2 Chronicles 24

J’..,.? v., S;:\ ^i> OASH was seven years old when he began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: his mother’s name also was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.,…,, of witness?. Such oblations as were freely made in Moses’s timo for the building of the tabernacle. (See Exod. xxxv. 5.) There was also, beside this voluntary oblation, a tax set upon them. (See Exod. xxx. 12, 13.) It is called the tabernacle oftvitness, because hero were kept the two tables in the ark, which witnessed the covenant between God and them. (See upon Exod. xxv. 1G.) Vcr. 7. For the sons ofAthaliah, that wicked tvoman, had broken up the house of God.] That is, Ahaziah, and the sons of his brethren, mentioned chap. xxii. 8. For his brethren themselves were carried captive before their father died: (chap. xxi. 17.) or, as Abarbinel expounds it, she being a tuicked woman, played the whore with another man, by whom she had several bastards, who committed this impiety: therefore they are called the sons of Athaliah, their father being unknown. And also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord.] Which should have been employed in the reparation of it. Did they bestow upon Baalim.] Gave them either to adorn the temples of those false gods, or to promote their worship.

2 Chronicles 24:2

And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.* These two verses arc the same with those 2 Kings xii. 1, 2.,.

2 Chronicles 24:3

And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters. He did not take these two wives for the king, but for himself: which was contrary to the constant tradition of the Jews, thatthe high-priest was to be so pure as to have but one wife at a time: which they endeavour to prove by Scripture, from Lev. xxi. 13, 14. The Gemara Babylonica reports this, and Maimonides asserts/it, (see • Braunius in his.Selecta Sacra, lib. iii. cap. 2.) Therefore Jehoiada. is supposed to have had two wives before he.was high-priest; or.rather, one being dead, he took another. Or, as the Talmudis.ts’ will have it, aftqr he had divorced onehe married another, as Mr. Selden observes, lib. iii; Uxor. Hebr. cap* J9. But, after all, it is not certain that Jehoiada was high-priest, for he is everywhere called Jehoiada the priest; and but once only (ver. G.) the chief: which’ doth not necessarily imply that he was! the high-priest, but only a great man, because of his relation to the royal family; or because he was the chief head of one of the twenty-four families of the priests. But he seems to.be distinguished from the high-priest, in 2 Kings xii. 9, 10. and is not mentioned either in Ezra vii. or 1 Chron. vi.

2 Chronicles 24:4

And it came to. pass after this, that Joash ivas minded to repair the house of the Lord. , As is related some-? thing more particularly in 2 Kings xii. 4, &c.'

2 Chronicles 24:5

And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said unto them, Go out unto the cities ofJudah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year.] That something might be done every year, till the temple was put into good repair..What money this was that they were, to collect, we are informed 2 Kings xii. 4* ,..! And see that ye hasten the matter: howbeit the Levites hastened it not.] Things were in so bad a condition, that it required the work should be begun with speed: yet. such was the negligence of the Levites, and.the backwardness, perhaps, of the people to part with their money, that in the twenty-third of this king’s reign nothing was done, as we are informed in 2 Kings xii. 6.

2 Chronicles 24:6

And the king called for Jehoiada ilve chief, and said unto him, Wliy hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out ofJudah, and out of Jerusalem, the collection, according to the commandment of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle

2 Chronicles 24:8

And at the king’s commandment they made a chest, and set it tvithout at the gate of the house of the Lord. This is more largely related in 2 Kings xii. 9. (See there.) *Vcr. 9. And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses, the servant of God, laid upon Israel in the wilderness.] One like to that, according as every man should freely offer.

2 Chronicles 24:10

And all the princes, and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest J. The great men set so good an example to the people, that they cheerfully joined with them in this good work. Until they had made an end.] Till every body had given something, or all that had a mind had offered, and they saw no more would be given: or, till the temple was repaired, and the work finished.

2 Chronicles 24:11

Now it came to pass, that at what time tlte chest wai brought unto the king’s office by the hand of the Levites. Who brought it from the gate of the house of the Lord, (ver. 8.) that the king’s officers might examine what the contribution amounted unto.. And when they saw that there was much money, the king’s scribe and the high-priest’s officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again.’) By the hands of the Levites, who brought it thither.. Tims they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.] This is related a little more largely than in 2 Kings xii. 10. (See what I have noted there.)

