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1 Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Zibiah of Beersheba.

2 And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

3 And Jehoiada took for him two wives; and he begat sons and daughters.

4 And it came to pass after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord.

5 And he gathered together the priests and the Levites, and said to them, Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from year to year, and see that ye hasten the matter. Howbeit the Levites hastened it not.

6 And the king called for Jehoiada the chief, and said unto him, Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring in out of Judah and out of Jerusalem the collection, according to the commandment of Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel, for the tabernacle of witness?

7 For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord did they bestow upon Baalim.

8 And at the king's commandment they made a chest, and set it without at the gate of the house of the Lord.

9 And they made a proclamation through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring in to the Lord the collection that Moses the servant of God laid upon Israel in the wilderness.

10 And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, and brought in, and cast into the chest, until they had made an end.

11 Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that there was much money, the king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest, and took it, and carried it to his place again. Thus they did day by day, and gathered money in abundance.

12 And the king and Jehoiada gave it to such as did the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and hired masons and carpenters to repair the house of the Lord, and also such as wrought iron and brass to mend the house of the Lord.

13 So the workmen wrought, and the work was perfected by them, and they set the house of God in his state, and strengthened it.

14 And when they had finished it, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the Lord, even vessels to minister, and to offer withal, and spoons, and vessels of gold and silver. And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.

15 But Jehoiada waxed old, and was full of days when he died; an hundred and thirty years old was he when he died.

16 And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.

17 Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.

18 And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers, and served groves and idols: and wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespass.

19 Yet he sent prophets to them, to bring them again unto the Lord; and they testified against them: but they would not give ear.

20 And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.

21 And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the Lord.

22 Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it, and require it.

23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.

24 For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the Lord delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.

25 And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings.

26 And these are they that conspired against him; Zabad the son of Shimeath an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess.

27 Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God, behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead.

[27] 5921.‘al- 4097.miḏ-raš 5612.sê-p̄er 4428.ham-mə-lā-ḵîm; or “In the midrash book of the Kings”. Also see 2 Chronicles 13:22 and article Midrash.

<html><b>all the days of Jehoiada</b> And in II Kings (12:3) it is written: “all his days, [he did] that which Jehoiada the priest instructed him,” but after he died, the officers of the king came to prostrate themselves to him and to deify him (below verse 17). In the midrash (<i>Exod. Rabbah</i> 8:2, <i>Tan.</i> Buber, <i>Va’era</i>) it is explained that, because he hid in the Holy of Holies and was not harmed, they said, “You are fit to be a god.”</html>

<html><b>and he begot sons and daughters</b> Because it says below (verse 25) that Joash slew the sons of Jehoiada, it was necessary to note that he had sons.</html>

<html><b>and gather money from all Israel</b> i.e., Gather the money that the Israelites were accustomed to giving yearly, as it is written (Exod. 30:14): “Each one included in the census,” and in II Kings (12: 5): “All money of the hallowed things that is brought to the House of the Lord, in current money, etc.” There were three types of money: (1) the money of all those counted in the census, viz. the shekels for every year, as it is said (Exod. 30:14): “Each one included in the census,” lit., “[the money of anyone] who passes,” reminiscent of “each one who passes.” (2) Personal donations - money donated by individuals to reflect the value of their souls, like one who says, “My value shall be incumbent upon me to donate.” (3) All donations inspired by a person’s heart for the repairs of the Temple. <b>and hasten to the matter,” but the Levites did not hasten</b> It is explained in II Kings (12:6f.) that the king said, “Let the priests take [the money] for themselves, each one from his acquaintance,” but they neglected to impose upon their acquaintances, and when the king saw this, he said to them, (ibid. verse 8): “Do not take money from your acquaintances [any longer], but deliver it for the repairs of the House.” This is what is written here: “’and hasten to the matter,’ but the Levites did not hasten.”</html>

<html><b>the tax of Moses the servant of the Lord</b> i.e., the shekels which he mandated upon them in the desert. <b>the tax of</b> - Heb. מַשְׂאַת, reminiscent of (Exod. 30:12): “When you take (כִּי תִשָּׂא) [the sum].”</html>

<html><b>For the wicked Athaliah—her sons had breached</b> He had to say this because Solomon had built it as a new sturdy edifice. Only 125 years elapsed from the time that Solomon built it until the days of Joash and it was already breached. Had Athaliah and her sons not breached it, it would have continued to endure, for more than 200 years elapsed from Joash to Josiah and they did not have to repair it until Josiah, although Joash did not make it new as it was originally. One hundred and twenty-five years elapsed from the completion of the Temple until Joash. How so? Solomon reigned 40 years, and in the fourth year of his reign he commenced to build it. It took 7 years to build, totaling 10 years, leaving him 30. Rehoboam reigned 17, totaling 47; Abijah 3, totaling 50; Asa 41, totaling 91; Jehoshaphat 25, totaling 116; Jehoram 8, totaling 124, and Ahaziah one, totaling 125. And from Joash until Josiah were 200 years. How so? Amaziah reigned 29 years, Uzziah 52, Jotham 16, Ahaz 16, Hezekiah 29, Manasseh 55, Amon 2, totaling 200 less 1, in addition to those years that Joash lived after he had repaired the Temple. We find that they would not have had to repair the damage of the Temple had not the wicked Athaliah and her sons breached it. <b>For Athaliah, etc.</b> It is therefore no wonder that it needed repairs so soon, and also no wonder that there was no hallowed silver and gold in the treasuries of the House of the Lord, so that they had to make an announcement in Judah and Jerusalem to bring the tax, for they had also used all the hallowed things of the House of the Lord for the baalim.</html>

