2 Kings 12:18

Contextual Overview

¹⁷At that time King Hazael of Aram marched up and fought against Gath and captured it. Then he planned to attack Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Then Haza'el king of Aram went up, and fought against Gat, and took it; and Haza'el set his face to go up to Yerushalayim. ¹⁷ Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem. ¹⁷ At that time Hazael king of Syria went up and fought against Gath and took it. But when Hazael set his face to go up against Jerusalem, ¹⁷ About this time Hazael king of Aram attacked Gath and captured it. Then he went to attack Jerusalem. ¹⁷ At that time King Hazael of Syria attacked Gath and captured it. Hazael then decided to attack Jerusalem. ¹⁷Then Hazael king of Aram (Syria) went up, fought against Gath [in Philistia], and captured it. And Hazael resolved to go up to Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Then Hazael the king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael was intent on going up against Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Then came vp Hazael King of Aram, & fought against Gath and tooke it, and Hazael set his face to goe vp to Ierusalem. ¹⁷Then Hazael king of Aram went up and fought against Gath and captured it, and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

took all the hallowed: He dearly bought, by such unhallowed means, a peace which was of short duration; for the next year Hazael returned, and Jehoash having no more treasures, was obliged to hazard a battle, which he lost, and the principal part of his nobility, so that Judah was totally ruined, and Jehoash soon after slain in his bed by his own servants. 2 Kings 18:15, 2 Kings 18:16, 1 Kings 15:18, 2 Chronicles 16:2

went away: Heb. went up

Reciprocal: 2 Kings 12:4 - the money 2 Kings 15:19 - Menahem 2 Kings 16:8 - the silver 1 Chronicles 18:11 - dedicated 2 Chronicles 24:23 - the host 2 Chronicles 24:27 - burdens Joel 3:5 - ye

Cross-References

Genesis 3:13
The LORD God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:13
Then Yahweh God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
Then the Lord God said to the woman, "How could you have done such a thing?" She answered, "The snake tricked me, so I ate the fruit."

Genesis 3:13
So the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman replied, "The serpent tricked me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent beguiled and deceived me, and I ate [from the forbidden tree]."

Genesis 3:13
Then the LORD God said to the woman, "What is this that you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
And the Lorde God saide to the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eate.

Genesis 3:13
Then Yahweh God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" And the woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Genesis 3:13
The Lord God then asked the woman, "What have you done?" "The snake tricked me," she answered. "And I ate some of that fruit."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated,.... To sacred uses, and had laid up in the temple:

and his own hallowed things: which he had devoted to the same uses:

and all the gold [that was] found in the treasures of the house of the Lord: which were gifts and presents from divers persons for sacred services:

and sent it to Hazael king of Syria, and he went away from Jerusalem; to bribe him, that he might desist from his purpose; which showed a meanness of spirit, and was the effect of his idolatry and apostasy, having forsaken the Lord, and being forsaken by him; in whom should have been his trust and confidence, and then he need not have been afraid to meet the king of Syria.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

There was probably a considerable interval between the conclusion of the arrangement for the repairs and the Syrian expedition related in these verses. For the events which had happened, see 2 Chronicles 24:15-22.

2 Kings 12:17

This is the first and last time that we hear of the Damascene Syrians undertaking so distant an expedition. Gath (see Joshua 13:3 note) could only be reached from Syria through Israel or Judah. It was not more than 25 or 30 miles from Jerusalem. It is uncertain whether the city belonged at this time to Judah or to the Philistines.

Hazael set his face ... - This is a phrase for determination generally, but especially for determination to proceed somewhere (compare Jeremiah 42:15; Luke 9:51). Jerusalem can scarcely have been the primary object of this expedition, or it would have been attacked by a less circuitous route. Perhaps the Syrians were induced to make a sudden march against the Jewish capital, by learning, while at Gath, that a revolution had occurred there (compare 2 Chronicles 24:18-23).

2 Kings 12:18

Jehoash did not submit without a struggle. See the details in Chronicles. It was not until his army was defeated that he followed the example of his ancestor, Asa, and bought the friendship of the Syrians with the temple treasures (1 Kings 15:18. Compare the conduct of Hezekiah, 2 Kings 18:15-16).

Jehoram and Ahaziah - Though these two monarchs had been worshippers of Baal, yet they had combined with that idolatrous cult a certain amount of decent respect for the old religion. It is evident from this passage that they had made costly offerings to the temple.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Kings 12:18. Took all the hallowed things — He dearly bought a peace which was of short duration, for the next year Hazael returned, and Jehoash, having no more treasures, was obliged to hazard a battle, which he lost, with the principal part of his nobility, so that Judah was totally ruined, and Jehoash shortly after slain in his bed by his own servants; 2 Chronicles 24:23.