2 Chronicles 24:23

Joash Assassinated

23 At the end of the year ¹the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil 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 by command of the king they stoned him with stones in the court of the house of the LORD.

22 Thus Joash the king did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, but killed his son. And when he was dying, he said, "May the LORD see and avenge!"

23 At the end of the year the army of the Syrians came up against Joash. They came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.

24 Though the army of the Syrians had come with few men, the LORD delivered into their hand a very great army, because Judah had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. Thus they executed judgment on Joash.

25 When they had departed from him, leaving him severely wounded, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest, and killed him on his bed. So he died, and they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him in the tombs of the kings.

Cross References

• 1. [2 Kings 12:17, 18]