2 Kings 12:14
Ver. 14. But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the Lord. They took care that the workmen should first be paid for the repairs of the temple. 2 Kings 12:15Ver. 15. Moreover, they reckoned not with the men into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on the workmen,.... That is, the king's secretary and the high priest, or his officer, never called to account the overseers of the workmen, to whom they committed the money to pay them with; never examined how they laid it out, and for what:for they dealt faithfully; they saw they acted such an honest and upright part, and such an high opinion had they of them, that they never examined their accounts, or called for their bills. 2 Kings 12:16Ver. 16. The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the Lord,.... Which was the money persons at a distance sent for their trespass and sin offerings instead of cattle, with which the sacrifices were bought; and what remained of the money was not brought into the temple, and made use of in the above manner:it was the priest's; the overplus of it, and such of the sacrifices which by the law were appropriated to them. 2 Kings 12:17Ver. 17. Then Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath, and took it,.... When Jehoiada was dead, and Jehoash was become an apostate, the Lord suffered the king of Syria to be a scourge to him; who first attacked Gath, and took it, which was formerly one of the principalities of the Philistines, but was subdued by David, and had been in the hands of the Israelites ever since; the king of Syria began with this, as nearest to him, to open the way for what he had further in view:and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem; he made such preparations, and took such measures, as plainly indicated what his design was. 2 Kings 12:18Ver. 18. And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated,.... To sacred uses, and had laid up in the temple:and his own hallowed things: which he had devoted to the same uses:and all the gold [that was] found in the treasures of the house of the Lord: which were gifts and presents from divers persons for sacred services:and sent it to Hazael king of Syria, and he went away from Jerusalem; to bribe him, that he might desist from his purpose; which showed a meanness of spirit, and was the effect of his idolatry and apostasy, having forsaken the Lord, and being forsaken by him; in whom should have been his trust and confidence, and then he need not have been afraid to meet the king of Syria. 2 Kings 12:19Ver. 19. And the rest of the acts of Jehoash, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?] In the registers and annals of those princes; some of them are to be met with in 2Ch 24:1. 2 Kings 12:20Ver. 20. And his servants arose,.... This was after he had slain Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, who reproved him for his idolatry; and after a second expedition of the king of Syria, who came to Jerusalem, and spoiled it, and left Jehoash diseased, as is recorded in 2Ch 24:23,and made a conspiracy; not to get the kingdom into their hands, for his son succeeded him, but to avenge the death of Zechariah;and slew Jehoash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla; these are both names of places; perhaps the latter is mentioned, to distinguish this Bethmillo from Millo in Zion; or rather that itself is meant, and described by the descent from it to a causeway, as Silla may signify, which led to the royal palace. 2 Kings 12:21Ver. 21. For Jozachar the son of Shimeath,.... Said to be an Ammonitess, and this man's name Zabad, 2Ch 24:26,and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants; who is said in the same place to be the son of Shimrith a Moabitess:these smote him, and he died; justly did he fall by the hands of such persons for his idolatry:and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David; but not in the sepulchres of the kings, because of his idolatry and murder of a priest of the Lord:and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead; the conspirators not seeking the kingdom, but vengeance on him for his sins, which, whether right in them to do, was suffered by the Lord.
John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible.