2 Kings 12:1-7

12:1 (12:2) In Jehu’s seventh year Jehoash became king; he reigned for forty years in Jerusalem. ¹  His mother was Zibiah, who was from Beer Sheba. 12:2 Throughout his lifetime Jehoash did what the Lord approved, ²  just as ³  Jehoiada the priest taught him. 12:3 But the high places were not eliminated; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense on the high places.

12:4 Jehoash said to the priests, “I place at your disposal ⁴  all the consecrated silver that has been brought to the Lord’s temple, including the silver collected from the census tax, ⁵  the silver received from those who have made vows, ⁶  and all the silver that people have voluntarily contributed to the Lord’s temple. ⁷  12:5 The priests should receive the silver they need from the treasurers and repair any damage to the temple they discover.” ⁸ 

12:6 By the twenty-third year of King Jehoash’s reign the priests had still not repaired the damage to the temple. 12:7 So King Jehoash summoned Jehoiada the priest along with the other priests, and said to them, “Why have you not repaired the damage to the temple? Now, take no more silver from your treasurers unless you intend to use it to repair the damage.” ⁹ 

¹ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

² tn Heb “and Jehoash did what was proper in the eyes of the Lord all his days.”

³ tn Heb “that which.” Jehoiada taught the king the Lord’s will.

⁴ tn The words “I place at your disposal” are added in the translation for clarification.

⁵ tn Heb “the silver of passing over a man.” The precise meaning of the phrase is debated, but עָבַר (’avar), “pass over,” probably refers here to counting, suggesting the reference is to a census conducted for taxation purposes. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 137.

⁶ tn Heb “the silver of persons, his valuation.” The precise meaning of the phrase is uncertain, but parallels in Lev 27 suggest that personal vows are referred to here. See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 137.

⁷ tn Heb “all the silver which goes up on the heart of a man to bring to the house of the Lord.”

⁸ tn Heb “Let the priests take for themselves, each from his treasurer, and let them repair the damage of the temple, with respect to all the damage that is found there.” The word מַכָּר (makar), translated here “treasurer,” occurs only in this passage. Some suggest it means “merchant” or “benefactor.” Its usage in Ugaritic texts, where it appears in a list of temple officials, suggests that it refers in this context to individuals who were in charge of disbursing temple funds.

⁹ tn Heb “Now, do not take silver from your treasurers, because for the damages to the temple you must give it.”