2 Kings 12:18 - Exposition

And Jehoash King of Judah took all the hallowed things. The writer of Chronicles tells us that, first of all, there was a battle. "The army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand" ( 2 Chronicles 24:24 ). The loss was especially heavy among the nobles, who officered the Jewish army. Much plunder was taken by the visitors ( 2 Chronicles 24:23 ). Then, probably, the siege of the city was commenced, and Joash, like Rehoboam and Asa before him ( 1 Kings 14:26 ; 1 Kings 15:18 ), and Hezekiah subsequently ( 2 Kings 18:15 , 2 Kings 18:16 ), had recourse to the temple treasures, and with them bought off the invader. It is noticeable that Athaliah had not deprived the temple of them previously. That Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated. Though Jehoram and Ahaziah apostatized so far as to maintain the Baal-worship in Jerusalem, and even to force attendance on it ( 2 Chronicles 21:11 ), yet they did not relinquish altogether the worship of Jehovah. That Jehoram called his son, Ahaziah, "possession of Jehovah," and Ahaziah one of his sons, Joash, "whom Jehovah supports," is indicative of this syncretism, which was common in ancient times, but against which pure Judaism made the strongest possible protest. And his own hallowed things — i.e; the gifts which he had himself made to the temple— and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the Lord. This was probably not much; but some "vessels of gold" had been made ( 2 Chronicles 24:14 ) out of the residue of the money subscribed for the repairs. And in the king's house. The royal palace had been plundered by the Arabs and Philistines combined in the reign of Jehoram ( 2 Chronicles 21:16 , 2 Chronicles 21:17 ); but in the thirty years that had since elapsed there had been time for fresh accumulations. And sent it to Hazael King of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem. The personal presence of Hazael at the siege seems to be here implied, while 2 Chronicles 24:23 rather implies his absence. Perhaps he was absent at first, but joined the besiegers after a while.