And it came to pass after this ,.... After his marriage, when he was about twenty or twenty one years of age, perhaps: that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord ; which in some places might be fallen to decay, having been built one hundred and fifty years or more, and in others defaced by Athaliah, and needed ornamenting, see 2 Kings 12:4 . read more
And he gathered together the priests and Levites ,.... To communicate his mind unto, and give them a charge and instructions: and said unto them, go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year ; what money he means is more fully explained in 2 Kings 12:4 , and see that ye haste the matter ; for he was very desirous of having this work accomplished, it being the place of the worship of God, and where he had been... read more
And the king called for Jehoiada the chief ,.... Who was either the high priest, or the head of his course, or, however, the chief of the priests and Levites concerned in this affair, and, indeed, was the chief or prime minister of state: and said unto him, why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah, and out of Jerusalem, the collection ; the money to repair the house they were ordered to collect, 2 Chronicles 25:6 according to the commandment of Moses the... read more
For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman ,.... Not Ahaziah and his brethren, in the lifetime of Jehoram, but sons of Athaliah by another man, as Kimchi suggests: had broken up the house of God ; not that they had made ruptures in it, or broke down the walls of it, but had defaced it by taking off the gold and silver upon it: and also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord did they bestow upon Baalim ; not strictly all, but a great many of them, as this word in many... read more
And at the king's commandment they made a chest ,.... See Gill on 2 Kings 12:9 . read more
And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem ,.... By heralds appointed for the purpose: to bring in to the Lord ; into the house of the Lord, and for the reparation of it; and so for his service, honour, and glory: the collection that Moses the servant of the Lord laid upon Israel in the wilderness ; not to bring in the tabernacle of Moses, as the Targum here and in 2 Chronicles 24:6 , but such a voluntary gift as Moses moved the children of Israel to bring, when in... read more
And all the princes and all the people rejoiced ,.... When they heard the proclamation, and understood for what use the money was to be given, and in what manner; all was agreeable and pleasing to them: and brought in, and cast into the chest ; through the hole that was in the lid of it, 2 Kings 12:9 , until they had made an end : everyone had given as much as he could, or thought fit to give. read more
Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites ,.... The place where his officer or officers met, appointed for this service; very probably in one of the chambers of the temple, and when they saw that there was much money : see 2 Kings 12:10 , the king's scribe ; or secretary: and the high priest's officer ; his "sagan", or deputy priest: came and emptied the chest ; poured out the money, and told it, and put... read more
And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the Lord ,.... That is, they gave it to those who were overseers of them, to pay them with it, 2 Kings 12:11 . and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord see 2 Kings 12:12 . and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the Lord ; where it required any work of that kind. read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 2 Chronicles 24:1-14
This account of Joash's good beginnings we had as it stands here 2 Kgs. 12:1-21, though the latter part of this chapter, concerning his apostasy, we had little of there. What is good in men we should take all occasions to speak of and often repeat it; what is evil we should make mention of but sparingly, and no more than is needful. We shall here only observe, 1. That it is a happy thing for young people, when they are setting out in the world, to be under the direction of those that are wise... read more