(27) Now concerning his sons, and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him, and the repairing of the house of God.--Rather, And his sons, and the multitude of oracles upon him, and the founding of the house of God. The word "burden" (massa')is common in the sense of a threatening prophecy (2Kings 9:25; Isaiah 13:1; Habakkuk 1:1). In 2Chronicles 24:19 it is expressly said that prophets were sent to warn the princes of Judah. If this be the meaning here, the word massa' is used collectively. Another possible rendering is, "and the greatness of the tribute laid upon him" by Hazael. (Comp. 2Chronicles 17:11 for this sense of massa') The Heb. margin suggests, and as to his sons, may the burden concerning him multiply;" i.e., may the dying words of Zechariah be fulfilled in them even more disastrously! This is wholly improbable.

In the story of the book of the kings.--See margin, and Introduction.

Verse 27. - His sons. We only know of one, Amaziah, his successor. The burdens laid upon him. Some explain this expression of the tribute and bribe Joash had to pay Hazael; others of prophetic "burdens" uttered against him; and others (much favoured by the position of the clause just before the repairing of the house, etc.) of the task which he had so voluntarily undertaken, the money-raising and all (Ezekiel 24:25; comp. our vers. 6, 9, 11). The repairing; Hebrew, וִיסור. Render, with the Revised Version, the rebuilding. The story of the book of the kings. The Revised Version renders the Hebrew text (מִדְּרַשׁ סֵפֶר) "the commentary of the book of the kings," probably to be followed by the words, "of Judah;" the parallel has "the book of the Chronicles [סִפֶד דִּבְרֵי הַיָמִים] of the kings of Judah" (see our Introduction, 1 Chronicles, § 5, pp. 7-10.). The word rendered "story" or "commentary" in our text is employed only once beside (2 Chronicles 13:22). Its verbal root, however, is found about a hundred and sixty-two times, invariably in the sense of inquiring, and almost invariably rendered in the Authorized Version by the word "inquire," or "seek;" so that perhaps the word "study" or "pursuit" might, idioms being allowed for, be the nearer rendering. It is rabbinic literature mostly that has determined the preference for the word "commentary."

24:15-27 See what a great judgment on any prince or people, the death of godly, zealous, useful men is. See how necessary it is that we act in religion from inward principle. Then the loss of a parent, a minister, or a friend, will not be losing our religion. Often both princes and inferior people have been flattered to their ruin. True grace alone will enable a man to bring forth fruit unto the end. Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, being filled with the Spirit of prophecy, stood up, and told the people of their sin. This is the work of ministers, by the word of God, as a lamp and a light, to discover the sin of men, and expound the providences of God. They stoned Zechariah to death in the court of the house of the Lord. Observe the dying martyr's words: The Lord look upon it, and require it! This came not from a spirit of revenge, but a spirit of prophecy. God smote Joash with great diseases, of body, or mind, or both, before the Syrians departed from him. If vengeance pursue men, the end of one trouble will be but the beginning of another. His own servants slew him. These judgments are called the burdens laid upon him, for the wrath of God is a heavy burden, too heavy for any man to bear. May God help us to take warning, to be upright in heart, and to persevere in his ways to the end.Now concerning his sons,.... The sons of Joash; how many they were, and what their names:

and the greatness of the burdens laid upon him; which some understand of the hard and heavy prophecies of the Lord against him; and others of the heavy taxes and tribute imposed on him by the king of Syria; and others of the collection for the repairs of the temple, 2 Chronicles 24:6, where the word used signifies a burden; and it follows:

and the repairing of the house of the Lord; the whole history of that:

behold, they are written in the story of the book of the kings; not in the canonical book so called, but in the history, commentaries, or annals of the kings of Judah now lost:

and Amaziah his son reigned in his stead; see 2 Kings 12:21.