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Commentary on 2 Kings 12 verses 4–16
We have here an account of the repairing of the temple in the reign of Joash.
I. It seems, the temple had gone out of repair. Though Solomon built it very strong, of the best materials and in the best manner, yet in time it went to decay, and there were breaches found in it (Kg2 12:5), in the roofs, or walls, or floors, the ceiling, or wainscoting, or windows, or the partitions of the courts. Even temples themselves are the worse for the wearing; but the heavenly temple will never wax old. Yet it was not only the teeth of time that made these breaches, the sons of Athaliah had broken up the house of God (Ch2 24:7), and, out of enmity to the service of the temple, had damaged the buildings of it, and the priests had not taken care to repair the breaches in time, so that they went worse and worse. Unworthy were those husbandmen to have this valuable vineyard let out to them upon such easy terms who could not afford to keep the winepress in due and tenantable repair, Mat 21:33. Justly did their great Lord sue them for this permissive waste, and by his judgments recover locum vastatum - for dilapidations (as the law speaks), when this neglected temple was laid even with the ground.
II. The king himself was (as it should seem) the first and forwardest man that took care for the repair of it. We do not find that the priests complained of it or that Jehoiada himself was active in it, but the king was zealous in the matter, 1. Because he was king, and God expects and requires from those who have power that they use it for the maintenance and support of religion, the redress of grievances, and reparation of decays, for the exciting and engaging of ministers to do their part and people theirs. 2. Because the temple had been both his nursery and his sanctuary when he was a child, in a grateful remembrance of which he now appeared zealous for the honour of it. Those who have experienced the comfort and benefit of religious assemblies will make the reproach of them their burden (Zep 3:18), the support of them their care, and the prosperity of them their chief joy.
III. The priests were ordered to collect money for these repairs, and to take care that the work was done. The king had the affairs of his kingdom to mind, and could not himself inspect this affair, but he employed the priests to manage it, the fittest persons, and most likely, one would think, to be hearty in it. 1. He gave them orders for the levying of the money of the dedicated things. They must not stay till it was paid in, but they must call for it where they knew it was due, in their respective districts, as redemption-money (by virtue of the law, Lev 27:2, Lev 27:3), or as a free-will offering, Kg2 12:4. This they were to gather every man of his acquaintance, and it was supposed that there was no man but had acquaintance with some or other of the priests. Note, We should take the opportunity that God gives us of exciting those we have a particular acquaintance with to that which is good. 2. He gave them orders for laying out the money they had levied in repairing the breaches of the house, Kg2 12:5.
IV. This method did not answer the intention, Kg2 12:6. Little money was raised. Either the priests were careless, and did not call on the people to pay in their dues, or the people had so little confidence in the priests' management that they were backward to pay money into their hands; if they were distrusted without cause, it was the people's shame; if with, it was more theirs. But what money was raised was not applied to the proper use: The breaches of the house were not repaired; the priests thought it might serve as well as it had done, and therefore put off repairing from time to time. Church work is usually slow work, but it is a pity that churchmen, of all men, should be slow at it. Perhaps what little money they raised they thought it necessary to use for the maintenance of the priests, which must needs fall much short when ten tribes had wholly revolted and the other two were wretchedly corrupted.
