Joash, King of Israel

Background and Family

Joash was the son of Jehoahaz and belonged to the dynasty of Jehu. He inherited a kingdom that had been severely weakened by the repeated incursions of the Arameans (Syrians) under Hazael and Ben-hadad III. The biblical record in 2 Kings 13 notes that during the reign of his father, Israel's military had been reduced to a mere fifty horsemen, ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen.

Joash took the throne in the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah (a contemporary ruler of the same name). His family lineage was significant as it represented the fourth generation of Jehu’s house, fulfilling a divine promise that Jehu’s descendants would sit on the throne of Israel to the fourth generation. He was eventually succeeded by his son, Jeroboam II, under whom Israel reached its greatest territorial extent since the time of Solomon.

Major Life Events

The Final Visit to Elisha

One of the most poignant episodes in the life of Joash was his visit to the deathbed of the prophet Elisha. Despite his adherence to the state-sponsored cult of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan, Joash wept over the dying prophet, crying out, “My father, my father, the chariots and horsemen of Israel!” (2 Kings 13:14). This recognition of Elisha’s spiritual value to the nation’s defense prompted a final prophetic sign.

Elisha commanded the king to shoot an arrow out the window toward the east, symbolizing victory over Aram. Elisha then told the king to strike the ground with the arrows. Joash struck the ground three times and stopped. The prophet was angry, stating that if the king had struck the ground five or six times, he would have totally consumed the Arameans. As it was, he was promised only three victories. This prophecy was fulfilled when Joash defeated Ben-hadad son of Hazael three times, recovering the cities that had been captured from his father.

The Conflict with Judah

Later in his reign, Joash was challenged by Amaziah, the king of Judah. Flush with his own victory over Edom, Amaziah sent a challenge to Joash, saying, “Come, let us meet face to face.” Joash responded with a biting parable involving a thistle and a cedar in Lebanon, warning Amaziah that his pride would lead to his downfall.

When Amaziah refused to back down, the two armies met at Beth-shemesh. Joash decisively defeated the Judean forces and captured King Amaziah. He then marched to Jerusalem, where he broke down four hundred cubits of the city wall, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate. He looted the gold, silver, and vessels from the Temple and the royal palace, taking hostages back to Samaria. This event marked a rare instance of the Northern Kingdom achieving total military dominance over the Southern Kingdom.

Relationship to Other Biblical Figures

Joash is primarily defined by his interactions with the prophetic and the political spheres of his day. His relationship with Elisha demonstrates the tension of the Divided Monarchy: a king who participated in idolatry yet remained tethered to the Yahwistic prophets for national survival. Unlike the house of Ahab, which was overtly hostile to the prophets, Joash showed Elisha a degree of filial respect.

His rivalry with Amaziah of Judah serves as a case study in the volatile politics of the era. The two kingdoms, though sharing a common ancestry, were frequently at odds. The defeat Joash inflicted on Amaziah was so severe that Judah remained in a weakened state for years, and Amaziah lived for fifteen years after the death of Joash, suggesting the long-term impact of their encounter.

Spiritual Significance

The biblical assessment of Joash is consistently negative regarding his spiritual legacy. The author of 2 Kings states that "he did evil in the eyes of the Lord and did not turn away from any of the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat" (2 Kings 13:11). This critique focuses on his failure to abolish the golden calf shrines that were the hallmark of the Northern Kingdom's religious rebellion.

However, the narrative of the arrows suggests a theological lesson on the relationship between divine promise and human zeal. While God had decreed victory for Israel, the extent of that victory was tied to Joash's own persistence and faith. His failure to strike the ground more than three times is presented as a lack of spiritual fervor that limited the liberation of his people. Despite this, the text notes in 2 Kings 14:27 that the Lord used the house of Joash to save Israel because "He had not said He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven."