“And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house.”
My Notes
What Does 2 Chronicles 24:16 Mean?
"And they buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God, and toward his house." Jehoiada the priest receives a royal burial — among the kings — even though he was never king. The burial honors are explicitly connected to his deeds: he "had done good" toward God and toward God's house (the Temple). His tomb placement isn't about his title. It's about his impact.
The contrast with Jehoram (2 Chronicles 21:20) is devastating: Jehoram was king and was denied the royal tombs. Jehoiada was a priest and was given them. The community's verdict values faithfulness over title, impact over position. The man who served God well gets a king's burial. The king who served himself gets exclusion.
The phrase "both toward God, and toward his house" identifies the two dimensions of Jehoiada's goodness: vertical (toward God) and institutional (toward the Temple). He didn't just worship privately. He rebuilt the Temple, restored proper worship, preserved the Davidic line through Joash, and guided the nation back to covenant faithfulness. His goodness was both personal and structural.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What does a priest receiving a king's burial teach about how God evaluates legacy?
- 2.How does Jehoiada's honor contrast with Jehoram's exclusion — and what does that reveal about real legacy?
- 3.What does 'doing good toward God AND toward his house' look like in your context?
- 4.What would your community's final verdict be — based on impact, not title?
Devotional
A priest buried among kings — because he did what the kings should have done. Jehoiada's burial is the community's final verdict: you earned this. Not by title, but by faithfulness.
The 'among the kings' is the honor that makes Jehoram's exclusion (21:20) sting even more: the actual king was denied the royal tombs. The priest was given them. The community that evaluates legacy doesn't check your credentials. It checks your faithfulness. Jehoiada's 130 years of faithful service outweighed every unfaithful king's reign combined.
The 'done good both toward God and toward his house' describes the two-directional faithfulness: Jehoiada served God personally AND served God's house institutionally. His worship was genuine. His structural contributions were massive. He preserved the Davidic line when Athaliah tried to destroy it (2 Chronicles 22:10-12). He crowned Joash. He restored the Temple. He guided national worship back to covenant faithfulness. His goodness had both a devotional dimension and a legacy dimension.
The question this verse plants is about your own burial verdict: what will the community say about your impact? Not your title, your resume, your accomplishments on paper — but your actual impact on God's house and God's people. Jehoiada had no crown. He got a king's tomb. Because the tomb goes to the one who did the good, not the one who held the title.
What good are you doing 'toward God and toward his house' that will outlast your title?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And they left the house of the Lord God of their fathers,.... Came no more to the temple at Jerusalem, forsook the…
They buried him in the city of David among the kings - This unparalleled honor, due in part to the respect felt for…
They buried him - among the kings - He had, in fact, been king in Judah; for Joash, who appears to have been a weak man,…
We have here a sad account of the degeneracy and apostasy of Joash. God had done great things for him; he had done…
Cross References
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