V. Another method was therefore taken. The king had his heart much set upon having the breaches of the house repaired, Kg2 12:7. His apostasy, at last, gives us cause to question whether he had as good an affection for the service of the temple as he had for the structure. Many have been zealous for building and beautifying churches, and for other forms of godliness, who yet have been strangers to the power of it. However, we commend his zeal, and blame him not for reproving even his tutor Jehoiada himself when he saw him remiss; and so convincing was his reproof that the priests owned themselves unworthy to be any longer employed, and consented to the taking of some other measures, and the giving up of the money they had received into other hands, Kg2 12:8. It was honestly done, when they found they had not spirit to do it themselves, not to hinder other people from doing it. Another course was taken,
1.For raising money, Kg2 12:9, Kg2 12:10. The money was not paid into private hands, but put into a public chest, and then people brought it in readily and in great abundance, not only their dues, but their free-will offerings for so good a work. The high priest and the secretary of state counted the money out of the chest, and laid it by in specie for the use to which it was appropriated. When public distributions are made faithfully public contributions will be made cheerfully. The money that was given, (1.) Was dropped into the chest through a hole in the lid, past recall, to intimate that what has been once resigned to God must never be resumed. Every man, as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give. (2.) The chest was put on the right hand as they went in, which, some think, is alluded to in that rule of charity which our Saviour gives, Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth. But, while they were getting all they could for the repair of the temple, they did not break in upon that which was the stated maintenance of the priests, Kg2 12:16. The trespass-money and the sin-money (which were given to them by that law, Lev 5:15, Lev 5:16) were reserved to them. Let not the servants of the temple be starved under colour of repairing the breaches of it.
2.For laying out the money that was raised.
(1.)They did not put it into the hands of the priests, who were not versed in affairs of this nature, having other work to mind, but into the hands of those that did the work, or at least had the oversight of it, Kg2 12:11. Those were fittest to be entrusted with this business whose employment lay that way. Tractant fabrilia fabri - Every artist has his trade assigned; but let not those who are called to war the holy warfare entangle themselves in the affairs of this life. Those that were thus entrusted did the business, [1.] Carefully, purchasing materials and paying workmen, Kg2 12:12. Business is done with expedition when those are employed in it that understand it and know which way to go about it. [2.] Faithfully; such a reputation they got for honesty that there was no occasion to examine their bills or audit their accounts. Let all that are entrusted with public money, or public work, learn hence to deal faithfully, as those that know God will reckon with them, whether men do or no. Those that think it is no sin to cheat the government, cheat the country, or cheat the church, will be of another mind when God shall set their sins in order before them.
(2.)They did not lay it out in ornaments for the temple, in vessels of gold or silver, but in necessary repairs first (Kg2 12:13), whence we may learn, in all our expenses to give that the preference which is most needful, and, in dealing for the public, to deal as we would for ourselves. After the repairs were finished we find the overplus turned into plate for the service of the temple, Ch2 24:14.
“Therefore King Joash summoned the priest Jehoiada with the other priests and said to them, ‘Why are you not repairing the house?’ ” The reason why king Joash and the high priest Jehoiada called a meeting to discuss the repairing of the house of God is revealed in the second book of the Annals with these words: “Athaliah instructed the children of iniquity, and undermined the house of the Lord and drove all the priests who were in the house of the Lord to the worship of the idols.” And it is not surprising that Athaliah, a woman endowed with audacity and shrewdness, made that attempt in order to aspire to power and take hold of the kingdom. Therefore, when everything was under her control and the king Ahaziah himself obeyed her blindly, nothing was neglected by her in order to draw the Jews away from the divine worship and to drive them to the ancient religion of the Sidonians. For this reason, while the temple of the true God remained abandoned after the introduction of the foreign cult, it had begun to be in ruin in many spots and was in danger of collapsing because of that. So the king, in order to remedy this serious situation, together with the authority of the high priest, gathered a large sum of money freely offered by the people and entrusted with it some priests elected to accomplish that task. But later on, when he realized that they were not making the progress he had hoped for in the task they had received, he transferred the care of the temple to other men of certain integrity who could work on that assignment with the highest perseverance and dedication. From the allegorical point of view you can recognize here a type of the saints who, after receiving from God the gift of knowledge, set out to repair that same house shaken by vain cults and various crimes.
