Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of 2 Chronicles 24:23
And it came to pass at the end of the year, [that] the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.
23. at the end of the year ] Rather, in the course of a year, i.e. when the same time of year had come round again.
the host of Syria ] R.V. the army of the Syrians (as in 2Ch 24:24).
the princes ] Who had been leaders in the apostasy (2Ch 24:17).
from among the people ] The reading of the Heb. is doubtful; the words should perhaps be expunged.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
23, 24 (cp. 2Ki 12:17-18). The Syrian Invasion
In 2 Kin. the invasion is not represented as a judgment on Joash, for no sin is mentioned for which this could be the punishment.
As regards the campaign itself 2 Kin. simply says that the Syrians were bought off with a heavy bribe from attacking Jerusalem; nothing is said of the amount of damage done during the invasion. The Chronicler on the contrary says nothing of the cause of the withdrawal of the Syrians, but simply says that a small force of them inflicted great loss and took much spoil. The two accounts supplement rather than contradict each other.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
On the unusual character of this expedition, see the marginal reference note.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
At the end of the year; so soon did God hear the cry of his holy prophets blood, and revenge it.
Destroyed all the princes of the people; that it might appear they were sent and directed by God to single out to destruction the first beginners and chief promoters of this general apostacy.
Unto the king of Damascus; to Hazael, the king of that part of Syria called Syria Damascena, from its capital city Damascus.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
23. at the end of the year the hostof Syria came upThis invasion took place under the personalconduct of Hazael, whom Joash, to save the miseries of a siege,prevailed on to withdraw his forces by a large present of gold (2Ki12:18). Most probably, also, he promised the payment of an annualtribute, on the neglect or refusal of which the Syrians returned thefollowing year, and with a mere handful of men inflicted a total andhumiliating defeat on the collected force of the Hebrews.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And it came to pass at the end of the year,…. After the death of Zechariah; so soon had his prophecy its accomplishment:
that the host of Syria came up against him; against Joash, king of Judah, under Hazael king of Syria, or however sent by him; for some think this is a different expedition from that in 2Ki 12:17 though others take it to be the same:
and they came to Judah and Jerusalem; not only came into the land of Judah, but as far as Jerusalem, the forces of Joash not being able to stop them:
and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people; the idolatrous princes of Judah, 2Ch 24:17, which is very remarkable that they should be distinguished from the people in their destruction, who had been the chief cause of the wrath of God coming upon them:
and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus; all the riches that were taken from them were sent to the king of Syria at Damascus; this looks as if Hazael was not with this army.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
The punishment comes upon them. Joash afflicted by the invasion of Judah by Hazael the Syrian; and his death in consequence of a conspiracy against him. – These two events are narrated in 2Ki 12:18-21 also, the progress of Hazael’s invasion being more exactly traced; see the commentary on 2Ki 12:18. The author of the Chronicle brings forward only those parts of it which show how God punished Joash for his defection from Him.
“At the revolution of a year,” i.e., scarcely a year after the murder of the prophet Zechariah, a Syrian army invaded Judah and advanced upon Jerusalem; “and they destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people,” i.e., they smote the army of Joash in a battle, in which the princes (the chief and leaders) were destroyed, i.e., partly slain, partly wounded. This punishment came upon the princes as the originators of the defection from the Lord, 2Ch 24:17. “And they sent all their booty to the king (Hazael) to Damascus.” In this booty the treasures which Joash gave to the Syrians (2Ki 12:19) to buy their withdrawal are also included. In order to show that this invasion of the Syrians was a divine judgment, it is remarked in 2Ch 24:24 that the Syrians, with a small army, gained a victory over the very large army of Judah, and executed judgment upon Joash. , as in Exo 12:12; Num 33:4, frequently in Ezekiel, usually construed with , here with , analogous to the , e.g., 1Sa 24:19. These words refer to the wounding of Joash, and its results, 2Ch 24:25. In the war Joash was badly wounded; the Syrians on their withdrawal had left him behind in many wounds ( only met with here, synonymous with , 2Ch 21:19). Then his own servants, the court officials named in 2Ch 24:26, conspired against him, and smote him upon his bed. In 2Ki 12:21, the place where the king, lying sick upon his bed, was slain is stated. He met with his end thus, “because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest” which had been shed. The plural is perhaps only an orthographical error for , occasioned by the preceding (Berth.); but more probably it is, like , 2Ch 28:3 and 2Ch 33:6, a rhetorical plural, which says nothing as to the number, but only brings out that Joash had brought blood-guiltiness upon himself in respect of the children of his benefactor Jehoiada; see on 2Ch 28:3. Upon the murdered king, moreover, the honour of being buried in the graves of the kings was not bestowed; cf. 2Ch 21:20. On the names of the two conspirators, 2Ch 24:26, see on 2Ki 12:21. In 2Ch 24:27 it is doubtful how is to be read. The Keri demands , which Berth. understands thus: And as regards his sons, may the utterance concerning him increase; which might signify, “May the wish of the dying Zechariah, 2Ch 24:22, be fulfilled on them in a still greater degree than on their father.” But that is hardly the meaning of the Keri. The older theologians took relatively: et quam creverit s. multiplicatum fuerit . Without doubt, the Keth. or is the correct reading. , too, is variously interpreted. Vulg., Luther, and others take it to be synonymous with , 2Ch 24:6, 2Ch 24:9, and understand it of the money derived from Moses’ tax; but to that is by no means suitable. Others (as Then.) think of the tribute laid upon him, 2Ki 12:19, but very arbitrarily. On the other hand, Clericus and others rightly understand it of prophetic threatenings against him, corresponding to the statement in 2Ch 24:19, that God sent prophets against him. As to the Midrash of the book of Kings, see the Introduction.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
THE LORDS VENGEANCE, viz., THE SYRIAN INVASION AND SLAUGHTER OF THE PRINCES, AND THE MURDER OF JOASH (2Ch. 24:23-27). (Comp. 2Ki. 12:17-21.)
