Person

Joash

also JehoashMaleb. 844 BCd. 800 BC

The son of King Ahaziah. While yet an infant, he was saved from the general massacre of the family by his aunt Jehosheba, and was apparently the only surviving descendant of Solomon (2 Chr. 21:4, 17). His uncle, the high priest Jehoiada, brought him forth to public notice when he was eight years of age, and crowned and anointed him king of Judah with the usual ceremonies. Athaliah was taken by surprise when she heard the shout of the people, “Long live the king;” and when she appeared in the temple, Jehoiada commanded her to be led forth to death (2 Kings 11:13-20). While the high priest lived, Jehoash favoured the worship of God and observed the law; but on his death he fell away into evil courses, and the land was defiled with idolatry. Zechariah, the son and successor of the high priest, was put to death. These evil deeds brought down on the land the judgement of God, and it was oppressed by the Syrian invaders. He is one of the three kings omitted by Matthew (1:8) in the genealogy of Christ, the other two being Ahaziah and Amaziah. He was buried in the city of David (2 Kings 12:21).

Relationships

Parents Ahaziah, Zibiah

Children Amaziah

Partners Jehoaddan

Birthplace Jerusalem

Place of death Jerusalem

Member of Tribe of Judah, Genealogy of Jesus

Events Reign of Joash

Appears in 2 Kings, 2 Chronicles

Key verses

2 Kings 12:4

Jehoash said to the priests, “All the money of the holy things that is brought into Yahweh’s house, in current money, the money of the persons for whom each man is rated, and all the money that it comes into any man’s heart to bring into Yahweh’s house,

2 Chronicles 24:22

Thus Joash the king didn’t remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but killed his son. When he died, he said, “May Yahweh look at it, and repay it.”

2 Chronicles 24:2

Joash did that which was right in the eyes of Yahweh all the days of Jehoiada the priest.

2 Kings 11:2

But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were slain, even him and his nurse, and put them in the bedroom; and they hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not slain;

2 Chronicles 24:24

For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and Yahweh delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.

2 Kings 12:18

Jehoash king of Judah took all the holy things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own holy things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of Yahweh’s house, and of the king’s house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.