Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Kings 12:4
And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, [even] the money of every one that passeth [the account], the money that every man is set at, [and] all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD,
4. And Jehoash said to the priests ] Even if we had not the definite statement which stands 2Ch 24:7 of the depredations made on the temple by the sons of Athaliah, we can understand how under her rule the temple would be neglected and allowed to get out of repair. Hence the need which Jehoash recognised. It must have been some years after his accession when he gave these orders to the priests. At seven years old he would not be sensible of what was needed in such a matter.
All the money of the dedicated [R.V. hallowed ] things] The change is to the rendering of the same word in verse 18 of this chapter. The money here spoken of is that which was given for the provision of vessels and implements for temple-service. Cf. 1Ki 7:51 and the verses preceding.
even the money of every one that passeth the account] R.V. in current money. The R.V. is supported by the rendering of A.V. in Gen 23:16 where the same participle is used as in this verse. We are not however to understand by ‘current’, money that was coined, which neither in Abraham’s time nor in Joash’s was in use among the Jews. They employed pieces of silver of varying weight, and the weighing was the mode of estimating its value. The translation of A.V. makes the word refer to the numbering which is described in Exo 30:12, where the Israelites are directed to pay half a shekel each, as redemption money, on attaining the age of twenty years.
the money that every man is set at ] R.V. the money of the persons for whom each man is rated. The literal rendering of the Hebrew is ‘each man the money of the souls of his estimation’. The allusion is to such vows, and the assessments connected with them, as are described in Lev 27:2-8, in the case of those who made special singular vows, e.g. of a Nazirite.
the money that cometh [R.V. that it cometh ] into any man’s heart to bring ] These were freewill offerings. Of the nature and occasions of such freewill offerings cf. Lev 22:18-23; Deu 16:10, with the parallel passages.
There are three kinds of offerings mentioned in the verse. (1) Current money offered for the provision of vessels and other things required for the temple. (2) The money which the priests were instructed to assess on those who had bound themselves by vows. (3) Voluntary gifts of which the appropriation was not prescribed. The offerings are said in Chronicles to be such as had been prescribed by Moses and by the congregation of Israel for the tabernacle of witness.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
It is remarkable that the first movement toward restoring the fabric of the temple should have come, not from Jehoiada, but from Jehoash (compare 2Ch 24:4). Jehoiada had, it seems, allowed the mischief done in Athaliahs time to remain unrepaired during the whole term of his government.
The money of every one … – Three kinds of sacred money are here distinguished – first, the half shekel required in the Law Exo 30:13 to be paid by every one above twenty years of age when he passed the numbering; secondly, the money to be paid by such as had devoted themselves, or those belonging to them, by vow to Yahweh, which was a variable sum dependent on age, sex, and property Lev 27:2-8; and thirdly, the money offered in the way of free-will offerings.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
2Ki 12:4-15
And Jehoash said to the priests.
The temple repaired
1. The house of God is apt to show a decline of religion, and should share the blessings of a reformation. The tabernacle, and the temple which replaced it, were constructed with the utmost care. They were designed to resist wear and decay; but because the most durable materials are perishable, provision was made for the care of these sacred buildings. Moses, under Divine direction, created a temple fund, which was sustained by a uniform tax of half a shekel upon every member of the congregation of twenty years old and upward. In the troubled times which preceded the succession of Joash to the throne, this fund had not been collected; and in the general decline into irreligion, the temple and its furniture had been neglected, plundered, and wasted. One of the conspicuous signs of the religious condition of the nation was this house. By viewing it one could see at a glance that the service of God had been exchanged for idolatry. It is a pretty safe rule that we may judge of the state of religion in a town by the condition of the churches; if these are in good repair, without and within, the inference is,–it will not always hold, but it is the rule–that the religious institutions are flourishing, God is honoured, and His blessings are with His faithful people.
2. One reason why the temple had been neglected was that the people worshipped in the high places. We have references to these places in all the Jewish history. They were not necessarily places of idol worship. God was worshipped in them. Devout Jews, who worshipped in the temple, worshipped also at private or local altars, the high places. But, as religion declined, the tendency was to prefer the high places to the temple, and to corrupt the purer worship of these shrines by idolatries. The high places became rivals of the temple.
3. The king thought of the temple before Jehoiada, though the great priest was the reformer of his age. This seems strange. The position of Jehoiada throughout the work was strange; he seems never to have fully appreciated the importance of the repair of the temple. Probably the reason was that he was absorbed in other parts of the mighty task to which he had devoted himself. It has not been uncommon for reformers to be guilty of extraordinary oversight, their very zeal preventing their viewing their work in its true proportions. But while this was the case, the training of Jehoiada appears in the devotion of the king.
4. The first plan adopted for raising money for the repair was excellent. The priests were directed to set apart the regular income of the temple, and also to go through the country, among their acquaintances, and raise a general subscription. Each priest was to present the case to his personal friends. There could be no better plan. This is the simple scriptural method by which religion is extended. Every Christian is to go among his friends and acquaintances, and enlist them one by one.
5. The most excellent plans may fail. The plan of Jehoash failed. The failure lay immediately at the door of the priests. These good men seem to have shared the want of interest of Jehoiada in the work. They failed to collect the popular tax. And instead of using the collections which they made for the purpose for which they were raised, they expended them for current needs, and for furniture which needed to be replaced, candlesticks, tongs, and spoons.
6. A new and poor plan succeeded. His patience at length worn out, the king called a conference, discovered how things had been mismanaged, and changed his course. He learned that, notwithstanding his order, the temple tax, the half-skekel, had not been collected. With the counsel of Jehoiada, he had a collection chest placed at the gate of the temple; he stopped the private subscriptions, and had a proclamation issued, calling upon the people throughout the nation to pay the ancient tax of Moses. Simply the uniform sum fixed by Moses was required from all. The princes were not permitted to pay more; the poorest man might not pay less. The confidence of the king in the people was justified. The chest rapidly filled, and, when it was emptied, was refilled again and again. The plan was a very poor one: one of the very poorest which man has ever devised, this of a box at the church door. It succeeded because the people were interested to get the work done. It is of interest to note that, when the repair was completed, enough money was left to r furnish the temple throughout with vessels of silver and gold.
