II Kings 12:1-12 · Bible study
2 Kings 12:1-12 Commentary: Joash's Conditional Obedience
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Explore Joash's reign: right under Jehoiada's influence, yet high places remain. Analysis of temple repair, priestly failure, and a model of accountability.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Joash's reign shows that outward religious conformity can coexist with unfinished spiritual reform; the temple restoration succeeded through transparent systems after priestly failure.
- Key words: “Instructed” (v.2), the Hebrew verb implies teaching with authority; “breaches” (v.5,7-8,12), the same word for damage throughout, emphasizing the scope of neglect; “weighed out” (v.11), money handled with precision, contrasting earlier unchecked priestly collection.
- Main debate: Whether the priests pocketed the money or simply failed to apply it; most commentaries lean toward negligence rather than outright theft, but ambiguity remains.
- Theological theme: Genuine obedience requires personal faith, not borrowed piety; institutional structures must include accountability to prevent stagnation.
- Best use: Preach on stewardship, leadership failure, or the difference between inherited and owned faith; also valuable for teaching on church administration.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
1In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
2And Joash did what was right in the eyes of the LORD all the days he was instructed by Jehoiada the priest.
3Nevertheless, the high places were not removed; the people continued sacrificing and burning incense there.
4Then Joash said to the priests, “Collect all the money brought as sacred gifts into the house of the LORD—the census money, the money from vows, and the money brought voluntarily into the house of the LORD.
5Let every priest receive it from his constituency, and let it be used to repair any damage found in the temple.”
6By the twenty-third year of the reign of Joash, however, the priests had not yet repaired the damage to the temple.
7So King Joash called Jehoiada and the other priests and said, “Why have you not repaired the damage to the temple? Now, therefore, take no more money from your constituency, but hand it over for the repair of the temple.”
8So the priests agreed that they would not receive money from the people and that they would not repair the temple themselves.
9Then Jehoiada the priest took a chest, bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar on the right side as one enters the house of the LORD. There the priests who guarded the threshold put all the money brought into the house of the LORD.
10Whenever they saw that there was a large amount of money in the chest, the royal scribe and the high priest would go up, count the money brought into the house of the LORD, and tie it up in bags.
11Then they would put the counted money into the hands of those who supervised the work on the house of the LORD, who in turn would pay those doing the work—the carpenters, builders,
12masons, and stonecutters. They also purchased timber and dressed stone to repair the damage to the house of the LORD, and they paid the other expenses of the temple repairs.
WEB World English Bible 2000
1Jehoash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah of Beersheba.
2Jehoash did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes all his days in which Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3However, the high places were not taken away. The people still sacrificed and burned incense in the high places.
4Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into Yahweh’s house, in current money, the money of the people for whom each man is evaluated, and all the money that it comes into any man’s heart to bring into Yahweh’s house,
5let the priests take it to them, each man from his donor; and they shall repair the damage to the house, wherever any damage is found.”
6But it was so, that in the twenty-third year of King Jehoash the priests had not repaired the damage to the house.
7Then King Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the other priests, and said to them, “Why aren’t you repairing the damage to the house? Now therefore take no more money from your treasurers, but deliver it for repair of the damage to the house.”
8The priests consented that they should take no more money from the people, and not repair the damage to the house.
9But Jehoiada the priest took a chest and bored a hole in its lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into Yahweh’s house; and the priests who kept the threshold put all the money that was brought into Yahweh’s house into it.
10When they saw that there was much money in the chest, the king’s scribe and the high priest came up, and they put it in bags and counted the money that was found in Yahweh’s house.
11They gave the money that was weighed out into the hands of those who did the work, who had the oversight of Yahweh’s house; and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders who worked on Yahweh’s house,
12and to the masons and the stone cutters, and for buying timber and cut stone to repair the damage to Yahweh’s house, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.
KJV King James Version 1769
1In the seventh year of Jehu Jehoash began to reign; and forty years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer–sheba.
2And Jehoash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
4And 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,
5Let 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.
6But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.
7Then 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.
8And the priests consented to receive no more money of the people, neither to repair the breaches of the house.
9But 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.
10And 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.
