2Chronicles 24

 

בֶּן־שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים יֹאָשׁ בְּמָלְכוֹ וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה מָלַךְ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם וְשֵׁם אִמּוֹ צִבְיָה מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע׃   24:1

2Chr. 24:1   Joash was seven years of age at his becoming king and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem.  And the name of his mother was Zibiah from Beer-sheba.

This verse is in 2Kin. 12:1 and 12:2.  There Joash’s name is spelled with a heh.

וַיַּעַשׂ יוֹאָשׁ הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי יְהוָה כָּל־יְמֵי יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן׃   24:2

2Chr. 24:2   And Joash did the right thing in the eyes of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada, the priest.

This information is reported somewhat differently in 2Kin. 12:2 and 12:3.

וַיִּשָּׂא־לוֹ יְהוֹיָדָע נָשִׁים שְׁתָּיִם וַיּוֹלֶד בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת׃   24:3

2Chr. 24:3   And Jehoiada took two wives for himself, and he begot sons and daughters.

This verse and the next are not found elsewhere.

וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵיכֵן הָיָה עִם־לֵב יוֹאָשׁ לְחַדֵּשׁ אֶת־בֵּית יְהוָה׃   24:4

2Chr. 24:4   And it was after this, the desire of Joash was to restore the house of the Lord.

וַיִּקְבֹּץ אֶת־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם צְאוּ לְעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְקִבְצוּ מִכָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵל כֶּסֶף לְחַזֵּק אֶת־בֵּית   24:5

 אֱלֹהֵיכֶם מִדֵּי שָׁנָה בְּשָׁנָה וְאַתֶּם תְּמַהֲרוּ לַדָּבָר וְלֹא מִהֲרוּ הַלְוִיִּם׃

2Chr. 24:5   So he assembled the priests and the Levites and said to them, “Go out to the cities of Judah and gather money from everyone of Israel to restore the house of God year in and year out.  And you shall hurry to the business.”  Yet the Levites did not hurry.

This verse is not found anywhere either.

וַיִּקְרָא הַמֶּלֶךְ לִיהוֹיָדָע הָרֹאשׁ וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ מַדּוּעַ לֹא־דָרַשְׁתָּ עַל־הַלְוִיִּם לְהָבִיא מִיהוּדָה וּמִירוּשָׁלִַם   24:6

 אֶת־מַשְׂאַת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־יְהוָה וְהַקָּהָל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְאֹהֶל הָעֵדוּת׃

2Chr. 24:6   And the king called for Jehoiada, the chief, and said to him, “Why have you not inquired concerning the Levites to bring in from Judah and from Jerusalem the offering of Moses, the servant of the Lord and Israel's congregation, for the tent of the testimony?”

From this verse to v. 24:14 below, the facts of this narrative vary significantly from those in 2Kin. 12:5 to 12:14.

כִּי עֲתַלְיָהוּ הַמִּרְשַׁעַת בָּנֶיהָ פָרְצוּ אֶת־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וְגַם כָּל־קָדְשֵׁי בֵית־יְהוָה עָשׂוּ לַבְּעָלִים׃   24:7

2Chr. 24:7   “For Athaliah, that wicked woman!  Her sons broke down the house of God and even used all the holy things of the house of the Lord for the Baalim.”

וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיַּעֲשׂוּ אֲרוֹן אֶחָד וַיִּתְּנֻהוּ בְּשַׁעַר בֵּית־יְהוָה חוּצָה׃   24:8

2Chr. 24:8   So the king spoke, and they made one chest and put it in the gate of the house of the Lord outside.

וַיִּתְּנוּ־קוֹל בִּיהוּדָה וּבִירוּשָׁלִַם לְהָבִיא לַיהוָה מַשְׂאַת מֹשֶׁה עֶבֶד־הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר׃   24:9

2Chr. 24:9   And they proclaimed throughout Judah and in Jerusalem to bring in for the Lord the offering of Moses, the servant of God, for the sake of Israel in the wilderness.

וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כָל־הַשָּׂרִים וְכָל־הָעָם וַיָּבִיאוּ וַיַּשְׁלִיכוּ לָאָרוֹן עַד־לְכַלֵּה׃   24:10

2Chr. 24:10   And all the princes and all the people rejoiced, as they brought in and cast into the chest until finished.

וַיְהִי בְּעֵת יָבִיא אֶת־הָאָרוֹן אֶל־פְּקֻדַּת הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּיַד הַלְוִיִּם וְכִרְאוֹתָם כִּי־רַב הַכֶּסֶף וּבָא סוֹפֵר הַמֶּלֶךְ   24:11

 וּפְקִיד כֹּהֵן הָרֹאשׁ וִיעָרוּ אֶת־הָאָרוֹן וְיִשָּׂאֻהוּ וִישִׁיבֻהוּ אֶל־מְקֹמוֹ כֹּה עָשׂוּ לְיוֹם בְּיוֹם וַיַּאַסְפוּ־כֶסֶף לָרֹב׃

2Chr. 24:11   And it was when the chest could be brought into the custody of the king at the hand of the Levites, and as their seeing that the money was so much, that the scribe of the king came, and the deputy of the head priest, and they emptied the chest and they lifted it and returned it to its place. They did the same day after day, and they collected money in abundance.