7. The depth of the reformation in the nation is shown in what is said of the honesty of Joashs master-workmen. The taxes, as they were taken from the chest at the gate of the temple, were put into the hands of these men to pay out in wages, and, moreover, they reckoned not for materials with the men into whose hands they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen; for they dealt faithfully. This is most extraordinary. This was one of the times when Israel had a dim realization of the coming millennium, when Holiness should be written on the bells of the horses, when public money could be trusted to officials, high and low, with such confidence that they would deal faithfully that they were not required to give any account. (Monday Club Sermons.)
The history of Jehoash
The whole story of Joash is soon told. He was a son of Ahaziah, and the only one of his children who escaped the murderous policy of Athaliah.
I. The dilapidating influence of time upon the best material productions of mankind. The temple had not been built more than about one hundred and sixty years, had got into a state of dilapidation, there were breaches in it; where the breaches were we are not told, whether in the roof, the floor, the walls, or in the ceiling. The crumbling hand of time had touched it. No human superstructure, perhaps, ever appeared on the earth built of better materials, or in a better way, than the temple of Solomon. It was the wonder of ages. Notwithstanding this, it was subject to the invincible law of decay. The law of dilapidation seems universal throughout organic nature; the trees of the forest, the flowers of the field, and the countless tribes of sentient life that crowd the ocean, earth, and air, all fall into decay; and so, also, with the material productions of feeble man. Throughout the civilised world we see mansions, churches, cathedrals, palaces, villages, towns, and cities, in ruins. All compound bodies tend to dissolution, there is nothing enduring but primitive elements or substances. This being so, how astoundingly preposterous is mans effort to perpetuate his memory in material monuments. The only productions of men that defy the touch of time and that are enduring are true thoughts, pure sympathies, and noble deeds.
II. The incongruity of worldly rulers busying themselves in religious institutions. Jehoash was no saint, the root of the matter was not in him; he had no vital and ruling sympathy with the Supreme Being, yet he seemed zealous in the work of repairing the temple.
III. The value of the co-operative principle in the enterprises of mankind. It would seem that the work of repairing the temple was so great that no one man could have accomplished it. Hence the king called earnestly for the co-operation of all. They obeyed his voice. The people gave the money, and all set to work. Two remarks concerning the principle of co-operation.
1. It is a principle that should govern all men in the undertakings of life. It was never the purpose of the Almighty that man should act alone for himself, should pursue alone his own individual interests. Men are all members of one great body, and was ever member made to work alone? No. But for the good of the whole, the common weal.
2. It is a principle that has done and is doing wonders in the undertakings of life. This principle, however, has its limits. In spiritual matters it must not infringe the realm of individual responsibility. There is no partnership in moral responsibility. Each man must think, repent, and believe for himself. Every man must bear his own burden. The narrative reminds us of–
IV. The potency of the religious element in even depraved men. At this time Israel was morally as corrupt as the heathen nations. Notwithstanding this, the religious sentiment was in them, as in all men, a constituent part of their natures, and this sentiment is here appealed to, and roused into excitement, and being excited men poured forth their treasures and employed their energies for the repairing of the temple. This element in man often sleeps under the influence of depravity, but mountains of depravity cannot crush it, it lies in human nature as the mightiest latent force. Peter the Hermit, Savonarola the Priest, Wesley the Methodist, and others, in every age have roused it into mighty action even amongst the most ignorant and depraved of the race.
V. The power of money to subdue enemies. Here is a man, a proud, daring monarch, who was determined to invade Judea, and to take possession of Jerusalem. Relinquishing his designs, what was the force that broke his purpose? Money. It is said that Jehoash sent gold to Hazael, and he went away from Jerusalem. Truly money answereth all things. Money tan arrest the march of armies and terminate the fiercest campaigns. (David Thomas, D. D.)
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 4. All the money of the dedicated things] From all this account we find that the temple was in a very ruinous state; the walls were falling down, some had perhaps actually fallen, and there was no person so zealous for the pure worship of God, as to exert himself to shore up the falling temple!
The king himself seems to have been the first who noticed these dilapidations, and took measures for the necessary repairs. The repairs were made from the following sources:
1. The things which pious persons had dedicated to the service of God.
2. The free-will offerings of strangers who had visited Jerusalem: the money of every one that passeth.
3. The half-shekel which the males were obliged to pay from the age of twenty years (Ex 30:12) for the redemption of their souls, that is their lives, which is here called the money that every man is set at. All these sources had ever been in some measure open, but instead of repairing the dilapidations in the Lord’s house, the priests and Levites had converted the income to their own use.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Remembering that he owed his preservation and restoration to the temple, and that he was made by God the guardian of his temple and worship, and that he had covenanted to be so, Jehoash now takes care to repair it.
All the money of the dedicated things: this may be, either, first, The general designation of the money, the particulars whereof here follow. Or rather, secondly, A special branch of it, the money which had been either formerly or lately vowed or dedicated to the use and service of God and of his house, either by the former kings; of which see below, 2Ki 12:18, and compare 1Ki 7:51; 15:15; 2Ki 12:18; 2Ch 15:8; or by this king or his people.
That is brought, or rather, that shall be brought; for though the people might vow to bring it thither in convenient time, yet it is not likely they would bring much money thither in the tyrannical and idolatrous reign of Athaliah; or if they did, that Athaliah would not seize it for her own use.
The money of every one that passeth the account, i.e. the half shekel, which was paid for every one that was numbered from twenty years old and upward; of which the very same phrase is used Exo 30:13 compare 2Ch 24:5,6,9.
The money that every man is set at, Heb. the money of souls, or persons, according to his taxing, i.e. the money which every man that had vowed his person to God paid according to the rate which the priest put upon him; of which see Lev 27:2, &c.
