2 Kings 12

Chapter context

What is happening in 2 Kings 12?

prophetic witnessjudgmentexileidolatry

2 Kings 12 belongs to the middle movement of the book, especially the section often described as decline of Israel. Second Kings follows the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, recounts the decline of both kingdoms, and ends with Jerusalem’s fall and a faint glimmer of Davidic continuity. Read this chapter with the wider themes of prophetic witness, judgment, and exile in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.

¹ In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba. ² And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him. ³ But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. ⁴ And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD, ⁵ Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found. ⁶ But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house. ⁷ Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house. ⁸ And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house. ⁹ But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD. ¹⁰ And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD. ¹¹ And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD, ¹² And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. ¹³ Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD: ¹⁴ But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD. ¹⁵ Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully. ¹⁶ The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests’. ¹⁷ Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. ¹⁸ And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem. ¹⁹ And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? ²⁰ And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla. 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.

Study helps

Glossary

Beersheba Place v. 1: Well of the oath, or well of seven, a well dug by Abraham, and so named because he and Abimelech here entered into a compact ( Gen. 21:31 ). On re-opening it, Isaac gave it the same name ( Gen. 26:31-33 ). Modern identification: Tel Beer Sheva.
Jehoash Person v. 1-2, 4, 6-7, 18: Jehovah-given. (1. ) The son of King Ahaziah. While yet an infant, he was saved from the general massacre of the family by his aunt Jehosheba, and was apparently the only surviving descendant of Solomon.
Jehu Person v. 1: Jehovah is he. (1. ) The son of Obed, and father of Azariah ( 1 Chr. 2:38 ). (2. ) One of the Benjamite slingers that joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:3 ).
Jerusalem Place v. 1, 17-18: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Zibiah Person v. 1: The mother of King Joash ( 2 Kings 12:1 ; 2 Chr. 24:1 ).
Jehoiada Person v. 2, 7, 9: Jehovah-known. (1. ) The father of Benaiah, who was one of David’s chief warriors ( 2 Sam. 8:18 ; 20:23 ). (2. ) The high priest at the time of Athaliah’s usurpation of the throne of Judah.
Gath Place v. 17: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: Tell es Safi.
Hazael Person v. 17-18: Whom God beholds, an officer of Ben-hadad II., king of Syria, who ultimately came to the throne, according to the word of the Lord to Elijah ( 1 Kings 19:15 ), after he had put the king to death ( 2 Kings 8:15 ).
Syria Place v. 17-18: Biblical region. Modern identification: Damascus.
Jehoram Person v. 18: Jehovah-exalted. (1. ) Son of Toi, king of Hamath, sent by his father to congratulate David on the occasion of his victory over Hadadezer ( 2 Sam. 8:10 ). (2. ) A Levite of the family of Gershom ( 1 Chr. 26:25 ).
Jehoshaphat Person v. 18: Jehovah-judged. (1. ) One of David’s body-guard ( 1 Chr. 11:43 ). (2. ) One of the priests who accompanied the removal of the ark to Jerusalem ( 1 Chr. 15:24 ).
Joash Person v. 19-20: Whom Jehovah bestowed. (1. ) A contracted form of Jehoash, the father of Gideon ( Judg. 6:11 , 29; 8:13, 29, 32). (2. ) One of the Benjamite archers who joined David at Ziklag ( 1 Chr. 12:3 ).
Beth-millo Place v. 20: Biblical structure. Modern identification: Tell Balatah.
Silla Place v. 20: Biblical fortification. Modern identification: Jerusalem.
Amaziah Person v. 21: Strengthened by Jehovah. (1. ) A Levite, son of Hilkiah, of the descendants of Ethan the Merarite ( 1 Chr. 6:45 ). (2. ) The son and successor of Joash, and eighth king of the separate kingdom of Judah ( 2 Kings 14:1-4 ).
City People v. 21: The earliest mention of city-building is that of Enoch, which was built by Cain ( Gen. 4:17 ). After the confusion of tongues, the descendants of Nimrod founded several cities (10:10-12).
City of David Place v. 21: Biblical settlement. Modern identification: City of David.
David Person v. 21: Beloved, the eighth and youngest son of Jesse, a citizen of Bethlehem. His father seems to have been a man in humble life. His mother’s name is not recorded. Some think she was the Nahash of 2 Sam. 17:25 .
Jehozabad Person v. 21: Jehovah-given. (1. ) The son of Obed-edom ( 1 Chr. 26:4 ), one of the Levite porters. (2. ) The son of Shomer, one of the two conspirators who put king Jehoash to death in Millo in Jerusalem ( 2 Kings 12:21 ). (3. ) 2 Chr.
Shomer Person v. 21: Watchman. (1. ) The mother of Jehozabad, who murdered Joash ( 2 Kings 12:21 ); called also Shimrith, a Moabitess ( 2 Chr. 24:26 ). (2. ) A man of Asher ( 1 Chr. 7:32 ); called also Shamer (34).