2 Kings 12 commentary

It is a great mercy to young people, especially to all young men of rank, like Jehoash, to have those about them who will instruct them to do what is right in the sight of the Lord; and they do wisely and well for themselves, when willing to be counselled and ruled. The temple was out of repair; Jehoash orders the repair of the temple. The king was zealous. God requires those who have power, to use it for the support of religion, the redress of grievances, and repairing of decays. The king employed the priests to manage, as most likely to be hearty in the work. But nothing was done effectually till the twenty-third year of his reign. Another method was therefore taken. When public distributions are made faithfully, public contributions will be made cheerfully. While they were getting all they could for the repair of the temple, they did not break in upon the stated maintenance of the priests. Let not the servants of the temple be starved, under colour of repairing the breaches of it. Those that were intrusted did the business carefully and faithfully. They did not lay it out in ornaments for the temple, till the other work was completed; hence we may learn, in all our expenses, to prefer that which is most needful, and, in dealing for the public, to deal as we would for ourselves.

Let us review the character of Jehoash, and consider what we may learn from it. When we see what a sad conclusion there was to so promising a beginning, it ought to make us seek into our spiritual declinings. If we know any thing of Christ as the foundation of our faith and hope, let us desire to know nothing but Christ. May the work of the blessed Spirit on our souls be manifest; may we see, feel, and be earnest, in seeking after Jesus in all his fulness, suitableness, and grace, that our souls may be brought over from dead works to serve the living and true God.

CHAPTER 12

2Ki 12:1-18. Jehoash Reigns Well while Jehoiada Lived.

2. Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord--so far as related to his outward actions and the policy of his government. But it is evident from the sequel of his history that the rectitude of his administration was owing more to the salutary influence of his preserver and tutor, Jehoiada, than to the honest and sincere dictates of his own mind.

3. But the high places were not taken away--The popular fondness for the private and disorderly rites performed in the groves and recesses of hills was so inveterate that even the most powerful monarchs had been unable to accomplish their suppression; no wonder that in the early reign of a young king, and after the gross irregularities that had been allowed during the maladministration of Athaliah, the difficulty of putting an end to the superstitions associated with "the high places" was greatly increased.

4. Jehoash said to the priests, &c.--There is here given an account of the measures which the young king took for repairing the temple by the levying of taxes: 1. "The money of every one that passeth the account," namely, half a shekel, as "an offering to the Lord" (Ex 30:13). 2. "The money that every man is set at," that is, the redemption price of every one who had devoted himself or any thing belonging to him to the Lord, and the amount of which was estimated according to certain rules (Le 27:1-8). 3. Free will or voluntary offerings made to the sanctuary. The first two were paid annually (see 2Ch 24:5).

7-10. Why repair ye not the breaches of the house?--This mode of collection not proving so productive as was expected (the dilatoriness of the priests was the chief cause of the failure), a new arrangement was proposed. A chest was placed by the high priest at the entrance into the temple, into which the money given by the people for the repairs of the temple was to be put by the Levites who kept the door. The object of this chest was to make a separation between the money to be raised for the building from the other moneys destined for the general use of the priests, in the hope that the people would be more liberal in their contributions when it was known that their offerings would be devoted to the special purpose of making the necessary repairs. The duty of attending to this work was no longer to devolve on the priests, but to be undertaken by the king.

11-12. they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work--The king sent his secretary along with an agent of the high priest to count the money in the chest from time to time (2Ch 24:11), and deliver the amount to the overseers of the building, who paid the workmen and purchased all necessary materials. The custom of putting sums of certain amount in bags, which are labelled and sealed by a proper officer, is a common way of using the currency in Turkey and other Eastern countries.

13-16. Howbeit there were not made ... bowls, &c.--When the repairs of the temple had been completed, the surplus was appropriated to the purchase of the temple furniture. The integrity of the overseers of the work being undoubted, no account was exacted of the way in which they applied the money given to them, while other moneys levied at the temple were left to the disposal of the priests as the law directed (Le 5:16; Nu 5:8).

17-18. Then Hazael ... fought against Gath--(See on 2Ch 24:23).

2Ki 12:19-21. He Is Slain.

20. his servants arose ... and slew Joash in the house of Millo--(See on 2Ch 24:25).

Jehoash did - right in the sight of the Lord - While Jehoiada the priest, who was a pious, holy man, lived, Jehoash walked uprightly; but it appears from 2Chr 24:17, 2Chr 24:18, that he departed from the worship of the true God after the death of this eminent high priest, lapsed into idolatry, and seems to have had a share in the murder of Zechariah, who testified against his transgressions, and those of the princes of Judah. See above, 2Kgs 11:20-21 (note).

O how few of the few who begin to live to God continue unto the end!

The high places were not taken away - Without the total destruction of these there could be no radical reform. The toleration of any species of idolatry in the land, whatever else was done in behalf of true religion, left, and in effect fostered, a seed which springing up, regenerated in time the whole infernal system. Jehoiada did not use his influence as he might have done; for as he had the king's heart and hand with him, he might have done what he pleased.

All the money of the dedicated things - From all this account we find that the temple was in a very ruinous state; the walls were falling down, some had perhaps actually fallen, and there was no person so zealous for the pure worship of God, as to exert himself to shore up the falling temple!

The king himself seems to have been the first who noticed these dilapidations, and took measures for the necessary repairs. The repairs were made from the following sources:

1. The things which pious persons had dedicated to the service of God.

2. The free-will offerings of strangers who had visited Jerusalem: the money of every one that passeth.

3. The half-shekel which the males were obliged to pay from the age of twenty years (Exo 30:12) for the redemption of their souls, that is their lives, which is here called the money that every man is set at.

All these sources had ever been in some measure open, but instead of repairing the dilapidations in the Lord's house, the priests and Levites had converted the income to their own use.

