21 Joash[a] was seven years old when he began to reign.[b]

Joash Repairs the Temple(A)

12 [c]In the seventh year of Jehu, Joash[d](B) became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years. His mother’s name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba. Joash did what was right(C) in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him. The high places,(D) however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 11:21 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash
  2. 2 Kings 11:21 In Hebrew texts this verse (11:21) is numbered 12:1.
  3. 2 Kings 12:1 In Hebrew texts 12:1-21 is numbered 12:2-22.
  4. 2 Kings 12:1 Hebrew Jehoash, a variant of Joash; also in verses 2, 4, 6, 7 and 18

Joash’s Reign over Judah

21 (12:1)[a] Jehoash[b] was seven years old when he began to reign. 12 (12:2) In Jehu’s seventh year Jehoash became king; he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. Jehoash did what the Lord approved[c] all his days when[d] Jehoiada the priest taught him. But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 11:21 sn Beginning with 11:21, the verse numbers through 12:21 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 11:21 ET = 12:1 HT, 12:1 ET = 12:2 HT, 12:2 ET = 12:3 HT, etc., through 12:21 ET = 12:22 HT. With 13:1 the verse numbers in the ET and HT are again the same.
  2. 2 Kings 11:21 tn Heb “Jehoash”; Jehoash is an alternate version of the name Joash (see 11:2) used through 12:18 in the Hebrew text. The name Joash reappears in 12:19.
  3. 2 Kings 12:2 tn Heb “what was proper in the eyes of the Lord.”
  4. 2 Kings 12:2 tn The MT reads יָמָיו אֲשֶׁר (yamayv ʾasher, “all his days which…”). The LXX says “all the days which Jehoiada the priest enlightened him,” implying either יָמִים (yamim, “days”) or יְמֵי (yeme, “days of”), without the pronominal suffix. Lev 13:46 demonstrates that יְמֵי can be in construct with an אֲשֶׁר clause, but an אֲשֶׁר clause can also follow יוֹם (yom “day”) when it has a pronominal suffix. In either case the אֲשֶׁר clause restricts the time period that יוֹם describes. Therefore this verse does not contradict 2 Chr 24:2 which limits its praise of the king to “all the days of Jehoiada the priest.”