jehoash Summary and Overview

Jehovah-given. (1.) The son of King Ahaziah. While yet an infant, he was saved from the general massacre of the family by his aunt Jehosheba, and was apparently the only surviving descendant of Solomon (2 Chr. 21:4, 17). His uncle, the high priest Jehoiada, brought him forth to public notice when he was eight years of age, and crowned and anointed him king of Judah with the usual ceremonies. Athaliah was taken by surprise when she heard the shout of the people, "Long live the king;" and when she appeared in the temple, Jehoiada commanded her to be led forth to death (2 Kings 11:13-20). While the high priest lived, Jehoash favoured the worship of God and observed the law; but on his death he fell away into evil courses, and the land was defiled with idolatry. Zechariah, the son and successor of the high priest, was put to death. These evil deeds brought down on the land the judgement of God, and it was oppressed by the Syrian invaders. He is one of the three kings omitted by Matthew (1:8) in the genealogy of Christ, the other two being Ahaziah and Amaziah. He was buried in the city of David (2 Kings 12:21). (See JOASH T0002078 [4].) (2.) The son and successor of Jehoahaz, king of Israel (2 Kings 14:1; compare 12:1; 13:10). When he ascended the throne the kingdom was suffering from the invasion of the Syrians. Hazael "was cutting Israel short." He tolerated the worship of the golden calves, yet seems to have manifested a character of sincere devotion to the God of his fathers. He held the prophet Elisha in honour, and wept by his bedside when he was dying, addressing him in the words Elisha himself had used when Elijah was carried up into heaven: "O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof." He was afterwards involved in war with Amaziah, the king of Judah (2 Chr. 25:23-24), whom he utterly defeated at Beth-shemesh, on the borders of Dan and Philistia, and advancing on Jerusalem, broke down a portion of the wall, and carried away the treasures of the temple and the palace. He soon after died (B.C. 825), and was buried in Samaria (2 Kings 14:1-17, 19, 20). He was succeeded by his son. (See JOASH T0002078 [5.].)

(given by the Lord), the uncontracted form of Joash. 1. The eighth king of Judah; son of Ahaziah. #2Ki 11:21; 12:1,2,4,6,7,18; 14:13| [JOASH, 1] 2. The twelfth king of Israel; son of Jehoahaz. #2Ki 13:10,25; 14:8,9,11,13,15,16,17| [JOASH, 2]

JEHO'ASH (whom Jehovah bestowed), original uncontracted form of the name commonly written Joash, and applied to two kings. See Joash, 3 and 4.