In the three and twentieth year - In what year Jehoash gave the orders for these repairs, we cannot tell; but the account here plainly intimates that they had been long given, and that nothing was done, merely through the inactivity and negligence of the priests; see 2Chr 24:6.

It seems that the people had brought money in abundance, and the pious Jehoiada was over the priests, and yet nothing was done! Though Jehoiada was a good man, he does not appear to have had much of the spirit of an active zeal; and simple piety, without zeal and activity, is of little use when a reformation in religion and manners is necessary to be brought about. Philip Melancthon was orthodox, pious, and learned, but he was a man of comparative inactivity. In many respects Martin Luther was by far his inferior, but in zeal and activity he was a flaming and consuming fire; and by him, under God, was the mighty Reformation, from the corruptions of popery, effected. Ten thousand Jehoiadas and Melancthons might have wished it in vain; Luther worked, and God worked by him, in him, and for him.

Jehoiada - took a chest - This chest was at first set beside the altar, as is here mentioned; but afterwards, for the convenience of the people, it was set without the gate; see 2Chr 24:8.

The king's scribe and the high priest - It was necessary to associate with the high priest some civil authority and activity, in order to get the neglected work performed.

Howbeit there were not made - bowls, etc. - That is, there were no vessels made for the service of the temple till all the outward repairs were completed; but after this was done, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels of gold and silver; 2Chr 24:14.

They reckoned not with the men - They placed great confidence in them, and were not disappointed, for they dealt faithfully.

Hazael - fought against Gath, and took it - This city, with its satrapy or lordship, had been taken from the Philistines by David, (see 2Sam 8:1, and 1Chr 18:1); and it had continued in the possession of the kings of Judah till this time. On what pretense Hazael seized it, we cannot tell; he had the ultima ratio regum, power to do it, and he wanted more territory.

Took all the hallowed things - He dearly bought a peace which was of short duration, for the next year Hazael returned, and Jehoash, having no more treasures, was obliged to hazard a battle, which he lost, with the principal part of his nobility, so that Judah was totally ruined, and Jehoash shortly after slain in his bed by his own servants; 2Chr 24:23.

The rest of the acts of Joash - We have already seen that this man, so promising in the beginning of his reign, apostatized, became an idolater, encouraged idolatry among his subjects, and put the high priest Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada his benefactor, to death; and now God visited that blood upon him by the hands of the tyrannous king of Syria, and by his own servants.

The house of Millo - Was a royal palace, built by David; (see 2Sam 5:9); and Silla is supposed to be the name of the road or causeway that led to it. Millo was situated between the old city of Jerusalem, and the city of David.

For Jozachar - This person is called Zabad in 2Chr 24:26; and Shimeath his mother is said to be an Ammonitess, as Jehozabad is said to be the son, not of Shomer, but of Shimrith, a Moabitess.

They buried him with his fathers in the city of David - But they did not bury him in the sepulchres of the kings; this is supposed to express the popular disapprobation of his conduct. Thus ended a reign full of promise and hope in the beginning, but profligate, cruel, and ruinous in the end. Never was the hand of God's justice more signally stretched out against an apostate king and faithless people, than at this time. Now Hazael had a plenary commission; the king, the nobles, and the people, were food for his sword, and by a handful of Syrians the mighty armies of Israel were overthrown: For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God, 2Chr 24:24. Thus, as righteousness exalteth a nation, so sin is the disgrace and confusion of any people. Sin destroys both counsel and strength; and the wicked flee when none pursue.

Burnt incense - To the true God.

And Jehoash said, &c. - Remembering that he owed his preservation and restoration to the temple, and that he was made by God the guardian of his temple, he now takes care to repair it. Dedicated things - The money which had been either formerly or lately vowed or dedicated to the service of God and of his house. That is brought - Or rather, that shall be brought: for though the people might vow to bring it thither in convenient time, yet it is not likely they would bring much money thither in the tyrannical and idolatrous reign of Athaliah. The money - The half shekel, which was paid for every one that was numbered from twenty years old and upward. Is set at - Heb. the money of souls, or persons according to his taxing, the money which every man that had vowed his person to God, paid according to the rate which the priest put upon him. That cometh - All that shall be freely offered.

Faithfully - For they perceived by many experiments that they were faithful.

And slew Joash - We are told, in the Chronicles, that his murdering the prophet, Jehoiada's son, was the provocation. In this, how unrighteous so ever they were, yet the Lord was righteous. And this was not the only time, that he let even kings know, it was at their peril, if they touched his anointed, or did his prophets any harm. Thus fell Joash, who began in the spirit, and ended in the flesh. And indeed God usually sets marks of his displeasure upon apostates, even in this life.

2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days, wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

To wit, for the matter of it, though not with an honest and sincere mind, but onely by the influence of his good Tutor and Restorer, as the words here following plainly imply.

3 But the high places were not taken away : the people still sacrificed, and burnt incense in the high places.

To which the people were so fondly and strangely addicted, that the foregoing Kings, though men of riper years, and great power and courage, and finally settled in their Thrones, could not take them away; and therefore it is not strange if Iehoiada could not now remove them, when the King was very young and tender, and not well settled in his Kingdom, and when the people were more corrupt and disorderly through Athaliah's male - Administration.

c To God.

4 ¶ And Jehoash 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 passeth the account , the money that every man is set at , and all the money that cometh into any mans heart to bring into the house of the LORD.

Remembring that he owed his preservation and restauration to the Temple, and that he was made by God the Guardian of his Temple and Worship, and that he had covenanted to be so, he now takes care to repair it.