2 Chronicles 24:12

And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the semice of the house of the Lord, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the Lord.] See 2 Kings xii. 11—13, &c. where this is more distinctly related. Only here we are told who put the money into the hands of thoso that were to oversee the work, viz. the king and Jehoiada, which is not there mentioned.

2 Chronicles 24:13

So the workmen wrmight, and the work tuasperfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it. For the men were so honest, that there was no time spent in calling them to an account, how they laid out the money: whici they did very faithfully, (2 Kings xii. 15.) Vcr. 14. And tvhen they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the Lord, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver: and they offered burnt-offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.] It is likely Athaliah and her wicked sons had embezzled the holy vessels, and employed them to the service of Baalim. But till the temple was completely repaired, none of the money was converted to this other pious use, of purchasing vessels for the sanctuary, as wc are distinctly told in 2 Kings xii. 13.

2 Chronicles 24:15

But Jehoiada tuaxed old, and was full of days when he died; a hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.) He seems to have lived long after this work was finished, being well stricken in years when he undertook it. Many such examples of long-lived men are collected by primate Usher, in his Chronologia Sacra, par. i. cap. 12. p. 70.

2 Chronicles 24:16

And they buried him in the city of David among the kings. This shews a good -disposition in the king and the people at this time, though they soon changed after he was dead and buried. Because he had done good in Israel.] The good he had done was in Judah, which is often in this history called Israel: because they were the principal tribe among the Israelites, and were, indeed, the true Israel of God, while they continued to worship him sincerely. Both towards God, and towards his hoiise.] He had been an instrument in restoring the Divine worship, which now they weTe* sensible was a great blessing: and in repairing the decays which were in the temple, and furnishing it with vessels for the Divine service. - Vcr. 17. Now after thedeath of Jehoiada.] In his lifetime they durst not attempt’this, for though he was old and feeble he retained great authority. Came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king.] Some of the great men, who in their hearts continued Baalites, desired to be admitted into the king’s presence, and made their addresses with great reverence, pretending the greatest devotion to his service. And so falling into discourse with him concerning the state of religion, and other affairs, desired, at last, they might have leave to worship Baal; which Jehoiada had destroyed. Tlien the king hearkened unto them.] To this dangerous discourse he listened and consented to them: for fair words and flatteries easily deceive princes, as Grotius here observes: and they w T anted not specious reasons to persuade the king not to be so strict, as to permit no god to be worshipped but only one. Some of the Jews’fancy, that they flattered him with a conceit, that he himself was worthy of Divine honour, being wonderfully preserved six years in the house of God; as the people flattered Herod after his oration, saying, It is the voice of a god, not of a man.

2 Chronicles 24:18

And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols. Though at the first, it is likely, these great men only worshipped Baal themselves: yet they had their emissaries who persuaded the people to join with them. So that the house of God was deserted, and they worshipped idols in the groves. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their (e) CHAP. XXIV.] THE SECOND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES. trespass.’] Which God punished by the hand of Hazael king of Syria. (See 2 Kings xii. 17, 38.)

2 Chronicles 24:19

Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them back again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear. God’s goodness was wonderful in sending his messengers to reduce such a base people: whose wickedness was no less wonderful, in that they hearkened to the great men among them rather than to the prophets of Almighty God.

2 Chronicles 24:20

And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son ofJehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them. He had a Divine motion to speak publicly to. the people and reprove them; which that he might do and be heard of all, ho got up into a high place where they might all both see and hear him. L’Empereur, in his Annotations upon Codex Middoth, p. 80. thinks, he got up into some desk or pulpit in the court of the priests. Huts saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken youJ] This he spake with great vehemence, and, it is likely, enlarged upon this subject so long, that it raised their indignation. It is very remarkable, that though he spake by the spirit of prophecy, yet he only applied the general prediction of Moses, Deut. xxxi. 1G. unto the present time: that they might all learn to have a greater regard to Moses, and continually meditate in his law; unto which if they had attended, they would have easily discerned who were true prophets and who were false.

