Did what was right in the eyes of the LORD is identical with the expression used to describe the behavior of David (1 Kgs 15.5) and Asa (1 Kgs 15.11). But the addition of the words all his days is a new element that emphasizes there was no lapse in his desire to please Yahweh.

Because Jehoiada the priest instructed him: Because renders the Hebrew relative particle. This particle may be understood in several different ways here:

• (1) In combination with the phrase all his days, it may mean “wherein” or “during which time” and the sense will be that Joash did what was pleasing to God only during the time that Jehoiada instructed him. Compare “all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him” (New International Version; similarly La Bible du Semeur) and “as long as Jehoiada the priest taught him” (New Century Version).

• (2) It may mean “as” and the sense will be that Joash did what was pleasing to God all his life just as Jehoiada instructed him. For the whole verse compare “Joash did what was upright in the eyes of Yahweh all his days, as Jehoiada the priest had taught him” (Hobbs; similarly Revised English Bible).

• (3) Or it may mean “because” and the sense will be that Joash did what was pleasing to God all his life because Jehoiada instructed him. For the whole verse compare “Joash did what was pleasing to the LORD as long as he lived, because the priest Jehoiada guided him” (New American Bible; similarly Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, New Living Translation, New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Osty-Trinquet).

As noted at the beginning of this section, the book of 2 Chronicles is more negative in its evaluation of Joash’s rule. But since 2 Kings is positive in its evaluation, the rendering “as” or “because” probably expresses the intended sense.

For Jehoiada the priest, see the comments at 2 Kgs 11.9.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .