Jehoash; Joash
A Child Saved from Slaughter
The story of Jehoash begins with one of the most harrowing episodes in Judah's history. When King Ahaziah died, his mother Athaliah seized the throne and systematically murdered every member of the royal family to eliminate potential rivals (2 Kings 11:1; 2 Chronicles 22:10). This was an attempt to destroy the entire Davidic line, the very lineage through which God had promised the Messiah would come (2 Samuel 7:12-16).
But one child escaped. Jehosheba, Ahaziah's sister and the wife of the high priest Jehoiada, secretly rescued the infant Jehoash and his nurse. She hid them in the temple precincts, where the boy was raised under Jehoiada's care for six years while Athaliah ruled Judah (2 Kings 11:2-3; 2 Chronicles 22:11-12). The preservation of this single child from the house of David was an act of divine providence that kept God's covenant promise alive.
The Coronation and Revolution
When Jehoash was seven years old, Jehoiada orchestrated a carefully planned revolution. He summoned the commanders of the royal guard and the Levites, showed them the hidden prince, and secured their loyalty with a sworn covenant (2 Kings 11:4-8; 2 Chronicles 23:1-7). On a Sabbath day, during the changing of the guard, the commanders positioned armed men around the temple and throughout the palace compound.
Jehoash was brought out and crowned in the temple courtyard. The priest placed the crown on his head and presented him with a copy of the covenant, the Torah. The people clapped and shouted, "Long live the king!" (2 Kings 11:12). When Athaliah heard the commotion and rushed to the scene, she tore her robes and cried "Treason! Treason!" Jehoiada ordered her removed from the temple grounds, and she was executed at the Horse Gate of the palace (2 Kings 11:13-16; 2 Chronicles 23:12-15).
A new covenant was made between the Lord, the king, and the people, pledging that they would be the Lord's people. The temple of Baal was torn down, its altars and images smashed, and its priest killed (2 Kings 11:17-18; 2 Chronicles 23:16-17). Jehoash was then enthroned in the royal palace, and the city celebrated.
The Restoration of the Temple
Jehoash's most significant accomplishment was the repair of the temple, which had fallen into disrepair during Athaliah's reign. The worship of Baal had been promoted, and the temple of the Lord had been neglected and even plundered for materials used in Baal worship (2 Chronicles 24:7).
Jehoash initially directed the priests to use the various revenues flowing into the temple for repairs. However, by the twenty-third year of his reign, the work had not been done (2 Kings 12:6). The king then changed his approach, directing that all repair funds be placed in a chest with a hole bored in its lid, positioned beside the altar. The priests would no longer handle the money directly; instead, the funds were given to the supervisors of the work, who paid the carpenters, builders, masons, and stonecutters (2 Kings 12:9-12; 2 Chronicles 24:8-14).
This financial accountability system proved effective, and the temple was thoroughly restored. The account notes the integrity of the workers: "They did not require an accounting from those to whom they gave the money to pay the workers, because they acted with complete honesty" (2 Kings 12:15). The repaired temple served as a symbol of spiritual renewal under Jehoiada's guidance.
Decline After Jehoiada's Death
The turning point in Jehoash's story came with the death of Jehoiada, who lived to the remarkable age of 130 years and was buried among the kings in recognition of his extraordinary service to God and the nation (2 Chronicles 24:15-16). Without his mentor's spiritual guidance, Jehoash proved tragically incapable of maintaining the course of faithfulness.
After Jehoiada's death, the officials of Judah came and persuaded the king to abandon the worship of the Lord and return to the Asherah poles and idols. Despite prophetic warnings, Jehoash refused to listen. Most shockingly, when Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, prophesied against the apostasy, Jehoash ordered him stoned to death in the very temple courtyard where Jehoash himself had been crowned (2 Chronicles 24:17-22). With his dying breath, Zechariah cried, "May the Lord see this and call you to account." Jesus later referenced this murder as among the most egregious acts of violence against God's messengers (Matthew 23:35; Luke 11:51).
Judgment and Death
Divine judgment followed swiftly. An Aramean army under Hazael invaded Judah, and although their forces were small, God gave them victory over Judah's much larger army "because Judah had forsaken the Lord, the God of their ancestors" (2 Chronicles 24:24). Jehoash was forced to strip the temple of its treasures and send them to Hazael to buy off the invaders (2 Kings 12:17-18).
Jehoash died not a natural death but was assassinated by his own officials, Jozabad and Jehozabad, who conspired against him in retribution for the blood of Zechariah son of Jehoiada (2 Kings 12:20-21; 2 Chronicles 24:25-26). He was buried in Jerusalem but was denied burial in the tombs of the kings, a final indignity reflecting the disgrace of his later years.
A Name Shared with a King of Israel
The name Jehoash (or Joash) was also borne by a king of the northern kingdom of Israel, the son of Jehoahaz, who reigned around the same period (2 Kings 13:10-25). This northern Jehoash visited the dying prophet Elisha and received a promise of limited victory over the Arameans (2 Kings 13:14-19). He also defeated King Amaziah of Judah in battle and broke down a section of Jerusalem's wall (2 Kings 14:8-14). The shared name can cause confusion, but the two kings lived in different kingdoms and had very different stories.
Legacy and Lessons
Jehoash's life is a sobering study in the dependence of spiritual faithfulness on godly influence. Under Jehoiada, he led Judah in reformation and worship. Without Jehoiada, he descended into apostasy and murder. His story illustrates both the power of godly mentorship and the danger of faith that depends entirely on another person rather than on a personal relationship with God. The preservation of the infant Jehoash testifies to God's faithfulness to His covenant with David, but the king's later unfaithfulness demonstrates that divine preservation does not guarantee human faithfulness.
Biblical Context
The primary accounts of Jehoash of Judah appear in 2 Kings 11-12 and 2 Chronicles 22:10-24:27. The murder of Zechariah son of Jehoiada is referenced by Jesus in Matthew 23:35 and Luke 11:51. The northern king Jehoash appears in 2 Kings 13:10-25 and 14:8-16. The covenant promise to David that forms the backdrop is in 2 Samuel 7:12-16.
Theological Significance
Jehoash's preservation as an infant illustrates God's faithfulness to the Davidic covenant even in the darkest circumstances. The near-destruction of the royal line by Athaliah and its survival through one hidden child demonstrates that God's purposes cannot be thwarted by human evil. The king's spiritual collapse after Jehoiada's death warns against borrowed faith and shows that even those who have experienced divine deliverance can turn away. The murder of Zechariah in the temple is treated by Jesus as emblematic of Israel's rejection of God's messengers.
Historical Background
Jehoash's reign is generally dated to the late ninth century BC. The temple repair narrative in 2 Kings 12 is one of the most detailed administrative accounts in the Old Testament and provides valuable evidence for understanding temple financing and maintenance in ancient Judah. The Aramean threat from Hazael is confirmed by the Tel Dan Stele and other extra-biblical sources. The Hazael inscription found at Tel Dan mentions the house of David, providing important archaeological evidence for the Davidic dynasty during this period. The political instability described in the narrative is consistent with what is known of the broader geopolitical situation in the Levant during the ninth and eighth centuries BC.