_A.M. 3126. B.C. 878._ Joash takes care to repair the temple, 2 Chronicles 24:1. After Jehoiada's death, he sets up the worship of Baal again, though warned, 2 Chronicles 24:15. He puts Zechariah to death, 2 Chronicles 24:20. Is invaded by the Syrians, 2 Chronicles 24:23; 2 Chronicles 24:24. Struck... [ Continue Reading ]
_Joash was seven years old_, &c. A great part of this chapter is explained in the notes on 2 Kings 12.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Gather of all Israel_ Not only of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, but of all the Israelites, belonging to any of the ten tribes, who are now resident in my kingdom: _money to repair, &c., from year to year _ That is, either, 1st, To repair part of it every year till the reparations were perfected... [ Continue Reading ]
_The king called for Jehoiada the chief_ It is observable, that he is not called the _chief priest_, or _high-priest_, but only _the chief_, or _the head;_ which he might be in many other respects, either by reason of his near relation to the royal family, or because he was the chief of one of the t... [ Continue Reading ]
_The sons of Athaliah_, &c. To wit, Ahaziah and his brethren, before they were carried away captive, (2 Chronicles 21:17,) who did this by her instigation, as this phrase implies; _had broken up the house of God_ Had both broken up the treasures, and defaced the house itself. _And the dedicated thin... [ Continue Reading ]
_And set it at the gate of the house_, &c. That is, of the court of the people, whither all manner of persons might come to offer. _To bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses laid upon Israel_ That is, a collection answerable to it.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Whereof were made vessels for the house of the Lord _ Because Athaliah and her sons had taken away the old ones.... [ Continue Reading ]
_A hundred and thirty years old was he_, &c. By which it appears, that he was born in Solomon's time, and had lived six entire reigns before this. _They buried him among the kings_ With this honourable encomium, (perhaps inscribed upon his grave-stone,) that _he had done good in Israel_ But the litt... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they left the house of the Lord God_ The king and princes, who a while ago so zealously repaired the temple, now forsook the temple! So inconstant a thing is man! So little confidence is to be put in him! It is probable that these great men at first only worshipped in the groves and on the high... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again_ God's goodness was astonishing, in sending messengers to reclaim such a base people; whose wickedness was no less wonderful, in that they hearkened to the great men among them, rather than to those whom they knew to be true prophets of Jehovah.... [ Continue Reading ]
_The Spirit of God came upon Zechariah, who stood above the people_ He was moved by the Holy Spirit to address the people publicly, and to reprove them for their idolatries, and their departure from the worship of God, which that he might do, so as to be heard by all, he stood upon a high place, whe... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they conspired against him_ Namely, the people whom he addressed, having been easily corrupted by the examples of their apostate king and princes. _And stoned him with stones_ And that immediately, without even colour of law; not so much as accusing him of being a blasphemer, a traitor, a false... [ Continue Reading ]
_When he died, he said, The Lord look upon it, and require it_ That is, make inquisition for my innocent blood. But the words may as well be rendered, _The Lord will look upon it, and require it_ He will examine this action, and require satisfaction from you for it: a prophetic sentence, which, as a... [ Continue Reading ]
_At the end of the year the host of Syria came up_ So soon did God hear the cry of his holy prophet's blood and revenge it. _They came and destroyed all the princes_ That it might appear they were sent and directed by God, to single out to destruction the first beginners, and chief promoters, of thi... [ Continue Reading ]
_For_, or rather, _although, the army of the Syrians came with a small company_ Or was a small company of men. This more manifestly showed that the punishment proceeded from the hand of God, who took away their courage, so that, even with a great host, they could not withstand a mere handful of thei... [ Continue Reading ]
_They left him in great diseases_, &c. The chastisement by the invasion of the Syrians, and their destroying the princes, and plundering the city, not answering the end intended, of humbling Joash, and bringing him to repentance, God proceeded to smite him with sore diseases; and as even this did no... [ Continue Reading ]
_The greatness of the burdens laid upon him_ Either the severe prophecies uttered against him, of which one instance is recorded, and there might be others that are not recorded; or the great judgments of God upon him, both by the Syrians, 2 Chronicles 24:23, and by great diseases, 2 Chronicles 24:2... [ Continue Reading ]