11And 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,
12And 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.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
1In the seventh year of Jehu began Jehoash to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem: and his mother’s name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
2And Jehoash did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah all his days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3Howbeit the high places were not taken away; the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
4And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the hallowed things that is brought into the house of Jehovah, in current money, the money of the persons for whom each man is rated, and all the money that it cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of Jehovah,
5let the priests take it to them, every man from his acquaintance; and they shall repair the breaches of the house, wheresoever any breach shall be found.
6But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.
7Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and for the other priests, and said unto them, Why repair ye not the breaches of the house? now therefore take no more money from your acquaintance, but deliver it for the breaches of the house.
8And the priests consented that they should take no more money from the people, neither repair the breaches of the house.
9But 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 Jehovah: and the priests that kept the threshold put therein all the money that was brought into the house of Jehovah.
10And 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 counted the money that was found in the house of Jehovah.
11And they gave the money that was weighed out into the hands of them that did the work, that had the oversight of the house of Jehovah: and they paid it out to the carpenters and the builders, that wrought upon the house of Jehovah,
12and to the masons and the hewers of stone, and for buying timber and hewn stone to repair the breaches of the house of Jehovah, and for all that was laid out for the house to repair it.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
1In the seventh year of Jehu reigned hath Jehoash, and forty years he hath reigned in Jerusalem, and the name of his mother is Zibiah of Beer-Sheba,
2and Jehoash doth that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah all his days in which Jehoiada the priest directed him,
3only, the high places have not turned aside, still are the people sacrificing and making perfume in high places.
4And Jehoash saith unto the priests, `All the money of the sanctified things that is brought in to the house of Jehovah, the money of him who is passing over, each the money of his valuation, all the money that it goeth up on the heart of a man to bring in to the house of Jehovah,
5do the priests take to them, each from his acquaintance, and they strengthen the breach of the house, in all places where there is found a breach.'
6And it cometh to pass, in the twenty and third year of king Jehoash, the priests have not strengthened the breach of the house,
7and king Jehoash calleth to Jehoiada the priest, and to the priests, and saith unto them, `Wherefore are ye not strengthening the breach of the house? and now, receive no money from your acquaintances, but for the breach of the house give it.'
8And the priests consent not to receive money from the people, nor to strengthen the breach of the house,
9and Jehoiada the priest taketh a chest, and pierceth a hole in its lid, and putteth it near the altar, on the right side, as one cometh in to the house of Jehovah, and the priests keeping the threshold have put there all the money that is brought in to the house of Jehovah.
10And it cometh to pass, at their seeing that the money is abundant in the chest, that there goeth up a scribe of the king, and of the high priest, and they bind it up, and count the money that is found in the house of Jehovah,
11and have given the weighed money into the hands of those doing the work, those inspecting the house of Jehovah, and they bring it out to those working in the wood, and to builders who are working in the house of Jehovah,
12and to those repairing the wall, and to hewers of stone, and to buy wood and hewn stones to strengthen the breach of the house of Jehovah, and for all that goeth out on the house, to strengthen it.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
1In the seventh year of Jehu, Jehoash began to reign; and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem; and his mother's name was Zibiah of Beer-sheba.
2And Jehoash did what was right in the sight of Jehovah, all the days wherein Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
3Only, the high places were not removed: the people still sacrificed and burned incense on the high places.
4And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the hallowed things that is brought into the house of Jehovah, the money of every one that passes [the account], the money at which every man is valued, [and] all the money that comes into any man's heart to bring into the house of Jehovah,
5let the priests take it, every man of his acquaintance; and let them repair the breaches of the house, wherever any breach is found.
6And it was [so that] in the twenty-third year of king Jehoash, the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.
7Then king Jehoash called for Jehoiada the priest, and the priests, and said to them, Why have ye not repaired the breaches of the house? And now receive no money of your acquaintances, but give it for the breaches of the house.
8And the priests consented to receive no money of the people, and that they should only repair the breaches of the house.
9And Jehoiada the priest took a chest, and bored a hole in the lid, and set it beside the altar, on the right side as one comes into the house of Jehovah; and the priests that kept the door put into it all the money brought into the house of Jehovah.
10And it came to pass when they saw that there was much money in the chest, that the king's scribe and the high priest came up, and they tied up and counted the money that was found in the house of Jehovah.
11And they gave the money, weighed out into the hands of them that did the work, who were appointed over the house of Jehovah; and they laid it out to the carpenters and builders that wrought upon the house of Jehovah,
12and to masons, and hewers of stone, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the breaches of the house of Jehovah, and for all that had to be laid out on the house for repairs.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
1In the seventh year of Jehu, Joas began to reign: and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Sebia, of Bersabee.
