2. Chronik 24:18

Joash begins to reign when seven years old, and reigns well all the days of Jehoiada the priest, Ch2 24:1-3. He purposes to repair the temple of God; and makes a proclamation that the people should bring in the money prescribed by Moses, Ch2 24:4-9. They all contribute liberally; and the different artificers soon perfect the work, Ch2 24:10-13. The rest of the money is employed to form utensils for the temple, Ch2 24:14. Jehoiada dies, Ch2 24:15, Ch2 24:16. And the people after his death become idolaters, Ch2 24:17, Ch2 24:18. Prophets are sent unto them, Ch2 24:19. And among the rest Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, who testifies against them; and they stone him to death, Ch2 24:20-22. The Syrians come against Jerusalem, and spoil it, Ch2 24:23, Ch2 24:24. Joash is murdered by his own servants, Ch2 24:25, Ch2 24:26. His acts, Ch2 24:27.

wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem--The particular mention of Jerusalem as involved in the sin implies that the neglect of the temple and the consequent idolatry received not only the king's toleration, but his sanction; and it naturally occurs to ask how, at his mature age, such a total abandonment of a place with which all his early recollections were associated can be accounted for. It has been suggested that what he had witnessed of the conduct of many of the priests in the careless performance of the worship, and especially their unwillingness to collect the money, as well as apply a portion of their revenues for the repairs of the temple, had alienated and disgusted him [LE CLERC].

And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest,.... The spirit of prophecy, as the Targum; he was moved and influenced by it to speak what is after related: which stood above the people; in a desk, or sort of pulpit, in which the priests stood when they taught the people, that they might be the better heard, like that which Ezra used, Neh 8:4. and said unto them, thus saith God; being moved and directed by his Spirit, he spake in his name: why transgress ye the command of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? by committing idolatry, than which nothing could more hinder prosperity, both in things spiritual and temporal, in soul and body: because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you; because they had forsaken the worship of God, as the Targum, God had forsaken them, and was about to give them up into the hand of their enemies.

The statement as to the duration and spirit of the reign agrees with Kg2 14:1-6, except that in Ch2 25:2 the estimation of the spirit of the reign according to the standard of David, "only not as his ancestor David, but altogether as his father Joash did," which we find in the book of Kings, is replaced by "only not with a perfect heart;" and the standing formula, "only the high places were not removed," etc., is omitted.

We have here the history of the reign of Joash, the progress of which, and especially its termination, were not of a piece with its beginning, nor shone with so much lustre. How wonderfully he was preserved for the throne, and placed in it, we read before; now here we are told how he began in the spirit, but ended in the flesh. I. In the beginning of his time, while Jehoiada lived, he did well; particularly, he took care to put the temple in good repair (Ch2 24:1-14). II. In the latter end of his time, after Jehoiada's death, he apostatized from God, and his apostasy was his ruin. 1. He set up the worship of Baal again (Ch2 24:15-18), though warned to the contrary (Ch2 24:19). 2. He put Zechariah the prophet to death because he reproved him for what he had done (Ch2 24:20-22). 3. The judgments of God came upon him for it. The Syrians invaded him (Ch2 24:23, Ch2 24:24). He was struck with sore diseases; his own servants conspired against him and slew him; and, as a mark of infamy upon him, he was not buried in the burying-place of the kings (Ch2 24:25-27).