2 Chronicles 24

2Ch 24:1-14.

JOASH

REIGNS

WELL

ALL THE

DAYS OF

JEHOIADA.

1-3. Joash . . . began to

reign--(See on

2Ki 12:1-3).

3. Jehoiada took for him two wives--As Jehoiada was now too old to

contract such new alliances, the generality of interpreters apply this

statement to the young king.

4-14. Joash was minded to repair the house of the

Lord--(See on

2Ki 12:4-16).

2Ch 24:15, 16.

JEHOIADA

BEING

DEAD.

15, 16. Jehoiada waxed old . . . and died--His life, protracted to

unusual longevity and spent in the service of his country, deserved

some tribute of public gratitude, and this was rendered in the

posthumous honors that were bestowed on him. Among the Hebrews,

intramural interment was prohibited in every city but Jerusalem, and

there the exception was made only to the royal family and persons of

eminent merit, on whom the distinction was conferred of being buried in

the city of David, among the kings, as in the case of Jehoiada.

2Ch 24:17-22.

JOASH

FALLS INTO

IDOLATRY.

17-22. Now came the princes of Judah, and make obeisance to the

king--Hitherto, while Joash occupied the throne, his uncle had held

the reins of sovereign power, and by his excellent counsels had

directed the young king to such measures as were calculated to promote

both the civil and religious interests of the country. The fervent

piety, practical wisdom, and inflexible firmness of that sage

counsellor exerted immense influence over all classes. But now that the

helm of the state-ship was no longer steered by the sound head and firm

hand of the venerable high priest, the real merits of Joash's

administration appear; and for want of good and enlightened principle,

as well as, perhaps, of natural energy of character, he allowed himself

to be borne onward in a course which soon wrecked the vessel upon

hidden rocks.

the king hearkened unto them, &c.--They were secretly attached

to idolatry, and their elevated rank affords sad proof how extensively

and deeply the nation had become corrupted during the reigns of

Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Athaliah. With strong professions of allegiance

they humbly requested that they might not be subjected to the continued

necessity of frequent and expensive journeys to Jerusalem, but allowed

the privilege their fathers had enjoyed of worshipping God in high

places at home. They framed their petition in this plausible and least

offensive manner, well knowing that, if excused attendance at the

temple, they might--without risk of discovery or disturbance--indulge

their tastes in the observance of any private rites they pleased. The

weak-minded king granted their petition; and the consequence was, that

when they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, they soon

"served groves and idols."

18. wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem--The particular mention of

Jerusalem as involved in the sin implies that the neglect of the temple

and the consequent idolatry received not only the king's toleration,

but his sanction; and it naturally occurs to ask how, at his mature

age, such a total abandonment of a place with which all his early

recollections were associated can be accounted for. It has been

suggested that what he had witnessed of the conduct of many of the

priests in the careless performance of the worship, and especially

their unwillingness to collect the money, as well as apply a portion of

their revenues for the repairs of the temple, had alienated and

disgusted him [LE

CLERC].

19. Yet he sent prophets--Elisha, Micah, Jehu son of Hanani, Jahaziel

son of Zechariah

(2Ch 20:14),

Eliezer son of Dodavah

(2Ch 20:37),

lived and taught at that time. But all their prophetic warnings and

denunciations were unheeded.

20, 21. the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of

Jehoiada--probably a younger son, for his name does not occur in

the list of Aaron's successors

(1Ch 6:4-47).

stood above the people--Being of the priestly order, he spoke from the

inner court, which was considerably higher than that of the people.

and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments

of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper, &c.--His near relationship to the

king might have created a feeling of delicacy and reluctance to

interfere; but at length he, too, was prompted by an irresistible

impulse to protest against the prevailing impiety. The bold freedom and

energy of [Zechariah's] remonstrance, as well as his denunciation of

the national calamities that would certainly follow, were most

unpalatable to the king; while they so roused the fierce passions of

the multitude that a band of miscreants, at the secret instigation of

Joash, stoned him to death. This deed of violence involved complicated

criminality on the part of the king. It was a horrid outrage on a

prophet of the Lord--base ingratitude to a family who had preserved his

life--atrocious treatment of a true Hebrew patriot--an illegal and

unrighteous exercise of his power and authority as a king.

22. when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it and require

it--These dying words, if they implied a vindictive imprecation,

exhibit a striking contrast to the spirit of the first Christian martyr

(Ac 7:60).

But, instead of being the expression of a personal wish, they might be

the utterance of a prophetic doom.

2Ch 24:23-27.

HE

IS

SLAIN BY

HIS

SERVANTS.

23. at the end of the year the host of Syria came up--This invasion

took place under the personal conduct of Hazael, whom Joash, to save

the miseries of a siege, prevailed on to withdraw his forces by a large

present of gold

(2Ki 12:18).

Most probably, also, he promised the payment of an annual tribute, on

the neglect or refusal of which the Syrians returned the following

year, and with a mere handful of men inflicted a total and humiliating

defeat on the collected force of the Hebrews.

25. they left him in great diseases--The close of his life was

embittered by a painful malady, which long confined him to bed.

his own servants conspired against him--These two conspirators (whose

fathers were Jews, but their mothers aliens) were probably courtiers,

who, having constant access to the bedchamber, could the more easily

execute their design.

for the blood of the sons--read "the son" of Jehoiada. Public opinion

seems to have ascribed the disasters of his life and reign to that foul

crime. And as the king had long lost the esteem and respect of his

subjects, neither horror nor sorrow was expressed for his miserable

end!