2And Joas did that which was right before the Lord all the days that Joiada, the priest, taught him.
3But yet he took not away the high places: for the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.
4And Joas said to the priests: all the money of the sanctified things, which is brought into the temple of the Lord by those that pass, which is offered for the price of a soul, and which of their own accord, and of their own free heart, they bring into the temple of the Lord:
5Let the priests take it according to their order and repair the house, wheresoever they shall see any thing that wanteth repairing.
6Now till the three and twentieth year of king Joas the priests did not make the repairs of the temple.
7And king Joas called Joiada, the high priest, and the priests, saying to them: Why do you not repair the temple? Take you, therefore, money no more according to your order, but restore it for the repairing of the temple.
8And the priests were forbidden to take any more money of the people, and to make the repairs of the house.
9And Joiada, the high priest, took a chest, and bored a hole in the top, and set it by the altar at the right hand of them that came into the house of the Lord; and the priests that kept the doors, put therein all the money that was brought to the temple of the Lord.
10And when they saw that there was very much money in the chest, the king's scribe, and the high priest, came up, and poured it out, and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord.
11And they gave it out by number and measure into the hands of them that were over the builders of the house of the Lord: and they laid it out to the carpenters, and the masons, that wrought in the house of the Lord,
12And made the repairs: and to them that cut stones, and to buy timber, and stones to be hewed, that the repairs of the house of the Lord might be completely finished, and wheresoever there was need of expenses to uphold the house.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators broadly agree on the conditional nature of Jehoash's piety. Verse 2 ties his “doing right in Yahweh’s eyes” specifically to the period when Jehoiada the priest instructed him, implying that the king's faithfulness was borrowed, not self-sustained. Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown note that Jehoash's rectitude was due more to his tutor than to personal conviction, a pattern confirmed by his later fall into idolatry after Jehoiada's death (2 Chronicles 24:17-18). At the same time, the passage plainly states that even during those good years the high places remained, a failure Jehoiada himself did not correct (Barnes). The repair of the temple is presented as a genuine achievement: the king took initiative, the people gave generously, and the work was done with transparent oversight. Yet the narrative also exposes the priests' negligence, they had collected money for years without completing repairs (v.6). The system was then restructured: a collection chest, public counting, and payment directly to workers. This is seen by most as an early biblical example of financial accountability in religious work. All traditions recognize that the king's reform, while successful in restoring the temple building, did not address the deeper spiritual problem of worship at the high places.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Priestly negligence or corruption: The sixteen-year delay with no results, and the king's abrupt 'take no more money' (v.7), suggests the priests either mismanaged or diverted funds; 2 Chronicles 24:5-6 supports this reading.
- System failure, not bad faith: The collection method was decentralized and slow; the priests may have lacked the capacity to coordinate repairs while also maintaining their regular duties; the new chest solved a structural problem.
- Joash's piety as derivative: Verse 2 links his righteousness directly to Jehoiada's instruction; 2 Chronicles 24:17-18 shows he apostatized after Jehoiada's death, confirming his faith was not his own.
What is clear: The temple was repaired successfully under a system of transparent oversight, yet the high places remained, and the narrative signals that Joash's goodness depended on his mentor's guidance.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Cause of the priests' delay | The priests had not used the collected money for repairs by the twenty-third year, forcing a change of system. | Some argue the priests had been using the funds for their own expenses (Gill), while others think the collection system was too slow or complicated (Barnes). |
| Evaluation of the high places | The high places remained unremoved, and the narrator views this as a negative mark on the reign. | Barnes suggests Jehoiada may not have regarded high-place worship as fully idolatrous, while Clarke insists their tolerance seeded future apostasy. |
| Did Joash personally believe? | Joash did right while Jehoiada taught him. | Matthew Henry sees this as genuine piety during that period, while Jamieson-Fausset-Brown emphasize it was merely external, due to Jehoiada's influence, and not from conviction. |
| Financial integrity of the workers | The workers in v.15 were trusted without audit, and this is presented as a contrast to the priests. | Some see this as a model of grace (trust after verification), others as an exception based on proven character. |
Historical & Cultural Context
The passage opens against the backdrop of Athaliah's bloody usurpation (2 Kings 11:1). For six years she had ruled, and during that time the temple suffered neglect and outright plunder by her sons (2 Chronicles 24:7). When Jehoash was crowned at age seven under Jehoiada's guardianship, the temple was in physical ruin, walls broken, timber rotted, stonework crumbling. The young king's first recorded initiative is to address this decay.
