Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets

Volume I: A Kingdom Divided

Lesson 16 Joash Repairs the Temple
the Second Book of the Kings 11:1—12:21

Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)*
New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE)*
Catechism of the Catholic Church
ex libris (in our library)
glossary for Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
cross references in Thus Says the LORD—Volume I
next lesson: The Death of Elisha

This material coordinates with Lesson 16 on pages 97–101 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

“Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant which they broke, and I showed myself their Master, says the LORD. But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each man teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, says the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”—the Book of Jeremiah 31:31–34

welcome to Volume I of our in-depth study of the biblical prophets
We invite you to check out the sample first lesson and video from Volume I of this Turning to God’s Word two-part Catholic Bible study. Our online pages link to the free related lesson videos, a glossary, and cross references in the biblical text, and include maps, additional commentary, and prayers based on the primary Scripture in each lesson. Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided contains 28 lessons and has been granted an imprimatur. It may be purchased from our website shop. The companion 23-lesson Volume II: Restoration & Redemption also is available for purchase. If you have a Bible-study question or comment, click on the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” button on any study page.

open with prayer
It’s always wise to begin any Bible study with prayer, whether reading the Scriptures alone or meeting with others in a discussion study group. You can pray using your own words or use one of the opening prayers on our website. We especially like the following:

Lord Jesus, you promised to send your Holy Spirit
to teach us all things.
As we read and study your word today,
allow it to touch our hearts and change our lives. Amen.

let’s review—the Second Book of the Kings 10:1–36
In Lesson 15 Jehu Avenges the Deaths of the Prophets, Jehu extends his killing spree in the north. He previously killed Ahab’s son Joram and Ahab’s widow Jezebel to take over the throne of Israel, and he killed Ahaziah, the king of the southern kingdom of Judah, as well. Now Jehu arranges to have Ahab’s 70 sons slain by their guardians. After that Jehu murders all of Ahab’s remaining supporters living in Jezreel before traveling to Samaria. On the way he encounters and kills 42 hapless members of the southern kingdom’s royal family who have the misfortune to be traveling in the north. Arriving in Samaria, Jehu kills everyone there loyal to Ahab. Next he rounds up and puts to death all of the worshipers of Baal he can, presenting himself to the remaining people living in Israel as a righteous king endorsed by God. The LORD promises that Jehu’s descendants will rule in the north for four more generations. The biblical text, however, criticizes Jehu for failing to destroy the golden calves at Dan and Bethel.

map notes—the action moves back to the southern kingdom of Judah
 While there have been any number of political coups in the northern kingdom of Israel, the eleventh chapter in the Second Book of the Kings describes a coup taking place in Judah to the south. In the north, where the LORD never promised an eternal dynasty, anyone who wishes to usurp the throne must do so by a show of military strength. This often requires a lengthy period in which other would-be usurpers must be defeated. In the south, the LORD’s promise of a single royal lineage as the means of inheriting an eternal dynasty makes things much easier. All that’s necessary to ascend to the throne of Judah is evidence of royal birth. In the case of Joash, this is orchestrated by the priest Jehoiada. The 7-year-old Joash, as the legitimate descendant of David, is ordained by God to sit on the throne. This guarantees him the backing of the religious establishment. Once Jehoiada presents Joash to the royal guards as the legitimate heir to the throne, they’re obligated to protect and serve Joash instead of Athaliah. (In the Revised Standard Version and some other translations, Joash sometimes is referred to as Jehoash, making it easy to confuse him with the ruler of the northern kingdom who also is called by both names. In commentaries for this study, Joash refers to the ruler of the southern kingdom of Judah and Jehoash refers to the ruler of the northern kingdom of Israel.) Click on the map (above right) to enlarge it. The original map is on page 100 in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. 