This may be; Either, First, The general designation of the Money, the particulars whereof here follow. Or rather, Secondly, A special branch of it, the Money which had been either formerly or lately vowed or dedicated to the use and service of God and of his House, either by the former Kings; of which see below, ver. 18. and compare 1 King. 7. 51. and 15. 15▪ 2 King. 12. 18. 2 Chron. 15. 18. or, by this King or his people.

Or rather, that shall be brought: for though the people might Vow to bring it thither in convenient time, yet it is not likely they would bring much Money thither in the Tyrannical and Idolatrous Reign of Athaliah: or, if they did, that Athaliah would not seize it for her own use.

i. e. The half Shekel, which was paid for every one that was numbred from 20 Years old and upward; of which the very same Phrase is used, Ex. 30. 13. compare 2 Chr. 24. 5, 6, 9.

Heb. the money of souls or persons▪ according to his taxing, i. e. the Money which every man that had Vowed his person to God, paid according to the rate which the Priest put upon him; Of which see Levit. 27. 2, &c.

All that shall be freely offered. See Exod. 25. 2. and 35. 5.

Marginal references: Chap. 22. 4.; Or, holy things.; Heb. holinesses.; Or, and.; Heb. the money of the souls of his estimation.; Heb. ascendeth upon the heart of a man.

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 .

Let them go abroad through all the parts of the Land, as they have acquaintance and interest, and gather up the Money, and bring it to Ierusalem.

Either through decay; or, by ill accidents; or, by the malice of Athaliah or her Relations: Of which see 2 Chron. 24. 7.

6 But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash, the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house .

Either, because the people were generally corrupt and backward to the Worship of God, especially where it cost them any thing: or, because the persons employed in making the Collections, were negligent, or unfaithful, perverting the Money received, to their own uses, as may seem probable from the contrary character of other persons, of whom it is noted that they dealt faithfully, below, v. 15. or, because the people did not like this way of Collection, and had no good opinion of the Collectors Faithfulness.

Marginal references: Heb. in the twentieth year, and third year.

7 Then king Jehoash 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.

i. e. The Money which you have already received.

Marginal references: Or, repairng of.

8 And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house .

Nor to take the charge of that work which the King had committed unto them, but freely to resign it to whom the King should appoint.

9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar y, on the right side, as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priest that kept the door , put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.

By the Kings consent, 2 Chron 24. 8.

The Door of the Priests Court, which, together with the Temple and all its utensils, was committed to the charge of th[illegible: 1+ letters] Priests and Levites, Numb. 18. 4. 1 Chron. 9. 26, &c.

p. In the Priests Court. Obj. It was placed without, at the gate of the house of the Lord, 2 Chron. 24. 8. Ans. Either, First, It was first placed by the Altar, and afterwards thence removed to the Gate of the Court, for the peoples greater satisfaction, that they might come thither, and put in their Money with their own hands. Or, Secondly, That place 2 Chron. speaks of the Gate of the Temple strictly so called, nigh unto which the Altar of Burnt-Offerings was. Or, Thirdly, It was placed near the entrance into the Priests Court, which was over against the Altar, and not far from it, so as the people standing in their own Court, might either put their Money into it, or see when the Priests put it in.

Marginal references: Heb. threshold.

10 And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the kings scribe , 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.

Who kept an exact account hereof in writing. See 2 King. 19. 2. and 22. 3.

Marginal references: Or, [illegible: 1 word].; Heb. [illegible: 1 word] up.

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;

Who were chosen out of the people, not without a reflection upon the Priests for their neglect or unfaithfulness.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] it forth.

12 And to masons, and hewers of stone, 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 .

And for all other things which were necessary for the reparation of the House.

Marginal references: Heb. [illegible: 1 word] forth.

13 Howbeit, there were not made for the house of the LORD, bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was broughr into the house of the LORD.

To wit, until all the breaches of the House were repaired: but, when that was done, they laid it out for these things, as is noted 2 Chron. 24. 14.

15 Moreover, they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully .

For they perceived by many experiments that they were Faithful.

Marginal references: Chap. 22▪ 7.

16 The trespass-money, and sin-money was not brought into the house of the LORD : it was the priests.

i. e. It, was not employed towards the reparation of the House, because, as it follows, it was the Priests; it was given to them for their private use and maintenance. Quest. If this reason was weighty, how could the money of them that passed the account, or, the money that every man was set at, be thus employed, as they were, ver. 4. for these also may seem to have been the Priests? Ans. They were not appropriated to the Priests, but for the service of the tabernacle of the congregation, as is said of the former, Exod. 30. 16. Or, for the Lord, Levit. 27. 2, 9, 14, 23.

Marginal references: Numb. [illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1+ letters]; Lev. [illegible: 1+ letters]. [illegible: 1 word], [illegible: 1 word]; Num. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. 9[illegible: 1+ letters]

17 ¶ Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and sought against Gath , and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

i. e. In this Kings days, when Iehoiada was dead, and Ioash revolted from God: of which see 2 Chron. 24. 17▪ &c.

Once a City of the Philistines, but taken by David, 1 Chr. 18. 1. and now a part of the Kingdom of Iudah.

i. e. Directed his March, and led his Forces. Or, undertook in good earnest. So the same Phrase is used 2 Chron. 20. 3. Ier. 21. 10. Ezek. 35. 2.

18 And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicate, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the kings house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria, and he went away from Jerusalem.

That necessity of saving his Kingdom and People by this means, which otherwise might seem to excuse the fact, was brought upon himself by his▪ Apostacy from God. See on 1 King. 15. 18.

Marginal references: Chap. 1[illegible: 1+ letters]. 15, 16.; Heb. went up.

20 And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo , which goeth down to Silla .

Of which see 2 Chron. 24. 25.

