By asking questions at the outset, he made his audience feel involved; he challenged them. The two questions together suggest a growing absurdity, appealing to the public’s common sense. Joash threatened them to be considered stupid. Then, he threatened their lives; he appealed to their fear and instinct to survival. The speech was rude. Moreover, he boosted a feeling of unity in the village community with himself as leader. He did this by designating a common enemy who would be excluded from the group. However, the narrator does not intend to either praise or rebuke Joash.
31 Joas répondit à tous ceux qui se présentèrent à lui: Est-ce à vous de prendre parti pour Baal? est-ce à vous de venir à son secours? Quiconque prendra parti pour Baal mourra avant que le matin vienne. Si Baal est un dieu, qu'il plaide lui-même sa cause, puisqu'on a renversé son autel.