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. XXIV.

Vers. 4. ANd it came to passe after this, that Joash was minded to repair the house of the Lord.] See 2. Kings 12.4, 5.

Vers. 5. Howbeit, the Levites hastened it not.] For in the three and twentieth yeare of his reigne they had done nothing to the repairing of the house, 2. Kings 12.6.

Vers. 6. Why hast thou not required of the Levites to bring out of Judah and out of Jerusalem, the collection, according to the commandment of Moses, &c.] By this collection may be meant either the half shekel, which every man paid when they were numbred, Exod. 30.12.13. which is called the money of every one that passeth account, 2. Kings 12.14. or else the voluntary contributions which the peo∣ple were to give after the manner as they did for the building of the tabernacle at the commandment of Moses, Exod. 35.5. an order which it seems was observed in future times, Neh. 10, 32. Also we made ordinances for us, to charge our selves yearely with the third part of a shekel, for the service of the house of our God.

Vers. 7. For the sonnes of Athaliah that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God, &c.] To promote the worship of Baalim they robbed the Temple; and so there was not in the treasuries of the Temple any competent summe of money, whereby the decayes thereof might be repaired. Indeed the sonnes of Joram by A∣thaliah were all slain by the Arabians, save onely Ahaziah, chap. 21.17. But this might be done before that.

Vers. 8. And at the kings commandment they made a chest.] The Levites be∣ing forbidden by Joash to meddle any more with the collection of the money, because of their former neglect, 2. Kings 12.7.

And set it without the gate of the house of the Lord.] To wit, by the gate whereby they went out of the great court, and on that side the gate where the altar stood, 2. Kings 12.9.

Vers. 14. They brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, whereof were made vessels for the house of the Lord, &c.] See 2. Kings 12.13.

Vers. 16. And they buried him in the citie of David amongst the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both towards God, and towards his house.] That is, the house and family of David; or rather the Temple the house of God.

Vers. 17. Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeysance to the king, &c.] In the most fawning and flattering manner they pre∣sented themselves before him, and withall petitioned him, that every one might wor∣ship God as they pleased themselves, namely, in the high places, after the manner of their fathers; to wit, because it was burthensome to go up from all places to the Temple; or because every one desired to have his own proper place of devotion. Now this request is implyed, though not expressed in the following words, then the king hearkned to them: and they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers.

Vers. 18. And wrath came upon Judah and Jerusalem for this their trespasse.]

For Hazael king of Syria (as it is related, 2. Kings 12.17.) invaded the land, and ha∣ving taken Gath addressed himself to Jerusalem, having sufficient pretence for what he did (if his ambition cared for pretence) because the kings of Judah had former∣ly assisted the Israelites against the Syrians at Ramoth Gilead: and so formidable to Joash was this approch of Hazael towards Jerusalem, that he took all the hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the Temple, and in his own house, and with that present purchased his peace. Some conceive that this in∣vasion of Hazael (mentioned in the Kings) is the same with that inrode of the Sy∣rians spoken of, vers 23. of this chapter, but that cannot be: for this was before the slaying of Zachariah, vers. 20. that after it, vers. 23. in this the matter was com∣pounded without a battel, in that a battel was fought to Joash his great losse, vers. 24. in this Hazael was present, 2. Kings 12.11. in that the Syrians sent the spoil they took to their king at Damascus, vers. 23. And last of all, in this the Syrians had great forces (else Joash would not have been afraid of them) in that they came with a small band of men, vers. 24.

Vers. 20. And the spirit of God came upon Zechariah the sonne of Jehoiada the priest, &c.] It is a great question amongst Expositours, whether this were that Ze∣chariah of whom our Saviour spake, Matth. 23.35. From the bloud of righteous Abel unto the bloud of Zacharias sonne of Barachias, whom ye slew, &c. Most conceive it is, and that because this Zechariah was slain by the Jews, and that (as is expressed in the following verse) in the court of the house Lord: nor do we reade in Scripture of any other Zechariah that was so slain: for though this was the sonne of Jehoiada, and that Zachariah of whom Christ speaks, is expressely called there the sonne of Barachias; yet to this it may be answered, that Jehoiada was so called Barachias; or that he is called Barachias, which signifies the blessed of the Lord, because he was in his time such a blessed instrument of so much good to the people of God: and it may well be the drift of Christs words, to shew that the bloud of all that were long ago slain, should be charged upon that generation, and so in that re∣gard this Zechariah is joyned there with Abel. But now others hold that it is not this Zechariah of whom our Saviour speaks there, but that Zachariah which is last but one of the small Prophets, that was raised up of God to encourage the people that were come back from Babylon to rebuild the Temple. And indeed, first, be∣cause that Zachariah is expressely called the sonne of Barachiah, Zach. 1.1. as it were purposely to distinguish him from this Zechariah the sonne of Jehoiada. And secondly, because the words of our Saviour seem rather to imply that all the bloud of Gods righteous servants, slain in former times, from the first to the last, should be charged upon them; and so Abel is mentioned as the first, and Zachariah as the last, I cannot see but that very probably it may be understood of that Zachariah, and that he after the reedifying of the Temple, flying to the altar for Sanctuary, when the Jews were for some cause enraged against him, was there slain, as our Saviour saith, between the Temple and the altar.

Vers. 25. For they left him in great diseases.] To wit, by reason of wounds re∣ceived in the fight, or some exquisite tortures, which happely the Syrians had put him to.

His own servants conspired against him, for the bloud of the sonnes of Je∣hoiada

the priest, &c.] Hereby it may appear, that having slain Zechariah, they slew also his brethren the sonnes of Jehoiada; perhaps lest they should avenge his death; yet some conceive that the plurall number is put for the singular, sonnes for sonne, as it is also in many other places.