דברי הימים ב, פרק כ״ד, פסוק כ״ד

The defeat of the Kingdom of Judah by the Aramean army serves as a stark display of divine providence and deliberate punishment rather than a standard military outcome. The invading force arrived with only a small number of men [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that the vast difference in size between the tiny Aramean force and the massive Judean army highlights the precise nature of the punishment. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Arameans emerged victorious because God handed the large Judean army over to them as a direct consequence of the people abandoning Him [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, the unlikely success of the few Aramean soldiers was aided by the element of surprise, which prevented King Joash from mounting a proper defense [שטיינזלץ]. Because the people forsook God, He granted the invaders overwhelming success, power, and strength in battle [שטיינזלץ].

When the battle ended, the Arameans exacted a heavy toll directly on King Joash. The primary approach among commentators is that the enemy forces passed judgment on the king, subjecting him to severe abuse and torture, though they stopped short of killing him [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ]. This brutal torment was an exact, measure for measure punishment for Joash's ultimate arrogance in declaring himself a deity [מלבי״ם].