Either, in that strong and famous place in Ierusalem called Millo: of which see 2 Sam. 5. 9. 1 King. 9. 15, 24. and 11. 27. into which he possibly retired for his security, being afraid even of his own Subjects and Servants. Or, in some other place called by the same name, for some resemblance it had with it.

i. e. Which standeth upon the descent to Silla, or upon that descending causeway which leadeth from Millo to the Kings House. Some refer this to Ioash, and render the place thus, They slew him at or near the house of Millo, descending, or as he was going down to Silla, to escape their hands.

Marginal references: Or, Beth [illegible: 1+ letters].

21 For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer h, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, and A[illegible: 1+ letters]naziah his son reigned in his stead.

Called also Zabad, 2 Chron. 24. 26.

i. e. In the same City, but not in the same Royal Sepulchre, 2 Chron. 24. 25.

t Called Shimrith, 2 Chron. 24. 26. Except Shomer be the Fathers name, and Shimrith the Mothers.

Reign of King Joash of Judah, and Repairing of the Temple - 2 Kings 12

All that is recorded of the forty years’ reign of Joash, in addition to the general characteristics of the reign (2Ki 12:1-4), is the repairing of the temple which was effected by him (2Ki 12:5-17), and the purchased retreat of the Syrians from their invasion of Judah (2Ki 12:18 and 2Ki 12:19), and finally his violent death in consequence of a conspiracy formed against him, of which we have only a brief notice in 2Ki 12:20-21. The parallel account in 2 Chron 24 supplies several additions to this: viz., concerning the wives of Joash, the distribution of the Levites at the repairing of the temple, the death of Jehoiada, and the seduction of Joash to idolatry by the chief men of Judah, and the stoning of the prophet Zechariah, who condemned this rebellion - all of which can easily be fitted into our account.

Reign of Joash. - 2Ki 12:1 (1, 2). His age on ascending the throne, viz., seven years (cf. 2Ki 11:4). - Commencement and length of his reign. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

2Ki 12:2 (3). Joash did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord וגו אשׁר כּל־ימין, “all his days that,” etc., i.e., during the whole period of his life that Jehoiada instructed him (for אשׁר after substantives indicating time, place, and mode, see Ewald, §331, c., 3; and for the use of the suffix attached to the noun defined by וגו אשׁר, compare 2Ki 13:14); not “all his life long, because Jehoiada had instructed him,” although the Athnach under ימין favours this view. For Jehoiada had not instructed him before he began to reign, but he instructed him after he had been raised to the throne at the age of seven years, that is to say, so long as Jehoiada himself lived. The יהוידע כּל־ימי of the Chronicles is therefore a correct explanation. But after Jehoiada’s death, Joash yielded to the petitions of the princes of Judah that he would assent to their worshipping idols, and at length went so far as to stone the son of his benefactor, the prophet Zechariah, on account of his candid reproof of this apostasy (2Ch 24:17-22).

2Ki 12:3 (4). But the worship on the high places was not entirely suppressed, notwithstanding the fact that Jehoiada instructed him (on this standing formula see the Comm. on 1Ki 15:14). (5-17). Repairing of the temple (cf. 2Ch 24:5-14). - 2Ki 12:4, 2Ki 12:5. That the temple, which had fallen into ruins, might be restored, Joash ordered the priests to collect all the money of the consecrated gifts, that was generally brought into the house of the Lord, and to effect therewith all the repairs that were needed in the temple. The general expression הקּדשׁים כּסף, money of the holy gifts, i.e., money derived from holy gifts, is more specifically defined by וגו עובר כּסף, according to which it consisted of three kinds of payments to the temple: viz., (1) עובר כּסף, i.e., money of persons mustered (or numbered in the census); עובר is an abbreviated expression for הפּקדים העובר, “he who passes over to those who are numbered” (Exo 30:13), as it has been correctly interpreted by the Chald., Rashi, Abarb., and others; whereas the explanation “money that passes” (Luther), or current coin, which Thenius still defends, yields not suitable sense, since it is impossible to see why only current coin should be accepted, and not silver in bars of vessels, inasmuch as Moses had accepted gold, silver, copper, and other objects of value in natura, for the building of the tabernacle (Exo 24:2-3; Exo 35:5; Exo 36:5-6). The brevity of the expression may be explained from the fact, that עובר כּסף had become a technical term on the ground of the passage in the law already cited. The objection raised by Thenius, that the explanation adopted would be without any parallel, would, if it could be sustained, also apply to his own explanation “current money,” in which עובר is also taken as an abbreviation of לסּהר עבר לסּ in Gen 23:16. There is still less ground for the other objection, that if עובר כּסף denoted one kind of temple-revenue, כּל or אישׁ would necessarily have been used. (2) ערכּו...אישׁ, “every kind of souls’ valuation money;” אישׁ is more precisely defined by ערכּו, and the position in which it stands before כּסף resembles the בּתרו in Gen 15:10 -literally, soul money of each one’s valuation. Thenius is wrong in his interpretation, “every kind of money of the souls according to their valuation,” to which he appends the erroneous remark, that אישׁ is also used in Zec 10:1 and Joe 2:7 in connection with inanimate objects as equivalent to כּל. ערכּו...אישׁ, every kind of valuation, because both in the redemption of the male first-born (Num 18:15-16) and also in the case of persons under a vow a payment had to be made according to the valuation of the priest. (3) “All the money that cometh into any one’s mind to bring into the house of the Lord,” i.e., all the money which was offered as a free-will offering to the sanctuary. This money the priests were to take to themselves, every one from his acquaintance, and therewith repair all the dilapidations that were to be found in the temple. In the Chronicles the different kinds of money to be collected for this purpose are not specified; but the whole is embraced under the general expression “the taxes of Moses the servant of God, and of the congregation of Israel, to the tent of the testimony,” which included not only the contribution of half a shekel for the building of the temple, which is prescribed in Exo 30:12., but also the other two taxes mentioned in this account.There is no ground either in the words or in the facts for restricting the perfectly general expression “taxes of Moses and of the congregation of Israel” to the payment mentioned in Exo 30:12, as Thenius and Bertheau have done, except perhaps the wish to find a discrepancy between the two accounts, for the purpose of being able to accuse the chronicler, if not of intentional falsification, as De Wette does, at any rate of perverting the true state of the case. The assertion of Thenius, that the yearly payment of half a shekel, which was appointed in the law and regarded as atonement-money, appears to be directly excluded in our text, is simply founded upon the interpretation given to עובר כּסף as current money, which we have already proved to be false.