All the money that cometh into any mans heart; all that shall be freely offered. See Exo 25:2; 35:5.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. Jehoash said to the priests,&c.There is here given an account of the measures which theyoung king took for repairing the temple by the levying of taxes: 1.”The money of every one that passeth the account,” namely,half a shekel, as “an offering to the Lord” (Ex30:13). 2. “The money that every man is set at,” thatis, the redemption price of every one who had devoted himself or anything belonging to him to the Lord, and the amount of which wasestimated according to certain rules (Le27:1-8). 3. Free will or voluntary offerings made to thesanctuary. The first two were paid annually (see 2Ch24:5).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And Jehoash said to the priests,…. Being minded or having it in his heart, to repair the temple, as in 2Ch 24:4 not only because it was the sanctuary of the Lord, though that chiefly, but because it had been a sanctuary to him, where he was hid and preserved six years:
all the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the Lord: or rather, “that is to be brought”, as De Dieu, and others render it, the particulars of which follow:
even the money of everyone that passeth [the account]; or that passeth among them that are numbered, as in Ex 30:13 that were upwards of twenty years of age, and bound to pay the half shekel for the ransom of their souls; and it is called the collection or burden Moses laid on them in the wilderness, 2Ch 24:6
the money that every man is set at; the price the priest set upon or estimated a man at, or whomsoever that belonged to him, that he devoted to the Lord, which by the law he was bound to pay for his redemption, and, till that was done, he and they were not his, but the Lord’s, of which see Le 27:1 and here the Targum calls it, the money of the redemption of souls, which is the gift of a man for the redemption of his soul:
and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the Lord: vows and freewill offerings made of their own accord.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(5-17). Repairing of the temple (cf. 2Ch 24:5-14). – 2Ki 12:4, 2Ki 12:5. That the temple, which had fallen into ruins, might be restored, Joash ordered the priests to collect all the money of the consecrated gifts, that was generally brought into the house of the Lord, and to effect therewith all the repairs that were needed in the temple. The general expression , money of the holy gifts, i.e., money derived from holy gifts, is more specifically defined by , according to which it consisted of three kinds of payments to the temple: viz., (1) , i.e., money of persons mustered (or numbered in the census); is an abbreviated expression for , “he who passes over to those who are numbered” (Exo 30:13), as it has been correctly interpreted by the Chald., Rashi, Abarb., and others; whereas the explanation “money that passes” (Luther), or current coin, which Thenius still defends, yields not suitable sense, since it is impossible to see why only current coin should be accepted, and not silver in bars of vessels, inasmuch as Moses had accepted gold, silver, copper, and other objects of value in natura , for the building of the tabernacle (Exo 24:2-3; Exo 35:5; Exo 36:5-6). The brevity of the expression may be explained from the fact, that had become a technical term on the ground of the passage in the law already cited. The objection raised by Thenius, that the explanation adopted would be without any parallel, would, if it could be sustained, also apply to his own explanation “current money,” in which is also taken as an abbreviation of in Gen 23:16. There is still less ground for the other objection, that if denoted one kind of temple-revenue, or would necessarily have been used. (2) … , “every kind of souls’ valuation money;” is more precisely defined by , and the position in which it stands before resembles the in Gen 15:10 -literally, soul money of each one’s valuation. Thenius is wrong in his interpretation, “every kind of money of the souls according to their valuation,” to which he appends the erroneous remark, that is also used in Zec 10:1 and Joe 2:7 in connection with inanimate objects as equivalent to . … , every kind of valuation, because both in the redemption of the male first-born (Num 18:15-16) and also in the case of persons under a vow a payment had to be made according to the valuation of the priest. (3) “All the money that cometh into any one’s mind to bring into the house of the Lord,” i.e., all the money which was offered as a free-will offering to the sanctuary. This money the priests were to take to themselves, every one from his acquaintance, and therewith repair all the dilapidations that were to be found in the temple. In the Chronicles the different kinds of money to be collected for this purpose are not specified; but the whole is embraced under the general expression “the taxes of Moses the servant of God, and of the congregation of Israel, to the tent of the testimony,” which included not only the contribution of half a shekel for the building of the temple, which is prescribed in Exo 30:12., but also the other two taxes mentioned in this account.
(Note: There is no ground either in the words or in the facts for restricting the perfectly general expression “ taxes of Moses and of the congregation of Israel ” to the payment mentioned in Exo 30:12, as Thenius and Bertheau have done, except perhaps the wish to find a discrepancy between the two accounts, for the purpose of being able to accuse the chronicler, if not of intentional falsification, as De Wette does, at any rate of perverting the true state of the case. The assertion of Thenius, that the yearly payment of half a shekel, which was appointed in the law and regarded as atonement-money, appears to be directly excluded in our text, is simply founded upon the interpretation given to as current money, which we have already proved to be false.)
Again, according to 2Ki 12:7 of the Chronicles, Joash gave the following reason for his command: “For Athaliah, the wicked woman, and her sons have demolished the house of God, and all the dedicated gifts of the house of Jehovah have they used for the Baals.” We are not told in what the violent treatment of demolition ( ) of the temple by Athaliah had her sons consisted. The circumstance that considerable repairs even of the stonework of the temple were required in the time of Joash, about 130 or 140 years after it was built, is quite conceivable without any intentional demolition. And in no case can we infer from these words, as Thenius has done, that Athaliah or her sons had erected a temple of Baal within the limits of the sanctuary. The application of all the dedicatory offerings of the house of Jehovah to the Baals, involves nothing more than that the gifts which were absolutely necessary for the preservation of the temple and temple-service were withdrawn from the sanctuary of Jehovah and applied to the worship of Baal, and therefore that the decay of the sanctuary would necessarily follow upon the neglect of the worship.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
| The Repairing of the Temple. | B. C. 853. |
4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD, 5 Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance: and let them repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found. 6 But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house. 7 Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house. 8 And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house. 9 But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one cometh into the house of the LORD: and the priests that kept the door put therein all the money that was brought into the house of the LORD. 10 And it was so, when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put up in bags, and told the money that was found in the house of the LORD. 11 And they gave the money, being told, into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of the LORD: and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders, that wrought upon the house of the LORD, 12 And to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewed stone to repair the breaches of the house of the LORD, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it. 13 Howbeit there were not made for the house of the LORD bowls of silver, snuffers, basons, trumpets, any vessels of gold, or vessels of silver, of the money that was brought into the house of the LORD: 14 But they gave that to the workmen, and repaired therewith the house of the LORD. 15 Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen: for they dealt faithfully. 16 The trespass money and sin money was not brought into the house of the LORD: it was the priests’.
