Hebrew-English Text
I. Summary
Jehoash collects money to repair the temple, appeases Hazael with the temple’s vessels, and is assasinated by his servants.
II. Photo
The priests raise funds for the temple: “The priest Jehoiada took a chest and bored a hole in its lid… the priestly guards of the threshold deposited there all the money that was brought into the House of the Lord.” (v. 10)
III. Important Verses
10-13: And the priest Jehoiada took a chest and bored a hole in its lid. He placed it at the right side of the altar as one entered the House of the LORD, and the priestly guards of the threshold deposited there all the money that was brought into the House of the LORD. Whenever they saw that there was much money in the chest, the royal scribe and the high priest would come up and put the money accumulated in the House of the LORD into bags, and they would count it. Then they would deliver the money that was weighed out to the overseers of the work, who were in charge of the House of the LORD. These, in turn, used to pay the carpenters and the laborers who worked on the House of the LORD, and the masons and the stonecutters. They also paid for wood and for quarried stone with which to make the repairs on the House of the LORD, and for every other expenditure that had to be made in repairing the House.
18-19: At that time, King Hazael of Aram came up and attacked Gath and captured it; and Hazael proceeded to march on Jerusalem. Thereupon King Joash of Judah took all the objects that had been consecrated by his fathers, Kings Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, and Ahaziah of Judah, and by himself, and all the gold that there was in the treasuries of the Temple of the LORD and in the royal palace, and he sent them to King Hazael of Aram, who then turned back from his march on Jerusalem.
21-22: His courtiers formed a conspiracy against Joash and assassinated him at Beth-millo that leads down to Silla. The courtiers who assassinated him were Jozacar son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer. He died and was buried with his fathers in the City of David; and his son Amaziah succeeded him as king.
IV. Outline
1-3. Introductory statement
4. Jehoash’s sins
5-6. Jehoash makes a plan to repair the temple
7-9. The temple is not repaired; A new plan
10-17. Money is collected for the temple
18-19. Jehoash propitiates Hazael with the temple vessels
20-22. Jehoash’s assasination; Summary statement
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Cogan, Mordechai and Hayim Tadmor. “II Kings” The Anchor Bible v. 11 (USA: Doubleday, 1988).
Collins, John J. “Introduction to the Hebrew Bible,” (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2004).
Hobbs, T.R. “2 Kings” Word Biblical Commentary vol. 13 (Waco, Texas: Wordbooks, 1985).
Photo taken from http://www.collectorsinternet.com/images/Gold001.jpg
