2 Chronicles 24:22
in 2 Chronicles 24Thus King Joash failed to remember the kindness that Zechariah’s father Jehoiada had extended to him. Instead, Joash killed Jehoiada’s son. As he lay dying, Zechariah said, “May the LORD see this and call you to account.”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, Jehovah look upon it, and require it.
KJV
Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it, and require it.
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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
conspired against him, and stoned
on 2 Chronicles 24:21-22
The princes stone Zechariah at the king's own commandment, in the court of the house of the Lord, the same king Jehoiada had hidden as an infant and crowned at seven. Joash forgets the kindness and kills the son; the prophet's own dying word becomes his epitaph, The Lord look upon it, and require it. Matthew 23:35 names a Zacharias son of Barachias slain between the temple and the altar, and readers of both texts differ on the fit: some hold Matthew names this same Zechariah under a second name carried by Jehoiada, others hold he means the writing prophet Zechariah son of Berechiah of Zechariah 1:1, and others read the reference as marking this murder as the last martyrdom in the Hebrew canon's own order, since Chronicles closes the Tanakh where Genesis opens it. The three positions stand named, and none of them settles the question the text itself leaves open.
The record, by era
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
Require it - Make inquisition for innocent blood. But the words may be rendered, The Lord will look upon it, and require it, will require satisfaction from you for it.
He will do it, for he is righteous." This precious blood was quickly reckoned for in the judgments that came upon this apostate prince; it came into the account afterwards in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Chaldeans--their misusing the prophets was that which brought upon them ruin without remedy ( ch. xxxvi.
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Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done to him,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
The Lord look upon it, and require it - And so he did; for, at the end of that year, the Syrians came against Judah, destroyed all the princes of the people, sent their spoils to Damascus; and Joash, the murderer of the prophet, the son of his benefactor, was himself murdered by his own servants. Here was a most signal display of the Divine retribution. On the subject of the death of this prophet the reader is requested to refer to the note on Mat 23:34, Mat 23:35.
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
when he died, he said, The Lord look upon it and require it--These dying words, if they implied a vindictive imprecation, exhibit a striking contrast to the spirit of the first Christian martyr (Ac 7:60). But, instead of being the expression of a personal wish, they might be the utterance of a prophetic doom. HE IS SLAIN BY HIS SERVANTS.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
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
The Lord look upon it and require it - Compare Gen 9:5; Gen 42:22; and contrast the words of Christ Luk 23:34, and of Stephen Act 7:60. Zechariah’s prayer was prophetic (see 2Ch 24:23, 2Ch 24:25; Luk 11:51).
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| זָכַ֞ר | zakhar | he remembered | H2142 → | 230 times |
| יוֹאָ֣שׁ | yoash | Joash | H3101 → | 47 times |
| הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| הַחֶ֙סֶד֙ | hachesed | the loyalty | H2617 → | 247 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| עָשָׂ֜ה | ʾasah | he had done | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| יְהוֹיָדָ֤ע | yehoyada' | Jehoiada | H3077 → | 51 times |
| אָבִיו֙ | ʾaviv | father his | H1 → | 1212 times |
| עִמּ֔וֹ | imo | with him | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֖ג | vaiyaharog | and he killed | H2026 → | 167 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּנ֑וֹ | beno | son his | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| וּכְמוֹת֣וֹ | ukhemoto | and when dying he | H4191 → | 839 times |
| אָמַ֔ר | ʾamar | he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יֵ֥רֶא | yere' | may he see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| יְהוָ֖ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וְיִדְרֹֽשׁ׃ פ | veyidrosh | and may he require | H1875 → | 164 times |
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
זָכַ֞רhe remembered
zakharH2142 →230 times
יוֹאָ֣שׁJoash
yoashH3101 →47 times
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְthe king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
הַחֶ֙סֶד֙the loyalty
hachesedH2617 →247 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
עָשָׂ֜הhe had done
ʾasahH6213 →2628 times
יְהוֹיָדָ֤עJehoiada
yehoyada'H3077 →51 times
אָבִיו֙father his
ʾavivH1 →1212 times
עִמּ֔וֹwith him
imoH5973 →1050 times
וַֽיַּהֲרֹ֖גand he killed
vaiyaharogH2026 →167 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּנ֑וֹson his
benoH1121 →4930 times
וּכְמוֹת֣וֹand when dying he
ukhemotoH4191 →839 times
אָמַ֔רhe said
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יֵ֥רֶאmay he see
yere'H7200 →1300 times
יְהוָ֖הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וְיִדְרֹֽשׁ׃ פand may he require
veyidroshH1875 →164 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
Luke 11:51from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.
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…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 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…
- Matthew 23:35
And 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…
- 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:
- 1 John 3:12
Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20–22
Through
Revelation 19:2For His judgments are true and just. He has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her immorality. He has avenged the blood of His servants that was poured out by her…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:43
Rejoice, O heavens, with Him, and let all God’s angels worship Him. Rejoice, O nations, with His people; for He will avenge the blood of His children. He will take vengeance on His adversaries…
- Revelation 6:10
And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You avenge our blood and judge those who dwell upon the earth?”
- Deuteronomy 32:43
Through
Genesis 9:5And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow man:
it leads to
- Exodus 21:28–29
If an ox gores a man or woman to death, the ox must surely be stoned, and its meat must not be eaten. But the owner of the ox shall not be held responsible.
- Exodus 21:28–29
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on 9 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Bede, Homilies on the Gospels 1.3; Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.