differences between the two kingdoms (30:51)
In the video for Lesson 16, Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps looks at how a king’s relationship to God affects the way in which the people of his kingdom relate to the LORD. When Joash ascends to the throne at the age of 7, he’s young enough that the priest Jehoiada is put in charge of running the kingdom. In the Second Book of the Kings 11:17, Jehoiada immediately renews the covenant between the LORD and the king and the people. It’s significant that the inhabitants of Judah are people of the LORD. They’re to serve only the LORD, and the king is to serve only the LORD. The southern king doesn’t stand between the people and God in the same way that the northern kings have been doing. Joash has a responsibility to serve the LORD and the people, and the good of the people is dependent on the king’s behavior. The royal dynasty in the south is intended to establish kings who stand in for the LORD and model right behavior, not kings who stand apart from the LORD and encourage the worship of false gods. Because the line of David in the south has been threatened by intermingling with Ahab’s descendants from the north, it’s essential for God to establish a single descendant of David who hasn’t been subject to these corrupting influences. After God allows Athaliah’s evil to implode on itself, Joash is unlikely to be influenced by that side of the family—since he spent his early years in hiding because grandma wanted him dead. The Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study The United Kingdom of Israel: Saul, David & Solomon Foreshadow Christ the King includes an in-depth on the undivided kingdom of David and Solomon.


The Scripture ranges for the videos that accompany this Catholic Bible study match the ranges for the sets of questions in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. You can follow along with the video as Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps discusses Lesson 16, “Joash Repairs the Temple,” on pages 97–101 in the study book.

WHAT DO YOU THINK about the overthrow of Athaliah?
The Second Book of the Kings 11:4–12 describes Joash’s coronation, which included crowning, anointing, and giving him the covenant.

?  The priest Jehoiada arms Joash’s supporters with weapons from the Temple. What’s implied by the fact that these spears and shields are associated with King David?
?  What might be the literal covenant given to Joash in the Second Book of the Kings 11:12?
?  What might explain why no one backs Athaliah’s charge of treason?
?  For what reason might the priest Jehoiada have insisted that Athaliah not be slain in the Temple?

anointed—you could look it up in our archives
The Second Book of the Kings 11:12 records that the people anoint Ahaziah’s young son Joash as king. Readers may notice that no kings since Solomon have been anointed in Judah and that no prophet is involved in Joash’s anointing. All previous anointing in Judah has been the purview of the prophets. At the root of this is the idea that a king means a very different thing to God than it does to people. Because Joash is in the designated line of David, he already is king by birth—anointed by God. No further anointing is needed. Learn more by reading Lost in Translation, an online column in which Turning to God’s Word author Matthew Phelps helps readers connect with ideas expressed in the original languages of the Scriptures. New Lost in Translation entries are posted on Mondays, and past entries are archived on our website. Contact us if you’d like to receive Lost in Translation by email every week.

pray with the Psalms—the LORD honors his promise to David
The Second Book of Samuel 7:1–17 records God’s promise to David, which is repeated in Psalm 89. The crux of this promise is found in Psalm 89:34. In that verse, God announces: “I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips.” The LORD’s covenant with David is at the heart of why it is that Joash doesn’t need to be anointed. He’s the sole surviving heir in the line of David. The lineage through which the eternal kingship was promised to David rests on him. That the LORD remembers his covenant forever is found in Psalm 105:8. There are numerous other Old Testament verses about the LORD not forgetting his people or not abandoning his covenant. Psalm 105, prayed at Wednesday Vigils (Week I), will be included as part of Lesson 7 The LORD Remembers His Holy Word in the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline. Psalm 89, prayed at Saturday Vigils (Week I), will be included as part of Lesson 13 Praise the LORD Who Rides on the Heavens in the same study. Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline is scheduled for publication in late summer of 2025.

biblical vocabulary—who are these Carites?
The Second Book of Kings 11:4 describes the priest Jehoiada making a covenant with the captains of the Carites to install Joash as king. Carites is another name for Cherethites, who with the Pelethites were elite soldiers serving as David’s bodyguards. You can look up any proper noun in this Bible study in our online glossary. Entries are arranged alphabetically.

restoring the Temple in Jerusalem
The twelfth chapter in the Second Book of the Kings focuses on Joash’s decision to repair the house of the LORD, which apparently hasn’t been kept in the best condition. The priests are tasked by the king with maintaining the Temple, which offers them a chance to regain some power. Because Joash has ties to the priests, he’s willing to trust them with more responsibility than they’ve previously been given. They take donations earmarked for repair of the Temple but are negligent in seeing the work is done. This points to the extent that the priesthood has fallen. They still offer animal sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people, but it appears that they’re better off not involved in politics.