The financial system described reflects three recognized temple revenues. First was “the money of every one that passeth the account”: the half-shekel census tax required by Exodus 30:13. Second was “the money that every man is set at”: redemption payments for persons or property vowed to God (Leviticus 27). Third was freewill offerings. The plan delegated collection to the priests, presumably because they had local contact with donors in their assigned cities (Gill). But by the twenty-third year of Jehoash's reign, when he was about thirty and able to act independently, nothing had been repaired (Cambridge).
The high places are a recurring issue throughout Kings. These were local altars often associated with Canaanite practices, and successive kings failed to suppress them. Even during a period of official reform, the people continued sacrificing there. Some commentators suggest the practice was not yet viewed as outright idolatry (Barnes), but the narrator clearly marks it as a shortcoming.
The change in procedure, a chest placed beside the altar, money collected by doorkeepers, counted jointly by the king's scribe and the high priest, and paid out directly to foremen, reflects a shift from priestly control to shared oversight. This protected the funds and restored public trust. The project then succeeded quickly, with money going exclusively to building materials and labor (v.13-14). Within the ancient Near Eastern context, such a public collection and audit system was remarkably transparent.
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries note no significant textual variants in the Hebrew for II Kings 12:1-12. The passage is well preserved. The main interpretive difficulties arise from its compressed narrative style and the relationship with 2 Chronicles 24, which adds details (the king's direct command to the Levites, the role of Zechariah) but does not conflict with 2 Kings.
Reception History
Within the Jewish tradition, this passage has been read as a model of public accountability in temple finances, emphasizing that sacred funds must be handled with transparency (b. Shekalim). The chest and the dual oversight became a precedent for later collection methods in the Second Temple period. Christian commentators from the patristic era through the Reformation focused on the conditional nature of Joash's goodness. Chrysostom used Joash as a caution against depending on spiritual mentors without developing personal faith. The Venerable Bede saw in the chest a type of the believer's heart, which must be opened to receive God's gifts. The Reformers, especially Calvin, drew attention to the high places as evidence that even good kings could leave room for compromise. In modern preaching, this story is often used to discuss church financial integrity, leadership succession, and the danger of a secondhand faith that collapses when a mentor is removed.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The good years with an expiration date: Joash did right only as long as Jehoiada taught him. His faith was borrowed, not his own.
- When good people fail at the task: The priests had money and responsibility but produced nothing for years. Good intentions need accountable structures.
- Honest systems and generous givers: The chest, the counting, the direct payment, these transparent methods unleashed the people's giving and completed the work.
Five-point outline
- Initiation (vv.1-4): A young king sees the temple's ruin and orders its repair, showing early spiritual sensitivity.
- Stalled progress (vv.5-6): Despite orders and available money, the priests do nothing for sixteen years. Leadership without accountability fails.
- Confrontation (vv.7-8): The king calls out the failure, removes the priests from the collection process, and demands results.
- New system (vv.9-11): A chest, a hole in the lid, public counting, dual oversight. The people respond abundantly.
- Completion (vv.11-12): The money reaches the workers. The temple is repaired. But the high places remain, a lasting unresolved issue.
Illustration hooks
- A church that raises money for a building project but the committee delays for years, spending the funds on other things, until the congregation loses trust and a new system is needed.
- A teenager who attends church faithfully because their parents make them, but once at college drifts away, the difference between inherited faith and owned faith.
- A nonprofit with abundant donations but no progress because the staff focus on fundraising instead of the actual mission. A board restructures to direct funds straight to field work.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Why does God sometimes bless incomplete obedience, like Joash's reforms while high places remained?
- How can we tell if our own faith is derivative rather than personal, especially when we've been raised in the church?
- What can we learn from the chest-and-oversight model about handling church finances transparently?