Again, according to 2Ki 12:7 of the Chronicles, Joash gave the following reason for his command: “For Athaliah, the wicked woman, and her sons have demolished the house of God, and all the dedicated gifts of the house of Jehovah have they used for the Baals.” We are not told in what the violent treatment of demolition (פּרץ) of the temple by Athaliah had her sons consisted. The circumstance that considerable repairs even of the stonework of the temple were required in the time of Joash, about 130 or 140 years after it was built, is quite conceivable without any intentional demolition. And in no case can we infer from these words, as Thenius has done, that Athaliah or her sons had erected a temple of Baal within the limits of the sanctuary. The application of all the dedicatory offerings of the house of Jehovah to the Baals, involves nothing more than that the gifts which were absolutely necessary for the preservation of the temple and temple-service were withdrawn from the sanctuary of Jehovah and applied to the worship of Baal, and therefore that the decay of the sanctuary would necessarily follow upon the neglect of the worship.

2Ki 12:6-9

But when the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash arrived, and the dilapidations had not been repaired, the king laid the matter before the high priest Jehoiada and the priests, and directed them not to take the money any more from their acquaintance, but to give it for the dilapidations of the temple; “and the priests consented to take no money, and not to repair the dilapidations of the house,” i.e., not to take charge of the repairs. We may see from this consent how the command of the king is to be understood. Hitherto the priests had collected the money to pay for the repairing of the temple; but inasmuch as they had not executed the repairs, the king took away from them both the collection of the money and the obligation to repair the temple. The reason for the failure of the first measure is not mentioned in our text, and can only be inferred from the new arrangement made by the king (2Ki 12:9): “Jehoiada took a chest-of course by the command of the king, as is expressly mentioned in 2Ch 24:8, - bored a hole in the door (the lid) thereof, and placed it by the side of the altar (of burnt-offering) on the right by the entrance of every one into the house of Jehovah, that the priests keeping the threshold might put thither (i.e., into the chest) all the money that was brought into the house of Jehovah.”

2Ki 12:10 “And when they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king’s writer and the high priest came, and bound up and reckoned the money that was found in the house of Jehovah.” צוּר, to bind up the money in bags (cf. 2Ki 5:23). The binding is mentioned before the reckoning, because the pieces of money were not counted singly, but packed at once into bags, which were then weighed for the purpose of estimating the amount received.

2Ki 12:11-14 “They gave the money weighed into the hands of those who did the work, who were placed over the house of Jehovah,” i.e., the appointed overlookers of the work; “and they paid it (as it was required) to the carpenters and builders, who worked at the house, and to the masons and hewers of stone, and for the purchase of wood and hewn stones, to repair the dilapidations of the house, and for all that might be spent (יצא, i.e., be given out) for the house for repairing it.” It is quite clear from this, that the assertion of J. D. Michaelis, De Wette, and others, that the priests had embezzled the money collected, is perfectly imaginary. For if the king had cherished any such suspicion against the priests, he would not have asked for their consent to an alteration of the first arrangement or to the new measure; and still less would he have commanded that the priests who kept the door should put the money into the chest, for this would have been no safeguard against embezzlement. For if the door-keepers wished to embezzle, all that they would need to do would be to put only a part of the money into the chest. The simple reason and occasion for giving up the first arrangement and introducing the new arrangement with the chest, was that the first measure had proved to be insufficient fore the accomplishment of the purpose expected by the king. For inasmuch as the king had not assigned any definite amount for the repairing of the temple, but had left it to the priests to pay for the cost of the repairs out of the money that was to be collected, one portion of which at least came to themselves, according to the law, for their own maintenance and to provide for the expenses of worship, it might easily happen, without the least embezzlement on the part of the priests, that the money collected was paid out again for the immediate necessities of worship and their own maintenance, and that nothing remained to pay for the building expenses. For this reason the king himself now undertook the execution of the requisite repairs. The reason why the chest was provided for the money to be collected was, first of all, that the money to be collected for the building might be separated from the rest of the money that came in and was intended for the priests; and secondly, that the contributions to be gathered for the building might be increased, since it might be expected that the people would give more if the collections were made for the express purpose of restoring the temple, than if only the legal and free-will offerings were simply given to the priests, without any one knowing how much would be applied to the building. - And because the king had taken the building into his own hand, as often as the chest was full he sent his secretary to reckon the money along with the high priest, and hand it over to the superintendents of the building.