We have here an account of the repairing of the temple in the reign of Joash.
I. It seems, the temple had gone out of repair. Though Solomon built it very strong, of the best materials and in the best manner, yet in time it went to decay, and there were breaches found in it (v. 5), in the roofs, or walls, or floors, the ceiling, or wainscoting, or windows, or the partitions of the courts. Even temples themselves are the worse for the wearing; but the heavenly temple will never wax old. Yet it was not only the teeth of time that made these breaches, the sons of Athaliah had broken up the house of God (2 Chron. xxiv. 7), and, out of enmity to the service of the temple, had damaged the buildings of it, and the priests had not taken care to repair the breaches in time, so that they went worse and worse. Unworthy were those husbandmen to have this valuable vineyard let out to them upon such easy terms who could not afford to keep the winepress in due and tenantable repair, Matt. xxi. 33. Justly did their great Lord sue them for this permissive waste, and by his judgments recover locum vastatum–for dilapidations (as the law speaks), when this neglected temple was laid even with the ground.
II. The king himself was (as it should seem) the first and forwardest man that took care for the repair of it. We do not find that the priests complained of it or that Jehoiada himself was active in it, but the king was zealous in the matter, 1. Because he was king, and God expects and requires from those who have power that they use it for the maintenance and support of religion, the redress of grievances, and reparation of decays, for the exciting and engaging of ministers to do their part and people theirs. 2. Because the temple had been both his nursery and his sanctuary when he was a child, in a grateful remembrance of which he now appeared zealous for the honour of it. Those who have experienced the comfort and benefit of religious assemblies will make the reproach of them their burden (Zeph. iii. 18), the support of them their care, and the prosperity of them their chief joy.
III. The priests were ordered to collect money for these repairs, and to take care that the work was done. The king had the affairs of his kingdom to mind, and could not himself inspect this affair, but he employed the priests to manage it, the fittest persons, and most likely, one would think, to be hearty in it. 1. He gave them orders for the levying of the money of the dedicated things. They must not stay till it was paid in, but they must call for it where they knew it was due, in their respective districts, as redemption-money (by virtue of the law, Lev 27:2; Lev 27:3), or as a free-will offering, v. 4. This they were to gather every man of his acquaintance, and it was supposed that there was no man but had acquaintance with some or other of the priests. Note, We should take the opportunity that God gives us of exciting those we have a particular acquaintance with to that which is good. 2. He gave them orders for laying out the money they had levied in repairing the breaches of the house, v. 5.
IV. This method did not answer the intention, v. 6. Little money was raised. Either the priests were careless, and did not call on the people to pay in their dues, or the people had so little confidence in the priests’ management that they were backward to pay money into their hands; if they were distrusted without cause, it was the people’s shame; if with, it was more theirs. But what money was raised was not applied to the proper use: The breaches of the house were not repaired; the priests thought it might serve as well as it had done, and therefore put off repairing from time to time. Church work is usually slow work, but it is a pity that churchmen, of all men, should be slow at it. Perhaps what little money they raised they thought it necessary to use for the maintenance of the priests, which must needs fall much short when ten tribes had wholly revolted and the other two were wretchedly corrupted.
V. Another method was therefore taken. The king had his heart much set upon having the breaches of the house repaired, v. 7. His apostasy, at last, gives us cause to question whether he had as good an affection for the service of the temple as he had for the structure. Many have been zealous for building and beautifying churches, and for other forms of godliness, who yet have been strangers to the power of it. However, we commend his zeal, and blame him not for reproving even his tutor Jehoiada himself when he saw him remiss; and so convincing was his reproof that the priests owned themselves unworthy to be any longer employed, and consented to the taking of some other measures, and the giving up of the money they had received into other hands, v. 8. It was honestly done, when they found they had not spirit to do it themselves, not to hinder other people from doing it. Another course was taken,
1. For raising money, 2Ki 12:9; 2Ki 12:10. The money was not paid into private hands, but put into a public chest, and then people brought it in readily and in great abundance, not only their dues, but their free-will offerings for so good a work. The high priest and the secretary of state counted the money out of the chest, and laid it by in specie for the use to which it was appropriated. When public distributions are made faithfully public contributions will be made cheerfully. The money that was given, (1.) Was dropped into the chest through a hole in the lid, past recall, to intimate that what has been once resigned to God must never be resumed. Every man, as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give. (2.) The chest was put on the right hand as they went in, which, some think, is alluded to in that rule of charity which our Saviour gives, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. But, while they were getting all they could for the repair of the temple, they did not break in upon that which was the stated maintenance of the priests, v. 16. The trespass-money and the sin-money (which were given to them by that law, Lev 5:15; Lev 5:16) were reserved to them. Let not the servants of the temple be starved under colour of repairing the breaches of it.
2. For laying out the money that was raised.
(1.) They did not put it into the hands of the priests, who were not versed in affairs of this nature, having other work to mind, but into the hands of those that did the work, or at least had the oversight of it, v. 11. Those were fittest to be entrusted with this business whose employment lay that way. Tractant fabrilia fabri—Every artist has his trade assigned; but let not those who are called to war the holy warfare entangle themselves in the affairs of this life. Those that were thus entrusted did the business, [1.] Carefully, purchasing materials and paying workmen, v. 12. Business is done with expedition when those are employed in it that understand it and know which way to go about it. [2.] Faithfully; such a reputation they got for honesty that there was no occasion to examine their bills or audit their accounts. Let all that are entrusted with public money, or public work, learn hence to deal faithfully, as those that know God will reckon with them, whether men do or no. Those that think it is no sin to cheat the government, cheat the country, or cheat the church, will be of another mind when God shall set their sins in order before them.