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SUMMARY
Twenty-three years into the reign of King Jehoash of Judah, the Jerusalem Temple remained in a state of severe disrepair, its structural "breaches" unaddressed, despite the king's earlier decree and the allocation of dedicated funds. This verse highlights a significant and prolonged failure on the part of the priests, who were entrusted with the sacred duty of maintaining God's house, revealing a serious lapse in their stewardship and commitment to the spiritual and physical well-being of the sanctuary.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse employs Irony by highlighting the failure of the very individuals (the priests) who were divinely appointed and royally commissioned to care for God's house. It is deeply ironic that those closest to the sacred space and responsible for its upkeep were the ones neglecting its physical state. Furthermore, the "breaches of the house" function as Symbolism, representing not only the physical decay of the Temple but also potentially a deeper spiritual or administrative breakdown within the priesthood or the nation itself. The physical condition of the sanctuary often mirrored the spiritual health of the people. Finally, there is a clear Contrast between the king's initial proactive command to repair the Temple and the priests' twenty-three years of passive inaction, which ultimately necessitated a new, more direct approach from the king.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
The failure of the priests to repair the Temple in 2 Kings 12:6 serves as a profound theological lesson on stewardship, obedience, and the sanctity of God's dwelling. It underscores that spiritual duties are not merely ceremonial but demand diligent practical application, including the care of physical spaces dedicated to worship. The prolonged neglect of the Temple, God's earthly abode, reflects a deeper spiritual malaise—a lack of zeal for God's glory and a failure to prioritize His presence. This narrative implicitly teaches that God holds His appointed leaders and people accountable for the care of what is entrusted to them, whether it be a physical structure or the spiritual well-being of the community. It foreshadows the prophetic critiques against those who prioritize their own comfort over the condition of God's house, emphasizing that true devotion is demonstrated through action.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
The twenty-three-year delay in repairing the Temple, as revealed in 2 Kings 12:6, offers a sobering lesson for believers today regarding responsibility, stewardship, and the danger of spiritual procrastination. Just as a physical building requires consistent maintenance, our spiritual lives and communities demand diligent attention and "repair." We must guard against spiritual "breaches"—areas of neglect in our faith, discipline, relationships, or service—that can weaken our walk with God and hinder the flourishing of the church. This passage reminds us that fulfilling our duties, whether in our personal spiritual disciplines, our families, our workplaces, or within the body of Christ, is not optional but essential for genuine faithfulness. Leaders, in particular, are called to be faithful stewards, ensuring that God's work is carried out effectively and that resources are managed with integrity and purpose. When systems fail or individuals neglect their responsibilities, it is imperative to implement new measures, as Jehoash did, to ensure that God's kingdom work progresses. Our zeal for God's "house"—His church and His presence in our lives—should be evident in our proactive care and diligent service, not in prolonged inaction.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why did the priests fail to repair the Temple for so long?
Answer: The text of 2 Kings 12:6 does not explicitly state the reasons for the priests' failure, but several factors can be inferred from the broader narrative and historical context. It's likely a combination of mismanagement of funds, lack of urgency, and perhaps even a degree of corruption or self-interest. Jehoash's initial decree allowed the priests to collect the dedicated money and use it directly for repairs. This system, while seemingly empowering, might have lacked sufficient oversight, leading to funds being diverted or simply not utilized for their intended purpose. The priests may have prioritized their own needs or become complacent, lacking the zeal to undertake the significant task of restoration. The severe damage to the Temple, possibly exacerbated during Athaliah's reign when Baal worship was promoted, would have required substantial effort, which the priests seemed unwilling or unable to provide for over two decades. Jehoash's subsequent reform, which established a new, more direct system for collecting and managing the repair funds, strongly suggests that the previous priestly administration of these funds was inefficient or corrupt.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
The narrative of priestly neglect in 2 Kings 12:6 finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus, who is the true and perfect Temple of God. While the physical Temple in Jerusalem suffered from human neglect and decay, Jesus Himself declared, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up," referring to the temple of His body. Unlike the priests who failed to maintain the physical structure, Jesus demonstrated ultimate zeal for God's house, cleansing it of those who defiled it. Furthermore, through His sacrificial death and resurrection, Jesus inaugurated a new covenant, establishing a spiritual Temple not made with human hands. Believers, united with Christ, become living stones in this new spiritual house, a "holy temple in the Lord," where God's Spirit dwells. Thus, the "breaches" of sin and spiritual decay that plagued humanity, which the old covenant and its physical Temple could not ultimately repair, are fully and perfectly mended by Christ's atoning work, making us a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.