the people bear responsibility for maintaining the Temple
Joash determines that a better system is needed, and he sets up a contribution box. When the box fills, the money is given to workmen to make repairs to the Temple. The workmen are honest, and repairs go forward. Money for maintaining the house of the LORD isn’t coming from the king’s household, and it isn’t coming from the priesthood. The cost of maintaining the Temple comes from the people. Even when there are problems with spiritual leadership, the people aren’t absolved from being dedicated to God. This remains true today. Ultimate repair and the overall state of the Church is the responsibility of more than just those who are in charge. All Christians are called to shoulder responsibility for the state of the Church—not just as a building but as the body of Christ on earth.

a different point of view
The First and Second Books of the Chronicles generally run parallel to the First and Second Books of the Kings. In the account of Joash’s reign, however, details in the twenty-fourth chapter in the Second Book of the Chronicles suggest why Joash has trouble with neighboring nations. The Chronicles account describes how Joash allowed for the worship of false gods in Judah and then had Jehoiada’s son killed for objecting. At the time these Old Testament books were written, the works relied on oral tradition. As a result, multiple forms of truth are contained in the Bible. The Second Book of the Chronicles emphasizes that a person acting contrary to God’s will may lead God to act against that person.  

read the Catechism—how well do you know your faith?
An awareness of the senses of Scripture can aid in understanding how discrepancies in the biblical text don’t affect its overall truth as the divine word of God. Can you answer the following questions without looking at the Catechism of the Catholic Church?

WHAT DO YOU THINK about Joash’s death?
The Second Book of the Kings 12:20–21 describes Joash being murdered by two of his servants. All this passage shows is a conspiracy to kill the king. The twenty-fourth chapter in the Second Book of the Chronicles includes additional information to suggest motivation for such a plot.

?  According to the account of Joash’s death in the Second Book of the Chronicles, what was the reason why Joash’s servants conspired to kill him?
?  Consider whether this is a valid reason.
?  What might explain why the motivation for Joash’s murder was omitted from the account in the Second Book of the Kings?
?  How does what happens after Joash’s murder differ from what previously has happened following the murders of northern kings?
?  What might explain this difference?

what’s happening when & where
Click on the timeline for Lesson 16 to expand it. It also appears on page 99 in the study book. Scholars speculate that the prophet Joel may have lived as early as the 9th century B.C. or as late as the 4th century B.C. The Book of Joel is the focus of Lesson 15 Joel & the Day of the LORD in the second volume of this Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study, Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption.

the best Catholic commentary about Scripture
To find out more about how Church teaching is supported by Scripture passages in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided, check out the Index of Citations in the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Links (Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition [RSVCE*]) to the primary Scripture passages in the lesson and relevant paragraphs in the Catechism are provided here. Not every passage in the biblical text for this Catholic Bible study is referenced in a Catechism paragraph, however, including the passage in this lesson from the Second Book of the Kings 11:1—12:21.

ways our glossary might prove helpful
In addition to providing information about geographical locations, our glossary also points out persons and places mentioned in the biblical text under multiple names or spellings. If you can remember a name but aren’t sure in which lesson it shows up, you can find it in the glossary, which lists every proper noun in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

to learn more, read more Scripture
If you’re having difficulty with a particular passage of Scripture, it can be helpful to read the relevant cross references—but looking these up can take time. To make that easier, we’ve compiled the cross references from the Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE)—the translation that we reprint in our study books. That list can be found at the top of every online study page, and it includes links to cross references in the primary biblical text for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided.

don’t forget about our indexes & extra online material
If you’re trying to locate information about a specific Scripture passage, you can look it up in the index at the back of the study book or sample lesson. If you want to find a particular commentary, you can look up its title in the topics index. To learn more about another book of the Bible for which there’s a Turning to God’s Word study, visit the online study directories to read the commentaries and watch any accompanying videos. Finally, if you have a question or would like to make a comment about any of our studies, you can use one of the “ask us your question” or “what do you think” buttons to email our authors.

ex libris—Church documents & books about religious topics
Link to magisterial documents referred to in our Bible studies at ex libris—magisterial documents. This listing includes significant recent encyclicals as well as a number of historical Church documents. Recommended books related to Scripture study can be found at ex libris—main bookshelf.

wondering how to pronounce some of these words?
The following link is to a reading from the New International Version (NIV) Bible. To listen, open the link and click on the audio icon above the printed text. Although not taken from the translations used in our study materials, the NIV reading provides an audio guide to pronunciation of words in this lesson’s primary biblical text. A close online version of the translation of the Bible used in Catholic liturgy in the United States as well as an audio guide for daily Mass readings for the current month can be found on the website of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

the Second Book of the Kings 11:1—12:21(NIV)

round black doveclose with Bible-based prayer related to this lesson
Many of our Catholic study groups like to conclude their discussions with a prayer based on the scriptural focus of their lesson, and some participants include Scripture-specific prayer in their individual study. If you’re uncomfortable composing your own Bible-based prayers, you can follow our four easy steps. If you prefer, you can use the following prayer based on this lesson’s biblical text.

