Summary Of The Reign Of Jehoash (Joash) King of Israel (2 Kings 13:10-12).
Because the prophetic author wished to keep the episode concerning Elisha's death outside the regular regnal pattern, the life of Jehoash of Israel is summed up and closed off in the usual way, although in very abbreviated form, before the description of Elisha's final acts, and the opening of Amaziah's reign then follows the Elisha incident. We can compare the same pattern with regard to chapter 2, where the taking of Elijah and the establishment of Elisha as his successor takes place after the closing of Ahaziah's reign but before the opening of Jehoram's. Furthermore we may also note the fact that Jehoram of Israel's reign (2 Kings 3:1 to 2 Kings 9:26) which incorporates the other Elisha material was never itself closed off with a closing formula. This deliberate exclusion from the lives of the kings highlights the ‘otherness' of the death scene of Elisha, and the fact of its heavenly connection.
Analysis.
a In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years (2 Kings 13:10).
b And he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, by which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them (2 Kings 13:11).
b Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? (2 Kings 13:12).
a And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne, and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel (2 Kings 13:13).
Note that in ‘a' we have the commencement of the reign and in the parallel the closure of the reign, and in ‘b' the verdict on the reign and the behaviour of the king, and in the parallel reference to the annals of the kings of Israel for further details of the reign. Any central emphasis is deliberately left out, highlighting that what follows is outside the regnal pattern.
‘In the thirty and seventh year of Joash king of Judah began Jehoash the son of Jehoahaz to reign over Israel in Samaria, and reigned sixteen years.'
Once again, as in the case of Jehoram (Joram), we have parallel kings of Israel and Judah with the same names, i.e. Jehoash/Joash. Jehoash of Israel will reign for sixteen years. The date here excludes Joash of Judah's co-regency.
‘And he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH. He departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, by which he made Israel to sin, but he walked in them.'
As with all the kings of Israel he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH because he made no attempt to return to orthodox Yahwism. Rather he maintained the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan. That such a return would have been possible without focusing on Jerusalem comes out in that Elijah (and probably Elisha) were able to worship quite happily and in ‘orthodox' fashion on Mount Carmel at ‘the altar of YHWH' (1 Kings 18:30-32). As had happened with Samuel previously when the Tabernacle ceased to function special arrangements could have been made. And the result was that the covenant requirements as a whole were also ignored.
‘Now the rest of the acts of Joash, and all that he did, and his might with which he fought against Amaziah king of Judah, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?'
The author deliberately leaves out any mention of particular incidents during the reign prior to this because he wants us to recognise that the purpose of this summary is to emphasise the fact that what occurred on the deathbed of Elisha lay outside the regnal pattern. Thus he moves straight on to a reference to the official annals of the kings of Israel, although with a passing reference to his war with Amaziah king of Judah which will be dealt with shortly.
‘And Joash slept with his fathers, and Jeroboam sat on his throne, and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.'
Two obvious changes are made to this closing formula. The first change is the unique reference to ‘sitting on his throne'. This may signify that Jeroboam he did it by determined effort as against other candidates, as in Assyrian annals. On the other hand 2 Kings 15:12 may suggest that the phrase highlights how long the dynasty of Jehu was lasting. In 2 Kings 14:16 we find he ‘reigned instead of him' which is the usual phrase. The second change is the inclusion of ‘with the kings of Israel', which only otherwise occurs in 2 Kings 14:16; 2 Kings 14:29, and indicates the continuing of a dynasty.