<html><b>and they made one chest</b> and in II Kings (12:10), it is written: “and he bored a hole in its door,” and through that hole they would cast the hallowed things, but they did not open the door lest a thief come and steal from it. <b>and they placed it in the gate of the House of the Lord, to the outside</b> so that all the generous people would be able to come and deposit the donation to the Lord therein.</html>

<html><b>and when they saw that there was much money</b> then the king’s scribe came. <b>and the appointee of the head priest</b> The servant appointed under the head priest, who was the assistant to the high priest, together with the king’s scribe. In II Kings (12:11), it is written: “the king’s scribe and the high priest went up.” The meaning is that the king’s scribe went up, and the high priest also sent his appointee, who was the scribe who wrote what the high priest commanded him, because it was unfitting and degrading for the high priest to go with the king’s servants. <b>empty the chest</b> - Heb. וִיעָרוּ. A similar instance is (Gen. 24:20): “and emptied (וַתְּעַר) her pitcher.” <b>carry it</b> Every day, when they saw that there was much money in it, they would bring it to the king’s appointee within the forecourt, empty it, carry it, and return it to its place outside the gate of the Lord.</html>

<html><b>and the work was improved</b> A similar instance is (Neh. 3:34): “Will they revive the stones” of Ezra. Also, above (I Chron. 11:8): “and Joab sustained.’ <b>on its base</b> - Heb. עַל מַתְכֻּנְתּוֹ, on its base.</html>

<html><b>service vessels and pestles</b> (<i>Stessel</i> in German.) This is [the implement] with which they crush spices in the mortar. A similar instance is (Prov. 27:22): “If you crush a fool in a mortar [among grain with a pestle (בַּעֱלִי)”]. Rabbi Isaac the son of Samuel of Narbonne told me this. Others say that וְהַעֲלוֹת refers to boards upon which meat is cut, and an example of this appears in Bezah (1:5): We may not move a board (עלי) to cut meat upon it. <b>and spoons and gold and silver vessels</b> But in II Kings (12:14) it is written: “But there would not be made for the House of the Lord silver pitchers.” How is this possible? It is explained in <i>Kethuboth</i>, chapter 13 (106): Rav Huna inquired of Rav: May vessels of ministry be made of material hallowed for the repair of the Temple, etc.</html>

<html><b>above the people</b> Higher than the people, in order to make his voice heard. In <i>Lamentations Rabbah</i> (Proem 23), it is interpreted as meaning that he relied on himself; he was a prince higher than all the people, a prophet and a priest, and it was Yom Kippur, and he was the king’s son-in-law, and he was not afraid to say the prophecy. Concerning this incident, it was stated (Lam. 2:20): “shall priest and prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the Lord?”</html>

<html><b>and upon his death, he said, “May the Lord see and requite.”</b> For they have slain me only because I spoke as the Omnipresent’s medium, and since I have been slain for His sake, it is proper and fitting that He requite my blood. And so it was: his blood was immediately requited, for “it came to pass at the turn of the year, etc.”</html>

<html><b>And it came to pass at the turn of the year</b> Because the sons of Judah sinned more than the other tribes, as it is written above (verse 18): “And they forsook the House of the Lord, the God of their fathers.” <b>and they destroyed all the princes of the people</b> This refers back to the above (verse 17): “And after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and prostrated themselves to the king,” and caused Joash to sin after them. Because of that, they were paid in kind: the army of Aram came and destroyed all the princes of the people. <b>from among the people</b> from being a people.</html>

<html><b>for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest</b> Because of the blood of Zechariah, who was the son of Jehoiada, for he should have remembered the favors and the loving-kindness that Jehoiada had bestowed upon him, and because of that iniquity, his servants conspired against him and slew him in his bed. They meted out to him a measure corresponding to a measure. Because Zechariah was slain, tranquil and secure, with nothing to worry about, for he was the son of Jehoiada, and out of respect for him [Jehoiada], they respected him [Zechariah], and spilled his blood onto the ground, therefore, he [Jehoash] too was slain in tranquility and security in his bed.</html>

<html><b>the Moabitess</b> What difference does it make who they were and from whom they were descended? However, [Scripture means that] those ingrates who did not show their gratitude for the favor of Abraham our father to Lot their father, who fought with the kings when he heard that Lot was captured, and they hired Balaam to curse his sons; [they were chosen] to punish Joash, who [similarly] did not show gratitude to Jehoiada and slew his son Zechariah. It is explained this way in <i>Mechilta</i> (Exod. 17:8).</html>