MPV Commentary

Jehoahaz's Wicked Reign over Israel.

1-3. Jehoahaz reigned for seventeen years and continued his predecessors' policy of supporting calf-worship, leading to a greater and more entrenched apostasy from God in Israel than during Jehu's reign. As a result, the national chastisement was severe when it came, with Hazael and Ben-hadad, king of Syria, employed by God as instruments of judgment against the rebellious nation. The Israelite army suffered greatly in resisting these invasions, becoming weakened and reduced. In his distress, Jehoahaz prayed to the Lord, who answered not on Jehoahaz's account (Ps 66:18; Pr 1:28; 15:8), but because of the ancient covenant with the patriarchs (2Ki 13:23).

4. He saw the oppression of Israel, which means he commiserated the fallen condition of God's chosen people. The divine honor and true religion required deliverance for them to check the idolatrous enemy's triumph and put an end to their blasphemous taunts that God had forsaken Israel (De 32:27; Ps 12:4).

5. A savior refers not to a patriotic defender or a signal victory, but to the deliverance obtained for Israel by Jehoahaz's successors, Joash and Jeroboam. Joash regained all the cities taken from his father by the Syrians (2Ki 13:25), while Jeroboam restored the former boundaries of Israel (2Ki 14:25).

6. There remained the Asherah grove, an idol set up by Ahab (1Ki 16:33), which should have been demolished (De 7:5).

7. The Lord made them like the dust in threshing, a figure describing national suffering little short of extermination. In ancient times, threshing was done on a level plot of ground, and despite precautions to prevent it, a great quantity of earth, sand, or gravel would be taken up with the grain. This image originated from a barbarous war custom practiced by Hazael (Am 1:3, 4; compare 2Sa 18:31; Jud 8:7).