Meaning of JOASH

"Jehovah has given."
(a) Man of Judah, of the family of Shelah (1 Chron. 4:22).
(b) A man of Manasseh, of the family of Abiezer, he was the father of Gideon (Judges 6:11, 15). Established in Ophra, he was well off. He had erected an altar to Baal and an Asherah, an emblem of the Canaanite Astarte. God ordered Gideon to destroy all of that. When the idolaters demanded Gideon to kill him for that act, Joash responded by defending him: "If he is a god, let him contend for himself" (Judg. 6: 11-32).

(c) Benjamite from Gibeah, joined David in Ziklag (1 Chron. 12:3).

(d) One of Ahab's sons (1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chron. 18:25).

(e) Son of Ahaziah, king of Judah. When Athaliah, mother of Ahaziah, learned that his son had been killed, he had all those who remained of the royal blood put to death, and seized the throne. Only Joash was able to escape death thanks to his aunt Josaba, sister of King Ahaziah and wife of the high priest Jehoiada (2 Kings 11: 1-3).

Joash, one year old, was hidden in the Temple, where he remained for six years. In the seventh year, Jehoiada prepared a conspiracy to oust the usurper Athaliah from the throne (2 Kings 11:4-12). Athaliah was taken prisoner and immediately executed outside the Horse Gate (2 Kings 11:13-16).

He began to reign in the year 842 BC, at the age of seven, reigning for forty years. Joash, advised by Jehoiada, destroyed the cult of Baal and ordered the restoration of the Temple, although the people continued to celebrate a cult on the high places (2 Kings 12:1-16). When Jehoiada died, the king and his people turned away from Jehovah, setting up groves and other idols.

When Zechariah son of Jehoiada prophesied against such practices, Joash ordered his death (2 Chron. 24:15-22; Mt. 23:35). Soon after Hazael, king of Syria, took possession of the Philistine city of Gath, and threatened Jerusalem; Joash was forced to hand over the treasures of the Temple to him.

Afterwards, Joash fell seriously ill, and Amasa assumed the regency. Some servants of King Joash killed him in bed in revenge of Zechariah son of Jehoiada (2 Chron. 24:25). His son Amaziah succeeded him (2 Chron. 24:27; 2 Kings 12:21).

(f) Son of Jehoahaz, king of Israel. He came to the throne around 800 BC, and reigned for 16 years. This king continued to worship the golden calves of Bethel and Dan. However, he testified affection to the prophet Elisha and was grieved by his illness.

Elisha made him open the window facing the east and shoot an arrow, which he did. The prophet then ordered him to strike the ground with his arrows. The king did it only three times. The arrows symbolized the victories that Joash was to achieve over the Syrians.

If he had struck five or six times, he would have completely destroyed his power (2 Kings 13:14-25). After the death of Elisha, Joash provided one hundred thousand mercenary soldiers to Amasa, king of Judah, who wanted to carry out an expedition against the Edomites. Convinced by a prophet, Amaziah returned them.

However, although these mercenaries had been paid in advance, they were irritated and set out to plunder the territory of Judah as they headed north (2 Chron. 25:6-10, 13). It is possible that this influenced Amasa to declare war on Joash.

In the battle of Beth-shemesh Amaziah was defeated, and Joash destroyed part of the walls of Jerusalem, taking the treasures of the Temple and the palace, and hostages with which to ensure peace. Upon Joash's death, his son Jeroboam II acceded to the throne (2 Kings 14: 8-16; 2 Chron. 25: 17-24).