The Ironic End of Joash in Chronicles - Fontes - Lutheran School of ...

pretation of Joash's life. This study, offered in tribute to George W E. Nickelsburg, aclose friend and colleague for almost forty years, assesses the ways in which theChronicler has rewritten the story of Joash that he found in Kings.The account of Joash in Kings created theological problems for the Chronicler and hisstrict views on retribution, since he expected blessings or punishments to happen in justproportion and within a person's lifetime. He would have been surprised and evenoffended by the idea that Joash's successful efforts to repair the temple (2 Kings 12:4-16)were followed immediately by an invasion by Hazael of Aram, to whom Joash paid anenormous bribe (2 Kings 12:17-18), and also by a palace conspiracy that led to theassassination of Joash himself (2 Kings 12:19-21). The Chronicler used new informationand a fresh interpretation of the materials inherited from Kings to provide a theologicallycoherent, if somewhat ironic, 5 account of the reign of Joash.2 Kings 12''Jehoash was seven years oldwhen he became king. 2 1n the seventh yearof Jehu, Jehoash became king, and he ruledforty years in Jerusalem. His mother's namewas Zibiah of Beer-sheba.'3 Jehoash did what was upright in Yahweh'ssight all his days because' Jehoiada thepriest taught him.Introduction2 Chron. 24 'Joash was seven years oldwhen he became king, and he ruled fortyyears in Jerusalem. His mother's name wasZibiah of Beer-sheba.2 Joash did what was upright in Yahweh'ssight all the days of Jehoiada the priest.4Only they did not remove the high places;the people were still sacrificing andburning incense on the high places.3 Jehoiada secured two wives for him, andhe engendered sons and daughters.I call attention to the following significant changes introduced by the Chronicler:postexilic, Auld attributes little historical credibility to the supplementary materials inKings and Chronicles, saying, "I suspect in fact that this writer in Kings knew next tonothing about many of these ancient kings of the north" (139). For reasons set forthbelow inn. 9, I do not believe that Auld has successfully overturned the consensus.5. For a discussion of irony in the text, see M. Patrick Graham, "Aspects of theStructure and Rhetoric of 2 Chronicles 25," in History and Interpretation: Essays inHonour of John H. Hayes (JSOTSup 173; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993),78-89.6. Second Kings 11:21 in English versions. English versification, therefore, is one lessthan the MT throughout this chapter.7. The name of his mother is especially important, since there may have been somesuspicion that the child brought forward by Jehoiada and Jehoshabeath was not really ofthe royal family. See even J. Maxwell Miller and John H. Hayes, A History of AncientIsrael and Judah (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1986), 303-5.