John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 4. And Jehoash said to the priests , etc.] Being minded or having it in his heart, to repair the temple, as in ( 2 Chronicles 24:4) not only because it was the sanctuary of the Lord, though that chiefly, but because it had been a sanctuary to him, where he was hid and preserved six years: all the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the Lord : or rather, “that is to be brought”, as De Dieu, and others render it, the particulars of which follow: even the money of everyone that passeth [the account] ; or that passeth among them that are numbered, as in ( Exodus 30:13,14) that were upwards of twenty years of age, and bound to pay the half shekel for the ransom of their souls; and it is called the collection or burden Moses laid on them in the wilderness, ( 2 Chronicles 24:6,9) the money that every man is set at ; the price the priest set upon or estimated a man at, or whomsoever that belonged to him, that he devoted to the Lord, which by the law he was bound to pay for his redemption, and, till that was done, he and they were not his, but the Lord’s, of which (see Leviticus 27:1-8) and here the Targum calls it, the money of the redemption of souls, which is the gift of a man for the redemption of his soul: and all the money that cometh into any man’s heart to bring into the house of the Lord : vows and freewill offerings made of their own accord.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-16 - It is a great mercy to young people, especially to all young men of rank, like Jehoash, to have those about them who will instruct them to do what is right in the sight of the Lord; and they do wisely and wel for themselves, when willing to be counselled and ruled. The temple wa out of repair; Jehoash orders the repair of the temple. The king wa zealous. God requires those who have power, to use it for the suppor of religion, the redress of grievances, and repairing of decays. The king employed the priests to manage, as most likely to be hearty in the work. But nothing was done effectually till the twenty-third year of his reign. Another method was therefore taken. When publi distributions are made faithfully, public contributions will be mad cheerfully. While they were getting all they could for the repair of the temple, they did not break in upon the stated maintenance of the priests. Let not the servants of the temple be starved, under colour of repairing the breaches of it. Those that were intrusted did the business carefully and faithfully. They did not lay it out in ornament for the temple, till the other work was completed; hence we may learn in all our expenses, to prefer that which is most needful, and, in dealing for the public, to deal as we would for ourselves.
Original Hebrew ויאמר559 יהואשׁ3060 אל413 הכהנים3548 כל3605 כסף3701 הקדשׁים6944 אשׁר834 יובא935 בית1004 יהוה3068 כסף3701 עובר5674 אישׁ376 כסף3701 נפשׁות5315 ערכו6187 כל3605 כסף3701 אשׁר834 יעלה5927 על5921 לב3820 אישׁ376 להביא935 בית1004 יהוה׃3068