(2.) They did not lay it out in ornaments for the temple, in vessels of gold or silver, but in necessary repairs first (v. 13), whence we may learn, in all our expenses to give that the preference which is most needful, and, in dealing for the public, to deal as we would for ourselves. After the repairs were finished we find the overplus turned into plate for the service of the temple, 2 Chron. xxiv. 14.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
CRITICAL AND EXPLANATORY NOTES.
2Ki. 12:4. All the money of the dedicated thingsi.e., consecrated money; and it is specified as threefold:
1. Money of the numbered (so read the words), viz., those who pass through the enumeration (see Exo. 30:12-14).
2. Money of the estimation, viz., the redemption price of a person who had devoted himself or his property to the Lord, and wished to effect his or its redemption (Lev. 27:1-8).
3. Freewill offerings.
2Ki. 12:7. Why repair ye not the breaches of the house?The natural interpretation of the failure is that the priests had been negligent, and that the money paid in liquidation of vows, and the voluntary gifts of the people, had been used for other purposes than those the king intended. But that the king consulted these priests concerning a new method indicates that he did not regard them as guilty of embezzlement. The case probably was, that the current expenses of the maintenance of the priests and of the temple worship absorbed all the finances, leaving no surplus for repairs. Yet they ought to have shown more zeal, and this is to their reproach.
2Ki. 12:9. Jehoiada took a chestA scheme for preserving the account for repairs separate from the current and incidental expenses. The people welcomed the arrangement (2Ch. 24:9-10), for they knew now that their gifts would go to their intended purposes.
2Ki. 12:10. They put it in bags, and told the moneyThe king sent his own secretary, together with a scribe of the high priest, that the money might be counted. It was then handed to the overseers, who directed the work of repairs. In Oriental countries money is still counted, put in bags, labelled, and sealed by a duly authorized officer, and then passed into currency.
2Ki. 12:13. Howbeit there were not made bowls, &c.Until the repairs were completed, this money was not used for necessary articles of temple furniture.
2Ki. 12:15. They reckoned not with the menTheir integrity being beyond suspicion.
2Ki. 12:16. It was the priestsAccording to direct enactment (Lev. 5:16; Num. 5:8).
HOMILETICS OF 2Ki. 12:4-16
THE RESTORATION OF THE HOUSE OF GOD A WORK OF GENUINE PIETY
THE prominence given in the history to the repair of the Temple by Joash indicates that it was the chief incident of his reign. As David was the founder, and Solomon the builder, of the House of Jehovah, so Joash, with whom the house of David recommenced, was the restorer of the Sanctuary. It must have been an act of gratitude and joy on the part of the king to repair the breaches of that temple which had been his shelter and home from his tenderest years. He engaged the priests and people in the work, to give to the movement a national character, and to give this outward proof that the king and people were sincere in renewing their covenant with Jehovah. Observe
I. That the restoration of the house of God may be delayed by the indifference of those who might be supposed most anxious for its promotion (2Ki. 12:4-6). The work was committed to the priests, who would naturally be expected to be most interested in hastening its completion; but in this both king and people were disappointed. Years rolled away, and nothing was done. It does not appear that the priests can be charged with any intention to misappropriate the money; but it is evident that there was gross mismanagement and neglect somewhere. It is a painful spectacle when the officers of the temple are apathetic as to its condition, and disappoint the expectations of those who have cheerfully offered their help; worse still when the gifts of the people are wrongfully applied. There are those in the churches to-day who imbibe too much of the spirit of these priests. They would see the sanctuary almost tumble about their heads in ruins before they would initiate any movement to repair and renovate it, and would do all they could to debar others from working in that direction. Piety is at a low ebb in that soul which is so indifferent to the outer fabric of Gods house.
II. That the restoration of the house of God is a work worthy of a monarchs zeal (2Ki. 12:7). The soul of David burned with a holy and fervent desire to build a house for God; but he was permitted to do nothing more than prepare for it. The climax of Solomons great works was the building and dedication of the Temple, and now Joash regards it as an honour and privilege to repair the delapidations of that sacred fane. He stirred up the zeal of his aged instructor, rebuked the priests for their supineness and negligence, and organized the enterprise on a sound and popular basis. It is a work befitting a king to be concerned in the honour and beauty of Gods house. The prince who is interested in the religious welfare of his people will not be inattentive to inferior matters.
III. That the restoration of the house of God is accomplished only by resolute and united effort.
1. By the willing and liberal offerings of the people. Money is a talent, not to be squandered in reckless extravagance, but to be wisely and discreetly employed. It cannot be better employed than in connection with the house of God. The gift, to be acceptable, must be voluntarily and cheerfully offered: All the money that cometh into any mans heart to bring into the house of the Lord (2Ki. 12:4). Where this spirit of generosity prevails there is no difficulty in carrying out great religious undertakings. The manner of giving, says Lavater, shows the character of the giver more than the gift itself.
The truly generous is the truly wise;
And he who loves not others, lives unblest.
2. By the strict and impartial administration of funds (2Ki. 12:9-12). The mismanagement of the priests had brought the work into discredit, and checked the flow of offerings into the church treasury. All this was altered. An offertory chest was especially provided; to show that the priests were not regarded as intentionally dishonest in the misappropriation of previous gifts, the chest was placed under their care. At stated times it was opened, the money counted in the presence of the high priest and the kings secretary, and handed over in definite sums to those who had charge of the work. Public confidence was restored, and the people gave cheerfully of their substance. Put it out of the power of truth to give you an ill character, and if anybody reports you not to be an honest man, let your practice give him the lie; and to make all sure, you should resolve to live no longer than you can live honestly, for it is better to be nothing, than a knave. An honest death is better than a dishonest life.
3. By the judicious avoidance of unnecessary expense (2Ki. 12:13). Vessels of silver and gold were afterwards provided (2Ch. 24:14); but not until the substantial part of the restoration was completed. Utility and beauty are not antagonistic, but may be gracefully combined.