If we compare with this the account in the Chronicles, it helps to confirm the view which we have obtained from an unprejudiced examination of the text as to the affair in question. According to 2Ki 12:5 of the Chronicles, Joash had commanded the priests and Levites to accelerate the repairs; “but the Levites did not hurry.” This may be understood as signifying that they were dilatory both in the collection of the money and in the devotion of a portion of their revenues to the repairing of the temple. But that the king took the matter in hand himself, not so much because of the dilatoriness or negligence of the priests as because his first measure, regarded as an expedient, did not answer the purpose, is evident from the fact that, according to the Chronicles, he did not content himself with placing the chest at the entrance, but had a proclamation made at the same time in Judah and Jerusalem, to offer the tax of Moses for the repair of the temple (2Ki 12:9) - evidently with no other intention than to procure more liberal contributions. For, according to 2Ki 12:10, all the chief men and all the people rejoiced thereat, and cast their gifts into the chest, i.e., they offered their gifts with joy for the purpose that had been proclaimed. - The other points of difference between the Chronicles and our text are unimportant. For instance, that they placed the chest “at the gate of the house of Jehovah on the outside.” The הוּצה merely defines the expression in our text, יי בּית בּבוא־אישׁ בּימין, “to the right at the entrance into the temple,” more minutely, by showing that the ark was not placed on the inner side of the entrance into the court of the priests, but against the outer wall of it. This is not at variance with המּזבּח אצל in 2Ki 12:10; for even apart from the account in the Chronicles, and according to our own text, this cannot be understood as signifying that the ark had been placed in the middle of the court, as Thenius explains in opposition to וגו בּבוא־אישׁ, but can only mean at the entrance which was on the right side of the altar, i.e., at the southern entrance into the inner court. Again, the further variation, that according to the Chronicles (2Ki 12:11), when the chest was full, an officer of the high priest came with the scribe (not the high priest himself), furnishes simply a more exact definition of our account, in which the high priest is named; just as, according to 2Ki 12:10, the high priest took the chest and bored a hole in the lid, which no intelligent commentator would understand as signifying that the high priest did it with his own hand. But there is a real difference between 2Ki 12:14 and 2Ki 12:15 of our text and 2Ki 12:14 of the Chronicles, though the solution of this suggests itself at once on a closer inspection of the words. According to our account, there were no golden or silver vessels, basons, knives, bowls, etc., made with the money that was brought in, but it was given for the repairing of the house. In the Chronicles, on the contrary, it is stated that “when they had finished the repairs, they brought the remnant of the money to the king and Jehoiada, and he (the king) used it for vessels for the house of the Lord, for vessels of the service,” etc. But if we take proper notice of כּכלּותם here, there is no ground for saying that there is any contradiction, since the words of our text affirm nothing more than that none of the money that came in was applied to the making of vessels of worship so long as the repairing of the building went on. What took place afterwards is not stated in our account, which is limited to the main fact; this we learn from the Chronicles.

2Ki 12:15

No return was required of the inspectors as to the money handed over to them, because they were convinced of their honesty.

2Ki 12:16

The money obtained from trespass-offerings and sin-offerings was not brought into the house of Jehovah, i.e., was not applied to the repairing of the temple, but was left for the priests. In the case of the trespass-offering compensation had to be made for the earthly debt according to the valuation of the priest, with the addition of a fifth in money; and this was assigned to the priests not only in the case of a מעל committed against Jehovah, but also when a neighbour had been injured in his property, if he had died in the meantime (see at Lev 5:16 and Num 5:9). On the other hand, in the case of the sin-offerings the priests received no money according to the law. Most of the commentators therefore assume, that those who lived at a distance had sent money to the priests, that they might offer sin-offerings with it, and what money as over they had retained for themselves. But there is not the slightest trace of any such custom, which is quite at variance with the idea of the sin-offering. It may probably have become a customary thing in the course of time, for those who presented these offerings to compensate the officiating priest for his trouble by a free-will gift.

2Ki 12:17-18

The brief account of Hazael’s campaign against Jerusalem is completed by 2Ch 24:23-24. Hazael had gone down along the coast after defeating Israel (see 2Ki 13:3), for the purpose of making war upon Judah also, and had taken Gath, which Rehoboam had fortified (2Ch 11:8). He then set his face, i.e., determined, to advance to Jerusalem; and Joash took the temple treasures, etc. According to the Chronicles, he sent an army against Judah and Jerusalem, which destroyed all the princes of the nation and sent much booty to the king to Damascus, as the small army of the Syrians had smitten the very large army of Judah. To protect Jerusalem, after this defeat, from being taken by the Syrians, Joash sent all the treasures of the temple and palace to Hazael, and so purchased the withdrawal of the Syrians. In this way the two brief accounts of the war may be both reconciled and explained; whereas the opinion, still repeated by Thenius, that the two passages treat of different wars, has no tenable ground to rest upon. The Philistian city of Gath (see the Comm. on Jos 13:3) appears to have belonged at that time to the kingdom of Judah, so that the Gathites were not among the Philistines who made an incursion into Judah in the reign of Joram along with the Arabian tribes of the south (2Ch 21:16). And it is impossible to determine when Gath was wrested from the Syrians again; probably in the time of Joash the son of Jehoahaz of Israel, as he recovered from the Syrians all the cities which they had taken from the Israelites under Jehoahaz (2Ki 13:25), and even smote Amaziah the king of Judaea at Bethshemesh and took him prisoner (2Ki 14:13; 2Ch 25:21.). “All the consecrated things, which Jehoshaphat, Joram, and Ahaziah had consecrated, and his own consecrated things,” i.e., what he (Joash) himself had consecrated. The existence of such temple treasures is not at variance either with the previous account of the repairing of the temple, for Joash would not use the consecrated offerings for the restoration of the temple, as the current revenue of the temple was sufficient for the purpose, or with 2Ch 24:7, where it is stated that Athaliah and her sons had applied all the יהוה בּית קרשׁי to the Baals (see at 2Ki 12:5); for even if we are to understand by the sons of Athaliah not bastard sons (Ewald, Gesch. iii. p. 582), but the brethren of Joram whom the Philistines and Arabians had carried off, Ahaziah and Joram, although they both of them served Baal, may, from political considerations, have now and then made consecrated gifts to the temple, if only in a passing fit of religious fear.

