## Radak on II Chronicles Chapter 24

###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:6:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:6:1)

**את משאת משה עבד יי'.** הוא כסף שקלים, מחצית השקל שהיה כל ישראל נותן פעם אחת לשנה, כמו שכת' בתורה "כי תשא את ראש בני ישראל" (שמ' ל,יב); ומפני זה קראו "משאת", על שם "כי תשא". ובמלכים כת' שלשה כספים (מ"ב יב,ה): "כסף עובר", והוא מחצית השקל, כמו שאומ' "כל העובר על הפקודים" (שמ' ל,יג); "איש כסף נפשות ערכו", הוא האומ' "ערכי עלי" או "ערך פלוני עלי"; "כל כסף אשר יעלה על לב איש", הוא המתנדב לבדק הבית:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
***Mas’at* (משאת) Moses, the servant of the Lord.** This refers to the money from the shekels—the half-shekels that all the Israelites would give once a year, as it says in the Torah, “When *tissa* (תשא; =you take a census of) the Israelite people” (Exod 30:12). That it why the text calls it a *mas’et*—akin to: “When *tissa*.” In Kings, the text makes reference to three kinds of *kesef* (=[donations of] money; 2 Kgs 12:5): *kesef ‘over*, as it says, “Everyone who is *‘over ‘al ha-pequdim* (=entered into the records)” (Exod 30:13); “*kesef* a man pays as the value of persons,” which refers to someone who says “I pledge my value” or “I pledge so-and-so’s value”; and “any *kesef* that a man should decide,” which refers to one who donates for the upkeep of the Temple.


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:6:2
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:6:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:6:2)

**והקהל לישראל.** פי': משאת משה עבד יי' והקהל, שצוה משה לישראל להביאו במדבר **לאהל העדות** (שמ' ל,טז):

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**And the congregation, to Israel.** [The latter part of the verse] means: the money of Moses, the servant of the Lord, and of the congregation, which Moses commanded to Israel to bring **to the Tent of Testimony** in the wilderness (Exod 30:16).


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:7:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:7:1)

**כי עתליהו המרשעת.** "המרשעת" תאר, וכן "הערים המבדלות" (יה' טז,ט) תאר – המ"ם בחר"ק:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**For Athaliah *ha-mirsha‘at* (=the wicked).** *Ha-mirsha‘at*—the *mem* with a *ḥireq*—is an adjective, similar to *he-‘arim ha-mivdalot* (=the marked-off cities; Jos 16:9).


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:7:2
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:7:2)

**בניה פרצו את בית האלהים.** פי': היא ובניה פרצו בית האלהים, לפיכך צריך חזוק ותקון. ופי' "בניה": בנים שהיו לה מאיש אחר, ולא מן המלך:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**Her sons had violated the House of God.** This means: She and her sons had violated the house of God, and that is why it needed reinforcement and repair. “Her sons” refers to sons she had by another man, and not by the king.


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:7:3
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:7:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:7:3)

**וגם כל קדשי בית יי' עשו לבעלים.** שאלו לא הוציאו קדשי בית יי' לבעלים, היו הקדשים ההם מספיקים לחזק בדק הבית; אבל עשו אותם לבעלים – לפיכך צריך לקבץ כסף מכל ישראל. ולא הוציאו עתליהו ובניה כל קדשי בית יי', אלא רוב הקדשים; לפיכך אמ' "כל", שפרושו כמו "רב", כמו "וכל טוב אדניו בידו" (בר' כד,י). והראיה כי נשארו מן הקדשים בבית יי' מה שאומר בספר מלכים כשעלה חזאל ירושלם "ויקח יהואש מלך יהודה את כל הקדשים אשר הקדישו יהושפט ויהורם" וכו' (מ"ב יב,יט). והנותר ההוא לא רצה יהואש להוציאו במלאכה, שלא ישאר אוצר יי' רק. ואלו לא פרצו עתליהו ובניה הבית עדין היה קים, כי מיום שנבנה הבית עד שבדקו יואש לא היו אלא מאה וחמשים וחמש שנה, ובנין חזק כאותו בנין היה עומד יותר ויותר אלולי שפרצוהו:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**And had also used *kol* the sacred things of the House of the Lord for the Baals.** For had [Athaliah’s sons] not removed the sacred things from the House of the Lord for the Baals, they would have sufficed to repair the Temple. But because they did use them for the Baals, it was necessary to collect money from all Israel. Athaliah and her sons did not remove all the sacred things of the House of the Lord, only most of them. That is why the text says *kol*, which is to be understood as “most of,” as in “*kol* the bounty of his master” (Gen 24:10). The proof that some of the sacred things of the House of the Lord remained is that in the book of Kings, when Hazael initiates a battle on Jerusalem, it says, “King Joash of Judah took all the objects that had been consecrated by Jehoshaphat, Jehoram …” (2 Kgs 12:19). But Joash did not want to spend that remnant for the work, so that the treasury of the Lord would not be left empty. Had Athaliah and her sons not violated the Temple, it would still have been standing, because from the time the Temple was built until Joash repaired it, only one hundred and fifty-five years had passed, and a strong building like that would have stood far longer had they not violated it.


