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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>S E C O N D K I N G S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XII.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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This chapter gives us the history of the reign of Joash, which does not
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answer to that glorious beginning of it which we had an account of in
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the foregoing chapter; he was not so illustrious at forty years old as
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he was at seven, yet his reign is to be reckoned one of the better
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sort, and appears much worse in Chronicles
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+24:1-27">2 Chron. xxiv.</A>)
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than it does here, for there we find the blood of one of God's prophets
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laid at his door; here we are only told,
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I. That he did well while Jehoiada lived,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:1-3">ver. 1-3</A>.
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II. That he was careful and active to repair the temple,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:4-16">ver. 4-16</A>.
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III. That after a mean compact with Hazael
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:17,18">ver. 17, 18</A>)
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he died ingloriously,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:19-21">ver. 19-21</A>.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="2Ki12_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ki12_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ki12_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Reign of Joash, King of Judah.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 878.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty
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years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name <I>was</I> Zibiah
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of Beer-sheba.
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2 And Jehoash did <I>that which was</I> right in the sight of the
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L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
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3 But the high places were not taken away: the people still
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sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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The general account here given of Joash is,
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1. That he reigned forty years. As he began his reign when he was very
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young, he might, in the course of nature, have continued much longer,
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for he was cut off when he was but forty-seven years old,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:1"><I>v.</I> 1</A>.
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2. That he did that which was right as long as Jehoiada lived to
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instruct him,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:2"><I>v.</I> 2</A>.
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Many young men have come too soon to an estate--have had wealth, and
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power, and liberty, before they knew how to use them--and it has been
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of bad consequence to them; but against this danger Joash was well
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guarded by having such a good director as Jehoiada was, so wise, and
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experienced, and faithful to him, and by having so much wisdom as to
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hearken to him and be directed by him, even when he was grown up. Note,
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It is a great mercy to young people, and especially to young princes,
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and all young men of consequence, to be under good direction, and to
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have those about them that will instruct them to do <I>that which is
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right in the sight of the Lord;</I> and they then do wisely and well
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for themselves when they are willing to be counselled and ruled by
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such. <I>A child left to himself brings his mother to shame,</I> but a
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child left to such a tuition may bring himself to honour and comfort.
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3. That the <I>high places were not taken away,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:3"><I>v.</I> 3</A>.
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Up and down the country they had altars both for sacrifice and incense,
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to the honour of the God of Israel only, but in competition with, and
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at least in tacit contempt of, his altar at Jerusalem. These private
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altars, perhaps, had been more used in the late bad reigns than
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formerly, because it was not safe to go up to Jerusalem, nor was the
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temple-service performed as it should have been; and, it may be,
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Jehoiada connived at them, because some well-meaning people were glad
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of them when they could not have better, and he hoped that the
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reforming of the temple, and putting things into a good posture there,
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would by degrees draw people from their high places and they would
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dwindle of themselves; or perhaps neither the king nor the priest had
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zeal enough to carry on their reformation so far, nor courage and
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strength enough to encounter such an inveterate usage.</P>
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<A NAME="2Ki12_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Repairing of the Temple.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 853.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the
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dedicated things that is brought into the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>,
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<I>even</I> the money of every one that passeth <I>the account,</I> the
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money that every man is set at, <I>and</I> all the money that cometh
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into any man's heart to bring into the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>,
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5 Let the priests take <I>it</I> to them, every man of his
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acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house,
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wheresoever any breach shall be found.
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6 But it was <I>so, that</I> in the three and twentieth year of king
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Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.
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7 Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the
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<I>other</I> priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the
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breaches of the house? now therefore receive no <I>more</I> money of
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your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.
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8 And the priests consented to receive no <I>more</I> money of the
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people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.
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9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the
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lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one
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cometh into the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>: and the priests that kept the
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door put therein all the money <I>that was</I> brought into the house
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of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
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10 And it was <I>so,</I> when they saw that <I>there was</I> much money
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in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up,
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and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the
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house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
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11 And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them
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that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the
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L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that
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wrought upon the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>,
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12 And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and
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hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>, and
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for all that was laid out for the house to repair <I>it.</I>
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13 Howbeit there were not made for the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> bowls
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of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or
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vessels of silver, of the money <I>that was</I> brought into the house
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of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>:
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14 But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith
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the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>.
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15 Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand
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they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they
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dealt faithfully.
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16 The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the
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house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>: it was the priests'.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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We have here an account of the repairing of the temple in the reign of
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Joash.</P>
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<P>
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I. It seems, the temple had gone out of repair. Though Solomon built it
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very strong, of the best materials and in the best manner, yet in time
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it went to decay, and there were <I>breaches found in it</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>),
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in the roofs, or walls, or floors, the ceiling, or wainscoting, or
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windows, or the partitions of the courts. Even temples themselves are
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the worse for the wearing; but the heavenly temple will never wax old.
