2 Kings 12:17-21

2 Kings 12:17-21

[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.  [18] And 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.  [19] And 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?  [20] And his servants  arose,  and made  a conspiracy,  and slew  Joash  in the house  of Millo,  which goeth down  to Silla.  [21] 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.

What does 2 Kings 12:17-21 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

King Hazael of Aram had defeated Israel during the reigns of Jehu and Jehoahaz ( 2 Kings 13:3; 2 Kings 13:22). He then pressed south along the Mediterranean coast toward Judah. He captured Gath and then sent soldiers against Jerusalem who killed many Judean leaders. Rather than turning to Yahweh for deliverance, Jehoash bought Hazael off with gold from the renovated temple. Later, Hazael returned to Judah and Jerusalem with a small company of men, destroyed all the nobility of Judah, and sent their spoil to the king of Damascus ( 2 Chronicles 24:23).
The Arameans had wounded Jehoash, who went to recuperate in a town named Beth Millo ( 2 Chronicles 24:25). There, several of his officials assassinated him ( 2 Kings 12:20), primarily because he had slain the high priest Zechariah ( 2 Chronicles 24:20-22). The king was buried in Jerusalem but not in the royal tombs ( 2 Chronicles 24:25) because the people did not have great respect for him.
"Once a promising, God-fearing young ruler, Joash died a disappointment. By bribing Hazael with Temple treasures, he tarnished his one great achievement, the Temple restoration." [1]
Jehoash"s reign started off well but ended poorly because he turned from Yahweh. Instead of continuing to follow the high priest"s counsel, he silenced him by killing him. Consequently, God"s blessing on his earlier years in office turned into chastening later in his life.