Глава 12

1–17. The pious direction of the first part of the 40-year reign of Joash. 17–18. Invasion of Jerusalem by Hazael the Syrian. 19–22. Death of Joash. 2 Kings 12:1. In the seventh year of Jehu Joash reigned and reigned in Jerusalem for forty years. His mother's name was Zivya, from Bathsheba. 2 Kings 12:2. And Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days, while Jehoiada the priest instructed him; 2 Kings 12:3. only the heights were not cancelled; the people still made sacrifices and incense on the heights. 2 Kings 12:4. And Joash said to the priests, “All the money that is dedicated, which is brought into the house of the Lord, the money from those who come, the money that is brought in for each soul according to the estimate, all the silver, as much as it comes to anyone’s heart to bring into the house of the Lord, 2 Kings 12:5. let the priests take it for themselves, each from his friend, and let them correct what was damaged in the church, wherever there is damage. (Heb. 1–6). General instructions about the 40-year reign of Joash: his relative loyalty to Jehovah did not reach the desired height and purity of the cult, since, like, for example, Asa (1 Kings 15:14), Joash did not dare to cancel serving God on the heights. But this relative piety lasted only while the high priest Jehoiada was alive and led Joash (v. 2, Heb. 3). After the death of Jehoiada, Joash completely succumbed to the influence of the pagan party at court, allowed the introduction of the old idolatry in the kingdom of Judah, and was responsible for the martyrdom of Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, in the very courtyard of the temple (2 Chronicles 24:17-22). But the first steps of his reign were aimed at improving church life, which had fallen into decline during the previous reigns. Thus, in order to maintain the splendor of the church, plundered by Athaliah (2 Chronicles 24:7), Joash legislated that the priests use all monetary offerings coming to the church to repair the church, namely: 1) a capitation salary from every Jew who has reached the age of 20 and is included in the number (Exodus 30:13); 2) ransom money from persons dedicated to the sanctuary, instead of their actual service at the church (Ex. 27: 2 et seq.), as well as ransom for the firstborn animals belonging to Jehovah; 3) sacrifices of the zeal of the people to the church (Exodus 25:2; Exodus 35:5,21; cf. Blessed Theodoret, question 40). At the same time, the king demanded that the priests and Levites immediately organize a nationwide gathering for this purpose and for this purpose go around all the cities of Judah (2 Chronicles 24:5). 2 Kings 12:6. But just as until the twenty-third year of King Joash the priests did not repair the damage in the church, 2 Kings 12:7. Then King Joash called the priest Jehoiada and the priests and said to them: Why don’t you repair the damage in the church? From now on, do not take silver from your friends, but give it to repair damage in the church. 2 Kings 12:8. And the priests agreed not to take silver from the people to repair the damage in the church. 2 Kings 12:9. And Jehoiada the priest took one chest, and made a hole in the top of it, and set it near the altar on the right side, where they entered into the house of the Lord. And there the priests, standing guard at the threshold, placed all the silver that was brought into the house of the Lord. 2 Kings 12:10. And when they saw that there was a lot of silver in the chest, the king's scribe and the high priest came and tied them up in bags and counted the silver that was found in the house of the Lord; 2 Kings 12:11. and they gave the money they had counted into the hands of the workmen assigned to the house of the Lord, and they spent it on the carpenters and builders who worked in the house of the Lord, 2 Kings 12:12. and for the wall makers and the stonemasons, also for the purchase of wood and hewn stones, for repairing the damage in the house of the Lord, and for everything that was spent for the maintenance of the church. 2 Kings 12:13. But there were no silver dishes made for the house of the Lord, nor knives, nor sprinkling cups, nor trumpets, nor any vessels of gold, nor vessels of silver, from the silver brought into the house of the Lord, 2 Kings 12:14. and they gave it to the workmen, and they repaired the house of the Lord for them. 2 Kings 12:15. And they did not demand an account from those people who were entrusted with silver to distribute to the producers of the work, for they acted honestly. 2 Kings 12:16. The silver for the trespass offering and the silver for the sin offering were not brought into the house of the Lord: it belonged to the priests. (Heb. 7–17; cf. 2 Chron. 24:6–14). But neither the priests (v. 6) nor the Levites (2 Chronicles 24:5) showed any particular zeal and accuracy in carrying out the royal order, and the king had to, together with the high priest Jehoiada, decide to introduce a different procedure for collecting for the proposed repair of the church, namely: to arrange a special circle in the courtyard of the church (Heb. aron, LXX: κινωτόν, Vulg.: gazophylacium, art. 9, Heb. 10) for the collection of all donations for the restoration of the church (in Art. 7 Heb. bedek, “damage”, in LXX: τὺ βέδεκ, slav. vedek) with strict reporting of the amounts collected (Art. 10, Heb. 11) and careful transfer of what was collected for purchase wood and stone materials and to pay workers (verses 12, 14). A similar mug was later placed outside the church (2 Chronicles 24:8; cf. Luke 21:1–4). In addition to general amendments to the church, new accessories were made for church utensils (v. 13 cf. 2 Chron. 24:14), cf. (1 Kings 12:50). Only the money that came into the church through the sacrifices of sin and guilt (Num. 5:8; Lev. 5:16) constituted the inalienable property of the priests (v. 16, Heb. 17). 2 Kings 12:17. Then Hazael king of Syria set out and went to war against Gath and took it; and Hazael decided to go to Jerusalem. 2 Kings 12:18. But Joash king of Judah took all the offerings that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah his fathers the kings of Judah had given to the church, and that he himself had offered, and all the gold that was found in the treasuries of the house of the Lord and the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria; and he retreated from Jerusalem. (Heb. 18–19). The invasion of Hazael of Syria (cf. 2 Kings 8:12) into Judah and Gath (cf. 1 Kings 2:39), probably simultaneous with his invasion of the kingdom of Israel under Jehu (2 Kings 10:32) or under Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:3), was God's punishment to Joash for unfaithfulness to Jehovah after the death of Jehoiada and for murder Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:23–24, cf. 2 Chronicles 24:17–22). Only by heavy indemnity to Hazael, borrowed by Joash, following the example of Asa (1 Kings 15:18), from the treasuries of the church and the royal palace, Joash saved Jerusalem, having, however, previously suffered several defeats and devastation of the country from the Syrian troops (2 Chronicles 24:23–24). 2 Kings 12:20. And his servants rebelled and formed a conspiracy and killed Joash in the house of Millo, on the road to Silla. 2 Kings 12:21. His servants slew him: Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomera; and he died, and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David. And Amaziah his son reigned in his stead. After the Syrian invasion, Joash, probably wounded, fell into a serious illness (2 Chronicles 24:25), and soon a conspiracy was made on his life by the party, avenging him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada, and he was killed in Millo (cf. 1 Kings 9:15) on the way to the unknown area of ​​Silla (in the LXX: Σελᾶ, Vulg.: Sella, glor.: Saala, cf. Onomast. 850). He was deprived of the honor of burial with the kings, while the pious high priest Jehoiada, who rendered many services to the Jewish state, was buried in the royal tombs (2 Chronicles 24:25,16). You might be interested in: