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Selected Verse: 2 Kings 12:17 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
2Ki 12:17	Strong Concordance	Then Hazael [02371] king [04428] of Syria [0758] went up [05927], and fought [03898] against Gath [01661], and took [03920] it: and Hazael [02371] set [07760] his face [06440] to go up [05927] to Jerusalem [03389].
	King James	Then Hazael king of Syria went up, and fought against Gath, and took it: and Hazael set his face to go up to Jerusalem.

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A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]
Then Hazael . . . fought against Gath--(See on Ch2 24:23).

A Commentary, Critical, Practical, and Explanatory on the Old and New Testaments, by Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset and David Brown [1882]

Then Hazael . . . fought against Gath--(See on Ch2 24:23).

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
There was probably a considerable interval between the conclusion of the arrangement for the repairs and the Syrian expedition related in these verses. For the events which had happened, see Ch2 24:15-22. Kg2 12:17 This is the first and last time that we hear of the Damascene Syrians undertaking so distant an expedition. Gath (see Jos 13:3 note) could only be reached from Syria through Israel or Judah. It was not more than 25 or 30 miles from Jerusalem. It is uncertain whether the city belonged at this time to Judah or to the Philistines. Hazael set his face ... - This is a phrase for determination generally, but especially for determination to proceed somewhere (compare Jer 42:15; Luk 9:51). Jerusalem can scarcely have been the primary object of this expedition, or it would have been attacked by a less circuitous route. Perhaps the Syrians were induced to make a sudden march against the Jewish capital, by learning, while at Gath, that a revolution had occurred there (compare Ch2 24:18-23). Kg2 12:18 Jehoash did not submit without a struggle. See the details in Chronicles. It was not until his army was defeated that he followed the example of his ancestor, Asa, and bought the friendship of the Syrians with the temple treasures (Kg1 15:18. Compare the conduct of Hezekiah, Kg2 18:15-16). Jehoram and Ahaziah - Though these two monarchs had been worshippers of Baal, yet they had combined with that idolatrous cult a certain amount of decent respect for the old religion. It is evident from this passage that they had made costly offerings to the temple.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]
The brief account of Hazael's campaign against Jerusalem is completed by Ch2 24:23-24. Hazael had gone down along the coast after defeating Israel (see Kg2 13:3), for the purpose of making war upon Judah also, and had taken Gath, which Rehoboam had fortified (Ch2 11:8). He then set his face, i.e., determined, to advance to Jerusalem; and Joash took the temple treasures, etc. According to the Chronicles, he sent an army against Judah and Jerusalem, which destroyed all the princes of the nation and sent much booty to the king to Damascus, as the small army of the Syrians had smitten the very large army of Judah. To protect Jerusalem, after this defeat, from being taken by the Syrians, Joash sent all the treasures of the temple and palace to Hazael, and so purchased the withdrawal of the Syrians. In this way the two brief accounts of the war may be both reconciled and explained; whereas the opinion, still repeated by Thenius, that the two passages treat of different wars, has no tenable ground to rest upon. The Philistian city of Gath (see the Comm. on Jos 13:3) appears to have belonged at that time to the kingdom of Judah, so that the Gathites were not among the Philistines who made an incursion into Judah in the reign of Joram along with the Arabian tribes of the south (Ch2 21:16). And it is impossible to determine when Gath was wrested from the Syrians again; probably in the time of Joash the son of Jehoahaz of Israel, as he recovered from the Syrians all the cities which they had taken from the Israelites under Jehoahaz (Kg2 13:25), and even smote Amaziah the king of Judaea at Bethshemesh and took him prisoner (Kg2 14:13; Ch2 25:21.). "All the consecrated things, which Jehoshaphat, Joram, and Ahaziah had consecrated, and his own consecrated things," i.e., what he (Joash) himself had consecrated. The existence of such temple treasures is not at variance either with the previous account of the repairing of the temple, for Joash would not use the consecrated offerings for the restoration of the temple, as the current revenue of the temple was sufficient for the purpose, or with Ch2 24:7, where it is stated that Athaliah and her sons had applied all the יהוה בּית קרשׁי to the Baals (see at Kg2 12:5); for even if we are to understand by the sons of Athaliah not bastard sons (Ewald, Gesch. iii. p. 582), but the brethren of Joram whom the Philistines and Arabians had carried off, Ahaziah and Joram, although they both of them served Baal, may, from political considerations, have now and then made consecrated gifts to the temple, if only in a passing fit of religious fear.

