Annotations upon the remaining historicall part of the Old Testament. The second part. to wit, the books of Joshua, Judges, the two books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles, and the books of Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther : wherein first, all such passages in the text are explained as were thought likely to be questioned by any reader of ordinary capacity : secondly, in many clauses those things are discovered which are needfull and usefull to be known ... and thirdly, many places that might at first seem to contradict one another are reconciled ... / by Arthur Jackson.

CHAP. XII.

Vers. 3. BUt the high places were not taken away, &c.] So long had the people been inured to this erroneous worship of God, that it seems even Jehoi∣ada himself durst not advice the king to proceed to the reformation of this evil also, for fear of causing some tumult amongst them.

Vers. 4. And Jehoash said to the priests, all the the money of the dedicated things, &c.] The Temple was at this time sallen into great decay, through the wic∣kednesse of former kings, but especially of Athaliah For the sonnes of Athaliah that wicked woman, 2. Chron. 24.7. had broken up the house of God, and also all the dedicate things of the house of the Lord did the bestow upon Baalim: the first act therefore that Jehoash took in hand when he began to rule without a protectour, was the reparation of that holy place; as indeed most requisite it was that he should be carefull to uphold the Temple, that had been the nursery of his infancy, and the best means to secure his life, and to uphold his just title to the crown of Judah, and to this end he enjoyned the priests carefully to gather all the money of the dedicated things, that is, all the money dedicated to the service and repair of the Temple, and then the particulars are expressed (purposely I conceive to distinguish this money

from that which was brought in for the use of the priests themselves, as the money for the redemption of the first born and such like) namely, first, the money of every one that passeth the account: that is, the half shekel that they were to pay when they were numbred from twenty years old and upward, Exod. 30.12, 13. which is there∣fore called, 2. Chron. 24.6. the collection of Moses the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation of Israel for the tabernacle of witnesse; and vers. 9. the collection that Moses the servant of God, laid upon Israel in the wildernesse: con∣cerning which, see the notes, Exod. 30.12, 13. secondly, the money that every man is set at; that is, the money which any man shall by the priest be appointed to pay for his redemption, when he hath vowed himself to God, according to that law, Levit. 27.2. &c. of which see the note there: and thirdly, all the money that com∣eth into any mans heart to bring into the house of the Lord; that is, which any man shall voluntarily give for the reparation of the house.

Vers. 5. Let the priests take it to them, every man of his acquaintance. In 2. Chron. 24.5. it is said that Joash appointed them to go out unto the cities of Ju∣dah, and gather this money from yeare to yeare; this receiving it therefore every man of his acquaintance, is meant of their gathering it in the severall cities where they dwelt; (for the Levites were dispersed in severall cities of Judah) where they were acquainted, and well known amongst the people.

Vers. 7. Now therefore receive no more money of your acquaintance, but deli∣ver it in for the breaches of the house.] That is, he enjoyned them to meddle no more with the receiving of the money, but to pay in that which they had already received, when the king first set on foot this work: as he appointed them to collect the moneyes above mentioned for the repairing of the temple, so also he charged them to hasten the work, 2. Chron. 24.5. Go out unto the cities of Judah, and gather of all Israel money to repair the house of your God from yeare to yeare, and see that ye hasten the matter: when therefore in the twenty third yeare of his reigne, he saw that yet nothing was done, he took it for granted that either they had been negligent in collecting the money, or that they did not faithfully pay in what they received; or at least, that the people suspecting their diverting of it to their own private uses, did not pay it so willingly as otherwise they would; and therefore he took the work out of their hands, and appointed another way for the gathering of the money as is afterward expressed.

Vers. 9. But Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid of it, &c.] To wit, by the command of the king, 2. Chron. 24.8. to prevent all suspici∣on for the time to come of any corruption in this businesse: first, they made this chest whereinto the money should be put, and wherein it should be kept; and then they made a proclamation throughout the kingdome, that every man should bring in the appointed contribution, which accordingly was done with much alacrity and willingnesse, 2. Chron. 24.9, 10.

Vers. 10. The kings Scribe, and the high priest came up, and they put it up in baggs, &c.] In 2. Chron. 24.11. it is, the kings Scribe, and the high priests officers came up, and emptied the chest, &c.

Vers. 13. Howbeit, there were not made for the house of the Lord, bowls of sil∣ver, snuffers, &c.] That is, not till the temple was fully repaired, but when that

work was finished, the money that was left was imployed in making these vessels for the house, 2. Chron. 24.14.

Vers. 16. The trespasse-money, and sinne-money was not brought into the house of the Lord: it was the priests.] That is, the money which by the law those men were to pay by way of satisfaction, according to the estimation of the priests that had any way wronged the Lord in his holy things, Levit. 5.15. whether it were done ignorantly or wittingly, in both the cases satisfaction was to be made, and the one of these is called trespasse-money, and the other sinne-money.

Vers. 17. Then Hazael king of Syria went up.] Notwithstanding this fair be∣ginning of Jehoash his reigne, no sooner was Jehoiada dead, but by his flattering princes he was drawn away to the worship of idols, and so wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespasse, 2. Chron. 24.17, 18. namely, by Gods let∣ting loose Hazael king of Syria upon them, as is here said; from whom they were fain to purchase their peace by a great summe of money, as is expressed, vers. 18.

Vers. 20. And his servants arose, and made a conspiracie, and slew Joash, &c.] Some other passages are recorded in the Chronicles not here expressed, as first, when sundry prophets had in vain laboured to reclaim both king and people from their idolatry, at length Zachariah the sonne of Jehoiada the priest, was by the Spirit of the Lord stirred up to admonish them of their wickednesse, who did it accordingly with great courage, assuring them that this was the cause of Hazaels prevailing a∣gainst them: whereupon a conspiracie was made against him, and by the kings com∣mandment (who forgat what his father Jehoiada had done for him) he was stoned to death: secondly, that according to the prayer of this blessed Martyr at his death, the Lord look upon it, and require it, before that yeare was expired, the Syrians in∣vaded the land again, and executed the judgements of God with great severitie, for though the Syrians it seems came rather to pillage, then to perform any great acti∣on (for they came with a small company of men) and Jehoash went out against them with a very great army, yet by the providence of God, this small band of Sy∣rian rovers, overthrew that great host of Judah, wherewith being encouraged, they went up against Jerusalem, and destroyed all the Princes of the people, who had drawn away their king from the worship of the true God, and sent all the spoil of them to the king of Damascus; and as for Jehoash they left him in sore diseases (per∣haps by tortures they had put him to) which advantage two of his servants appre∣hending they made a conspiracie against him, and slew him in his bed when he had reigned fourty years, vers. 1. to wit, two and twenty years with Jehu, and the rest with his sonne Jehoahaz, and his grandchild Jehoash, which is largely related, 2. Chron. 24.18,—25.

Vers. 21. For Jozachar the sonne of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the sonne of Sho∣mer, his servants, smote him, and he died.] This Jozachar was also called Zabad, 2. Chron. 24.26. where also it is expressed that Shimeah was an Ammonitesse, and that Shomer, there called Shimrith, was a Moabitesse; And these are they that con∣spired against him, Zabad the sonne of Shimeath an Ammonitesse, and Jehozabad the sonne of Shimrith a Moabitesse.

And they buried him with his fathers in the citie of David.] But not in the sepulchres of the kings, 2, Chron. 24.25.