2 Chronicles 24:20
in 2 Chronicles 24Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest; and he stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of Jehovah, so that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken Jehovah, he hath also forsaken you.
KJV
And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the Lord, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the Lord, he hath also forsaken you.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 24
Commentary
10 notes on this verseSome such thing we read of in the book of Chronicles. For Joash the king of Judah at the age of seven was summoned by Jehoiada the priest to the kingdom and by the witness of Scripture is commended for all his actions as long as the aforesaid priest lived. But hear what Scripture relates of him after Jehoiada's death and how he was puffed up with pride and given over to a most disgraceful state.
This site's exposition
Spirit of God came upon
The Spirit of God comes upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada, and he stands above the people to charge them in the Lord's own words: why transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper, because you have forsaken the Lord, he has also forsaken you. He is Jehoiada's own son, so the man about to die for speaking is the child of the priest who once hid the infant Joash and crowned him. The book's own test of every reign, seek or forsake, is here spoken to the king's face rather than left to the narrator.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
But if there are some who think that they can return to the Church not with prayers but with threats, or suppose that they can make a way for themselves, not with lamentation and atonements, but with terrors, let them take it for certain that against such the Church of the Lord stands closed; nor does the camp of Christ, unconquered and firm with the Lord's protection, yield to threats. The priest of God holding fast the Gospel and keeping Christ's precepts may be slain; he cannot be conquered.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Zechariah was son of high priest Jehoiada, a man who was likewise very holy. They stoned Zechariah between the temple and the altar, as the Lord himself bore witness when he made mention of the blessed martyrs in the Gospel.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Nay, you find already that because you have forsaken the Lord he hath forsaken you, as he told you he would," Deut. xxix. This is the work of ministers, by the word of God, as a lamp and a light, to expose the sin of men and expound the providences of God. (2.) The barbarous treatment they gave him for his kindness and faithfulness in delivering this message to them,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Who stood - The people were assembled in the court of the temple, which they had not quite forsook, when Zechariah stood up in some of the desks that were in the court of the priests, and plainly told them their sin, and the consequences of it.
And the Spirit of the Lord came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah - “When he saw the transgression of the king and of the people, burning incense to an idol in the house of the sanctuary of the Lord, on the day of expiation; and preventing the priests of the Lord from offering the burnt-offerings, sacrifices, daily oblations, and services, as written in the book of the law of Moses; he stood above the people, and said.” - Targum.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
With strong professions of allegiance they humbly requested that they might not be subjected to the continued necessity of frequent and expensive journeys to Jerusalem, but allowed the privilege their fathers had enjoyed of worshipping God in high places at home.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Stood above the people - Zechariah, the high priest, took up an elevated position, perhaps on the steps of the inner court, which was elevated above the outer court, where the people would be.
The words behind it
30 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְר֣וּחַ | veruach | and [the] spirit of | H7307 → | 378 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֗ים | ʾelohim | God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לָֽבְשָׁה֙ | laveshah | it clothed | H3847 → | 110 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| זְכַרְיָה֙ | zekharyah | Zechariah | H2148 → | 43 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| יְהוֹיָדָ֣ע | yehoyada' | Jehoiada | H3077 → | 51 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֔ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖ד | vaiyaamod | and he stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| מֵעַ֣ל | meal | <from> above | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| לָעָ֑ם | laam | <to> the people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| וַיֹּ֨אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| לָהֶ֜ם | lahem | to them | ||
| כֹּ֣ה׀ | koh | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֣ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים | haelohim | <the> God | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לָמָה֩ | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| אַתֶּ֨ם | ʾatem | [are] you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עֹבְרִ֜ים | ʾoerim | transgressing | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| מִצְוֹ֤ת | mitzvot | [the] commandments of | H4687 → | 181 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַצְלִ֔יחוּ | tatzlichu | you will prosper | H6743 → | 65 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| עֲזַבְתֶּ֥ם | ʾazavtem | you have forsaken | H5800 → | 215 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיַּֽעֲזֹ֥ב | vaiyaazo | and he has forsaken | H5800 → | 215 times |
| אֶתְכֶֽם׃ | ʾetkhem | <obj.> you | H853 → | 10935 times |
וְר֣וּחַand [the] spirit of
veruachH7307 →378 times
אֱלֹהִ֗יםGod
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
לָֽבְשָׁה֙it clothed
laveshahH3847 →110 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
זְכַרְיָה֙Zechariah
zekharyahH2148 →43 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
יְהוֹיָדָ֣עJehoiada
yehoyada'H3077 →51 times
הַכֹּהֵ֔ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
וַֽיַּעֲמֹ֖דand he stood
vaiyaamodH5975 →521 times
מֵעַ֣ל<from> above
mealH5921 →5755 times
לָעָ֑ם<to> the people
laamH5971 →1873 times
וַיֹּ֨אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
לָהֶ֜םto them
lahem
כֹּ֣ה׀thus
kohH3541 →577 times
אָמַ֣רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים<the> God
haelohimH430 →2601 times
לָמָה֩<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
אַתֶּ֨ם[are] you
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
עֹבְרִ֜יםtransgressing
ʾoerimH5674 →556 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
מִצְוֹ֤ת[the] commandments of
mitzvotH4687 →181 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
תַצְלִ֔יחוּyou will prosper
tatzlichuH6743 →65 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
עֲזַבְתֶּ֥םyou have forsaken
ʾazavtemH5800 →215 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיַּֽעֲזֹ֥בand he has forsaken
vaiyaazoH5800 →215 times
אֶתְכֶֽם׃<obj.> you
ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 23:35And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 24:20–22
Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments…
- Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he…
- Zechariah 1:1
In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo, saying:
- Genesis 4:8
Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
- Revelation 18:24
And there was found in her the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who had been slain on the earth.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20–22
Through
Jeremiah 5:25Your iniquities have diverted these from you; your sins have deprived you of My bounty.
it leads to
- Isaiah 59:2
But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.
- Psalms 107:34
and fruitful land into fields of salt, because of the wickedness of its dwellers.
- Psalms 107:17
Fools, in their rebellious ways, and through their iniquities, suffered affliction.
- Isaiah 59:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Chronicles

This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Homilies on the Gospels 1.3; Cyprian, Epistle LIV.17; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Cassian, INSTITUTES 12.21; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