Commentary on the Old Testament, by Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch [1857-78]

The brief account of Hazael's campaign against Jerusalem is completed by Ch2 24:23-24. Hazael had gone down along the coast after defeating Israel (see Kg2 13:3), for the purpose of making war upon Judah also, and had taken Gath, which Rehoboam had fortified (Ch2 11:8). He then set his face, i.e., determined, to advance to Jerusalem; and Joash took the temple treasures, etc. According to the Chronicles, he sent an army against Judah and Jerusalem, which destroyed all the princes of the nation and sent much booty to the king to Damascus, as the small army of the Syrians had smitten the very large army of Judah. To protect Jerusalem, after this defeat, from being taken by the Syrians, Joash sent all the treasures of the temple and palace to Hazael, and so purchased the withdrawal of the Syrians. In this way the two brief accounts of the war may be both reconciled and explained; whereas the opinion, still repeated by Thenius, that the two passages treat of different wars, has no tenable ground to rest upon. The Philistian city of Gath (see the Comm. on Jos 13:3) appears to have belonged at that time to the kingdom of Judah, so that the Gathites were not among the Philistines who made an incursion into Judah in the reign of Joram along with the Arabian tribes of the south (Ch2 21:16). And it is impossible to determine when Gath was wrested from the Syrians again; probably in the time of Joash the son of Jehoahaz of Israel, as he recovered from the Syrians all the cities which they had taken from the Israelites under Jehoahaz (Kg2 13:25), and even smote Amaziah the king of Judaea at Bethshemesh and took him prisoner (Kg2 14:13; Ch2 25:21.). "All the consecrated things, which Jehoshaphat, Joram, and Ahaziah had consecrated, and his own consecrated things," i.e., what he (Joash) himself had consecrated. The existence of such temple treasures is not at variance either with the previous account of the repairing of the temple, for Joash would not use the consecrated offerings for the restoration of the temple, as the current revenue of the temple was sufficient for the purpose, or with Ch2 24:7, where it is stated that Athaliah and her sons had applied all the יהוה בּית קרשׁי to the Baals (see at Kg2 12:5); for even if we are to understand by the sons of Athaliah not bastard sons (Ewald, Gesch. iii. p. 582), but the brethren of Joram whom the Philistines and Arabians had carried off, Ahaziah and Joram, although they both of them served Baal, may, from political considerations, have now and then made consecrated gifts to the temple, if only in a passing fit of religious fear.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
Hazael - fought against Gath, and took it - This city, with its satrapy or lordship, had been taken from the Philistines by David, (see Sa2 8:1, and Ch1 18:1); and it had continued in the possession of the kings of Judah till this time. On what pretense Hazael seized it, we cannot tell; he had the ultima ratio regum, power to do it, and he wanted more territory.

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¹⁵ And Hezekiah [02396] gave [05414] him all the silver [03701] that was found [04672] in the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and in the treasures [0214] of the king's [04428] house [01004].
¹⁶ At that time [06256] did Hezekiah [02396] cut off [07112] the gold from the doors [01817] of the temple [01964] of the LORD [03068], and from the pillars [0547] which Hezekiah [02396] king [04428] of Judah [03063] had overlaid [06823], and gave [05414] it to the king [04428] of Assyria [0804].

¹⁸ Then Asa [0609] took [03947] all the silver [03701] and the gold [02091] that were left [03498] in the treasures [0214] of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and the treasures [0214] of the king's [04428] house [01004], and delivered [05414] them into the hand [03027] of his servants [05650]: and king [04428] Asa [0609] sent [07971] them to Benhadad [01130], the son [01121] of Tabrimon [02886], the son [01121] of Hezion [02383], king [04428] of Syria [0758], that dwelt [03427] at Damascus [01834], saying [0559],

¹⁸ And Jehoash [03060] king [04428] of Judah [03063] took [03947] all the hallowed things [06944] that Jehoshaphat [03092], and Jehoram [03088], and Ahaziah [0274], his fathers [01], kings [04428] of Judah [03063], had dedicated [06942], and his own hallowed things [06944], and all the gold [02091] that was found [04672] in the treasures [0214] of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068], and in the king's [04428] house [01004], and sent [07971] it to Hazael [02371] king [04428] of Syria [0758]: and he went away [05927] from Jerusalem [03389].

