JOASH (Vt,ir, God-given ; Sept. 'Emir), a con traction of JElloAsx r. Son of Aha ziah and eighth king of Judah, who began to reign in B. C. 878, at the age of seven, and reigned forty years.
Joash, when an infant, was secretly saved by his aunt Jehoshebah, who was married to the high priest Jehoiada, from the general massacre of the family by Athaliah, who had usurped the throne [ATHALIAH ; JEHOIADA]. By the high-priest and his wife the child was privily brought up in the chambers connected with the Temple till he had attained his eighth year, when Jehoiada deemed that the state of affairs required him to produce the youthful heir of the throne to the people, and clahn for him the crown which his grandmother had so unrighteously usurped. Finding the influ ential persons whom he consulted favourable to the design, everything was secretly but admirably arianged for producing Joash, and investing him with the regalia, in such a manner that Athaliah could have no suspicion of the event till it actually occurred. On the day appointed, the sole surviv ing scion of David's illustrious house appeared in the place of the kings, by a particular pillar in the temple-court, and was crowned and anointed with the usual ceremonies. The high-wrought enthu siasm of the spectators then found vent in clapping of hands and exulting shouts of Long live the king !' The joyful uproar was heard even in the palace, and brought Athaliah to the Temple, from which, at a word from Jehoiada, she was led to her death.
Joash behaved well during his non-age, and so long after as he remained under the influence of the high-priest. 13ut when he died the king seems to have felt himself relieved from a yoke ; and to manifest his freedom, began to take the contrary course to that which he had followed while under pupilage. Gradually the persons who had pos sessed influence formerly, when the house of David was contaminated by its alliance with the house of Ahab, insinuated themselves into his councils, and ere long the worship of Jehovah and the observ ances of the law were neglected, and the land was defiled with idolatries and idolatrous usages. The prophets then uttered their warnings, but were not heard ; and the infatuated king had the atrocious ingratitude to put to death Zechariah, the son and successor of his benefactor Jehoiada. For these
deeds Joash was made an example of the divine judgments. He saw his realm devastated by the Syrians under Hazael ; his armies were cut in pi.eces by an enemy of inferior numbers, and he w±s even besieged in Jerusalem, and only preserved his capital and his crown by giving up the trea sures of the Temple. Besides this, a painful malady embittered all his latter days, and at length he became so odious that his own servants con spired against him, and slew him on his bed. They are said to have done this to avenge the blood of Zechariah, who at his death had cried, The Lord look upon it and require it ;' and it is hence probable that public opinion ascribed all the calamities of his life and reign to that infamous deed. Joash was buried in the city of David ; but a place in the sepulchre of the kings was denied to his remains (2 Kings xi. ; xii. ; 2 Chron. xxiv.) 2. Son and successor of Jehoahaz on the throne of Israel, of which he was the twelfth king. Ile began to reign in B.C. S40, and reigned sixteen incomplete years. He followed the example of predecesors in the policy of keeping, up the worship of the golden calves ; but, apart from this, Ile bears a fair character, and had intervals, at least, of sincere piety and true devotion to the God of his fathers. Indeed, custom and long habit had so established the views of political expe diency on which the schismatical establishments at Dan and I3ethel were founded, that at length the reprehension which regularly recurs in the record of each king's reign, seems rather to apply to it as a mark of the continuance of a public crime than as indicative of the character or disposition of the reigning prince, which is to be sought in the more detailed accounts of his own conduct. These accounts are favourable with respect to Joash. He held the prophet Elisha in high honour, looking up to him as a father. When he heard of his last illness he repaired to the bed-side of the dying prophet, and was favoured with promises of vic tories over the Syrians, by whom his dominions were then harassed. These promises were accom plished after the prophet's death. In three signal and successive victories Joash overcame the Syrians, and retook from them the towns which Hazael had rent from Israel.