2 Kings 12:3

2Ki 12:3 But the high places were not taken away: the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

Ver. 3. But the high places.] Tyrannus ille trium literarum, mos; Custom had so prevailed, that Jehoiada durst not advise the king to cross the people in this superstition, lest it should cause a tumult; lest they should more regard commotioners than commissioners, and be more guided by rage, than by right; violence and obstinacy, like two untamed horses, drawing their desires in a blindfold career, as it fell out here in England when King Edward VI began to reform.

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.

2Ki 12:3. But the high places were not taken away — The people were so much and so strangely addicted to these private altars, (on which they sacrificed to the true God,) that the preceding kings, though men of riper years and greater power and courage than Jehoash, and firmly established on their thrones, were not able to remove them. And, therefore, it is not strange that Jehoiada could not now take them away, when the king was young, and not well settled in his kingdom, and when the people were more corrupt and disorderly through Athaliah’s mal-administration.

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

So hard a thing it is for them, that are in authority, to be brought to the perfect obedience of God.

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

But the high places were not taken away--The popular fondness for the private and disorderly rites performed in the groves and recesses of hills was so inveterate that even the most powerful monarchs had been unable to accomplish their suppression; no wonder that in the early reign of a young king, and after the gross irregularities that had been allowed during the maladministration of Athaliah, the difficulty of putting an end to the superstitions associated with "the high places" was greatly increased.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 3. The high places were not taken away] Without the total destruction of these there could be no radical reform. The toleration of any species of idolatry in the land, whatever else was done in behalf of true religion, left, and in effect fostered, a seed which springing up, regenerated in time the whole infernal system. Jehoiada did not use his influence as he might have done; for as he had the king's heart and hand with him, he might have done what he pleased.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(3) But.—Save that; as at 2Ki_15:4. (For the statement of the verse, comp. 1Ki_15:14.)

Sacrificed . . . burnt.—Were wont to sacrifice . . . burn. The worship of the high places continued even under the régime of Jehoiada.

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

3. But [R.V. Howbeit] the high places were not taken away] Worship having been permitted there before the temple was erected, it was difficult to draw the people away from them, as they would be nearer at hand than the one place set apart for sacrifice, viz. Jerusalem, and they would also have acquired a degree of consecration from long use.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But the high places were not taken away,.... Used before the temple was built, or set up in Rehoboam's time, Kg1 14:23 contrary to the law of God, which required that sacrifices should only be offered in the place the Lord chose to dwell in, Deu 12:4 the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places; as they had done in the times of Athaliah, and though the pure worship of God was restored at Jerusalem; and indeed this they did in all preceding reigns; nor was it in the power of the best of kings, at least they did not think it safe to attempt to remove them till Hezekiah's time; so fond were the people of them because of their antiquity and supposed sanctity, and for the sake of ease.

the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places; as they had done in the times of Athaliah, and though the pure worship of God was restored at Jerusalem; and indeed this they did in all preceding reigns; nor was it in the power of the best of kings, at least they did not think it safe to attempt to remove them till Hezekiah's time; so fond were the people of them because of their antiquity and supposed sanctity, and for the sake of ease.

2 Kings 12:4

kg2 12:4

kg2 12:4

kg2 12:4And Jehoash said to the priests,.... Being minded or having it in his heart, to repair the temple, as in Ch2 24:4 not only because it was the sanctuary of the Lord, though that chiefly, but because it had been a sanctuary to him, where he was hid and preserved six years:

all the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the Lord: or rather, "that is to be brought", as De Dieu, and others render it, the particulars of which follow:

even the money of everyone that passeth the account; or that passeth among them that are numbered, as in Exo 30:13 that were upwards of twenty years of age, and bound to pay the half shekel for the ransom of their souls; and it is called the collection or burden Moses laid on them in the wilderness, Ch2 24:6.

the money that every man is set at; the price the priest set upon or estimated a man at, or whomsoever that belonged to him, that he devoted to the Lord, which by the law he was bound to pay for his redemption, and, till that was done, he and they were not his, but the Lord's, of which see Lev 27:1 and here the Targum calls it, the money of the redemption of souls, which is the gift of a man for the redemption of his soul:

and all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the Lord: vows and freewill offerings made of their own accord.

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

The worship on the “high places” seems to have continued uninterruptedly to the time of Hezekiah, who abolished it 2Ki 18:4. It was, however, again established by Manasseh, his son 2Ki 21:3. The priests at this time cannot have regarded it as idolatrous, or Jehoiada would have put it during his regency.

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

Places, to the true God, but contrary to his law. The king was deterred from overturning these altars, through human policy; which did not meet with the divine approbation. (Calmet) See 3 Kings xxii. 24., and Deuteronomy xii. 8.

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).

The people were so fondly and strangely addicted to

the high places, that the foregoing kings, though men of riper years, and great power and courage, and finally settled in their thrones, could not take them away; and therefore it is not strange if Jehoiada could not now remove them, when the king was very young and tender, and not well settled in his kingdom, and when the people were more corrupt and disorderly through Athaliah’s maladministration.

Sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places to God.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

3. High places were not taken away — And these were a constant temptation to idolatry. A nation that had been so thoroughly flooded with idolatrous practices as Israel could not be morally safe with these temptations ever before their eyes. The failure to abolish these was one great mistake of Joash and other kings who attempted reformation. Compare notes on 1Ki_3:2; 1Ki_15:14.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But the high places were not taken away. So it had been with the best of the previous kings of Judah, as Asa (1Ki_15:14) and Jehoshaphat; (1Ki_22:43) and so it was with the other "good" kings (2Ki_14:4 2Ki_15:4, 2Ki_15:35) until the reign of Hezekiah, by whom the high places were removed (see below,. (2Ki_18:4) We must remember that it was Jehovah who was worshipped in the "high places," not Baal, or Moloch, or Ashtoreth. (see the comment on 1Ki_15:14) The people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places. The people, not the king, in the earlier portion of his reign; but in the later portion, probably the king also. (see 2Ch_24:17, 2Ch_24:18)

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

Burnt incense - To the true God.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

All his days, as Yehoyoda the kohein instructed him. But after Yehoyoda died, the officers of Yehudah came to prostrate themselves before the king, and they deified him. They said to him, “One who enters the Holy of Holies for only a moment is in danger of dying, yet were hidden there for six years, so you are fit to be a deity.” Then the king listened to them. instructed him,” i.e., as long as Yehoyada was alive.—Radak Or, “all his days” refers to Yehoyada’s days. After Yehoyada died, Yoash began to worship asheirohs and other idols. When Zecharyoh prophesied against him, Yoash had him killed, and the following year Arom attacked Yerusholayim.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.