joash Summary and Overview

whom Jehovah bestowed. (1.) A contracted form of Jehoash, the father of Gideon (Judg. 6:11, 29; 8:13, 29, 32). (2.) One of the Benjamite archers who joined David at Ziklag (1 Chr. 12:3). (3.) One of King Ahab's sons (1 Kings 22:26). (4.) King of Judah (2 Kings 11:2; 12:19, 20). (See JEHOASH T0002005 [1].) (5.) King of Israel (2 Kings 13:9, 12, 13, 25). (See JEHOASH T0002005 [2].) (6.) 1 Chr. 7:8. (7.) One who had charge of the royal stores of oil under David and Solomon (1 Chr. 27:28).

(to whom Jehovah hastens, i.e. to help), contracted from JEHOASH. 1. Son of Ahaziah king of Judah (B.C. 884), and the only one of his children who escaped the murderous hand of Athaliah. After his father's sister Jehoshabeath, the wife of Jehoiada the high priest, had stolen him from among the king's sons, he was hidden for six years in the chambers of the temple. In the seventh year of his age and of his concealment, a successful revolution, conducted by Jehoiada, placed him on the throne of his ancestors, and freed the country from the tyranny and idolatries of Athaliah. For at least twenty-three years, while Jehoiada lived, his reign was very prosperous; but after the death of Jehoiada, Joash fell into the hands of bad advisers, at whose suggestion he revived the worship of Baal and Ashtaroth. When he was rebuked for this by Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, Joash caused him to be stoned to death in the very court of the Lord's house. #Mt 23:35| That very year Hazael king of Syria came up against Jerusalem, and carried off a vast booty as the price of his departure. Joash had scarcely escaped this danger when he fell into another and fatal one. Two of his servants conspired against him and slew him in his bed and in the fortress of Millo. Joash's reign lasted forty years, from 878 to 838 B.C. 2. Son and successor of Jehoahaz on the throne of Israel from B.C. 840 to 825, and for two full years a contemporary sovereign with the preceding. #2Ki 14:1| comp. with 2Kin 12:1; 13:10 When he succeeded to the crown the kingdom was in a deplorable state from the devastations of Hazael and Ben-hadad, kings of Syria. On occasion of a friendly visit paid by Joash to Elisha on his death-bed, the prophet promised him deliverance from the Syrian yoke in Aphek, #1Ki 20:26-30| He then bade him smite upon the ground, and the king smote thrice and then stayed. The prophet rebuked him for staying, and limited to three his victories over Syria. Accordingly Joash did defeat Ben-hadad three times on the field of battle, and recovered from him the cities which Hazael had taken from Jehoahaz. The other great military event of Joash's reign was the successful war with Amaziah king of Judah. He died in the fifteenth year of Amaziah king of Judah. 3. The father of Gideon, and a wealthy man among the Abiezrites. #Jud 6:11| (B.C. before 1256.) 4. Apparently a younger son of Ahab, who held a subordinate jurisdiction in the lifetime of his father. #1Ki 22:26; 2Ch 18:25| (B.C. 896.) 5. A descendant of Shelah the son of Judah, but whether his son or the son of Jokim is not clear. #1Ch 4:22| 6. A Benjamite, son of Shemaah of Gibeah, #1Ch 12:3| who resorted to David at Ziklag. 7. One of the officers of David's household. #1Ch 27:28| 8. Son of Becher and head of a Benjamite house. #1Ch 7:8|

JO'ASH (to whom Jehovah hastens i.e., with help). 1. The son of Becher, and head of a house of Benjamin in the time of David. 1 Chr 7:8. 2. An officer of David who was over the oil-cellars. 1 Chr 27:28.

= 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.