¹⁸ And they left [05800] the house [01004] of the LORD [03068] God [0430] of their fathers [01], and served [05647] groves [0842] and idols [06091]: and wrath [07110] came upon Judah [03063] and Jerusalem [03389] for this their trespass [0819].
¹⁹ Yet he sent [07971] prophets [05030] to them, to bring them again [07725] unto the LORD [03068]; and they testified [05749] against them: but they would not give ear [0238].
²⁰ And the Spirit [07307] of God [0430] came [03847] upon Zechariah [02148] the son [01121] of Jehoiada [03077] the priest [03548], which stood [05975] above the people [05971], and said [0559] unto them, Thus saith [0559] God [0430], Why transgress [05674] ye the commandments [04687] of the LORD [03068], that ye cannot prosper [06743]? because ye have forsaken [05800] the LORD [03068], he hath also forsaken [05800] you.
²¹ And they conspired [07194] against him, and stoned [07275] him with stones [068] at the commandment [04687] of the king [04428] in the court [02691] of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068].
²² Thus Joash [03101] the king [04428] remembered [02142] not the kindness [02617] which Jehoiada [03077] his father [01] had done [06213] to him, but slew [02026] his son [01121]. And when he died [04194], he said [0559], The LORD [03068] look [07200] upon it, and require [01875] it.
²³ And it came to pass at the end [08622] of the year [08141], that the host [02428] of Syria [0758] came up [05927] against him: and they came [0935] to Judah [03063] and Jerusalem [03389], and destroyed [07843] all the princes [08269] of the people [05971] from among the people [05971], and sent [07971] all the spoil [07998] of them unto the king [04428] of Damascus [01834].

⁵¹ And [1161] it came to pass [1096], when [1722] the time [2250] was come [4845] that he [846] should be received up [354], [2532] he [846] stedfastly set [4741] his [846] face [4383] to go [4198] to [1519] Jerusalem [2419],

¹⁵ And now therefore hear [08085] the word [01697] of the LORD [03068], ye remnant [07611] of Judah [03063]; Thus saith [0559] the LORD [03068] of hosts [06635], the God [0430] of Israel [03478]; If ye wholly [07760] set [07760] your faces [06440] to enter [0935] into Egypt [04714], and go [0935] to sojourn [01481] there;

³ From Sihor [07883], which is before [06440] Egypt [04714], even unto the borders [01366] of Ekron [06138] northward [06828], which is counted [02803] to the Canaanite [03669]: five [02568] lords [05633] of the Philistines [06430]; the Gazathites [05841], and the Ashdothites [0796], the Eshkalonites [0832], the Gittites [01663], and the Ekronites [06139]; also the Avites [05761]:

¹⁷ Then Hazael [02371] king [04428] of Syria [0758] went up [05927], and fought [03898] against Gath [01661], and took [03920] it: and Hazael [02371] set [07760] his face [06440] to go up [05927] to Jerusalem [03389].

¹⁵ But Jehoiada [03077] waxed old [02204], and was full [07646] of days [03117] when he died [04191]; an hundred [03967] and thirty [07970] years [08141] old [01121] was he when he died [04194].
¹⁶ And they buried [06912] him in the city [05892] of David [01732] among the kings [04428], because he had done [06213] good [02896] in Israel [03478], both toward God [0430], and toward his house [01004].
¹⁷ Now after [0310] the death [04194] of Jehoiada [03077] came [0935] the princes [08269] of Judah [03063], and made obeisance [07812] to the king [04428]. Then the king [04428] hearkened [08085] unto them.
¹⁸ And they left [05800] the house [01004] of the LORD [03068] God [0430] of their fathers [01], and served [05647] groves [0842] and idols [06091]: and wrath [07110] came upon Judah [03063] and Jerusalem [03389] for this their trespass [0819].
¹⁹ Yet he sent [07971] prophets [05030] to them, to bring them again [07725] unto the LORD [03068]; and they testified [05749] against them: but they would not give ear [0238].
²⁰ And the Spirit [07307] of God [0430] came [03847] upon Zechariah [02148] the son [01121] of Jehoiada [03077] the priest [03548], which stood [05975] above the people [05971], and said [0559] unto them, Thus saith [0559] God [0430], Why transgress [05674] ye the commandments [04687] of the LORD [03068], that ye cannot prosper [06743]? because ye have forsaken [05800] the LORD [03068], he hath also forsaken [05800] you.
²¹ And they conspired [07194] against him, and stoned [07275] him with stones [068] at the commandment [04687] of the king [04428] in the court [02691] of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068].
²² Thus Joash [03101] the king [04428] remembered [02142] not the kindness [02617] which Jehoiada [03077] his father [01] had done [06213] to him, but slew [02026] his son [01121]. And when he died [04194], he said [0559], The LORD [03068] look [07200] upon it, and require [01875] it.