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Yet it was not only the teeth of time that made these breaches, the
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sons of Athaliah had <I>broken up the house of God</I>
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+24:7">2 Chron. xxiv. 7</A>),
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and, out of enmity to the service of the temple, had damaged the
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buildings of it, and the priests had not taken care to repair the
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breaches in time, so that they went worse and worse. Unworthy were
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those husbandmen to have this valuable vineyard let out to them upon
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such easy terms who could not afford to keep the winepress in due and
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tenantable repair,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Mt+21:33">Matt. xxi. 33</A>.
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Justly did their great Lord sue them for this permissive waste, and by
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his judgments recover <I>locum vastatum--for dilapidations</I> (as the
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law speaks), when this neglected temple was laid even with the
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ground.</P>
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<P>
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II. The king himself was (as it should seem) the first and forwardest
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man that took care for the repair of it. We do not find that the
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priests complained of it or that Jehoiada himself was active in it, but
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the king was zealous in the matter,
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1. Because he was king, and God expects and requires from those who
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have power that they use it for the maintenance and support of
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religion, the redress of grievances, and reparation of decays, for the
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exciting and engaging of ministers to do their part and people theirs.
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2. Because the temple had been both his nursery and his sanctuary when
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he was a child, in a grateful remembrance of which he now appeared
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zealous for the honour of it. Those who have experienced the comfort
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and benefit of religious assemblies will make the reproach of them
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their burden
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Zep+3:18">Zeph. iii. 18</A>),
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the support of them their care, and the prosperity of them their chief
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joy.</P>
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<P>
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III. The priests were ordered to collect money for these repairs, and
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to take care that the work was done. The king had the affairs of his
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kingdom to mind, and could not himself inspect this affair, but he
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employed the priests to manage it, the fittest persons, and most
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likely, one would think, to be hearty in it.
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1. He gave them orders for the levying of the money of the dedicated
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things. They must not stay till it was paid in, but they must call for
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it where they knew it was due, in their respective districts, as
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redemption-money (by virtue of the law,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+27:2,3">Lev. xxvii. 2, 3</A>),
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or as a free-will offering,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:4"><I>v.</I> 4</A>.
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This they were to gather every man of his acquaintance, and it was
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supposed that there was no man but had acquaintance with some or other
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of the priests. Note, We should take the opportunity that God gives us
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of exciting those we have a particular acquaintance with to that which
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is good.
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2. He gave them orders for laying out the money they had levied in
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<I>repairing the breaches of the house,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>.</P>
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<P>
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IV. This method did not answer the intention,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>.
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Little money was raised. Either the priests were careless, and did not
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call on the people to pay in their dues, or the people had so little
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confidence in the priests' management that they were backward to pay
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money into their hands; if they were distrusted without cause, it was
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the people's shame; if with, it was more theirs. But what money was
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raised was not applied to the proper use: <I>The breaches of the house
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were not repaired;</I> the priests thought it might serve as well as it
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had done, and therefore put off repairing from time to time. Church
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work is usually slow work, but it is a pity that churchmen, of all men,
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should be slow at it. Perhaps what little money they raised they
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thought it necessary to use for the maintenance of the priests, which
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must needs fall much short when ten tribes had wholly revolted and the
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other two were wretchedly corrupted.</P>
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<P>
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V. Another method was therefore taken. The king had his heart much set
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upon having <I>the breaches of the house repaired,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>.
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His apostasy, at last, gives us cause to question whether he had as
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good an affection for the service of the temple as he had for the
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structure. Many have been zealous for building and beautifying
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churches, and for other forms of godliness, who yet have been strangers
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to the power of it. However, we commend his zeal, and blame him not for
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reproving even his tutor Jehoiada himself when he saw him remiss; and
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so convincing was his reproof that the priests owned themselves
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unworthy to be any longer employed, and consented to the taking of some
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other measures, and the giving up of the money they had received into
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other hands,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:8"><I>v.</I> 8</A>.
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It was honestly done, when they found they had not spirit to do it
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themselves, not to hinder other people from doing it. Another course
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was taken,</P>
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<P>
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1. For raising money,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:9,10"><I>v.</I> 9, 10</A>.
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The money was not paid into private hands, but put into a public chest,
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and then people brought it in readily and in great abundance, not only
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their dues, but their free-will offerings for so good a work. The high
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priest and the secretary of state counted the money out of the chest,
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and laid it by <I>in specie</I> for the use to which it was
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appropriated. When public distributions are made faithfully public
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contributions will be made cheerfully. The money that was given,
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(1.) Was dropped into the chest through a hole in the lid, past recall,
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to intimate that what has been once resigned to God must never be
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resumed. <I>Every man, as he purposeth in his heart, so let him
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give.</I>
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(2.) The chest was put on the right hand as they went in, which, some
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think, is alluded to in that rule of charity which our Saviour gives,
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<I>Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.</I> But, while
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they were getting all they could for the repair of the temple, they did
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not break in upon that which was the stated maintenance of the priests,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:16"><I>v.</I> 16</A>.