Thou shalt learn
The wisdom early to discern
True beauty in utility.Longfellow.
To spend money in decoration and display to the neglect of actual and immediate necessities is an unjustifiable extravagance.
4. By the conscientious and faithful labour of the workmen (2Ki. 12:14-15). A vigorous administration makes itself felt in every detail of the work it undertakes, and communicates its own enthusiasm to the humblest worker. It gives a dignity to labour when it is done conscientiously, and from the love of it. Where love is, there is no labour; and if there be labour, that labour is loved. In this re-organization of the restoration movement we observe all the elements of successprompt decided action, generous giving, careful but not stinted expenditure, earnest and united toil. Addison writes: If you wish success in life, make perseverance your bosom friend, experience your wise counsellor, caution your elder brother, and hope your guardian genius.
IV. That the restoration of the house of God does not interfere with the necessary maintenance of the duly appointed servants of that house (2Ki. 12:16). The priests had surrendered in favour of the restoration fund much of what they had been accustomed to receive (2Ki. 12:8), but the revenue from the trespass offerings and sin offerings was still given to them. This belonged to them by law (Num. 5:8-9, Lev. 5:16). The due maintenance of the ministry is divinely authorized. The necessities of one branch of the service of God ought not to interfere with the claims of another. The minister of God should be so provided for as to raise him above all anxieties that would divert his mind from complete devotion to his proper work.
LESSONS:
1. The house of God is not only a convenience for worshippers, but also a public witness for religion.
2. The building of a house of God calls for the liberality and united zeal of His people.
3. Suggests the need of continued effort in building up the spiritual temple.
GERM NOTES ON THE VERSES
2Ki. 12:4. The responsibility of wealth. I. Not to be used for personal aggrandisement and indulgence. II. Is most nobly employed in promoting the worship of God. III. Should be offered to God with a liberal hand and a cheerful heart.
2Ki. 12:5. The decay of Gods house a symptom of moral decay. I. Shows the prevalence of a worldly and selfish spirit. II. Shows an indifference to the highest claims of God and the soul. III. An evidence of national deterioration. IV. Calls for repentance and reformation.
When the building in which a congregation assembles to worship God, to hear His word, and to receive the means of grace, is left ruinous, God does not receive the honour which belongs to Him. Where the churches fall to ruin, there religion and piety also fall into decay; but where there is love of God and joy in His word, there no ruinous churches are seen. A time in which magnificent palaces, theatres, and ball-rooms are repaired, or built at great expense, but in which the houses of God are left small, wretched, dirty, and ruinous, is a time of religious decay, and resembles the time of Athaliah in Judah. The spiritual temple may in time become ruinous through unbelief, worldly life and behaviour, and immorality. Where are the congregations in which there is nothing ruinous or decayed, in which nothing could be improved? How many are in ruins and ready to fall!Lange.
2Ki. 12:7-15. Thorough organization an aid to success. I. Emphasizes the importance of the work to be done. II. Interests and engages all classes of the community. III. Adopts the best methods to elicit the generosity of the people. IV. Creates confidence as to the just administration of the funds. V. Reacts upon the enthusiasm and fidelity of all engaged in the work.
2Ki. 12:7. Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? A searching question. I. Addressed to the wealthy. II. To all the worshippers of Jehovah. III. To all unfaithful ministers. IV. To imperfect believers.
Works which are pleasing to God cannot be accomplished by careless hands. They are only accomplished where zeal is united with perseverance, patience, and fidelity. How many a congregation has fallen into decay and remained so, because those who were appointed to be the builders of it, who ought to have repaired and built it, have not raised their negligent hands (Heb. 12:12; Jer. 48:10). Although no earthly king may ever call them to account, yet the Heavenly King, before whose judgment-seat they must appear to give an account of their office, will askWhy repair ye not the breaches of the house?
2Ki. 12:13. The necessary precedes the ornamental. I. It is so in the economy of nature. II. Should be so in the house of God. III. Should be so in the arrangements of social life. IV. The ornamental is not condemned in itselfonly when it supersedes and ignores the necessary and useful.
The utilitarian. He is a slave to science. He would pull
Great heaven to pieces, and anatomize
Each fragment of its crystal battlements,
Weigh out its hymns, divide its light, and class
The radiant feathers of archangels wings.
Do we not knowdoth he not knowthat still
Mysterious wonder aye must reign above us,
Struggle howeer we may! Doth he not know
That adoration and great wonder, like
Good deeds which bless the giver, ever lift
The soul above the dust, and strengthen us?
Cornwall.
2Ki. 12:16. Ministerial maintenance. I. Authorized by the Word of God. II. A just arrangement. III. Not to be interfered with by other claims.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(4) The money of the dedicated things.Comp. 1Ki. 15:15.
Is broughti.e., from time to time. All the silver given for the purposes of the sanctuary is meant.
Even the money of every one that passeth the account.Rather, to wit, current money (Gen. 23:16). The currency at this period consisted of pieces of silver of a fixed weight. There was no such thing as a Hebrew coinage before the exile. The reason current money was wanted was that it might be paid out immediately to the workpeople employed in the repairs.
The money that every man is set at.Literally, each the money of the souls of his valuation, i.e., every kind of redemption money, such as was paid in the case of the first-born (Num. 18:16) and of a vow (Lev. 27:2, seq.). In the latter case, the priest fixed the amount to be paid.
And all the money that cometh into any mans heart to bringThat is, all the free-will offerings in money. In 2Ch. 24:6 the revenues here specified are called the tax of Moses . . . for the tabernacle, implying that Moses had originally instituted them. The chroniclers language, indeed, appears to indicate that he understood the money collected to have been chiefly the tax of half a shekel, which the law ordered to be paid by every male on occasion of the census (Exo. 30:12-16), for the good of the sanctuary.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
(4-16) The restoration of the Temple.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. All the money of the dedicated things The annual contributions to the sanctuary which Moses ordained in the wilderness. Compare Exo 30:12-16, and 2Ch 24:6; 2Ch 24:9. These contributions might be of three kinds, 1.)