וַיִּתְּנֵהוּ הַמֶּלֶךְ וִיהוֹיָדָע אֶל־עוֹשֵׂה מְלֶאכֶת עֲבוֹדַת בֵּית־יְהוָה וַיִּהְיוּ שֹׂכְרִים חֹצְבִים וְחָרָשִׁים לְחַדֵּשְׁ   24:12

בֵּית יְהוָה וְגַם לְחָרָשֵׁי בַרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת לְחַזֵּק אֶת־בֵּית יְהוָה׃

2Chr. 24:12   And the king and Jehoiada gave it for doing the work of the service of the house of the Lord, and they were hiring masons and craftsmen to restore the house of the Lord, and also for artisans of iron and brass to strengthen the house of the Lord.

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ עֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה וַתַּעַל אֲרוּכָה לַמְּלָאכָה בְּיָדָם וַיַּעֲמִידוּ אֶת־בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים עַל־מַתְכֻּנְתּוֹ   24:13

 וַיְאַמְּצֻהוּ׃

2Chr. 24:13   And the producers of the work wrought, and the restoration to the property excelled in their hand, and they made the house of God firm according to its proportion and reinforced it.

וּכְכַלּוֹתָם הֵבִיאוּ לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וִיהוֹיָדָע אֶת־שְׁאָר הַכֶּסֶף וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ כֵלִים לְבֵית־יְהוָה כְּלֵי שָׁרֵת   24:14

  וְהַעֲלוֹתְ וְכַפּוֹת וּכְלֵי זָהָב וָכָסֶף וַיִּהְיוּ מַעֲלִים עֹלוֹת בְּבֵית־יְהוָה תָּמִיד כֹּל יְמֵי יְהוֹיָדָע׃

2Chr. 24:14   And when they were finished they brought the remainder of the money before the king and Jehoiada, and with it they made implements for the house of the Lord, vessels of ministry and of offerings, and pans, and articles of gold and silver.  Then they were offering burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada.

וַיִּזְקַן יְהוֹיָדָע וַיִּשְׂבַּע יָמִים וַיָּמֹת בֶּן־מֵאָה וּשְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה בְּמוֹתוֹ׃   24:15

2Chr. 24:15   And Jehoiada grew old and was fulfilled of days, and he died.  He was a hundred and thirty years of age at his death.

The narrative from this verse to v. 24:22 doesn’t appear anywhere else.

וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְעִיר־דָּוִיד עִם־הַמְּלָכִים כִּי־עָשָׂה טוֹבָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל וְעִם הָאֱלֹהִים וּבֵיתוֹ׃   24:16

2Chr. 24:16   And they buried him in the city of David with the kings, because he had done good in Israel and toward God and His house.

וְאַחֲרֵי מוֹת יְהוֹיָדָע בָּאוּ שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לַמֶּלֶךְ אָז שָׁמַע הַמֶּלֶךְ אֲלֵיהֶם׃   24:17

2Chr. 24:17   And after the death of Jehoiada the princes of Judah came and bowed down to the king. Then the king listened to them.

וַיַּעַזְבוּ אֶת־בֵּית יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וַיַּעַבְדוּ אֶת־הָאֲשֵׁרִים וְאֶת־הָעֲצַבִּים וַיְהִי־קֶצֶף עַל־יְהוּדָה   24:18

 וִירוּשָׁלִַם בְּאַשְׁמָתָם זֹאת׃

2Chr. 24:18   And they abandoned the house of the Lord, God of their ancestors, and served the Asherim and the idols.  And there was wrath upon Judah and Jerusalem because of this, their sin.

וַיִּשְׁלַח בָּהֶם נְבִאִים לַהֲשִׁיבָם אֶל־יְהוָה וַיָּעִידוּ בָם וְלֹא הֶאֱזִינוּ׃   24:19

2Chr. 24:19   Yet He sent prophets among them to bring them back to the Lord, and they exhorted among them, but they did not listen.

וְרוּחַ אֱלֹהִים לָבְשָׁה אֶת־זְכַרְיָה בֶּן־יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן וַיַּעֲמֹד מֵעַל לָעָם וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם כֹּה אָמַר הָאֱלֹהִים   24:20

 לָמָה אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים אֶת־מִצְוֺת יְהוָה וְלֹא תַצְלִיחוּ כִּי־עֲזַבְתֶּם אֶת־יְהוָה וַיַּעֲזֹב אֶתְכֶם׃

2Chr. 24:20   And the spirit of God enveloped Zechariah son of Jehoiada, the priest, and he stood from above the people and said to them, “Thus says God:  ‘To what purpose are you invalidating the commandments of the Lord?  So you will not prosper.  As you have forsaken the Lord, so He forsakes you.’”