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:8:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:8:1)

**ארון אחד.** פי': ארון איש אחד. ופי' "ויעשו": שתקנו אותו לתת בו הכסף, כמו שאומ' במלכים "ויקב חור בדלתו" (מ"ב יב,י):

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
***Aron eḥad*.**[This means]: *aron ish eḥad* (=someone’s box). *Vayya‘asu* means that they fixed it up so that the money could be placed in it, as it says in Kings, “and bored a hole in its lid” (2 Kgs 12:10).


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:11:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:11:1)

**ויערו את הארון.** כמו "ותער כדה" (בר' כד,כ):

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
***Vi‘aru* (=and they would empty) the box.** This is akin to “*vatte‘ar* (=and she emptied) her jar” (Gen 24:20).


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:13:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:13:1)

**ותעל ארוכה למלאכה.** בדרך ההשאלה. וכן "כי עלתה ארוכה לחומת ירושלם" (נח' ד,א); וכן "וירפא את מזבח יי' ההרוס" (מ"א יח,ל):

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**And the work found good health (*‘arukhah*).** This is metaphorical. The same is true for: “that healing (*‘arukhah*) had come to the walls of Jerusalem” (Neh 4:1), and for: “and he healed (*vayrappei*) the damaged altar of the Lord” (1 Kgs 18:30).


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:14:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:14:1)

**ויעשהו כלים לבית יי' כלי שרת.** ובמלכים אומ' "אך לא יעשה בית יי' ספות כסף" וגו' (מ"ב יב,יד)! רבותי' ז"ל (ב' כתובות קו,ב) הקשו אלה הפסוקים, ותרצו: כאן שגבו והותירו, כאן שגבו ולא הותירו. וזהו שאמ' "וככלותם הביאו לפני המלך ויהוידע"; כי לפני כלות המלאכה לא היו עושים כלים, כמו שאמ' במלכים "כי לעושי המלאכה יתנוהו" (מ"ב יב,טו), שעדין לא נעשית המלאכה, אך כאשר נעשית – כמו שאמ' הנה "ויעמידו בית האלהים על מתכנתו ויאמצוהו וככלותם" וכו' (פס' יג-יד) – עשו הנותר כלי שרת:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**[The remaining silver] was made into utensils for the House of the Lord—service vessels.** But in Kings it says, “However, no silver vessels were made at the House of the Lord …” (2 Kgs 12:14)! Our Sages, of blessed memory (b. Ketubot 106b), note the discrepancy between these verses, and they explain that one refers to a situaion where the amount that they raised yielded a surplus, and the other to situation where it did not. That is the point when the text says, “When they had finished, they brought to the king and Jehoiada….” For prior to the completion of the work they did not make vessels, as it says in Kings, “because they gave it to the workers” (2 Kgs 12:15). But once the work was done—as it says here, “and they restored the House of God to its original form and reinforced it, and *when they had finished* …” (vv. 13–14)—they made what was left into service vessels.


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:14:2
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:14:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:14:2)

**והעלות וכפות.** יש מפרשי' כמו "עלי", שהוא יד המכתש, כמו "בתוך הריפות בעלי" (מש' כז,כב); ועשו אותו לכתוש בו הבשמים לקטרת. ולפי דעתי שהוא כלי קטן ששואבין בו היין מן ההין לנסכים. ומצאנו אותו בדברי רבותי' ז"ל (ב' ערוב' נג,ב): אמהתא דבי ר' כד הוון משתען בלשון חכמה אמרן לר' הכי: "עלת נקפת בכד"; פי': הכלי הקטן שהיו שואבין בו היין מן הכד שמו "עלת", והיו אומרות לו כי העלת היתה מכה בשולי הכד, כלומ' שלא היה יין בכד. ועוד אמרו (ב' שבת קיט,א): אשכח בה מרגניתא, זבנה בתליסר עליתא דדינרי; פי': מכרה בשלשה עשר כלים מלאים דינרין מאותו כלי הקטן הנקרא "עלת". ויקרא האחד "עלת" או "עלה", והרבים "עלות":

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**And *ha-‘alot* and spoons.** Some explain that this is akin to *‘eli*, which is a pestle—as in: “together with the grain, with the *‘eli*” (Prov 27:22)—and that they were made to grind the spices for the incense. But in my opinion this is a small utensil used to draw water from the *hin*, for libations. We find [a reference to] it in a rabbinic source (b. Eruvin 53b): “When speaking cleverly, the maidservants in the house of Rabbi would say to him: ‘The *‘alat* is banging on the jar.’” That is, the small vessel with which they would draw wine from the jar was called an *‘alat*, and they would tell him that the *‘alat* was hitting the bottom of the vessel, meaning that there was no wine in the jar. They also say (b. Sabbath 119a): “He found a jewel in it, and he sold it for thirteen *‘alita* of *dinar*s.” That is, he sold it for thirteen vessels—of this small type called an *‘alat—*filled with *dinar*s. In the singular it is called an *‘alat* or an *‘alah*, and in the plural *‘alot*.