2Ki 12:19-21

Conspiracy against Joash. - Not long after the departure of the Syrians, who had left Joash, according to 2Ch 24:25, with many wounds, his servants formed a conspiracy against him and slew him upon his bed in the house Millo, which goeth down to Silla. This description of the locality is perfectly obscure for us. The conjecture that בּית־מלּא was the house in the castle of Millo which is so frequently mentioned (see at 1Ki 9:15 and 2Sa 5:9), is precluded by the fact that this castle is always called המּלּא (with the article). סלּא is regarded by many as an abbreviation of מסלּה, “which goes down by the road;” and Thenius supposes that the reference is to the road which ran diagonally through the city from the Joppa gate to the Haram-area, corresponding to the present David’s road. Others regard סלּא as the proper name of a place in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. It is impossible to get any certain meaning out of it, unless we alter the text according to arbitrary assumptions, as Thenius has done. The conspirators were Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, according to 2Ki 12:21; but according to the Chronicles (v. 26), they were Zabad the son of Shimeath the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith the Moabitess. The identity of the first names is perfectly obvious. זבד is a copyist’s error for זכר, and this is the contracted form of יוזכר. The difference in the second: son of Shomer according to our text, and son of the Shimrith according to the Chronicles, has probably also arisen from a slip of the pen, since שׁמר might easily be occasioned by the dropping out of the ת from the defectively written שׁמרת, although it is also possible that Shomer may be the name of the grandfather. Joash was buried with his father sin the city of David; but according to v. 25 of the Chronicles he was not buried in the graves of the kings. The two statements are not irreconcilable; and there may be good historical ground for the account in the Chronicles, as Bertheau acknowledges with perfect justice, in spite of the suspicion which has been cast upon it by Thenius.

The Reign of Joash, King of Judah. (b. c. 878.)

1 In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba. 2 And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight 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.

The general account here given of Joash is, 1. That he reigned forty years. As he began his reign when he was very young, he might, in the course of nature, have continued much longer, for he was cut off when he was but forty-seven years old, v. 1. 2. That he did that which was right as long as Jehoiada lived to instruct him, v. 2. Many young men have come too soon to an estate—have had wealth, and power, and liberty, before they knew how to use them—and it has been of bad consequence to them; but against this danger Joash was well guarded by having such a good director as Jehoiada was, so wise, and experienced, and faithful to him, and by having so much wisdom as to hearken to him and be directed by him, even when he was grown up. Note, It is a great mercy to young people, and especially to young princes, and all young men of consequence, to be under good direction, and to have those about them that will instruct them to do that which is right in the sight of the Lord; and they then do wisely and well for themselves when they are willing to be counselled and ruled by such. A child left to himself brings his mother to shame, but a child left to such a tuition may bring himself to honour and comfort. 3. That the high places were not taken away, v. 3. Up and down the country they had altars both for sacrifice and incense, to the honour of the God of Israel only, but in competition with, and at least in tacit contempt of, his altar at Jerusalem. These private altars, perhaps, had been more used in the late bad reigns than formerly, because it was not safe to go up to Jerusalem, nor was the temple-service performed as it should have been; and, it may be, Jehoiada connived at them, because some well-meaning people were glad of them when they could not have better, and he hoped that the reforming of the temple, and putting things into a good posture there, would by degrees draw people from their high places and they would dwindle of themselves; or perhaps neither the king nor the priest had zeal enough to carry on their reformation so far, nor courage and strength enough to encounter such an inveterate usage.

The Repairing of the Temple. (b. c. 853.)

4 And Jehoash 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 passeth 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 Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house. 7 Then king Jehoash 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 door put therein 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 scribe 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 masons, and hewers of stone, 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, basons, 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 faithfully. 16 The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the Lord : it was the priests'.

We have here an account of the repairing of the temple in the reign of Joash.

I. It seems, the temple had gone out of repair. Though Solomon built it very strong, of the best materials and in the best manner, yet in time it went to decay, and there were breaches found in it (v. 5), in the roofs, or walls, or floors, the ceiling, or wainscoting, or windows, or the partitions of the courts. Even temples themselves are the worse for the wearing; but the heavenly temple will never wax old. Yet it was not only the teeth of time that made these breaches, the sons of Athaliah had broken up the house of God (2 Chron. xxiv. 7), and, out of enmity to the service of the temple, had damaged the buildings of it, and the priests had not taken care to repair the breaches in time, so that they went worse and worse. Unworthy were those husbandmen to have this valuable vineyard let out to them upon such easy terms who could not afford to keep the winepress in due and tenantable repair, Matt. xxi. 33. Justly did their great Lord sue them for this permissive waste, and by his judgments recover locum vastatum—for dilapidations (as the law speaks), when this neglected temple was laid even with the ground.

II. The king himself was (as it should seem) the first and forwardest man that took care for the repair of it. We do not find that the priests complained of it or that Jehoiada himself was active in it, but the king was zealous in the matter, 1. Because he was king, and God expects and requires from those who have power that they use it for the maintenance and support of religion, the redress of grievances, and reparation of decays, for the exciting and engaging of ministers to do their part and people theirs. 2. Because the temple had been both his nursery and his sanctuary when he was a child, in a grateful remembrance of which he now appeared zealous for the honour of it. Those who have experienced the comfort and benefit of religious assemblies will make the reproach of them their burden (Zeph. iii. 18), the support of them their care, and the prosperity of them their chief joy.

III. The priests were ordered to collect money for these repairs, and to take care that the work was done. The king had the affairs of his kingdom to mind, and could not himself inspect this affair, but he employed the priests to manage it, the fittest persons, and most likely, one would think, to be hearty in it. 1. He gave them orders for the levying of the money of the dedicated things. They must not stay till it was paid in, but they must call for it where they knew it was due, in their respective districts, as redemption-money (by virtue of the law, Lev. xxvii. 2, 3), or as a free-will offering, v. 4. This they were to gather every man of his acquaintance, and it was supposed that there was no man but had acquaintance with some or other of the priests. Note, We should take the opportunity that God gives us of exciting those we have a particular acquaintance with to that which is good. 2. He gave them orders for laying out the money they had levied in repairing the breaches of the house, v. 5.

