24:2 And Joash did [that which was] right in the sight of the
LORD all the days of a Jehoiada the priest.
(a) Who was a faithful counsellor and governed him by the
word of God.
24:5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and
said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather
of all b Israel money to repair the house of your God
from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter.
Howbeit the Levites hastened [it] not.
(b) He does not mean the ten tribes but only the two tribes
of Judah and Benjamin.
24:6 And the king called for Jehoiada the c chief, and said
unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to
bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection,
[according to the commandment] of Moses the servant of the
LORD, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle
of witness?
(c) For he was the high priest.
24:7 For the sons of Athaliah, that d wicked woman, had broken
up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of
the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim.
(d) The scriptures call her wicked because she was a cruel
murderer and a blasphemous idolater.
24:11 Now it came to pass, that at what time e the chest was
brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites,
and when they saw that [there was] much money, the king's
scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the
chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again.
Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.
(e) Such as were faithful men whom the king had appointed
for that matter.
24:12 And the king and f Jehoiada gave it to such as did the
work of the service of the house of the LORD, and hired
masons and carpenters to repair the house of the LORD, and
also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of
the LORD.
(f) Signifying that this was done by advise and counsel
and not by any one man's desire.
24:14 And when they had finished [it], they brought the rest of
the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made
g vessels for the house of the LORD, [even] vessels to
minister, and to offer [withal], and spoons, and vessels
of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in
the house of the LORD continually all the days of
Jehoiada.
(g) For the wicked kings, his predecessors and Athaliah
had destroyed the vessels of the temple, or turned
them to the use of their idols.
24:16 And they buried him in the city of David among the h
kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward
God, and toward his house.
(h) Signifying that they could not honour him too much,
who had so excellently served in the work of the Lord,
and in the affairs of the commonwealth.
24:17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the i princes of
Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king
hearkened unto them.
(i) Who were liars and knew now that the king was
destitute of him who watched over him as a father, and
therefore brought him to most vile idolatry.
24:19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the
LORD; and they k testified against them: but they would
not give ear.
(k) They took heaven and earth and all creatures to
witness that unless they returned to the Lord, he
would most grievously punish their infidelity and
rebellion, (Ne 9:26).
24:20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of
Jehoiada the priest, which stood l above the people, and
said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the
commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because
ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.
(l) In a place above the people, to the intent that he
might be heard.
24:21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones
at the m commandment of the king in the court of the
house of the LORD.
(m) There is no rage so cruel and beastly as of them whose
hearts God has hardened, and who delight more in
superstition and idolatry than in the true service of
God and pure simplicity of his word.
24:22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which
Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And
when he died, he said, The LORD n look upon [it], and
require [it].
(n) Avenge my death and require my blood at your hands:
or he speaks this by prophecy because he knew that God
would do it. This Zachariah is also called the son of
Barachias, (Mt 23:35) because his progenitors were
Iddo, Berachiah, Jehoiada.
24:24 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 of their
fathers. So they o executed judgment against Joash.
(o) That is, reproved and checked him, and handled him
rigorously.
24:25 And when they were departed from him, (for they left him
in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him
for the blood of the p sons of Jehoiada the priest, and
slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in
the city of David, but they buried him not in the
sepulchres of the kings.
(p) Meaning Zachariah, who was one of Jehoiada's sons and
a prophet of the Lord.
24:27 Now [concerning] his sons, and the greatness of the
burdens [laid] upon him, and the r repairing of the
house of God, behold, they [are] written in the story of
the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his
stead.