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The trespass-money and the sin-money (which were given to them by that
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law,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Le+5:15,16">Lev. v. 15, 16</A>)
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were reserved to them. Let not the servants of the temple be starved
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under colour of repairing the breaches of it.</P>
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<P>
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2. For laying out the money that was raised.</P>
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<P>
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(1.) They did not put it into the hands of the priests, who were not
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versed in affairs of this nature, having other work to mind, but
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<I>into the hands of those that did the work,</I> or at least <I>had
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the oversight of it,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:11"><I>v.</I> 11</A>.
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Those were fittest to be entrusted with this business whose employment
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lay that way. <I>Tractant fabrilia fabri</I>--<I>Every artist has his
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trade assigned;</I> but let not those who are called to war the holy
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warfare entangle themselves in the affairs of this life. Those that
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were thus entrusted did the business,
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[1.] Carefully, purchasing materials and paying workmen,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:12"><I>v.</I> 12</A>.
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Business is done with expedition when those are employed in it that
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understand it and know which way to go about it.
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[2.] Faithfully; such a reputation they got for honesty that there was
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no occasion to examine their bills or audit their accounts. Let all
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that are entrusted with public money, or public work, learn hence to
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deal faithfully, as those that know God will reckon with them, whether
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men do or no. Those that think it is no sin to cheat the government,
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cheat the country, or cheat the church, will be of another mind when
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God shall set their sins in order before them.</P>
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<P>
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(2.) They did not lay it out in ornaments for the temple, in vessels of
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gold or silver, but in necessary repairs first
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:13"><I>v.</I> 13</A>),
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whence we may learn, in all our expenses to give that the preference
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which is most needful, and, in dealing for the public, to deal as we
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would for ourselves. After the repairs were finished we find the
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|
overplus turned into plate for the service of the temple,
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|
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+24:14">2 Chron. xxiv. 14</A>.</P>
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<A NAME="2Ki12_17"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ki12_18"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ki12_19"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ki12_20"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ki12_21"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec3"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Death of Joash, King of Judah.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 840.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>17 Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath,
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and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.
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18 And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that
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Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of
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|
Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the
|
|
gold <I>that was</I> found in the treasures of the house of the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT>,
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|
and in the king's house, and sent <I>it</I> to Hazael king of Syria:
|
|
and he went away from Jerusalem.
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19 And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did,
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<I>are</I> they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings
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|
of Judah?
|
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20 And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew
|
|
Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.
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21 For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of
|
|
Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him
|
|
with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son
|
|
reigned in his stead.
|
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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When Joash had revolted from God and become both an idolater and a
|
|
persecutor the hand of the Lord went out against him, and his <I>last
|
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state was worse than his first.</I></P>
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<P>
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I. His wealth and honour became an easy prey to his neighbours. Hazael,
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when he had chastised Israel
|
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+10:32"><I>ch.</I> x. 32</A>),
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threatened Judah and Jerusalem likewise, took Gath, a strong city
|
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|
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:17"><I>v.</I> 17</A>),
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|
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and thence intended to march with his forces against Jerusalem, the
|
|
royal city, the holy city, but whose defence, on account of its
|
|
sinfulness, had departed. Joash had neither spirit nor strength to make
|
|
head against him, but gave him all the hallowed things, and all the
|
|
gold that was found both in his exchequer and in the treasures of the
|
|
temple
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:18"><I>v.</I> 18</A>),
|
|
|
|
to bribe him to march another way. If it were lawful to do this for the
|
|
public safety, better part with the gold of the temple than expose the
|
|
temple itself; yet,
|
|
|
|
1. If he had not forsaken God, and forfeited his protection, his
|
|
affairs would not have been brought to this extremity, but he might
|
|
have forced Hazael to retire.
|
|
|
|
2. He diminished himself, and made himself very mean, lost the honour
|
|
of a prince and a soldier, and of an Israelite too, in alienating the
|
|
dedicated things.
|
|
|
|
3. He impoverished himself and his kingdom. And,
|
|
|
|
4. He tempted Hazael to come again, when he could carry home so rich a
|
|
booty without striking a stroke. And it had this effect, for the next
|
|
year the host of Syria came up against Jerusalem, destroyed the prince,
|
|
and plundered the city,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+24:23,24">2 Chron. xxiv. 23, 24</A>.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
II. His life became an easy prey to his own servants. They conspired
|
|
against him and slew him
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ki+12:20,21"><I>v.</I> 20, 21</A>),
|
|
|
|
not aiming at his kingdom, for they opposed not his son's succeeding
|
|
him, but to be avenged on him for some crime he had committed; and we
|
|
are told in Chronicles that his murdering the prophet, Jehoiada's son,
|
|
was the provocation. In this, how unrighteous soever they were
|
|
(vengeance was not theirs, nor did it belong to them to repay), God was
|
|
righteous; and this was not the only time that he let even kings know
|
|
that it was at their peril if they touched his anointed and did his
|
|
prophets any harm, and that, when he comes to make inquisition for
|
|
blood, the blood of prophets will run the account very high. Thus fell
|
|
Joash, who began in the spirit and ended in the flesh. God usually sets
|
|
marks of his displeasure upon apostates, even in this life; for they,
|
|
of all sinners, do most <I>reproach the Lord.</I></P>
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|
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