(23) At the end of the year.At the running out of the year, viz., the year of the murder of Zechariah. (See for the phrase, Exo. 34:22.)
The host of Syria came up against him.Comp. 2Ki. 12:17. Our passage seems to show that a small part (2Ch. 24:24) of the besieging army was detached, and sent against Jerusalem. (Comp. 2Ki. 18:14; 2Ki. 18:17.) The princes of Judah (2Ch. 24:17) at the head of a large force met the invaders in the field; but the Syrians routed them, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people. We may suppose that they made it their special aim to cut off the leaders of the Jewish host. (Comp. 2Ch. 18:30.) Thus the apostate princes were overtaken by the prophetic doom. (LXX., the princes of the people among the people; Syriac and Vulg. and Arabic omit from among the people. But comp. Isa. 7:8.)
And sent all the spoil of them.To Hazael, who was probably still at Gath with the main body of his troops.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Here we have the visitation; and an awful visitation it was. It should seem that Joash not only slew Zechariah, but some other of his faithful servants children; for it is said the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest. And with what contempt was he buried! Thus died, unlamented, and disregarded, Joash.
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
2Ch 24:23 And it came to pass at the end of the year, [that] the host of Syria came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus.
Ver. 23. And it came to pass, &c. ] Agminatim mala irruunt: now began their misery in answer to Zechariah’s last, whether prayer or prophecy. Sir Con. MacGenis, one of the late Irish rebels, after he had murdered one Mr Trug, a minister, was so haunted with the furies of his own conscience, that he thought his ghost followed him day and night. a The like we may very well think of bloody Joash. But besides what he felt within, “the Syrians before and the Philistines behind came upon him with open mouth to devour him; and for all this God’s anger was not turned away, but his hand was stretched out still.” Isa 9:12 See Trapp on “ 2Ki 12:17 “ See Trapp on “ 2Ki 12:18 “
And destroyed all the princes.
a Mr Clark’s Martyrol., 36.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
host = force.
destroyed all the princes. Who had led the People astray. This is how the “wrath came “(2Ch 24:18).
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
2Ch 24:23-24
2Ch 24:23-24
GOD’S SUMMARY PUNISHMENT OF JUDAH AND JERUSALEM
“And it came to pass at the end of the year, that the army of the Syrians came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus. For the army of the Syrians came with a small company; and Jehovah delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken Jehovah, the God of their fathers. So they executed Judgment upon Joash.”
It was especially appropriate that the Syrians killed all the princes, the very people who had seduced Joash to accept idolatry. Significantly, this judgment fell upon Joash and his kingdom within less than a year following the heartless murder of Zechariah. But God was not finished with his judgment against Joash. The next paragraph gives the conclusion of it.
E.M. Zerr:
2Ch 24:23. Syria was the country just north of Palestine. The host of Syria means the army of that government. They came to Jerusalem, which was the capital of Judah. The princes were leading men among the people of Judah, and were destroyed by the Syrian army. When they got the men of Judah under control, they took their personal belongings from them and sent them back home to their king. He was at Damascus because that was the capital of Syria.
2Ch 24:24. Small company is mentioned to emphasize the fact that the Lord was helping the Syrians. If they could overcome a very great host of the Israelites, it would have to be by the help of God. In helping the Syrians against Joash and the princes of Judah, the threat was carried out that was meant by the words require it.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
am 3165, bc 839
at the end: Heb. in the revolution, 1Ki 20:22, 1Ki 20:26
the host: Deu 32:35, 2Ki 12:17, 2Ki 12:18
princes: 2Ch 24:17, 2Ch 24:18, Psa 2:10, Psa 2:11, Psa 58:10, Psa 58:11, Psa 82:6, Psa 82:7
Damascus: Heb. Darmesek
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
2Ch 24:23. At the end of the year the host of Syria came up So soon did God hear the cry of his holy prophets blood and revenge it. They came and destroyed all the princes That it might appear they were sent and directed by God, to single out to destruction the first beginners, and chief promoters, of this general apostacy. And sent all the spoil unto the king of Damascus To Hazael the king of that part of Syria called Syria Damascena, from its capital city Damascus.