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
The sad and strange unreliableness of human disposition and life here. One of the strangest of all the sadnesses of human life is the uncertainty and unreliableness of human disposition, which it is so constantly exposing to view. Not only has the fairest promise vanished (like the sun of many a morning) long before the character could be supposed to be firm or even fairly formed, but after the period justly esteemed critical has passed, after fruit has set, and even after some fruit has... read more
A good intention well carried out. I. THE CONTEMPLATED WORK . 1 . The reparation of the house of the Lord. 2 . The replacement of the dedicated things which had been bestowed upon the Baalim ( 2 Chronicles 24:7 ). Not the dedicated things Solomon had brought into the temple ( 2 Chronicles 5:1 ); the spoil, in articles of gold and silver, David had taken from his enemies ( 1 Kings 7:51 ), since these had been pillaged and carried off by Shishak ( 2 Chronicles 12:9 ... read more
Church renovation. We have an interesting description of a very old instance of— I. CHURCH RENOVATION . Here were all the elements that ordinarily occur. 1 . Dilapidation, or the condition of being out of repair. In this case there had been profanation, deliberate injury, spoliation ( 2 Chronicles 24:7 ); but always there will be waste and decay even in "the house of the Lord." The elements of nature do not spare the most sacred sanctuary. 2 . An energetic leader. ... read more
Until they had made an end; Hebrew, לְכִּלֵּה , piel infin. The meaning can scarcely be till enough was obtained, because day after day, as the next verso tells us, the chest was brought; but either till those who had come that day to give had all given in their contributions, or, as some think with much less probability, till the chest was full for the day. At the same time, the clause, occupying only one word in the original, may quite possibly purport to state summarily by... read more
Unto the king's office. Not "office" in the modern technical business sense; the meaning is the care, charge, or custody of the king, the Hebrew word being פְקֻדַּת ; nor does this necessitate the supposition of the personal care of the king. The body of this verse leaves it quite open to possibility, in harmony with the usage of the Hebrew language and its idiom, that the process described took place, if necessary, more than once in a day, and, on the other hand, not necessarily... read more
The king’s scribe ... came and emptied ... - Rather, “the king’s scribe came ... and they emptied” etc. i. e. the Levites who brought the chest from the temple emptied it in the presence of the scribe. 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