(1-3) THE REIGN OF JEHOAHAZ.

(1) In the three and twentieth year of Joash.—Josephus makes it the twenty-first year of Joash, but wrongly. According to 2Kings 12:1, Joash succeeded in the seventh year of Jehu, and Jehu reigned twentyeight years (2Kings 10:36).

Seventeen years.—This agrees with 2Kings 14:1.

(2) And he did.—See Notes on 2Kings 3:3.

(3) He delivered them into the hand of Hazael.—Comp. 2Kings 10:32, seq. The meaning is that Jehovah allowed Israel to be defeated in successive encounters with the Syrian forces, and to Suffer loss of territory, but not total subjugation. According to the Assyrian data, Shalmaneser warred with Hazael in 842 B.C. , and again in 839 B.C. (See Notes on 2Kings 8:15; 2Kings 9:2.)

All their days.—Rather, all the days, i.e., continually (not all the days of Jehoahaz, nor of Hazael and Ben-hadad). The phrase is an indefinite designation of a long period of disaster.

In the three and twentieth year - Rather, the "one and twentieth year." See 2 Kings 13:10.

2Ki 13:1-7. Jehoahaz's Wicked Reign over Israel.

1-3. Jehoahaz … reigned seventeen years—Under his government, which pursued the policy of his predecessors regarding the support of the calf-worship, Israel's apostasy from the true God became greater and more confirmed than in the time of his father Jehu. The national chastisement, when it came, was consequently the more severe and the instruments employed by the Lord in scourging the revolted nation were Hazael and his son and general Ben-hadad, in resisting whose successive invasions the Israelitish army was sadly reduced and weakened. In the extremity of his distress, Jehoahaz besought the Lord, and was heard, not on his own account (Ps 66:18; Pr 1:28; 15:8), but that of the ancient covenant with the patriarchs (2Ki 13:23).Jehoahaz king of Israel followeth the sin of Jeroboam; is oppressed by Hazael; and relieved by prayer, 2 Kings 13:1-9. Joash his son suceedeth him in the kingdom, and in his idolatry, 2 Kings 13:10-13. Elisha prophesieth to Joash three victories over the Syrians, and dieth: Joash’s lamentation, 2 Kings 13:14-19. A year after the Moabites invading the land, a dead man being cast into Elisha’s sepulchre, is restored to life, 2 Kings 13:20,21. Hazael dieth, and Joash recovereth the cities which had been taken from his father, 2 Kings 13:22-25.

Began to reign, Heb. reigned; which is put for began to reign, 2 Kings 3:1 8:16,25 12:1.

Jehoahaz the son of Jehu began to reign over Israel in Samaria; whereas Joash began to reign in the seventh year of Jehu, and Jehu reigned but twenty eight years, 2 Kings 10:36, and 2 Kings 12:1, this could be but the twenty first of Joash; to reconcile which it must be observed, that it was at the beginning of the seventh year of Jehu that Joash began to reign, and at the beginning of the twenty third of Joash that Jehoahaz began to reign, as the Jewish commentators observe:

and reigned seventeen years; the two last of which were in common with his son, as Junius, see