of the LORD. 22Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The LORD look upon it, and require it. 23And it came to pass at the [1]end of the year, that the army of the Syrians came up against him: and they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus. 24For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers. So they executed [2]judgement upon Joash. 25And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the [3]sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew
22. The LORD look upon it, and require it] Cp. 2 Macc. xiv. 45, 46, and contrast Acts vii. 60.
23, 24 (cp. 2 Kin. xii. 17, 18). The Syrian Invasion.
In 2 Kin. the invasion is not represented as a judgement on Joash, for no sin is mentioned for which this could be the punishment.
As regards the campaign itself 2 Kin. says that the Syrians were bought off with a heavy bribe from attacking Jerusalem; nothing is said of the amount of damage done during the invasion. The Chronicler on the contrary says nothing of the cause of the withdrawal of the Syrians, but simply says that a small force of them inflicted great loss and took much spoil.
23. at the end of the year] Rather, in the course of a year, i.e. when the same time of the year had come round again.
the princes] Who had been leaders in the apostasy (ver. 17).
from among the people] The reading of the Heb. is doubtful; the words should perhaps be expunged.
24. because they had forsaken the LORD] Mark the Chronicler's insistent enforcement of a religious meaning in history.
25—27 (cp. 2 Kin. xii. 19—21). The End of Joash.
25. for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada] No reason is alleged for the conspiracy in Kings.
sons] LXX. and Vulg. "son"; cp. ver. 20.