O God, your plan for your people 
continues to move forward
even when circumstances seem the darkest.
Help us to trust in divine providence,
confident that your loving mercy
always is at work in our lives.
We ask this in the name of Christ the King,
who through his divine love for humanity
accepted death that we might live. Amen.

Lesson 17 The Death of Elisha—the Second Book of the Kings 13:1–25
Lesson 15 Jehu Avenges the Deaths of the Prophets—the Second Book of the Kings 10:1–36

you also may like Volume II of our prophets study
Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume II: Restoration & Redemption examines the biblical prophets after the Babylonian Exile in 586 B.C. It views the history of God’s people leading to the time of Jesus, and concludes with a look at John the Baptist and John of Patmos in the New Testament. Volume II of this Catholic Bible study builds on Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. Click on the book’s cover to view a sample lesson.

start a Turning to God’s Word Bible study
Thank you for your interest in Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets— Volume I: A Kingdom Divided. Information about beginning this or one of our other Turning to God’s Word Bible studies can be found at start a Bible study. Tami, Matthew, and I always are available to answer your Bible-study questions or concerns. Contact us if you’d like to start one of our studies or have your schedule listed with other TtGW study groups on our website. —Jennifer

*There are seven deuterocanonical books in the Old Testament—the Books of Tobit, Judith, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and First and Second Maccabees, as well as some passages in the Books of Esther and Daniel. Protestants usually refer to these works as “apocryphal,” a word that means “outside the (Protestant) canon” because they’re excluded from most Protestant Bibles. The word “deuterocanonical” means “second canon”; Catholics use that word to refer to any section of the Catholic Old Testament for which there are no extant, or existing, Hebrew manuscripts. All of the deuterocanonical books appear in the Septuagint, the earliest remaining versions of which date to the 1st century B.C. This Greek translation of the Old Testament was in common use by Jews at the time of Jesus—but the same books aren’t found in existing Hebrew manuscripts, which aren’t as old as the oldest version of the Septuagint. Learn more by reading How Do Catholic & Protestant Bibles Differ?

Turning to God’s Word printed Bible studies use the 2006 Revised Standard Version Second Catholic Edition (RSV2CE) translation for all Scripture references except those to the Psalms, which are taken from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles, prepared by the Benedictine monks of Conception Abbey and published in 2020 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Scripture on the online study pages for Thus Says the LORD: God Speaks Through His Servants the Prophets—Volume I: A Kingdom Divided links to the 1966 Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE). The New International Version (NIV) audio recordings follow the same chapter and verse numbering as the RSV Catholic translations, but the NIV translation doesn’t include the deuterocanonical books and passages.

The 1966 RSVCE uses archaic pronouns and verb forms such as “thee,” “thou,” “didst” in the Psalms and in direct quotations attributed to God. The 2006 RSV2CE replaces those with more accessible English. A handful of significant translation changes in the RSV2CE include rendering almah as “virgin” in the Book of Isaiah 7:14 and restoring the term “begotten” in the Gospel According to John 3:16.

Numbering varies for some passages in this Bible study. Turning to God’s Word studies (print and digital) follow the numbering in the Revised Standard Version Catholic translations (RSV2CE and RSVCE). Discrepancies in the New American Bible Revised Edition (NABRE) are noted in the Index of Scripture Citations in the study book and the online sample.

You can learn more about the Psalms by viewing a sample lesson from the Turning to God’s Word Catholic Bible study Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume I: Lauds & Vespers. The second part of that study, Sing a New Psalm: Communicating with God Through the Prayers of the Church—Volume II: Vigils, Day Prayer & Compline, is scheduled for publication in 2025. Some verse numbers may vary in different translations of the Psalms.