2 Kings 12

King James Version

Full text for 2 Kings Chapter 12

1¶ In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Zibiah of Beersheba.

2And Jehoash did [that which was] right in the sight of the LORD all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.

3But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

4¶ And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, [even] the money of every one that passeth [the account], the money that every man is set at, [and] all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD,

5Let the priests take [it] to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.

6But it was [so, that] in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.

7Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the [other] priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no [more] money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.

8And the priests consented to receive no [more] money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.

9But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money [that was] brought into the house of the LORD.

10And it was [so], when they saw that [there was] much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD.

11And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD,

12And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair [it].

13Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money [that was] brought into the house of the LORD:

14But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD.

15Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully.

16The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests'.

17¶ Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

18And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold [that was] found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and sent [it] to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.

19And the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?

20And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.

21For Jozachar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, smote him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

King Jehoash began his 40-year reign in Jerusalem, doing right by the Lord under Jehoiada the priest's guidance, though high places persisted. He initiated a temple repair project, initially managed by priests, but later reformed the collection system to ensure funds directly reached the workmen. Towards the end of his reign, he appeased Hazael of Syria with temple treasures and was ultimately assassinated by his servants.

Medium Summary

Jehoash commenced his 40-year reign over Judah, generally doing what was right in the sight of the LORD, guided by Jehoiada the priest, though the high places remained. He observed the dilapidated state of the Temple and commanded the priests to use dedicated funds for its repair. After 23 years, with little progress, Jehoash restructured the system, mandating that all temple contributions be placed in a public chest, directly managed by the king's scribe and high priest, and then disbursed to the workmen. This new method successfully funded the extensive repairs of the house of the LORD, focusing solely on structural restoration rather than new vessels. Later, facing an invasion from Hazael, King of Syria, Jehoash gave away the temple's consecrated treasures and the king's gold to avert an attack on Jerusalem. His reign concluded tragically when his own servants conspired against him and assassinated him in the house of Millo.

Long Summary

King Jehoash ascended to the throne of Judah in the seventh year of Jehu's reign, ruling for forty years in Jerusalem. Throughout his life, he generally conducted himself righteously in the sight of the LORD, largely influenced by the instruction of Jehoiada the priest. However, a significant religious compromise persisted, as the high places were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Observing the disrepair of the house of the LORD, Jehoash initially instructed the priests to use all dedicated money, including census money, vows, and freewill offerings, to fund the necessary repairs. Yet, after twenty-three years of his reign, the priests had failed to mend the temple's breaches. Consequently, King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada and the other priests, rebuking them and altering the financial system: priests were no longer to collect money from their acquaintances for repairs. Instead, Jehoiada devised a new method, placing a chest with a hole in its lid beside the altar, where all contributions for the temple were deposited. When the chest accumulated substantial funds, the king's scribe and the high priest would count and bag the money. This counted money was then directly given to the overseers of the work, who disbursed it to carpenters, builders, masons, and stone hewers for the purchase of materials and the execution of repairs. Notably, none of this money was used to create silver bowls, snuffers, basins, trumpets, or any other gold or silver vessels; its sole purpose was the structural restoration of the temple. The workmen entrusted with these funds were not required to give an account, as they were deemed faithful in their dealings. It is also specified that trespass money and sin money remained the priests' portion and were not used for temple repairs. Later in his reign, when Hazael, King of Syria, conquered Gath and threatened Jerusalem, Jehoash gathered all the hallowed things dedicated by his forefathers, along with his own dedicated items and all the gold from the temple and the king's house, and sent them to Hazael, successfully averting the Syrian advance. The chapter concludes by noting that Jehoash's other acts are recorded in the chronicles of the kings of Judah, before detailing his assassination by his servants, Jozachar and Jehozabad, in the house of Millo, leading to his burial in the City of David and the succession of his son, Amaziah.

Core Concepts

  • Jehoash's Righteous ReignJehoash generally did what was right in the sight of the LORD, primarily due to the guidance and instruction of Jehoiada the priest, which shaped his early rule.
  • Persistence of High PlacesDespite Jehoash's righteous conduct, the high places, where people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense, were not removed, indicating a persistent religious compromise.
  • Temple Repair InitiativeKing Jehoash undertook a significant project to repair the dilapidated House of the LORD, initiating a system for collecting and disbursing funds specifically for its restoration.
  • Financial Reform for Temple FundsAfter initial failures by the priests, Jehoash reformed the temple's financial management, establishing a direct collection chest and oversight by royal and priestly officials to ensure funds were used solely for repairs.
  • Appeasement of SyriaFacing an invasion from Hazael, King of Syria, Jehoash resorted to appeasement, sending all the consecrated treasures from the Temple and the king's house to prevent an attack on Jerusalem.
  • Assassination of JehoashThe chapter concludes with the violent end of Jehoash's reign, as he was conspired against and assassinated by his own servants, marking a tragic end to his rule.