the Temple t... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE THREE AND TWENTIETH YEAR. — Jenoash may have ordered the restoration in his twentieth year, when he came of age. It is noticeable that he and not Jehoiada takes the initiative in the matter. The chronicler states that the king had ordered the priests _and the Levites_ “to hasten the matter,”... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEREFORE RECEIVE NO MORE MONEY. — The account of the whole transaction is not very clear, and commentators disagree upon the question of the degree of blame attaching to the priests for their neglect. It is evident, however, that the king now took the control of the funds and the work out of th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE PRIESTS CONSENTED. — No doubt they made some such explanation as is suggested in the Note on 2 Kings 12:7, by way of clearing themselves from the suspicion of fraud; after which, they agreed to resign all connection with the business.... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT. — _And_. JEHOIADA THE PRIEST TOOK A CHEST. — By order of the king (2 Chronicles 24:8). BESIDE THE ALTAR, ON THE RIGHT SIDE AS ONE COMETH INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. — Chronicles says: “in the gate of the house of the Lord outwards.” This can hardly refer to the same position. It probably desc... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IT WAS SO. — Rather, _And it came to pass._ Whenever the chest was full the royal secretary and the high priest went up into the Temple, and emptied it. PUT UP IN BAGS, AND TOLD. — Literally, _they bound up and counted._ They put the pieces of silver into bags of a certain size, and then counte... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY GAVE. — Rather, _And they used to give, i.e._, every time they had emptied the chest. BEING TOLD. — Rather, _which was weighed._ THEM THAT DID THE WORK. — Not the actual workmen, but, as is immediately explained, “those who had the oversight of the house,” or were charged with the superintend... [ Continue Reading ]
MASONS... HEWERS. — Heb., _the masons... the hewers_. HEWED STONE. — Or, _quarry stone._ THAT WAS LAID OUT. — The Hebrew tense implies that it was done _repeatedly._ TO REPAIR IT. — Rather, _for repair._ The word (_chozqah_) does not recur in this sense.... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE WERE NOT MADE. — Rather, _there used not to be made_. FOR THE HOUSE. — Literally, _in the house._ BOWLS... BASONS. — Comp. 1 Kings 7:50, where the same three terms occur. TRUMPETS — _i.e._, the straight priestly trumpets. OF THE MONEY THAT WAS BROUGHT. — The plain meaning is that the whole... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THEY GAVE THAT TO THE WORKMEN. — Literally, _for to the doers of the work they used to give it, and they used to repair, &c._ In Chronicles it is added that, _after the repairs were finished_, the money that was left was applied to the purpose of making “spoons and vessels of gold and silver” fo... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER THEY RECKONED NOT. — Rather, _and they were not wont to reckon._ TO BE BESTOWED ON WORKMEN. — Literally, _to give to the doers of the work._ Here the phrase “doers of the work” obviously means the artisans, not the superintendents, as in 2 Kings 12:11. THEY DEALT FAITHFULLY. — This is not... [ Continue Reading ]
THE. — The definite article should be omitted. TRESPASS MONEY AND SIN MONEY. — See Lev. V. 15-18; Numbers 5:8; Leviticus 6:26. WAS NOT BROUGHT. — _Was not wont to be brought i.e._, put into the chest for the restoration fund. IT WAS THE PRIESTS’. — Literally _to the priests they_ (these moneys) _... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN. — _At that time,_ viz., after the events just related. Hazaeľs invasion of the south followed upon his successes against Jehoahaz, who became king of the northern kingdom in the very year when Jehoash took in hand the restoration of the Temple. (Comp. 2 Kings 12:6 with 2 Kings 13:1; 2 Kings 13... [ Continue Reading ]
(17-21) Conclusion of the epitome of the reign, broken off at 2 Kings 12:4.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HALLOWED THINGS THAT... JEHORAM, AND AHAZIAH... HAD DEDICATED — Although these kings had sought to naturalise the Baal-worship, they had not ventured to abolish that of Jehovah. On the contrary, as appears from this passage, they even tried to conciliate the powerful priesthood and numerous adhe... [ Continue Reading ]
HIS SERVANTS. — His immediate attendants. (Comp. 2 Kings 8:15.) AROSE — _i.e._, against him. IN THE HOUSE OF MILLO. — Or, _at Beth-Millo_. The precise locality cannot be determined. Thenius supposes that the sorely wounded (?) king had retired for greater safety into “the castle palace.” Ewald say... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR JOZACHAR... SMOTE HIM. — Rather, _And Jozachar... it was that smote him._ The names are different in Chronicles. (See the Note on 2 Chronicles 24:26.) Thenius notices the curious coincidence of the names as given here with the last words of the murdered Zechariah, “Jehovah see, and avenge!” The... [ Continue Reading ]