Midrash sobre II Crônicas 24:26

Others say: Let Amalek, the ingrate, come and exact payment of the ingrate people (Israel). Similarly, (II Chronicles 24:26) "And these are the men who rebelled against him (Yoash), etc.": Let these ingrates come and exact payment of the ingrate Yoash, viz. (Ibid. 22) "and King Yoash did not remember the lovingkindness that (Zechariah's) father Yehoyada had done for him, and he killed his son. As he was dying, he said: "May G d see this and demand redress." What was his punishment? (Ibid. 23) "And it happened at the turn of the year that the army of Aram attacked (Yoash) …and the L rd delivered into their hands a great host." Why? (Ibid. 24) "for they had forsaken the L rd, the G d of their fathers. And with Yoav they effected shefatim." Do not read it "shefatim" (judgment), but "shoftim" (judges). How so? They appointed over him cruel guards, who had never known a woman in their lives and who tortured him with sodomy, as it is written (Hoshea 5:5) "And the pride of Israel (Yoash) will be tortured, etc." (II Chronicles 24:25) "and when they left him (Yoash) — for they left him with many wounds — his servants rebelled against him because of the blood of the sons of Yehoyada the Cohein, and they killed him on his bed and he died."

R. Judah the Prince stated: Amalek had to travel through the land of five nations to wage war against Israel at Rephidim, as it is said: Amalek dwelleth in the land of the south; and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanite dwelleth by the sea, and along by the side of the Jordan (Num. 13:29). From this verse you learn that Amalek dwelt farther away than (the others). R. Nathan stated: Amalek came from the mountains of Seir and traveled nearly four hundred parasangs to Rephidim to wage war against Israel. Others say: He allowed the ungrateful Amalek to come and exact retribution from an ungrateful people. Thus it says: And these are they that conspired against him: Zabad the son of Shemeath the Ammonitess (II Chron. 24:26). He let these ungrateful ones come and exact retribution from the ungrateful Joash, as it is said: Thus Joash the king remembered not the kindness which Jehoiada, his father, had done to him, but slew his son. And when he died, he said: “The Lord look upon it, and require it” (ibid., v. 22). What was his punishment? And it came to pass, when the year was come about, that the army of the Arameans came up against him. And they came to Judah and Jerusalem, and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people…. so they executed judgment upon Joash (ibid., v. 23–24). Do not read the word as shefatim (“judgment”) but as shiputim (“sport”). They stationed cruel guards over him who had not had sexual relations with women, and they tortured him with acts of sodomy, as is said: And tortured but the pride of Israel (Hos. 5:5). It is written also: And when they were departed from him—for they left him in great diseases—his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died; and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchers of the kings (II Chron. 24:25).