Leading a Discussion
This passage shows a king who started well, a priestly system that stalled, and a practical solution that worked. But underneath the successful building project lies an uncomfortable truth: Joash's heart was never fully reformed. As a group, explore what this story reveals about spiritual leadership, accountability, and the danger of a faith that depends on others.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 1-3. What does the phrase “all his days in which Jehoiada instructed him” imply about the depth of Joash's faith? Why is this worth examining in our own lives?
- Why do you think the priests failed to use the money for repairs for sixteen years? What possibilities does the text suggest (e.g., laziness, corruption, confusion)?
- Joash confronts the priests directly. What does his approach teach about dealing with failure in leadership?
- The chest system involved the king's scribe and the high priest counting money together. How does this reflect principles of financial transparency or accountability today?
- Why do the high places remain in verse 3? What does it mean that even a good king in a season of obedience tolerates incomplete reform?
- In verse 15, the workers “dealt faithfully” and no accounting was required from them. Contrast this with the earlier failure of the priests. What made the difference?
- Second Chronicles 24 tells us Joash later turned to idolatry after Jehoiada died. How does this passage help us understand the danger of living on secondhand faith?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| II Kings 9:27 | But when Ahaziah the king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house. Jehu followed after him, and said, “Strike him also in the chariot!” They struck him at the ascent of Gur, which is by Ibleam. He fled to Megiddo, and died there. |
| II Kings 11:1 | Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring. |
| II Kings 11:4 | In the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains over hundreds of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him into Yahweh’s house; and he made a covenant with them, and made a covenant with them in Yahweh’s house, and showed them the king’s son. |
| II Kings 11:21 | Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign. |
| I Chronicles 3:11 | Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, |
| II Chronicles 24:1 | Joash was seven years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Zibiah, of Beersheba. |
| II Chronicles 24:14 | When they had finished, they brought the rest of the money before the king and Jehoiada, from which were made vessels for Yahweh’s house, even vessels with which to minister and to offer, including spoons and vessels of gold and silver. They offered burnt offerings in Yahweh’s house continually all the days of Jehoiada. |
| II Kings 14:3 | He did that which was right in Yahweh’s eyes, yet not like David his father. He did according to all that Joash his father had done. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
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What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke criticizes Jehoiada the priest as a pious but inactive man. He argues that simple goodness without vigorous zeal cannot reform a nation, drawing a parallel with the Reformation: Luther's active fire succeeded where ten thousand well-meaning Melancthons would have only wished in vain.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes observes that the temple repair initiative came from the young king Jehoash, not from the high priest Jehoiada, who had allowed damage from Athaliah’s reign to go unrepaired. He also notes that worship on high places continued uninterrupted, suggesting the priests did not yet consider it idolatrous, since Jehoiada would have stopped it otherwise.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary highlights how the shift from private collection to a public chest beside the altar revived the temple repair fund. Seeing others give and knowing the money was properly managed sparked cooperation and generosity, a principle the author notes still applies to fundraising.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes emphasize that Jehoash's faithfulness depended entirely on the priest Jehoiada's guidance. They also highlight the priests' failure to repair the temple with the collected money, which forced the king to intervene by setting up a chest to ensure funds were properly used for the actual work.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill emphasizes that Jehoash's obedience to God lasted only as long as
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB attributes Jehoash's outward righteousness to Jehoiada's guiding influence rather than the king's own convictions. The commentator also notes that the persistent fondness for high-place worship made suppression especially difficult after Athaliah's corrupt reign. The chest for temple repairs was introduced to separate building funds from general priestly income, encouraging more generous donations.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argues that the phrase "all his days that Jehoiada instructed him" limits Joash's righteousness strictly to the period of the high priest's lifetime. The grammar, they contend, means Joash did right only
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange reads the temple restoration not as routine maintenance but as a theocratic act, a physical confession of the renewed covenant. In his view, Jehoash’s righteousness was entirely dependent on Jehoiada’s guidance; after the priest died, the king’s moral weakness led him into apostasy and a disgraceful end.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that Joash did right only as long as Jehoiada the priest lived to instruct him, showing that his goodness depended on a good director. Even then, the high places remained untouched, which Henry sees as a quiet rivalry with God's chosen altar at Jerusalem.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley highlights that Jehoash repaired the temple out of gratitude for his own preservation, seeing himself as its appointed guardian. He also notes that during Queen Athaliah's idolatrous reign, people would have brought little dedicated money, so the verse anticipates future offerings rather than describing past collections.