= Jehovah gifted. 1. see GIDEON 'S father, an Abiezrite of wealth. During the Midianite oppression he conformed to the popular idolatry, and had an altar to Baal and a "grove," i.e. Asherah, in his own ground. But on his son's destroying both Joash defended his son with a sarcastic sneer at Baal's impotence to "plead for himself"(Judges 6:11,25,29-31; 7:14; 8:13,29,32). 2. 1 Chronicles 12:1-3,21. One of David's "helpers in the battle ... against the band (giduwd , the same word as in Samuel is used of the Amalekite spoiling ‘troop' or company) of the rovers," i.e. the Amalekites who spoiled Ziklag in David's absence (1 Samuel 30:1-10,15). 3. 1 Chronicles 4:22. Ruled anciently in Moab. 4. 1 Chronicles 7:8. 5. 1 Chronicles 27:28. 6. Ahab's son, viceroy in his absence at Ramoth Gilead (1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chronicles 18:25), or else left with the governor of the city, Amon, for military education. 7. The only son of Ahaziah king of Judah that escaped Athaliah's murderous hand, and the only surviving descendant of Solomon, for his grandfather Jehoram had killed all his brethren (2 Chronicles 21:4,17; 22:1,8-11), and all his own sons except Jehoahaz or Ahaziah the Arabians had slain; and on Ahaziah's destruction by Jehu see ATHALIAH his mother (the instigator of sin becoming the instrument of punishment, compare verse 3 with verse 10) destroyed all the seed royal of Judah except Joash, hidden by his aunt Jehoshabeath, Ahaziah's sister, Jehoiada's wife. After remaining six years hidden in the temple, see JEHOIADA by a well contrived revolution raised him to the throne. For 23 years Joash prospered, so long as he adhered to the "covenant between the Lord and the king and the people, that they should be the Lord's people." Baal's house, altars, and images were first of all destroyed by the people under Jehoiada; and Mattan, Baal's priest, was slain (2 Chronicles 23:17; 2 Kings 11:17-19), The high places alone were spared, the people still sacrificing and burning incense on them. But after his faithful counselor Jehoiada was dead the princes with flattering "obeisance" (compare Proverbs 29:5) persuaded the weak king to forsake Jehovah for Asheerah and idols. Wrath from God visited Judah for their trespass; then Zechariah, Jehoiada's son, standing inthe inner higher court, "above the people" in the outer court, denounced their apostasy and declared God's consequent withdrawal of blessing (2 Chronicles 24:20; compare 2 Chronicles 12:5; 15:2). They stoned the prophet "at the king's commandment in the court of Jehovah's house,""between the temple and the altar" (Matthew 23:35); contrast Jehoiada's reverent care not to slay Athaliah there (2 Chronicles 23:14). Joash slew other "sons" of Jehoiada also (24:25). Zechariah left his cause in the Lord's hands, "the Lord look upon it and require it." So Hazael, as executioner of God's judgment, with a small Syrian army came to Judah and Jerusalem, and in battle destroyed all the princes (a just retribution on the instigators of the apostasy, verse 23). Joash bought his withdrawal only at the cost of all his own and the temple treasures (2 Kings 12:17,18). Severely wounded and sick, in his helpless state he was slain on his bed in the house of Millo by two conspirators, Zabad or Jozachar, son of an Ammonitess, and Jehozabad, son of a Moabitess; from the nations whose idols he adopted came also God's punishers of his idolatry. His body at death was excluded from the royal sepulchres, to which good Jehoiada for his special goodness had been admitted. His reign lasted 40 years (878-838 B.C.). Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah are the three omitted in Matthew's genealogy of Jesus Christ. 8. Jehoahaz' son and successor as king of Israel (840-825 B.C.). For two years contemporary of Joash of Judah (2 Kings 14:1; compare 2 Kings 12:1; 13:10). God, in pity to Israel's extreme oppression by Hazael and the Syrians, remembered "His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,"and by Elisha on his deathbed promised deliverance through Joash. The king had lamented the prophet's near decease as the loss of "the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof," using the same language as Elisha had used of Elijah. By Elisha's direction Joash put his hand on a bow, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands (for God must bless our handiwork, else we labour in vain: compare <014924> Genesis 49:24). Then Joash shot eastward and Elisha promised that Joash "should smite the Syrians in Aphek until he consumed them." Then by Elisha's direction Joash smote on the ground with arrows. Smiting only thrice he was reproved by the prophet: "thou shouldest have smitten five or six times, then hadst thou smitten Syria until thou hadst consumed them, whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice." So Joash took again out of the hands of Hazael's successor, Benhadad, Israel's cities and beat him thrice. Joash overcame at Bethshemesh, and took see AMAZIAH , who challenged him because of the depredations of Israelitemercenaries whom Amaziah had sent away (2 Chronicles 25) and broke down the wall of see JERUSALEM from the Ephraim gate (or that of Benjamin leading northward) to the N. W. corner gate, 400 cubits, (the N. side being Jerusalem's only accessible side,) and carried away the gold and silver found under Obed Edom's charge in the temple and in the palace. Joash after his return to Samaria died in the 15th year of Amaziah's reign, and was buried in the sepulchres of the kings of Israel. Jeroboam II was his successor.