בֶּן־שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים יֹאָשׁ בְּמָלְכוֹ וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ צִבְיָה מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע

Yo’ash was seven years old when he became king, as he was kept in hiding for six years (22:12, 23:1). He was only one year old and the sole survivor when his grandmother, Atalya, massacred the entire royal family. And he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Tzivya from Beersheba.

וַיַּעַשׂ יוֹאָשׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי ה' כָּל־יְמֵי יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן

Yo’ash did what is right in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Yehoyada the priest. Yehoyada, a prominent, prestigious man, enjoyed a long life (verse 15) and established a large family:

וַיִּשָּׂא־לוֹ יְהוֹיָדָע נָשִׁים שְׁתָּיִם וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת

Yehoyada took for himself two wives over the course of his life, and he begot sons and daughters, a detail that will be important later in the narrative.

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי־כֵן הָיָה עִם־לֵב יוֹאָשׁ לְחַדֵּשׁ אֶת־בֵּית ה'

It was thereafter, when the new king had matured into adulthood, that it entered Yo’ash’s heart to restore the House of the Lord. Not only during the reign of Atalyahu, but also in the days of Ahazyahu, and perhaps even during Yehoram’s rule, scant attention had been paid to the Temple, which suffered from neglect.

וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם צְאוּ לְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְקִבְצוּ מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל כֶּסֶף לְחַזֵּק אֶת־בֵּית אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה וְאַתֶּם תְּמַהֲרוּ לַדָּבָר וְלֹא מִהֲרוּ הַלְוִיִּם

He gathered the priests and the Levites and said to them: Go out to the cities of Judah, and gather silver from all of Israel from year to year to repair the House of your God; arrange an annual collection for the upkeep and running of the Temple. He further emphasized: You shall hasten in this matter. However, the Levites did not hasten. Evidently, they were not enthusiastic about this mission, possibly because they did not consider it to be their job.

וַיִּקְרָא הַמֶּלֶךְ לִיהוֹיָדָע הָרֹאש וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מַדּוּעַ לֹא־דָרַשְׁתָּ עַל הַלְוִיִּם לְהָבִיא מִיהוּדָה וּמִירוּשָׁלִַם אֶת־מַשְׂאַת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־ה' וְהַקָּהָל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאֹהֶל הָעֵדוּת !

The king called Yehoyada the head of the priests, and said to him: Why have you not sought from the Levites, or inquired about their assignment, for them to bring from Judah and from Jerusalem the tax of Moses servant of the Lord, and the assembly of Israel, which they brought for the Tent of the Testimony, the requirements of the Tabernacle? I gave clear instructions that a donation of this kind must be given now as well.

כִּי עֲתַלְיָהוּ הַמִּרְשַׁעַת בָּנֶיהָ פָרְצוּ אֶת־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וְגַם כָּל־קָדְשֵׁי בֵית־ה' עָשׂוּ לַבְּעָלִים

For the sons of the wicked Atalyahu had breached the House of God and looted all its treasures, and they had utilized all the consecrated items of the House of the Lord for the Be’alim.

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ אֲרוֹן אֶחָד וַיִּתְּנֻהוּ בְּשַׁעַר בֵּית־ה' חוּצָה

Therefore, the king devised an alternative method of collecting money from the people: The king said his command, and in accordance with his order, they made a chest and placed it at the gate of the House of the Lord, on the outside of the gate.

וַיִּתְּנוּ־קוֹל בִּיהוּדָה וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם לְהָבִיא לַה' מַשְׂאַת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר

They issued a proclamation in Judah and Jerusalem to bring for the Lord the tax of Moses servant of God on Israel in the wilderness. They commanded that people bring personal donations, just as Moses in the wilderness called upon the children of Israel to bring gifts for the construction of the Tabernacle or to donate shekels for that purpose.

וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כָל־הַשָּׂרִים וְכָל־הָעָם וַיָּבִיאוּ וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ לָאָרוֹן עַד־לְכַלֵּה

All the princes and all the people rejoiced over this initiative; they brought money and cast it into the chest until it was entirely full.

וַיְהִי בְּעֵת יָבִיא אֶת־הָאָרוֹן אֶל־פְּקֻדַּת הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּיַד הַלְוִיִּם וְכִרְאוֹתָם כִּי־רַב הַכֶּסֶף וּבָא סוֹפֵר הַמֶּלֶךְ וּפְקִיד כֹּהֵן הָרֹאשׁ וִיעָרוּ אֶת־הָאָרוֹן וְיִשָּׂאֻהוּ וִישִׁיבֻהוּ אֶל־מְקֹמוֹ כֹּה עָשׂוּ לְיוֹם בְּיוֹם וַיַּאַסְפוּ כֶסֶף לָרֹב

It was at the time that the chest was brought out at the king’s official command, or brought alongside the rest of the money that the king had amassed, into the hand of the Levites, and when they saw that the silver in the chest was plentiful, that the king’s scribe and the head priest’s official would come and empty out the contents of the chest. They would pick it up and return it to its place, in order to collect more money. They would do so each day, and thereby gathered much silver.

וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וִיהוֹיָדָע אֶל עוֹשֵׂה מְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֹדַת בֵּית־ה' וַיִּהְיוּ שֹׂכְרִים חֹצְבִים וְחָרָשִׁים לְחַדֵּשׁ בֵּית ה' וְגַם לְחָרָשֵׁי בַרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת לְחַזֵּק אֶת־בֵּית ה'

The king and Yehoyada gave it, the accumulated money, to all the craftsmen of the work of the House of the Lord; and they hired masons and carpenters in order to restore the House of the Lord. Masons were needed to bring new stones, as the Temple and some of its stones had worn with age. Likewise, carpenters, or builders, were required for the maintenance work in the Temple, as well as smiths of iron and bronze to repair the House of the Lord.

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ עֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה וַתַּעַל אֲרוּכָה לַמְּלָאכָה בְּיָדָם וַיַּעֲמִידוּ אֶת־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־מַתְכֻּנְתּוֹ וַיְאַמְּצֻהוּ

The craftsmen crafted in accordance with their skills, and the preservation labor in their hand was successful; they performed their task well, and they were able to fix that which needed repair. And they set the House of God in its original form, or according to its appropriate measurements, and bolstered it.

וּכְכַלּוֹתָם הֵבִיאוּ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וִיהוֹיָדָע אֶת־שְׁאָר הַכֶּסֶף וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ כֵלִים לְבֵית־ה' כְּלֵי שָׁרֵת וְהַעֲלוֹת וְכַפּוֹת וּכְלֵי זָהָב וָכָסֶף וַיִּהְיוּ מַעֲלִים עֹלוֹת בְּבֵית־ה' תָּמִיד כֹּל יְמֵי יְהוֹיָדָע

When they concluded the labor, they brought the remaining silver from this donation drive before the king and Yehoyada, and he made it into vessels for the House of the Lord: service and sacrificial [veha’alot] vessels used for performing [ha’ala’at] offerings, or pestles [eli] for grinding, or vessels for drawing [leha’alot] water, as well as ladles and gold and silver vessels. They were offering up burnt offerings in the House of the Lord continually all the days of Yehoyada.

וַיִּזְקַן יְהוֹיָדָע וַיִּשְׂבַּע יָמִים וַיָּמֹת בֶּן־מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה בְּמוֹתוֹ

Yehoyada aged and was full of days, he reached a ripe old age, and he died. He was one hundred and thirty years old at his death. He served as High Priest for many years, which enabled him to complete all the above tasks.

וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְעִיר־דָּוִיד עִם־הַמְּלָכִים כִּי־עָשָׂה טוֹבָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְעִם הָאֱלֹהִים וּבֵיתוֹ

They buried him in the City of David with the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and with God and His House. Yehoyada was buried in the tombs of the kings as a great leader, since he had restored the royal house of David to its rightful place and rehabilitated the House of God.

וְאַחֲרֵי מוֹת יְהוֹיָדָע בָּאוּ שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַמֶּלֶךְ אָז שָׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲלֵיהֶם

After the death of Yehoyada the princes of Judah came and prostrated themselves to the king. Then, after his ministers had paid their respects to him, and perhaps even treated him as a kind of demigod, in the manner that neighboring nations treated their rulers, the king heeded them and their seductive suggestions. Yehoyada had gradually transferred effective control of the kingdom to Yo’ash, and as long as the priest was alive the king would seek his advice and accept his guidance. However, once Yo’ash was in sole charge, he was seduced by the great honor bestowed upon him by the princes of Judah, even though that honor was conditional on his willingness to do their bidding. There was no one to admonish him and restrain him from following this path.

וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת־בֵּית ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִים וְאֶת־הָעֲצַבִּים וַיְהִי קֶצֶף עַל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם בְּאַשְׁמָתָם זֹאת

They forsook the House of the Lord, God of their fathers, and worshipped the sacred trees and the idols, and there was wrath upon Judah and Jerusalem for this guilt of theirs.

וַיִּשְׁלַח בָּהֶם נְבִאִים לַהֲשִׁיבָם אֶל־ה' וַיָּעִידוּ בָם וְלֹא הֶאֱזִינוּ

He, God, sent prophets among them, to return them to the Lord, and they admonished them; the prophets warned the people, but they would not listen. The people of Judah returned to the idol worship and cultic rites that were common throughout the nations of the region at that time. Whenever their faith in God wavered, they naturally reverted to the accepted idolatrous trends, as these were the norms of the area.

וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים לָבְשָׁה אֶת־זְכַרְיָה בֶּן־יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן וַיַּעֲמֹד מֵעַל לָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם כֹּה אָמַר הָאֱלֹהִים לָמָה אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת־מִצְוֹת ה'! וְלֹא תַצְלִיחוּ כִּי־עֲזַבְתֶּם אֶת־ה' וַיַּעֲזֹב אֶתְכֶם

The spirit of God clothed Zekharya son of Yehoyada the High Priest; and he prophesied and stood above the people, probably on an elevated spot in the Temple, and said to them: So said God: Why are you transgressing the commandments of the Lord, and you will not succeed? Since you have forsaken the Lord, He has forsaken you.

