2 Kings 12

1 In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash^[a] began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba.

2 And Jehoash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all his days, because Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

3 Nevertheless, ¹the high places were not taken away; the people continued to sacrifice and make offerings on the high places.

Jehoash Repairs the Temple

4 Jehoash said to the priests, "All the money of the holy things ²that is brought into the house of the LORD, the money for which each man is assessed--the money from the assessment of persons--and ³the money that a man's heart prompts him to bring into the house of the LORD,

5 let the priests take, each from his donor, and let them repair the house wherever any need of repairs is discovered."

6 But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests had made no repairs on the house.

7 Therefore King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests and said to them, "Why are you not repairing the house? Now therefore take no more money from your donors, but hand it over for the repair of the house."

8 So the priests agreed that they should take no more money from the people, and that they should not repair the house.

9 Then Jehoiada the priest took ⁴a chest and bored a hole in the lid of it and set it beside the altar on the right side as one entered the house of the LORD. And the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD.

10 And whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king's secretary and the high priest came up and they bagged and counted ⁵the money that was found in the house of the LORD.

11 Then they would give the money that was weighed out into the hands of the workmen who had the oversight of the house of the LORD. And they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on the house of the LORD,

12 and ⁶to the masons and the stonecutters, as well as to buy timber and quarried stone for making repairs on the house of the LORD, and for any outlay for the repairs of the house.

13 ⁷But there were not made for the house of the LORD ⁸basins of silver, snuffers, bowls, trumpets, or any vessels of gold, or of silver, from the money that was brought into the house of the LORD,

14 for that was given to the workmen who were repairing the house of the LORD with it.

15 And ⁹they did not ask an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to pay out to the workmen, for they dealt honestly.

16 The money from ¹⁰the guilt offerings and the money from the ¹¹sin offerings was not brought into the house of the LORD; ¹²it belonged to the priests.

17 At that time ¹³Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath and took it. But when Hazael set his face ¹⁴to go up against Jerusalem,

18 Jehoash king of Judah ¹⁵took all the sacred gifts that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah his fathers, the kings of Judah, had dedicated, ¹⁶and his own sacred gifts, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the LORD and of the king's house, and sent these to Hazael king of Syria. Then Hazael went away from Jerusalem.

The Death of Joash

19 Now 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 ¹⁷His servants arose and made a conspiracy ¹⁸and struck down Joash in the house of ¹⁹Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla.

21 It was ²⁰Jozacar the son of Shimeath and Jehozabad the son of ²¹Shomer, his servants, who struck him down, so that he died. And they buried him with his fathers in the city of David, ²²and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.

2 Kings 12 Commentary

Chapter 12

Jehoash orders the repair of the temple. (1-16) He is slain by his servants. (17-21)

Verses 1-16 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.

Verses 17-21 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.

Cross References

• 1. 2 Kings 14:4; 2 Kings 15:35; 1 Kings 15:14; 1 Kings 22:43
• 2. 2 Kings 22:4
• 3. [Exodus 35:5; 1 Chronicles 29:9]
• 4. [Mark 12:41; Luke 21:1]
• 5. [2 Kings 22:4]
• 6. [2 Kings 22:5, 6]
• 7. [2 Chronicles 24:14]
• 8. 1 Kings 7:50
• 9. 2 Kings 22:7
• 10. Leviticus 5:15, 18
• 11. Leviticus 4:24, 29
• 12. Leviticus 7:7; Numbers 18:19
• 13. 2 Kings 8:12; [1 Kings 19:17]
• 14. [2 Chronicles 24:23, 24]
• 15. 2 Kings 16:8; 2 Kings 18:15, 16; 1 Kings 15:18; [2 Kings 14:14; 1 Kings 14:26]
• 16. ver. 4
• 17. For ver. 20, 21, see 2 Chronicles 24:25-27
• 18. 2 Kings 14:5
• 19. [2 Samuel 5:9]
• 20. [2 Chronicles 24:26]
• 21. [2 Chronicles 24:26]
• 22. 2 Kings 14:1

Footnotes

• [a]. Jehoash is another spelling of Joash (son of Ahaziah) as in 11:2; also verses 2, 4, 6, 7, 18

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 12

In this chapter some account is given of the reign of Jehoash, that it was long, and the beginning of it good, during the life of Jehoiada, 2Ki 12:1-3 how urgent he was to have the temple repaired, and what methods were taken for that purpose, 2Ki 12:4-16, how meanly, as well as impiously, he behaved, when the king of Syria was about to come up to Jerusalem and besiege it, 2Ki 12:17,18, and the chapter is closed with an account of his death, and the manner of it, 2Ki 12:19-21.