In brief
Joash is the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah. When his grandmother Athaliah destroys the whole royal family, his aunt Jehosheba hides him with his nurse in the house of the Lord for six years. At seven, the priest Jehoiada has him crowned and Athaliah is put to death. Joash reigns forty years in Jerusalem and has the temple repaired. But after Jehoiada dies, he listens to the officials of Judah, abandons the Lord and has Zechariah, his benefactor's son, stoned. Defeated by the Syrians, he is assassinated by his servants.
What does the name Joash King of Judah mean?
Joash (Yoash in Hebrew) is generally linked to an expression meaning the Lord has given or the Lord is strong. The Bible does not explain his name. Several people bear it: the father of Gideon (Judges 6) and a king of Israel, son of Jehoahaz and contemporary of the prophet Elisha (2 Kings 13), who should not be confused with the king of Judah.
The story of Joash King of Judah
A baby saved from the massacre
2 Kings 11:1-3When her son Ahaziah dies, Athaliah destroys the whole royal family so that she can rule. But Jehosheba, Ahaziah's sister, takes the infant Joash from among the king's sons who are being killed and hides him with his nurse in a bedroom. He remained hidden with her in the house of the Lord for six years. The line of David hangs on a child concealed in the temple.
Crowned at seven
2 Kings 11:4-12In the seventh year, the priest Jehoiada gathers the commanders of hundreds in the house of the Lord, makes them swear an oath and shows them the king's son. He organizes the guard, hands out King David's spears and shields, then brings the boy forward and puts the crown and the testimony on him. They make him king and anoint him, and clapping their hands they shout, Long live the king!
The fall of Athaliah and the renewed covenant
2 Kings 11:13-21Athaliah hurries in at the noise, sees the king by the pillar and cries treason. Jehoiada has her led out and put to death outside the temple. He then makes a covenant between the Lord, the king and the people; the temple of Baal is torn down and its priest Mattan is killed. Joash is brought down to the palace, sits on the throne, and the city is quiet. Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.
The chest to repair the temple
2 Kings 12:4-15Joash orders the priests to use the money dedicated to the temple for repairs. By the twenty-third year, nothing has been done, and the king calls them to account. Jehoiada then places a chest with a hole in its lid beside the altar; the money collected is weighed out and given to the carpenters, builders and stonemasons. No accounting is demanded of them, because they dealt honestly. The house of the Lord is restored.
The drift after Jehoiada's death
2 Chronicles 24:17-19As long as Jehoiada lives, Joash does what is right. But after Jehoiada's death, the officials of Judah come and pay homage to the king, and the king listens to them. They abandon the house of the Lord to serve the Asherah poles and idols. God's anger comes upon Judah; he sends prophets to bring them back, but no one heeds the warnings.
The murder of Zechariah
2 Chronicles 24:20-22Zechariah, son of Jehoiada, clothed with the Spirit of God, rebukes the people for forsaking the Lord. They plot against him and, at the king's command, stone him in the courtyard of the temple. King Joash did not remember the kindness that Jehoiada, Zechariah's father, had shown him, and killed his son. As he dies, Zechariah says that the Lord will see and call to account.
Defeat and assassination
2 Chronicles 24:23-25The following year, a Syrian army comes up against Judah with only a small force; yet the Lord delivers a very large army into their hands, because Judah had forsaken him. Joash is left severely wounded. His servants conspire against him because of the blood of the son of Jehoiada the priest and kill him on his bed. He is buried in the City of David, but not in the tombs of the kings.
What Joash King of Judah teaches us
- A faith carried by others cannot stand alone: ask God for a personal relationship with him, not just the influence of a good mentor.
- Whom are you listening to? Joash was faithful as long as he followed Jehoiada and was ruined when he listened to flatterers; choose your counselors well.
- Ingratitude opens the door to the worst falls: remember those who have done you good and honor them.
- God watches over his promise even in the midst of massacre: a child hidden in the temple was enough to preserve the line of David.
- Repairing God's house does not replace faithfulness of heart; outward zeal and a living relationship with God belong together.
Key verses
Joash did what was right all the days that Jehoiada instructed him. The wording already contains the warning: his faithfulness depended on one man.
After Jehoiada's death, the officials of Judah flatter the king, and he listens to them. The kingdom immediately abandons the house of the Lord for idols: the drift is swift.
Joash forgets Jehoiada's kindness and has his son Zechariah killed. The dying man's cry that the Lord would see and avenge foreshadows the king's end.
Sermons about Joash King of Judah
- Return to Your Father with a Son's LanguageWe are shaped by whatever takes authority over our lives: Joash served God as long as Jehoiada the priest was forming him, then drifted after his death (2 Chronicles 24).
- Psalm 78: Teach Your Children to Trust in GodJoash did what was right all through Jehoiada's life, then listened to other counselors and abandoned the Lord: when the mentor is gone, we see whether the child has become a true disciple.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Joash abandon God after Jehoiada's death?
The text says only that after Jehoiada's death, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them (2 Chronicles 24:17). His faithfulness rested on the priest's instruction (2 Kings 12:2) more than on a personal attachment to the Lord. Once that support was gone, he followed other voices.
What is the difference between Joash king of Judah and Joash king of Israel?
Joash, king of Judah, is the son of Ahaziah, rescued from Athaliah as a child and crowned at seven by Jehoiada (2 Kings 11-12). Joash, king of Israel, is the son of Jehoahaz, who reigned in Samaria and visited the dying Elisha (2 Kings 13). The two were contemporaries, which explains the confusion.
Where can I find the story of Joash in the Bible?
His rescue and coronation are in 2 Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 22:10-23:21. His reign, the repair of the temple and his death are in 2 Kings 12. The account in 2 Chronicles 24 adds his drift after Jehoiada's death, the murder of Zechariah and God's judgment.