2 Kings 12

2 Kings 12:1-7

12. IN the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoaib began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem; and his mother’s name was Zithiah of Beer-theba. 2. And Jehoaib did that which was right in the fight of the LORD all his days, wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3. But the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

Very promising were the beginnings of this minority. Under Jehoiada’s instructions, Jehoaib cleaved to the true worthy of God, and continued steadfast as long as Jehoiada lived. Howbeit, custom had so established the high places, which were used for sacrifices before the temple was built, that Jehoiada either could not, or dared not attempt this reformation. Note, (1.) The greatest mercy that a child can be blest with, is a poum tutor; but whilst the great are so solicitous to have their sons educated in every human accomplishment, how few concern themselves about their being taught what it right is the fight of the Lord? (2.) Old and evil customs are hard to be eradicated.

4 Chap. xxii. 4. 7 Heb. Heineffen, 7. Exod. xxii. 7. 7 Lev. xxii. 7. 8 Exod. xxii. 8. Exod. xxii. 5. (Chron. xxiv. 9, 8. Exo. xx. 12. 8. xii. 13. 2, 6. 5 Mark xii. 41. 7 Heb. Therauld, Phil. Iann. 10. 7 Chap. xii. 6. 8 Ibid. xxii. 5. 9 Heb. Brought in forth. 1 Chom. xxiv. 14. w 1 Kings vii. 20. 7 Nam. 1. a Chap. xxii. 7. 9 Heb. In math. Not vii. 8. 7 Lev. xii. 7. Nam. xxiv. 9.

4. And Jehoaib said to the priests, ‘All the money of the + dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even’ the money of every one that passed the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD. 5. Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance, and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found. 6. But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoaib, the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house. 7. Then king Jehoaib called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house. 8. And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house. 9. But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar on the right side, as one cometh into the house of the LORD; and the priests that kept the g door, put there, in all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD. 10. And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s shrine, and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD. 11. And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD. 12. And to melons, and bevers of those, and to buy timber, and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. 13. Howbeit, there were not made for the house of the LORD, “bowls of silver, snuffers, babons,” trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD. 14. But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD. 15. Moreover, they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt g faithfully. 16. The trespass-money, and sin-money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests.

5. IN the second year of Josph son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, reigned ‘Amaziah the son of Josph king of Judah. 2. He was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem. 3. And ‘he did that which was right in the fight of the LORD, yet not like David his father: he did according to all things as Josph his father did. 4. Howbeit, the high places were not taken away: as yet the people did sacrifice, and burnt incense on the high places. 5. ¶ And it came to pass as soon as the kingdom was confirmed in his hand, that ‘he flew his servants which had ‘flain the king his father. 6. But the children of the murderers he flew not; according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, ‘The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, nor the children be put to death for the fathers: but every man shall be put to death for his own sin. 7. He flew of Edom in ’the valley of Salt, ten thousand, and took Selah by war, and called the name of it Joktheel, unto this day.

Amaziah succeeded his father Josph in Judah, and followed his ways; began well, but ended ill.

1. He externally kept up the worship of God, but his heart was not right with him, as David’s. The high places also he suffered to remain. Nate, Outward formality may pass upon men; but God requires the heart.

2. He justly punished the conspirators against his father, as soon as he was well fixed on the throne. Their children, however, he flew not, according to the law, Deut. xxiv. 16. Nate, Though blood sleeps for a while, vengeance will at last overtake the murderer.

3. In his war against Edom, which had revolted, he was successful, vanquished them in battle, and took Selah, which he called Joktheel.

4. ¶ Then Amaziah sent messengers to Jehoah the son of Jehoahaz, son of Jehu king of Israel, saying, ‘Come, let us look one another in the face. 9. And Jehoah the king of Israel sent to Amaziah king of Judah, saying, ‘The thistle that was in Lebanon, sent to the cedar that was in Lebanon, saying, Give thy daughter to my son to wife: and there passed by a wild beak that was in Lebanon, and trode down the thistle. 10. Thou hast indeed smitten Edom, and ’thine heart hath lifted thee up: glory of this, and tarry at home: for ‘why thou hast thou meddle to thy hurt, that thou thou hast fall, even thou, and Judah with thee? 11. But Amaziah ‘would not hear: therefore Jehoah king of Israel went up, and he, and Amaziah king of Judah looked one another in the face at Beth-shemeh, which belonged to Judah. 12. And Judah was put to the worke before Israel, and they fled every man to their tents. 13. And Jehoah king of Israel ’took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoah the son of Ahaziah at Beth-shemeh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem, from ’the gate of Ephraim, unto ’the corner gate, four hundred cubits. 14. And he took all the gold and silver, and ‘all the vessels that were found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and hostages, and returned to Samaria.

