2 Chronicles 24:24

2Ch 24:24 For 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 God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash.

Ver. 24. So they executed judgment against Joash.] Ignominiosa iudicia, saith the Vulgate; they used him basely, by whipping, torturing, or otherwise wounding him, so that he fell grievously sick upon it. Jerome saith they upbraided him with his killing of Zechariah, as Nebuchadnezzar afterwards did Zedekiah with his perjury; {2Ki 25:6} and as Sapores, king of Persia, dealt with Valerian the emperor, who was at first so mild and favourable to Christians, that his house, frequented by them, seemed to be a very church; but afterwards, being corrupted by a certain Egyptian magician, he so raged against those whom he had before honoured as the people of God, that he exceeded all his predecessors in cruelty towards them. {a} But God met with this Joash too; for, being taken captive by the king of Persia, he was used like a slave as long as he lived, Sapores setting his foot upon his neck whensoever he mounted on horseback. Thus he lived seven years in reproaches, and then died a violent death. Eusebius saith his eyes were pulled out, wherewith he died. Agathias saith he was flayed alive, and rubbed all over with salt.

{a} He was author of the eighth persecution.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 24:24. For, or rather, although, the army of the Syrians came with a small company — Or was a small company of men. This more manifestly showed that the punishment proceeded from the hand of God, who took away their courage, so that, even with a great host, they could not withstand a mere handful of their enemies. This, as all the circumstances of it make manifest, was a distinct war from that mentioned 2Ki 12:17; as the reader will easily see if he compare that passage with this. The case seems to have been as follows: When the Jews began to apostatize, Hazael was sent to chastise them, as is recorded 2Ki 12:17; but God, in his great long-suffering, either that he might give them further space for repentance, or because he saw some partial repentance had already taken place among them, permitted Hazael to be diverted, by Joash’s presents, from his purpose of leading his army against Jerusalem. But in the end of the year, the king and people being still more sunk in idolatry, and this horrid wickedness of murdering his prophet being committed, he sent a party of these same Syrians to execute this awful judgment against Joash, who had commanded it to be committed; against the princes, who had been the instigators of it; and against the people, who had so readily obeyed such an unrighteous mandate of their apostate king and princes.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That is, reproved and checked him, and handled him rigorously.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(24) For the army of the Syrians.—This verse is explanatory of 2Ch_24:23. Literally, For with fewness of men had the host of Syria come, and Jehovah had given into their hand a host in exceeding abundance. “Fewness of men” (miç’ar ‘anâshîm) is a phrase not found elsewhere. (Comp. Gen_19:20.) The parallel account informs us that Hazael had intended to march against Jerusalem in person, as it would seem, after the battle in which the Syrian division had defeated the Jewish princes. Joash, however, bribed his for bearance by a present of the treasures of the Temple and palace (2Ki_12:18).

So they executed judgment against Joash.—A phrase always used of Divine requital. (Comp. Exo_12:12; Eze_5:10.) (The construction here is unique: “they did judgments with Joash,” whereas the ordinary form would be, “they did judgments in Joash.” )

As compared with Kings, the present narrative regards the Syrian invasion from a prophetic and religious point of view, and, therefore, while it omits certain details which are there clearly specified, it is careful to mention such facts as most vividly point its moral, e.g., the destruction of the idolatrous princes, and the rout of “a great host” by the attack of “a small company.”

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And these are they that conspired against him, Zabad the son of Shimeah an Ammonitess,.... Called Jozachar, the son of Shimeah, Kg2 12:21,

and Jehozabad the son of Shimrith a Moabitess; called in the same place the son of Shomer.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

They executed judgment against Joash - By defeating his army, slaying his nobles, and pressing on against Jerusalem, etc. (2Ki 12:18 note).

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Shameful, is not expressed in Hebrew. But the putting a king to the torture, (v. 25.) and upbraiding him with his ingratitude and perfidy, was a gread indignity. H. --- He had probably entered into engagements with Hazael, when he prevailed on him to depart, the year before. C. --- Nabuchodonosor treated Sedecias in like manner, 4 K. xxv. 6. The author of the Hebrew Trad. among the works of S. Jerom, (H.) asserts that the children of Joas were slain before his eyes, while the Syrians reproached him for the unjust murder of Zacharias. C.

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Came with a small company the Lord delivered a very great host (so Lev_26:8; Deu_28:25, etc.) So they executed judgment against Joash. The Hebrew says literally, "and on Joash they executed judgments." What the judgments were we do not read, but surely it is probable that they are glanced at in the next verse, "For they left him in great or, "many" diseases," or perhaps "in great illness". (2Ch_21:15)

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.