The money of every one that passeth the account Explained by Exo 30:13: “Every one that passeth among them that are numbered [in the census] shall give half a shekel, after the shekel of the sanctuary.” This half shekel was properly a poll tax. 2.)
The money that every man is set at That is, the amount at which every one who makes a singular vow is estimated, according to the law of Lev 27:1-8. Large revenues may sometimes have come to the sanctuary from this source alone. 3.)
Money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring That is, free-will offerings, which any one might give over and above his poll tax, or other obligation.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
2Ki 12:4. Even the money of every one that passeth the account “Whether of the money of those that pass by, or the money with which every man will redeem his soul; all the money, in fine, which it shall seem good to any one to bring into the house of the Lord.” Houbigant.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
If the Reader will consult the parallel history, as it relates to Jehoash, (2Ch 24 ) he will discover several things connected with it, which are here omitted. For brevity’s sake I refer therefore to the chapter itself, without enlarging upon it. The injuries the temple had received may well be accounted for, when we consider, since the days of Solomon, what idolatries had crept in among the people. No doubt the house of God was sadly neglected. Reader! how precious is the thought that Jesus is our temple, concerning whom there can be nothing ruinous. Lord Jesus! do thou bless and keep the church, which is thy body, the fulness of him which filleth all in all. Eph 1:22-23 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ki 12:4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, [even] the money of every one that passeth [the account], the money that every man is set at, [and] all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD,
Ver. 4. And Jehoash said to the priests. ] His first care was the repair of the temple, where he had been so long hid and preserved to the crown.
All the money of the dedicated things.
The money of every one that passeth the account.
The money that every man is set at.
And all the money that cometh into any man’s heart.] Freewill offerings; for God straineth upon no man. See Exo 35:5 , &c. Hereunto the priests were in all places to exhort those that they knew. 2Ch 24:5
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2 Kings
METHODICAL LIBERALITY
2Ki 12:4 – 2Ki 12:15
‘The sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God,’ says Chronicles. The dilapidation had not been complete, but had been extensive, as may be gathered from the large expenditure recorded in this passage for repairs, and the enumeration of the artisans employed. No doubt Joash was guided by Jehoiada in setting about the restoration, but the fact that he gives the orders, while the high priest is not mentioned, throws light on the relative position of the two authorities, and on the king’s office as guardian of the Temple and official ‘head of the church.’ The story comes in refreshingly and strangely among the bloody pages in which it is embedded, and it suggests some lessons as to the virtue of plain common sense and business principles applied to religious affairs. If ‘the outward business of the house of God’ were always guided with as much practical reasonableness as Joash brought to bear on it, there would be fewer failures or sarcastic critics.
We note, first, the true source of money for religious purposes. There was a fixed amount for which ‘each man is rated,’ and that made the minimum, but there was also that which ‘cometh into any man’s heart to bring,’ and that was infinitely more precious than the exacted tax. The former was appropriate to the Old Testament, of which the animating principle was law and the voice: ‘Thou shalt’ or ‘Thou shalt not.’ The latter alone fits the New Testament, of which the animating principle is love and the voice: ‘Though I have all boldness in Christ to enjoin thee . . . yet for love’s sake I rather beseech.’ What disasters and what stifling of the spirit of Christian liberality have marred the Church for many centuries, and in many lands, because the great anachronism has prevailed of binding its growing limbs in Jewish swaddling bands, and degrading Christian giving into an assessment! And how shrunken the stream that is squeezed out by such a process, compared with the abundant gush of the fountain of love opened in a grateful, trusting heart!
Next, we have the negligent, if not dishonest, officials. We do not know how long Joash tried the experiment of letting the priests receive the money and superintend the repairs; but probably the restoration project was begun early in his reign, and if so, he gave the experiment of trusting all to the officials, a fair, patient trial, till the twenty-third year of his reign. Years gone and nothing done, or at least nothing completed! We do not need to accuse them of intentional embezzlement, but certainly they were guilty of carelessly letting the money slip through their fingers, and a good deal of it stick to their hands. It is always the temptation of the clergy to think of their own support as a first charge on the church, nor is it quite unheard of that the ministry should be less enthusiastic in religious objects than the ‘laity,’ and should work the enthusiasm of the latter for their own advantage. Human nature is the same in Jerusalem in Joash’s time, and to-day in Manchester, or New York, or Philadelphia, and all men who live by the gifts of Christian people have need to watch themselves, lest they, like Ezekiel’s false shepherds, feed themselves and not the flock, and seek the wool and the fat and not the good of the sheep.
Next we have the application of businesslike methods to religious work. It was clearly time to take the whole matter out of the priest’s hands, and Joash is not afraid to assume a high tone with the culprits, and even with Jehoiada as their official head. He was in some sense responsible for his subordinates, and probably, though his own hands were clean, he may have been too lax in looking after the disposal of the funds. Note that while Joash rebuked the priests, and determined the new arrangements, it was Jehoiada who carried them out and provided the chest for receiving the contributions. The king wills, the high priest executes, the rank and file of the priests, however against the grain, consent. The arrangement for collecting the contributions ‘saved the faces’ of the priests to some extent, for the gifts were handed to them, and by them put into the chest. But, of course, that was done at once, in the donor’s presence. If changes involving loss of position are to work smoothly, it is wise to let the deposed officials down as easily as may be.
Similar common sense is shown in the second step, the arrangement for ascertaining the amounts given. The king’s secretary and the high-priest or a representative jointly opened the chest, counted and bagged up the money. They checked each other, and prevented suspicion on either side. No man who regards his own reputation will consent to handle public money without some one to stand over him and see what he does with it. One would be wise always to suspect people who appeal for help ‘for the Lord’s work’ and are too ‘spiritual’ to have such worldly things as committees or auditors of their books. Accurate accounts are as essential to Christian work as spirituality or enthusiasm. The next stage was to hand over the money to the ‘contractors,’ as we should call them; and there similar precautions were taken against possible peculation on the part of the two officials who had received the money, for it was apparently ‘weighed out into the hands’ of the overseers, who would thus be able to check what they received by what the secretary and the high-priest had taken from the chest, and would be responsible for the expenditure of the amount which the two officials knew that they had received.