2 Chronicles 24:21

And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king. Who, it is likely, was present when he reproved them; or, being told what he said, sent an order to kill him. “Which shews their error, who think Joash was not an idolater himself, but only connived at the great men’s idolatry, and gave them liberty to exercise it. Josephus rightly accuses him of this sin, of which if he had not been guilty, he would not sure have slain the Lord’s prophet who reproved it. In the court of the house of the LordJ] This shews that they were there assembled; of which he took the advantage to put them in mind of their duty: and, if we believe the Jews, it was upon the great day of expiation. For, as Bochartus observes, (Hierozoicon, par. i. lib. ii. cap. 1.) “Plcbeius furor nullos habet limites, maximc cum religionis velum illi obtenditur;” popular fury hath no bounds, especially ivhen the veil of religion is thrown over it.

2 Chronicles 24:22

Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. This sin, besides the contempt of God’s prophet, and of the place where ho was murdered, had a horrid ingratitude in it: he being the son of him to whom the king owed his life and his kingdom. Who assisted his father at his unction, as some think, because it is said, chap.xxiii. 11. “Jehoiada and his sons anointed him.” But if Jehoiada was high-priest, this son is not reckoned among the successors of Aaron in 1 Chron. vi. And therefore it is likely he was a younger son ofJehoiada: for if he had been his eldest, he would have had sufficient authority, without the spirit of prophecy, to reprove Joash for his idolatry: as Azariah resisted Uzziah when he would have usurped his office. Ludovicus Capellus theveforo thinks it probable, that his brother the high-priest conniving at Joash’s apostacy, this younger brother was inspired by God to reprove it. Which boldness Joash and his courtiers thought they might punish with some colour, by alleging, that he was not moved by God to it, but by his juvenile heat and rashness, which they stirred up the people to chastise. (See Chronol. Sacra,. p. 285.) And when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it, arid require it.] And so he did, both by external wars (ver. 23.) and by a conspiracy against him, (ver. 25.) It is not to be thought, that he died with a spirit of revenge; but by the spirit of prophecy foretold God. would punish them for their hard usage of him. Thus the apostle, 1 Tim. iv. 14. speaks of Alexander the coppersmith, who had greatly opposed him, " The Lord reward him according to. his work:” which may be understood as a sentence pronounced against him. The Jews tell a strange storyin the Gemara Sanhedrin, cap. 11. how Nebuzar-adan, when he burnt the temple, saw blood bubbling up in a certain place; and inquiring into the matter, he understood, that a priest and prophet of the Lord had been slain there, because he foretold their de- - struction. Whereupon he killed all the doctors of the law, but still theblood was not at rest: then all the scholars in their schools, but still it was not quiet: then all the priests/ and at last many thousands of the people, but still it continued to bubble. So that he said, Zechariah; Zechariah/ wouldest thou have me to destroy all the nation? and then it rested, (sect. 24.) In other books they say, there were seven transgressions upon this day, in which they killed a priest, a prophet, a judge, shed innocent blood, polluted the court of the Lord’s house, and the sabbath, and the day of expiation.

2 Chronicles 24:23

And it came to pass,at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him. God was very speedy in punishing this, and the rest of the wickedness they had committed. And they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people.] Who had advised king Joash to restore the worship of Baal. This was a distinct war from that mentioned 2 Kings xii. 17, 18. Here Hazael is not said to have come up, but only his army, and that a small party. There it is not said, he took Jerusalem; but here he destroyed all the princes. There it is said, Joash diverted Hazael from him by presents; here, that they spoiled the city, and sent the prey to Syria. We are therefore thus to understand the whole: that when they did evil in the sight of the Lord, he sent Hazael to afflict them, who, we read in the book of Kings, took Gath, and set his face, as if he meant to set upon Jerusalem: whereupon Joash took the hallowed things, and thereby procured his departure from them. But in the end of the year Zechariah being murdered, this other war begun, which is here related in this book. And sent all the spoil of them unto the king at Damascus.].Who was not here at this invasion, but contented himself to send a few forces against Judah, as the next words tell us.

2 Chronicles 24:24

For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand. This declared the punishment the more remarkably to proceed from the hand of God, who took away their courage, so that with a great host they could not resist a handful of their enemies.