2 Kings 12

1 He became king in Jehu's seventh year, and he ruled for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beer-sheba.

2 Jehoash always did what was right in the LORD's eyes, because the priest Jehoiada was his teacher.

3 However, the shrines were not removed. People kept sacrificing and burning incense at them.

4 Jehoash said to the priests, "Collect all the currently available money relating to holy things that is brought to the temple-some is money people pay to redeem persons according to their assessed value. Collect all the money brought to the LORD's temple that people offer voluntarily.

5 The priests should take the money from their donors and use it to repair the temple wherever such a need for repair is discovered."

6 But by the twenty-third year of King Jehoash, the priests still hadn't repaired the temple.

7 So King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest and the other priests together. "Why haven't you repaired the temple?" he asked them. "Stop taking money from your donors; instead, give it directly for temple repairs."

8 The priests agreed that they wouldn't take any more money from the people nor be responsible for temple repairs.

9 Then the priest Jehoiada took a box, made a hole in its lid, and placed it beside the altar, to the right as one enters the LORD's temple. The priests who stood watch at the door put all the money brought to the LORD's temple in the box.

10 As soon as they saw that a large amount of money was in the box, the royal scribe and the high priest would come, count the money that was in the temple, and put it in a bag.

11 They would then hand over the money that had been counted to those who supervised the work on the temple. These supervisors then paid money to those who worked on the LORD's temple: carpenters, builders,

12 masons, and stonecutters. The money was used to purchase wood and quarried stone to repair the LORD's temple and for every other cost involved in repairing it.

13 But the money that was brought to the LORD's temple was not used to make silver basins, wick trimmers, sprinkling bowls, trumpets, or any gold or silver object for the LORD's temple.

14 Instead, it was given directly to those who did the repair work; they used it to repair the LORD's temple.

15 There was no need to check on those who received the money and paid the workers, because they acted honestly.

16 Now as for the money for compensation and purification offerings, it wasn't brought to the LORD's temple. It belonged to the priests.

17 About this same time, Aram's King Hazael came up, attacked Gath, and captured it. Next Hazael decided to march against Jerusalem.

18 Judah's King Jehoash took all the holy objects that had been dedicated by his ancestors-Judah's kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah-along with the holy objects he himself had dedicated, as well as all the gold in the treasure rooms of the LORD's temple and the palace, and he sent them to Aram's King Hazael. Hazael then pulled back from Jerusalem.

19 The rest of Jehoash's deeds and all that he accomplished, aren't they written in the official records of Judah's kings?

20 Jehoash's officials plotted a conspiracy and killed him at Beth-millo on the road that goes down to Silla.

21 It was Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer, his officials, who struck him so that he died. He was buried with his ancestors in David's City. His son Amaziah succeeded him as king.

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.

Footnotes

• [a]. 12:2 in Heb
• [b]. Heb uncertain
• [c]. Heb uncertain
• [d]. Heb Joash (also in 13:20); the king’s name is variously spelled in either long Jehoash or short Joash form. The latter is the form used in 2 Chron.

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.