וַיִּקְשְׁרוּ עָלָיו וַיִּרְגְּמֻהוּ אֶבֶן בְּמִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּחֲצַר בֵּית ה'

As he was a priest, Zekharya prophesied in the courtyard of the House of God contrary to the inclination of the people and the government. They conspired against him; a gang of unruly individuals banded together when they heard his words, and in their extreme reaction to his condemnation of them, they stoned him with stones at the command of the king in the courtyard of the House of the Lord.

וְלֹא־זָכַר יוֹאָשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ הַחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוֹיָדָע אָבִיו עִמּוֹ וַיַּהֲרֹג אֶת־בְּנוֹ וּכְמוֹתוֹ אָמַר יֵרֶא ה' וְיִדְרֹשׁ

It is obligatory to listen to a prophet even when his words are unpleasant and difficult to accept. Yo’ash failed to fulfill this duty, and Zekharya was both a prophet and a priest. What is more, his father had saved the king’s life. King Yo’ash did not remember the kindness that Yehoyada, his, Zekharya’s, father had performed with him, and he killed his son. As he died, he, Zekharya, said: May the Lord see this wicked act, and seek retribution for my blood. May God punish my murderers.

וַיְהִי לִתְקוּפַת הַשָּׁנָה עָלָה עָלָיו חֵיל אֲרָם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ אֶת־כָּל־שָׂרֵי הָעָם מֵעָם וְכָל־שְׁלָלָם שִׁלְּחוּ לְמֶלֶךְ דַּרְמָשֶׂק

It was at the turn of the year, when the year had completed a full cycle, a year later, that the forces of Aram rose against him, Yo’ash, and they came to Judah and Jerusalem. The Aramean forces apparently bypassed the Kingdom of Israel and, in an unusual maneuver, they infiltrated Judah in a looting campaign. And they destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, or alternatively, they destroyed them from being a people, from functioning as an army, or they also destroyed some of the people. And all their spoils they sent to the king, to Damascus, their capital city.

כִּי בְמִצְעַר אֲנָשִׁים בָּאוּ חֵיל אֲרָם וַה' נָתַן בְּיָדָם חַיִל לָרֹב מְאֹד כִּי עָזְבוּ אֶת־ה' אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְאֶת־יוֹאָשׁ עָשׂוּ שְׁפָטִים

For although the army of Aram came with only few men, they enjoyed the element of surprise, and Yo’ash was incapable of defending himself; and the Lord delivered a very great force, or success, into their hand, because they, the people of Judah, had forsaken the Lord, God of their fathers. And to Yo’ash they, the Arameans, administered punishment. They mistreated the king, but did not kill him.

וּבְלֶכְתָּם מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי־עָזְבוּ אֹתוֹ בְּמַחֲלֻיִים רַבִּים הִתְקַשְּׁרוּ עָלָיו עֲבָדָיו בּדְמֵי בְּנֵי יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן וַיַּהַרְגֻהוּ עַל־מִטָּתוֹ וַיָּמֹת וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּעִיר דָּוִיד וְלֹא קְבָרֻהוּ בְּקִבְרוֹת הַמְּלָכִים

When they, the Arameans, departed from him, when they left him in great suffering after their mistreatment, his own servants arose and conspired against him in vengeance for the blood of the sons of Yehoyada the priest; and they killed him on his bed, when he was helpless, injured, and in pain, and he died. The mention of the sons of Yehoyada in the plural is possibly an indication that the king killed not only the prophet Zekharya himself but also Yehoyada’s other sons, who presumably supported their brother. They buried him in the City of David, but they did not bury him in the graves of the other kings, because of his conduct, and perhaps also because he died in a demeaning manner after being routed on the battlefield.

וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּתְקַשְּׁרִים עָלָיו זָבָד בֶּן־שִׁמְעָת הָעַמּוֹנִית וִיהוֹזָבָד בֶּן־שִׁמְרִית הַמּוֹאָבִית

These are the two conspirators against him: Zavad son of Shimat the Amonitess, and Yehozavad son of Shimrit the Moavitess. Both of the chief conspirators were ministers or men of other high office in the royal court (see 25:3).

ובָנָיו יִרֶב הַמַּשָּׂא עָלָיו וִיסוֹד בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים עַל־מִדְרַשׁ סֵפֶר הַמְּלָכִים וַיִּמְלֹךְ אֲמַצְיָהוּ בְנוֹ תַּחְתָּיו

His, Yo’ash’s, sons, and the abundance of talk about him, the many prophecies stated in his regard; alternatively, much will be stated about him; and the reestablishment of the House of God, behold, they, all these matters, are written in the account of the book of the kings. The reference is not to a book of chronicles of the kings of Judah and Israel, but an addendum to, or commentary on, the book of Kings, in which everything was detailed. Amatzyahu his son reigned in his, Yo’ash’s, stead. The killing of Yo’ash was not a revolt against the government, but a local action directed against that specific king due to his ingratitude vis-à-vis Yehoyada the High Priest. Since the people wanted the royal dynasty of David to continue, Yo’ash’s son Amatzyahu was crowned in his place.