וַיִּקְשְׁרוּ עָלָיו וַיִּרְגְּמֻהוּ אֶבֶן בְּמִצְוַת הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּחֲצַר בֵּית יְהוָה׃   24:21

2Chr. 24:21   And they leagued together against him and on commandment of the king slew him by stoning in a court of the house of the Lord.

וְלֹא־זָכַר יוֹאָשׁ הַמֶּלֶךְ הַחֶסֶד אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יְהוֹיָדָע אָבִיו עִמּוֹ וַיַּהֲרֹג אֶת־בְּנוֹ וּכְמוֹתוֹ אָמַר יֵרֶא יְהוָה   24:22

 וְיִדְרֹשׁ׃

2Chr. 24:22   So Joash, the king, did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, his father, had done toward him and slew his son.  And at his death he said, “May the Lord look and demand.”

וַיְהִי לִתְקוּפַת הַשָּׁנָה עָלָה עָלָיו חֵיל אֲרָם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־יְהוּדָה וִירוּשָׁלִַם וַיַּשְׁחִיתוּ אֶת־כָּל־שָׂרֵי הָעָם   24:23

 מֵעָם וְכָל־שְׁלָלָם שִׁלְּחוּ לְמֶלֶךְ דַּרְמָשֶׂק׃

2Chr. 24:23   And it was toward the turning of the year; the Aramean army rose up against him, and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people among the people and sent all their spoil to the king of Damascus.

The information in this verse and the next is quite different from that in 2Kin. 12:18 and 12:19.

כִּי בְמִצְעַר אֲנָשִׁים בָּאוּ חֵיל אֲרָם וַיהוָה נָתַן בְּיָדָם חַיִל לָרֹב מְאֹד כִּי עָזְבוּ אֶת־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵי   24:24

 אֲבוֹתֵיהֶם וְאֶת־יוֹאָשׁ עָשׂוּ שְׁפָטִים׃

2Chr. 24:24   Though the Aramean army came with few men, yet the Lord delivered a host in abundance into their hand, because they had forsaken the Lord, God of their ancestors.  And they brought about acts of judgment against Joash.

וּבְלֶכְתָּם מִמֶּנּוּ כִּי־עָזְבוּ אֹתֹו (בְּמַחֲלִיִּים) [בְּמַחֲלוּיִם] רַבִּים הִתְקַשְּׁרוּ עָלָיו עֲבָדָיו בִּדְמֵי בְּנֵי   24:25

  יְהֹויָדָע הַכֹּהֵן וַיַּהַרְגֻהוּ עַל־מִטָּתֹו וַיָּמֹת וַיִּקְבְּרֻהוּ בְּעִיר דָּוִיד וְלֹא קְבָרֻהוּ בְּקִבְרֹות הַמְּלָכִים׃

2Chr. 24:25   And upon their departure from him, because they had left him with many wounds, his servants conspired against him because of the blood of the sons of Jehoiada, the priest, and they slew him on his bed and he died.  And they buried him in the city of David, but they did not bury him with the tombs of kings.

The narrative, starting with this verse and continuing to v. 24:27, is quite different from what is related in 2Kin. 12:20 to 12:22.  Not only are some of the facts different, but different information is also included.  In addition, the word in the parentheses, translated as with ... wounds, contains an extra yad.  It is replaced by a vav in the brackets.

וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּתְקַשְּׁרִים עָלָיו זָבָד בֶּן־שִׁמְעָת הָעַמֹּונִית וִיהֹוזָבָד בֶּן־שִׁמְרִית הַמֹּואָבִית׃   24:26

2Chr. 24:26   And these who conspired against him were Zabad, the son of Shimeath, the Ammonitess, and Jehozabad, the son of Shimrith, the Moabitess.

This verse is found in 2Kin. 12:21 and 12:22, but there the first name is Jozacar instead of Zabad, and the fathers of the servants are mentioned, not the mothers.

וּבָנָיו (וְרֹב) [יִרֶב] הַמַּשָּׂא עָלָיו וִיסֹוד בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים הִנָּם כְּתוּבִים עַל־מִדְרַשׁ סֵפֶר הַמְּלָכִים   24:27

 וַיִּמְלֹךְ אֲמַצְיָהוּ בְנֹו תַּחְתָּיו׃

2Chr. 24:27   And of his sons and the greatness of the burden against him and the rebuilding of the house of God, behold, they are written on the record of the book of the kings.  And Amaziah, his son, became king in his place.

The word in the parentheses, translated by me as and the greatness, is alleged to be in error.  I dispute this claim.  In fact, most of the popular bibles translate the word as I do, some with quite imaginative variations.  Others simply ignore the vav (meaning and). The “correction” word in the brackets changes the noun to an imperfect tense verb, which is not indicated by the context.

 

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