2 Chronicles 24:23

Aramean Invasion of Judah

23 At the turn of the year, an Aramean army went to war against Joash.^[a] They entered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people among them and sent all the plunder to the king of Damascus.

2 Chronicles 24:23 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 24:23

And it came to pass at the end of the year
After the death of Zechariah; so soon had his prophecy its accomplishment:

that the host of Syria came up against him;
against Joash, king of Judah, under Hazael king of Syria, or however sent by him; for some think this is a different expedition from that in ( 2 Kings 12:17 ) though others take it to be the same:

and they came to Judah and Jerusalem;
not only came into the land of Judah, but as far as Jerusalem, the forces of Joash not being able to stop them:

and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people;
the idolatrous princes of Judah, ( 2 Chronicles 24:17 ) , which is very remarkable that they should be distinguished from the people in their destruction, who had been the chief cause of the wrath of God coming upon them:

and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus;
all the riches that were taken from them were sent to the king of Syria at Damascus; this looks as if Hazael was not with this army.

2 Chronicles 24:23 In-Context

21 But they conspired against him and stoned him at the king's command in the courtyard of the Lord's temple.

22 King Joash didn't remember the kindness that Zechariah's father Jehoiada had extended to him, but killed his son. While he was dying, he said, "May the Lord see and demand an account."

23 At the turn of the year, an Aramean army went to war against Joash. They entered Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the leaders of the people among them and sent all the plunder to the king of Damascus.

24 Although the Aramean army came with only a few men, the Lord handed over a vast army to them because the people of Judah had abandoned the Lord God of their ancestors. So they executed judgment on Joash.

25 When the Arameans saw that Joash had many wounds, they left him. His servants conspired against him, and killed him on his bed, because he had shed the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

Footnotes

• [a]. 2 Kg 12:17