121 In the seventh year of Jehu , Jehoash became king , and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem ; and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beersheba . 2 Jehoash did right in the sight of the Lord all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him. 3 Only the high places were not taken away ; the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places .
4 Then Jehoash said to the priests , "All the money of the sacred things which is brought into the house of the Lord , in current money , both the money of each man's assessment and all the money which any man's heart prompts e him to bring into the house of the Lord , 5 let the priests take it for themselves, each from his acquaintance ; and they shall repair the damages of the house wherever e e any damage may be found ." 6 But it came about that in the twenty-third e year of King Jehoash the priests had not repaired the damages of the house . 7 Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest , and for the other priests and said to them, "Why do you not repair the damages of the house ? Now therefore take no more money from your acquaintances , but pay it for the damages of the house ." 8 So the priests agreed that they would take no more money from the people , nor repair the damages of the house . 9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid and put it beside the altar , on the right side as one comes into the house of the Lord ; and the priests who guarded the threshold put in it all the money which was brought into the house of the Lord . 10 When they saw that there was much money in the chest , the king's scribe and the high priest came up and tied it in bags and counted the money which was found in the house of the Lord . 11 They gave the money which was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work , who had the oversight of the house of the Lord ; and they paid it out to the carpenters e and the builders who worked on the house of the Lord ; 12 and to the masons and the stonecutters e , and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the damages to the house of the Lord , and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. 13 But there were not made for the house of the Lord silver cups , snuffers , bowls , trumpets , any vessels of gold , or vessels of silver from the money which was brought into the house of the Lord ; 14 for they gave that to those who did the work , and with it they repaired the house of the Lord . 15 Moreover, they did not require an accounting from the men into whose hand they gave the money to pay to those who did the work , for they dealt faithfully . 16 The money from the guilt offerings and the money from the sin offerings was not brought into the house of the Lord ; it was for the priests .
17 Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem . 18 Jehoash king of Judah took all the sacred things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah , his fathers , kings of Judah , had dedicated , and his own sacred things and all the gold that was found among the treasuries of the house of the Lord and of the king's house , and sent them to Hazael king of Aram . Then he went away from Jerusalem .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Kings 12:1-18
Commentary on 2 Kings 12:1-16
(Read 2 Kings 12:1-16)
It is a great mercy to young people, especially to all young men of rank, like Jehoash, to have those about them who will instruct them to do what is right in the sight of the Lord; and they do wisely and well for themselves, when willing to be counselled and ruled. The temple was out of repair; Jehoash orders the repair of the temple. The king was zealous. God requires those who have power, to use it for the support of religion, the redress of grievances, and repairing of decays. The king employed the priests to manage, as most likely to be hearty in the work. But nothing was done effectually till the twenty-third year of his reign. Another method was therefore taken. When public distributions are made faithfully, public contributions will be made cheerfully. While they were getting all they could for the repair of the temple, they did not break in upon the stated maintenance of the priests. Let not the servants of the temple be starved, under colour of repairing the breaches of it. Those that were intrusted did the business carefully and faithfully. They did not lay it out in ornaments for the temple, till the other work was completed; hence we may learn, in all our expenses, to prefer that which is most needful, and, in dealing for the public, to deal as we would for ourselves.
Commentary on 2 Kings 12:17-21
(Read 2 Kings 12:17-21)
Let us review the character of Jehoash, and consider what we may learn from it. When we see what a sad conclusion there was to so promising a beginning, it ought to make us seek into our spiritual declinings. If we know any thing of Christ as the foundation of our faith and hope, let us desire to know nothing but Christ. May the work of the blessed Spirit on our souls be manifest; may we see, feel, and be earnest, in seeking after Jesus in all his fulness, suitableness, and grace, that our souls may be brought over from dead works to serve the living and true God.