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:17:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:17:1)

**וישתחוו למלך אז שמע המלך אליהם.** השתחוו לו ופתו אותו בדבריהם, ואמרו שיהיו נשמעים לו לכל מצותו, וגם הוא ישמע אליהם לעבוד האשרים ככל העמים, וכיוצא בדברים הללו; אז שמע המלך אליהם, ועזבו עבודת בית המקדש ועבדו האלילים. ובדרש: "וישתחוו" לו – שעשאוהו אלוה. אמרו לו: כת' "והזר הקרב יומת" (במ' יח,ז), ואתה היית בבית המקדש שש שנים (דה"ב כב,יב) ועדין אתה חי! דבר פלא נראה בך, וראוי אתה שנעבדך עבודת אלוה:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**And [the officers of Judah] bowed to the king, at which point the king listened to them.** They bowed to him and persuaded him with their words, saying, among other things, that they would obey any command of his, and that he too should listen to them and worship *asherah* trees like all the nations. So at that point the king listened to them, and they left the service of the Temple and worshiped idols. But in a midrashic source [it says] (cf. Tanḥuma [Buber] *Va’era* 16): “‘And they bowed’ to him—that is, they made him into a god. They said to him: It says, ‘any outsider who encroaches shall be put to death’ (Num 18:7), and you were in the Temple for six years (2 Chr 22:12) and are still alive! Because a wondrous thing has been witnessed concerning you, you are worthy of our worshiping you as a god.”


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:23:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:23:1)

**וישחיתו את כל שרי העם מעם.** יצאו אליהם למלחמה המלך ושרי יהודה וחיל רב; וחיל ארם השחיתו כל שרי העם, ומן העם גם כן השחיתו:

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**And [the Arameans] wiped out all the officers of the people (*sarei ha-‘am*), *me-‘am*.** The king, the officers of Judah, and a large army went out to do battle with them, and the Aramean army wiped out all the officers of the people (*sarei ha-‘am*), and some of the people (*u-min ha-‘am*) they wiped out also.


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:25:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:25:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:25:1)

**בדמי בני יהוידע הכהן.** אולי כשהרגו זכריה הרגו גם כן שאר בני יהוידע. או לא היו לו בנים אז ליהוידע אלא זכריה, כי שאר בניו – שנ' "ויולד בנים ובנות" (לעיל פס' ג) – כבר מתו; ולא נשאר מבני יהוידע אלא זכריה – ואותו הרגו – ואמ' "בדמי בני יהוידע" כמו "ובני דן חושים" (בר' מו,כג):

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**Because of the murder of the sons of Jehoiada the priest.** Perhaps when [the people] killed Zechariah (vv. 21–22) they also killed the rest of Jehoiada’s sons. Alternatively, Jehoiada had no sons then except for Zechariah, because the rest of his sons—to whom the text alludes when it says “and he fathered sons and daughters” (v. 3)—had already died. So the only one of Jehoiada’s sons left was Zechariah—whom they killed—and it says “because of the murder of the *sons* of Jehoiada” in the same sense as “The *sons* of Dan: Hushim” (Gen 46:23).


###### Radak on II Chronicles 24:27:1
[Radak on II Chronicles 24:27:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Radak%20on%20II%20Chronicles/r/24:27:1)

**ובניו ירב המשא עליו.** וכת' "ורב", שהוא שם, כמו "ורב בניו" (אס' ה,יא); כלומ': רב המשא שנבאו הנביאים עליו, כמו שאמ' למעלה "וישלח בהם נביאים" (לעיל פס' יט). וקרי "ירב", שמשפטו "ירבה"; והוא עתיד במקום עבר, כלומ': המשא שרבה עליו. ו"בניו" שב אל יואש; פי': זכר בניו, ומה שרבה המשא עליו – והוא הנבואה – וספור **יסוד בית האלהים** שחזק, הכל כתוב **על מדרש ספר המלכים**. וכבר פרשנו למה נקרא "מדרש" (דה"ב יג,כב):

**The Commentary of Radak to Chronicles: A Translation with Introduction and Supercommentary, by Yitzhak Berger, Brown University, 2007:**
**And his sons *yirev* (ירב) *ha-massa* concerning him.** The spelling is ורב (*ve-rov*; =and the large amount of)—which is a noun, as in *ve-rov banav* (=and his large number of sons; Esth 5:11)—meaning *rov ha-massa* (=the large amount of prophecy) that the prophets prophesied concerning him, as it says, “He sent prophets among them” (v. 19). But it is read *yirev*, a variation of *yirbeh* (=will abound): it is a future-tense form appearing in place of a past-tense form. What it means is: “the prophecies that abounded concerning him.” “*His* sons” refers to Joash. [The verse] means: A record of his sons and of how *massa*—that is, prophecy—abounded concerning him, and an account of his repair of the **foundation of the House of God**, are all written down **in the *midrash* of the kings**. We have already explained why it is called a *midrash* (2 Chr 13:22).