⁵ Let the priests [03548] take [03947] it to them, every man [0376] of his acquaintance [04378]: and let them repair [02388] the breaches [0919] of the house [01004], wheresoever any breach [0919] shall be found [04672].

⁷ For the sons [01121] of Athaliah [06271], that wicked [04849] woman, had broken up [06555] the house [01004] of God [0430]; and also all the dedicated things [06944] of the house [01004] of the LORD [03068] did they bestow [06213] upon Baalim [01168].

²¹ So Joash [03101] the king [04428] of Israel [03478] went up [05927]; and they saw one another [07200] in the face [06440], both he and Amaziah [0558] king [04428] of Judah [03063], at Bethshemesh [01053], which belongeth to Judah [03063].

¹³ And Jehoash [03060] king [04428] of Israel [03478] took [08610] Amaziah [0558] king [04428] of Judah [03063], the son [01121] of Jehoash [03060] the son [01121] of Ahaziah [0274], at Bethshemesh [01053], and came [0935] to Jerusalem [03389], and brake down [06555] the wall [02346] of Jerusalem [03389] from the gate [08179] of Ephraim [0669] unto the corner [06438] gate [08179], four [0702] hundred [03967] cubits [0520].

²⁵ And Jehoash [03060] the son [01121] of Jehoahaz [03059] took [03947] again [07725] out of the hand [03027] of Benhadad [01130] the son [01121] of Hazael [02371] the cities [05892], which he had taken [03947] out of the hand [03027] of Jehoahaz [03059] his father [01] by war [04421]. Three [07969] times [06471] did Joash [03101] beat [05221] him, and recovered [07725] the cities [05892] of Israel [03478].

¹⁶ Moreover the LORD [03068] stirred up [05782] against Jehoram [03088] the spirit [07307] of the Philistines [06430], and of the Arabians [06163], that were near [05921] [03027] the Ethiopians [03569]:

⁸ And Gath [01661], and Mareshah [04762], and Ziph [02128],

³ And the anger [0639] of the LORD [03068] was kindled [02734] against Israel [03478], and he delivered [05414] them into the hand [03027] of Hazael [02371] king [04428] of Syria [0758], and into the hand [03027] of Benhadad [01130] the son [01121] of Hazael [02371], all their days [03117].

²³ And it came to pass at the end [08622] of the year [08141], that the host [02428] of Syria [0758] came up [05927] against him: and they came [0935] to Judah [03063] and Jerusalem [03389], and destroyed [07843] all the princes [08269] of the people [05971] from among the people [05971], and sent [07971] all the spoil [07998] of them unto the king [04428] of Damascus [01834].
²⁴ For the army [02428] of the Syrians [0758] came [0935] with a small [04705] company of men [0582], and the LORD [03068] delivered [05414] a very [03966] great [07230] host [02428] into their hand [03027], because they had forsaken [05800] the LORD [03068] God [0430] of their fathers [01]. So they executed [06213] judgment [08201] against Joash [03101].

¹ Now after this [0310] it came to pass, that David [01732] smote [05221] the Philistines [06430], and subdued [03665] them, and took [03947] Gath [01661] and her towns [01323] out of the hand [03027] of the Philistines [06430].

¹ And after [0310] this it came to pass, that David [01732] smote [05221] the Philistines [06430], and subdued [03665] them: and David [01732] took [03947] Methegammah [04965] out of the hand [03027] of the Philistines [06430].