The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Kings — Section 219

OHAPTER XIII. standing the good service that he had done in crushing the Baal-worship, was clmstised Vera. 1-25.-RIIIIONB OF JEHOAHAZ, BON by God (eh. x. 32, 33) on account of his OF J1mu, AND Jo.t.BH, BON OF JEHOAHAZ, continuance in the "sin of Jeroboam;" and now Jehoahaz was even more signally OVER ISRAEL. N OTIOEB OJ' ELIBII.A. W AB punished. As Keil remarks, "The longer OF ISBAEL WITH SYRIA. and the more obstinately the sin was con- Vera. 1-9.-THIII REIGN OJI' JEHOAHAZ. tinued, the more severe did the punishment Tho writor retume in this chapter to the become." And followed the sins of Jeroboam history of the Israelite kingdom, taking it the son of Nebat (comp. eh. x. 29, where the exegetical clause is added, "To wit, up from the death of Jehu, which was re- the golden calves that wne in Bethel and corded in the closing verses of eh. x. He in Dan") which made Israel to sin skotches briefly the reign of Jehu's son and (comp. 1 Kings xv. 26; xvi. 19, 26; xxii. successor, Jehoahaz, in the present section, 52, etc.); he departed not therefrom. This after which he pa.esee to that of Jehu's is emphatic. Jehoahaz kept up the worship to the full, and in no way suffered it to gre.ndson, Jehoa.sh or Joa.ah. The Syrisn decline. oppression was the great event of Jehoa.haz's Ver. 3.-And the anger of the Lord was reign. kindled against Israel. We know so much less of the nature of the calf-worship and Ver. 1.-In the three and twentieth year of the rites which accompanied it, that we of Joa.eh; rather, as in Josephus ('Ant. J ud.,' cannot to the same extent justify the Divine ix. 8. § 5), in the one and twe11ti6th year. severity in connection with it as in connec- This is a correction required by ver. 10 and tion with the Baal and Astarte cult. Still, also by eh. xii. I. The proof is given at we must remember the coarse, lewd dancing somewhat tedious length by Keil (' Biblical which accompanied the first calf-worship Commente.ry,' pp. 373, 374) and Bahr (Exod. xxxii. 19), for which death was not (' Books of the Kings,' pp. 139, 140). It thought too heavy a penalty (Exod. x.x:xii. seems unnecessary to enter into a lengthy 27), and the almost universal combination discussion of the point, since all the syn- of unchastity with idolatrous ceremonies, chronisms of the later kings of Israel and which raises a suspicion that those who Judah are in confusion, and appear to be frequented the shrines at Dan and Bethel the work of a later hand. The son of were not wholly innocent of impurity. And Aha.ziah (comp. eh. xi. 2; 2 Chron. xxii. he delivered them into the he.nd of Ha.zael 11) King of Judah, Jehoahaz the son of King of Syria. The national sins of Israel Jehu began to reign over Israel; literally, were mostly punished in this way, by the reigned over Israel. The " later hand," sword of some foreign foe. Ha.zael had which inserted the synchronism, neglected been already made an instrument for the to bring the two portions of the verse into chastisement of Jehu (eh. x. 32, 33). Now agreement. Our translators have sought he was to chastise Jehoalia.z still more to cover up his omission by transle.ting severely. And into the hand of Benhadad mtilak "bege.n to reign," and then supply- the son of Hazael, all their days; literally, ing " and reigned " in the next olause. all tho days. Not certainly all the days of And reigned seventeen years (so also Jose- the two kings HazRel aud Benhadad, for phus, l. ,. o. ). Benhadad we.a entirely worsted in his Ver. 2.-And he did that which was evil war with Joash (vers. 24, 25), but either all in the sight of the Lord. 'rhere is no reason the days of J ehoahaz, or all the days that to believe that Jehoahaz re-introduced the God had appointed for the duration of the Ba.al-worship, or sinned in any other Ila.grant calamity. It is perhaps aguinst the former way than by maintaining the calf-worship interpretation that Hazael appears to have at Do.n and Bethel. Jehu had done the outlived Jehoahaz (vers. 22-24); but Ben- same (eh. x. 29), as had all previous kings ha.dad may have warred against him 11s hi11 of Iero.el from the time of Jeroboam. The father's genorol (ver. 25) during his fe.thcr'a honour of God, however, required that lifetime. idolatry of whatever kind should be punished, Ver. 4.-And Jehoahaz besought the Lord; and the Samaritan kingdom could not other- litero.lly, besought the face of the Lord (comp. wise be saved from destruction than by l Kings xiii. 6, and the comment ad loo.). " casting a.way all the works of darknee.s " Jehoahaz, as Josephus says, '' betook him- and returning to the pure worship of self to prayer and supplication of God, Jehovah. Hence Jehu himself, notwith- entreating that he would deliver him out  262 THE SECOND BOOK OF TH'E KINGS. [on. xm.1-26.