Common misinterpretations include confusing this Joash, king of idolatrous Israel, with the righteous Joash of Judah who repaired the temple, leading to an erroneous view of his reign as spiritually positive; assuming the phrase 'slept with his fathers' implies peaceful rest in God rather than a standard euphemism for death regardless of one's faithfulness; or reading divine endorsement into the uneventful succession, overlooking the broader biblical condemnation of these kings' wickedness and the impending judgment on Israel.
II Kings 13:13
King James Version (1769)
13 And Joash slept with his fathers; and Jeroboam sat upon his throne: and Joash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
This verse marks the end of King Joash of Israel's reign, his burial among the kings of the northern kingdom in Samaria, and the smooth succession by his son Jeroboam II, underscoring the continuity of Jehoash's dynasty despite the persistent idolatry and unfaithfulness to God that characterized Israel's monarchy, serving as a historical transition in the divided kingdom narrative.