Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 24:17
After the death of Jehoiada, however, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king, and he listened to them.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The narrator records the immediate aftermath of Jehoiada's burial, when the officials of Judah approach the young king Joash to pay him homage. This moment marks the transfer of political and spiritual authority from the deceased priest to the royal court.
The words — The verb וַ/יִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ (va/i.yish.ta.cha.Vu) literally means "they bowed down," signifying formal prostration or homage rendered to the king. This action denotes a deliberate shift in allegiance as the leaders of Judah direct their loyalty toward the reigning monarch.
The thread — This dynamic of royal susceptibility to court counsel appears in Deuteronomy 31:27, which notes the people's stiff-necked nature, and 2 Chronicles 10:8, where Rehoboam discards elder advice for younger advisors. The narrative structure mirrors 2 Chronicles 22:3, where a king's reliance on corrupt counselors directly precedes religious apostasy.
Why it lands — The text states plainly that the king listened to these officials, creating a direct narrative bridge to the subsequent abandonment of the temple and idolatry. It requires the reader to observe how institutional faith shifts when leadership yields political influence over established covenant practice.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Now after the death of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king hearkened unto them.
Cross-references
- Deuteronomy 31:27 For I know how rebellious and stiff-necked you are. If you are already rebelling against the LORD while I am still alive, how much more will you rebel after my death!
- 2 Chronicles 10:8 But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders; instead, he consulted the young men who had grown up with him and served him.
- 2 Chronicles 22:3 Ahaziah also walked in the ways of the house of Ahab, for his mother was his counselor in wickedness.
- Proverbs 7:21 With her great persuasion she entices him; with her flattering lips she lures him.
- Proverbs 20:19 He who reveals secrets is a constant gossip; avoid the one who babbles with his lips.
- Proverbs 26:8 Like binding a stone into a sling is the giving of honor to a fool.
- Proverbs 26:28 A lying tongue hates those it crushes, and a flattering mouth causes ruin.
- Proverbs 29:5 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.
- Proverbs 29:12 If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials will be wicked.
- Daniel 11:32 With flattery he will corrupt those who violate the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him.