IV. This method did not answer the intention, v. 6. Little money was raised. Either the priests were careless, and did not call on the people to pay in their dues, or the people had so little confidence in the priests' management that they were backward to pay money into their hands; if they were distrusted without cause, it was the people's shame; if with, it was more theirs. But what money was raised was not applied to the proper use: The breaches of the house were not repaired; the priests thought it might serve as well as it had done, and therefore put off repairing from time to time. Church work is usually slow work, but it is a pity that churchmen, of all men, should be slow at it. Perhaps what little money they raised they thought it necessary to use for the maintenance of the priests, which must needs fall much short when ten tribes had wholly revolted and the other two were wretchedly corrupted.

V. Another method was therefore taken. The king had his heart much set upon having the breaches of the house repaired, v. 7. His apostasy, at last, gives us cause to question whether he had as good an affection for the service of the temple as he had for the structure. Many have been zealous for building and beautifying churches, and for other forms of godliness, who yet have been strangers to the power of it. However, we commend his zeal, and blame him not for reproving even his tutor Jehoiada himself when he saw him remiss; and so convincing was his reproof that the priests owned themselves unworthy to be any longer employed, and consented to the taking of some other measures, and the giving up of the money they had received into other hands, v. 8. It was honestly done, when they found they had not spirit to do it themselves, not to hinder other people from doing it. Another course was taken,

1. For raising money, v. 9, 10. The money was not paid into private hands, but put into a public chest, and then people brought it in readily and in great abundance, not only their dues, but their free-will offerings for so good a work. The high priest and the secretary of state counted the money out of the chest, and laid it by in specie for the use to which it was appropriated. When public distributions are made faithfully public contributions will be made cheerfully. The money that was given, (1.) Was dropped into the chest through a hole in the lid, past recall, to intimate that what has been once resigned to God must never be resumed. Every man, as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give. (2.) The chest was put on the right hand as they went in, which, some think, is alluded to in that rule of charity which our Saviour gives, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. But, while they were getting all they could for the repair of the temple, they did not break in upon that which was the stated maintenance of the priests, v. 16. The trespass-money and the sin-money (which were given to them by that law, Lev. v. 15, 16) were reserved to them. Let not the servants of the temple be starved under colour of repairing the breaches of it.

2. For laying out the money that was raised.

(1.) They did not put it into the hands of the priests, who were not versed in affairs of this nature, having other work to mind, but into the hands of those that did the work, or at least had the oversight of it, v. 11. Those were fittest to be entrusted with this business whose employment lay that way. Tractant fabrilia fabri—Every artist has his trade assigned; but let not those who are called to war the holy warfare entangle themselves in the affairs of this life. Those that were thus entrusted did the business, [1.] Carefully, purchasing materials and paying workmen, v. 12. Business is done with expedition when those are employed in it that understand it and know which way to go about it. [2.] Faithfully; such a reputation they got for honesty that there was no occasion to examine their bills or audit their accounts. Let all that are entrusted with public money, or public work, learn hence to deal faithfully, as those that know God will reckon with them, whether men do or no. Those that think it is no sin to cheat the government, cheat the country, or cheat the church, will be of another mind when God shall set their sins in order before them.

(2.) They did not lay it out in ornaments for the temple, in vessels of gold or silver, but in necessary repairs first (v. 13), whence we may learn, in all our expenses to give that the preference which is most needful, and, in dealing for the public, to deal as we would for ourselves. After the repairs were finished we find the overplus turned into plate for the service of the temple, 2 Chron. xxiv. 14.

Death of Joash, King of Judah. (b. c. 840.)

17 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 Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, 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 Joash, 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 slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla. 21 For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

When Joash had revolted from God and become both an idolater and a persecutor the hand of the Lord went out against him, and his last state was worse than his first.

I. His wealth and honour became an easy prey to his neighbours. Hazael, when he had chastised Israel (ch. x. 32), threatened Judah and Jerusalem likewise, took Gath, a strong city (v. 17), and thence intended to march with his forces against Jerusalem, the royal city, the holy city, but whose defence, on account of its sinfulness, had departed. Joash had neither spirit nor strength to make head against him, but gave him all the hallowed things, and all the gold that was found both in his exchequer and in the treasures of the temple (v. 18), to bribe him to march another way. If it were lawful to do this for the public safety, better part with the gold of the temple than expose the temple itself; yet, 1. If he had not forsaken God, and forfeited his protection, his affairs would not have been brought to this extremity, but he might have forced Hazael to retire. 2. He diminished himself, and made himself very mean, lost the honour of a prince and a soldier, and of an Israelite too, in alienating the dedicated things. 3. He impoverished himself and his kingdom. And, 4. He tempted Hazael to come again, when he could carry home so rich a booty without striking a stroke. And it had this effect, for the next year the host of Syria came up against Jerusalem, destroyed the prince, and plundered the city, 2 Chron. xxiv. 23, 24.

II. His life became an easy prey to his own servants. They conspired against him and slew him (v. 20, 21), not aiming at his kingdom, for they opposed not his son's succeeding him, but to be avenged on him for some crime he had committed; and we are told in Chronicles that his murdering the prophet, Jehoiada's son, was the provocation. In this, how unrighteous soever they were (vengeance was not theirs, nor did it belong to them to repay), God was righteous; and this was not the only time that he let even kings know that it was at their peril if they touched his anointed and did his prophets any harm, and that, when he comes to make inquisition for blood, the blood of prophets will run the account very high. Thus fell Joash, who began in the spirit and ended in the flesh. God usually sets marks of his displeasure upon apostates, even in this life; for they, of all sinners, do most reproach the Lord.