But all this system of checks seems to break down at the very point where it should have worked most searchingly, for ‘they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money’ to pay the workmen, ‘for they dealt faithfully.’ That last clause looks like a hit at the priests who had not dealt so, and contrasts the methods of plain business men of no pretensions, with those of men whose very calling should have guaranteed their trustworthiness. The contrast has been repeated in times and places nearer home. But another suggestion may also be made about this singular lapse into what looks like unwise confidence. These overseers had proved their faithfulness and earned the right to be trusted entirely, and the way to get the best out of a man, if he has any reliableness in him, is to trust him utterly, and to show him that you do. ‘It is a shame to tell Arnold a lie; he always believes us,’ said the Rugby boys about their great head-master. There is a time for using all precautions, and a time for using none. Businesslike methods do not consist in spying at the heels of one’s agents, but in picking the right men, and, having proved them, giving them a free hand. And is not that what the great Lord and Employer does with His servants, and is it not part of the reason why Jesus gets more out of us than any one else can do, that He trusts us more?
One more point may be noticed; namely, the order of precedence in which the necessary works were done. Not a coin went to provide the utensils for sacrifice till the Temple was completely repaired. After they had ‘set up the house of God in its state,’ as Chronicles tells us, they took the balance of the funds to the king and Jehoiada, and spent that on ‘vessels for the house.’ A clear insight to discern what most needs to be done, and a firm resolve to ‘do the duty that lies nearest thee,’ and to let everything else, however necessary, wait till it is done, is a great part of Christian prudence, and goes far to make works or lives truly prosperous. ‘First things first’!-it is a maxim that carries us far and as right as far.
Fuente: Expositions Of Holy Scripture by Alexander MacLaren
the priests. See note on Libnah, 2Ki 8:22.
dedicated = sacred. See note on Exo 3:5.
the account. These italics are not needed. Hebrew. ‘abar = to pass over.
that every man, &c. Hebrew “of the souls (= persons. Hebrew. nephesh. App-13) of his [the priest’s] valuation” (Lev 27:2-8).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
am 3148, bc 856
said to the priests: 2Ki 22:4, 2Ch 29:4-11, 2Ch 35:2
the money: 2Ki 12:18, 1Ki 7:1, 1Ch 18:11, 2Ch 15:18, 2Ch 31:12
dedicated things: or, holy things, Heb. holiness, Lev 5:15, Lev 5:16, Lev 27:12-27, Lev 27:31
even the money: 2Ki 22:4, Exo 30:12-16, 2Ch 24:9, 2Ch 24:10
that every man is set at: Heb. of the souls of his estimation, Lev 27:2-8
and all the money: Exo 25:1, Exo 25:2, Exo 35:5, Exo 35:22, Exo 35:29, Exo 36:3, 1Ch 29:3-9, 1Ch 29:17, Ezr 1:6, Ezr 2:69, Ezr 7:16, Ezr 8:25-28, Luk 21:4
cometh: etc. Heb. ascendeth upon the heart of a man
Reciprocal: 2Ch 24:5 – gather of all Israel 2Ch 24:7 – the dedicated
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ki 12:4. And Jehoash said to the priests The house of God having been neglected, and suffered to go to decay in the time of Athaliah and her son, Jehoash, in gratitude to God, who had preserved him there, resolved to have it repaired; and, in order thereto, commanded what money should be set apart for that purpose. All the money of the dedicated things That had been or should hereafter be brought and dedicated to the service of God and of the temple. As it appears from 2Ch 24:5, that the priests went through the land to collect money, it seems the people were required to dedicate something toward these repairs. The money of every one that passeth the account The words, the account, are not in the Hebrew, so that it is likely this clause is to be understood of the offerings which pious people cast into the boxes prepared to receive them, as they passed into the temple. The money that every man is set at Namely, the money that every man, who had vowed his person to God, paid or was to pay for his redemption, by the estimation made by the priest, according to the law, Lev 27:2-3. In the Hebrew it is the money of souls, or persons according to his taxing. As soon as this money was paid by any one, he was freed from the vow wherewith he had bound himself: but till it was paid, his life was not his own, but Gods. All the money that cometh into any mans heart to bring, &c. This was the third sort of money for the reparation of the temple; that which any man would give freely for that service.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
12:4 And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, [even] the money of every one that passeth [the {c} account], the money that every man is set at, [and] all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the LORD,
(c) That is, the money of redemption Exo 30:12 , also the money which the priest valued the vows at Lev 27:2 , and their free gift.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
Jehoash’s restoration of the temple 12:4-16
This was the first such project the writer recorded in Kings. Later, Hezekiah and Josiah also repaired the temple. Until now, temple expenses came out of the royal treasury, but Jehoash moved this obligation into the private sector. [Note: Jones, 2:490.] Jehoash’s original plan was to use part of the money that the people contributed for the maintenance of the priesthood to pay for the restoration (cf. Exo 30:11-16; Leviticus 27; Numbers 30). Apparently the priests did not cooperate with this plan, perhaps out of selfishness. Consequently the king adopted a completely freewill offering approach and appointed non-priests to supervise its administration. This plan proved effective. Many other ancient Near Eastern governments used this approach to maintaining their temples at this time. [Note: A. L. Oppenheim, "A Fiscal Practice of the Ancient Near East," Journal of Near Eastern Studies 6 (1947):116-20; Victor Hurowitz, "Another Fiscal Practice in the Ancient Near East: 2 Kings 12:5-17 and a Letter to Esarhaddon (Las 277)," Journal of Near Eastern Studies 45:4 (October 1986):289-94.] The administrators of the program proved trustworthy. Integrity returned to Judah, partially, when the people rededicated themselves to Yahweh (2Ki 11:17).