2 Kings 12:4-16

The temple of the Lord was gone out of repair, not so much by natural decay, as by the violence suffered it by Athabiah, and her ungodly sons, 2 Chron. xxiv. 7. And the priests it should seem were not careful to repair it, perhaps unable, the defection of the ten others having greatly lessened their provision.

1. The king therefore, whether for God’s glory, or in gra-

strude for his preservation there, solicitous to see it repaired and beautified, orders a collection to be made through the cities, and the redemption-money, Exod. xxv. 13. to be applied to repair the breaches. Note, (1.) When God’s house goes to decay, it is a sign the priests want and for the service. (2.) They who are great, should be encourages of godliness, and excite to diligence, and affil with their influence the ministers of the sanctuary.

2. The expedient did not answer; either the people were backward, or the priests negligent or unfaithful. In the 23d year the breaches remained, and the king justly reproves them for it. The priests therefore consented to give up the matter into the king’s hand, and Jehoiada, at his command, made a chest, into which the redemption-money and farewell offerings were to be put. Thither, no proclamation made, (see 2 Chron. xxiv. 9.) the people liberally brought their contributions; and when there was much money in it, to avoid all solemnies of dishonesty, the high-priest and secretary of State counted the sum, and laid it up in bags, till enough was collected. Note, (1.) They who profess great zeal for religion, are often backward enough to part from their money for the support of it. (2.) When priests give solemnies of their love of filthy lucre, no wonder the people with-hold their hand. (3.) Approved fidelity in the distribution, will encourage liberal contribution.

3. The money being ready, the preparation go forward; and so faithful were the overseers, that their accounts needed no examination. What they laid out at first was only for use, not ornament; but afterwards, (see 2 Chron. xxiv. 14.) when they found enough left, they added vessels of gold and silver, instead of those Athabiah had taken away, 2 Chron. xxiv. 7. Note, Church work is generally ill done, and long in hand; for to rob the church or the public is seldom thought criminal: but an honest man fears God, and therefore acts uprightly.

4. The maintenance of the priests was not neglected amidst the repairs of the temple, v. 10. They who are to serve at the altar, must live by the altar.

5. Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. 18. And Jehoaib king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoahaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaniah his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria, and he went away from Jerusalem. 19. And the rest of the acts of Joafs, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 20. And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and flew Joafs in the house of Miffa, which goeth down to Silla. 21. For Joachar the son of Shimazah, and Jehorabad the son of Shomer, his servants, froose him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

2 Kings 12:8-14

Vain on his victory over Edom, or perhaps to revenge the daughter made by the Israelites, whom he had dismissed from his army, 2 Chron. xxv. 13. Amaziah,

1. Sends a challenge to Josph king of Israel to meet him in the field, little suspecting the consequence of his foolish bravado. Nate, They who begin a quarrel, deserve to suffer for it.

2. Josph treats his message with great contempt, compares himself to a cedar, and Amaziah to a thistle; intimates that he would have thought any alliance with him disgraceful, and could treat him under foot, as easily as a wild beak does the thistle; therefore admits him to repress the vanity of his heart on his late trivial success, and not meddle to his harm. Nate, (1.) They who are proud, will meet with those who take a pleasure to mortify them. (2.) Vain minds swell with success, and usually destroy themselves by attempting things to which they

are unequal. (3.) It is fully to despite good advice, though

3. Amaziah was too obstinate to be advised, and therefore rushes on his ruin, is routed, taken prisoner, led in triumph to his own capital, which the victor entered; and, after plundering the city and temple of every thing valuable, and breaking down a great part of the wall, left the place defenceless, and took hostages of Amaziah to keep him in subjection. Thus, whilst Ephraim vowed Judah, and Judah Ephraim, they opened an easier door of conquest for their common fors. Nate, The quarrels and divisions of God’s people give the greatest advantage to their enemies.

4. ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jehoah which he did, and his might, and how he fought with Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 16. And Jehoah’s slept with his fathers, and was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel, and Jeroboam his son reigned in his stead. 17. ¶ And Amaziah the son of Josph king of Judah, lived after the death of Jehoah’s son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, fifteen years. 18. And the rest of the acts of Amaziah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? 19. Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachith, but they sent after him to Lachith, and flew him there. 20. And they brought him on hostess, and he was buried at Jerusalem with his fathers in the city of David. 21. ¶ And all the people of Judah took Azairah (which was sixteen years old) and made him king instead of his father Amaziah. 22. He built Elath, and restored it to Judah, after that the king slept with his fathers.

2 Kings 12:15-22

Jehoah’s death and burial was mentioned, chap. xiii. 12. after his conquests above recorded, it is again repeated. Amaziah, his late prisoner, survived him fifteen years, whose ill conduct and ill success provoked his subjects to conspire against him. He flew to Lachith for refuge, but they pursued and flew him there. His son, who was a minor of sixteen, succeeded him, and built Elath, a city on the Red Sea, which his father had recovered from the Edomites, annexing it to the crown of Judah. Nate, (1.) They who govern ill, must blame themselves for the discontent their conduct produces. (2.) Every refuge a sinner dies to will be vain to protect him from the sword of judgment.

23. ¶ In the fifteenth year of Amaziah, the son of Josph king of Judah, Jeroboam the son of Josph king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. 24. And ‘he did that which was evil in the fight of the LORD: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nehat, who made Israel to sin. 25. He restored ’the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath, unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the LORD God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant’ Jonah the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher. 26. For ’the LORD saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for ’there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. 27. And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Josph. 28. ¶ Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warned, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? 29. And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.

2 Kings 12:17-21

Jehoiada being dead, and Joafs spoilate, God visits him with a severe courage.

1. Hazael king of Syria, after the capture of Gath, prepares for the siege of Jerusalem; and Joafs now having deserted God, and being justly deserted by him, instead of returning to seek his favour, by robbing his temple endeavours to bribe his enemy. An impolitic contrivance, which only tempted the Syrians to a speedy return, 2 Chron. xxiv. Note, They who forsake God, grow foolish in their imaginations, and hullen their ruin by the means they use to avert it.

2. His wickedness and cruelty exasperated his subjects, and two of his servants conspired against him, and flew him. Thus ingloriously ended that reign, so promisingly begun. Note, Apollates from God, as they bring greater dishonour upon religion than others, may expect to be visited with God’s heavy hand.

2 Kings 12:23-29

Jeroboam, the son of Josph, reigned longer than any king of Israel before him; yet his character bears a brand of infamy. He followed the sins of his predecessor, whose name he bore, and the calves were his gods: yet God, in mercy to his people.

1. Raised up a prophet in the room of Elisha; Joarsh, a Galilean, See John vii. 52. The events recorded in his prophecy are supposed to have happened in his younger days, and now he more willingly executed the service of his functions. Nate, Even prophets are sinful men: if God rejected not them for their faults, let us not be too severe one on another.

2. Encouraged by Jonah he warned against the Syrians, and recovered the country from the northern border to the plain

beavah reigned

God’s notice; no; but he heard their groaning, oppressed, plundered, delobate, helpless; and as his decree was not yet gone forth, he gave them one short respite more, to prove them, whether they would return to him, or to leave them inexcusable in their impenitence.

3. Jeroboam’s warlike exploits appeared farther in the re-entry of Damascus and Hamash, which had been tributary to Judah formerly, and now became subject to Israel. Death, however, after a long and prosperous reign, laid his honour in the duds; and he left his throne to his son, who lost it quickly, according to the notice given to Jehu, Chap. x. 30.

Under Jeroboam and his contemporary kings of Judah, Hofer, Jonah, Amos, and Micah prophesied and wrote. When matters were halting to ruin, then did God multiply the warnings of his word; and though Israel and Judah despised their prophets, we have reason to bless God for their writings that are preferred for our admonition.