Worthy.Bible » STRONG » 2 Chronicles » Chapter 23 » Verse 1-21

2 Chronicles 23:1-21 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

1 And in the seventh H7637 year H8141 Jehoiada H3077 strengthened H2388 himself, and took H3947 the captains H8269 of hundreds, H3967 Azariah H5838 the son H1121 of Jeroham, H3395 and Ishmael H3458 the son H1121 of Jehohanan, H3076 and Azariah H5838 the son H1121 of Obed, H5744 and Maaseiah H4641 the son H1121 of Adaiah, H5718 and Elishaphat H478 the son H1121 of Zichri, H2147 into covenant H1285 with him.

2 And they went about H5437 in Judah, H3063 and gathered H6908 the Levites H3881 out of all the cities H5892 of Judah, H3063 and the chief H7218 of the fathers H1 of Israel, H3478 and they came H935 to Jerusalem. H3389

3 And all the congregation H6951 made H3772 a covenant H1285 with the king H4428 in the house H1004 of God. H430 And he said H559 unto them, Behold, the king's H4428 son H1121 shall reign, H4427 as the LORD H3068 hath said H1696 of the sons H1121 of David. H1732

4 This is the thing H1697 that ye shall do; H6213 A third part H7992 of you entering H935 on the sabbath, H7676 of the priests H3548 and of the Levites, H3881 shall be porters H7778 of the doors; H5592

5 And a third part H7992 shall be at the king's H4428 house; H1004 and a third part H7992 at the gate H8179 of the foundation: H3247 and all the people H5971 shall be in the courts H2691 of the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068

6 But let none come H935 into the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 save the priests, H3548 and they that minister H8334 of the Levites; H3881 they shall go in, H935 for they are holy: H6944 but all the people H5971 shall keep H8104 the watch H4931 of the LORD. H3068

7 And the Levites H3881 shall compass H5362 the king H4428 round about, H5439 every man H376 with his weapons H3627 in his hand; H3027 and whosoever else cometh H935 into the house, H1004 he shall be put to death: H4191 but be ye with the king H4428 when he cometh in, H935 and when he goeth out. H3318

8 So the Levites H3881 and all Judah H3063 did H6213 according to all things that Jehoiada H3077 the priest H3548 had commanded, H6680 and took H3947 every man H376 his men H582 that were to come in H935 on the sabbath, H7676 with them that were to go H3318 out on the sabbath: H7676 for Jehoiada H3077 the priest H3548 dismissed H6358 not the courses. H4256

9 Moreover Jehoiada H3077 the priest H3548 delivered H5414 to the captains H8269 of hundreds H3967 spears, H2595 and bucklers, H4043 and shields, H7982 that had been king H4428 David's, H1732 which were in the house H1004 of God. H430

10 And he set H5975 all the people, H5971 every man H376 having his weapon H7973 in his hand, H3027 from the right H3233 side H3802 of the temple H1004 to the left H8042 side H3802 of the temple, H1004 along by the altar H4196 and the temple, H1004 by the king H4428 round about. H5439

11 Then they brought out H3318 the king's H4428 son, H1121 and put H5414 upon him the crown, H5145 and gave him the testimony, H5715 and made him king. H4427 And Jehoiada H3077 and his sons H1121 anointed H4886 him, and said, H559 God save H2421 the king. H4428

12 Now when Athaliah H6271 heard H8085 the noise H6963 of the people H5971 running H7323 and praising H1984 the king, H4428 she came H935 to the people H5971 into the house H1004 of the LORD: H3068

13 And she looked, H7200 and, behold, the king H4428 stood H5975 at his pillar H5982 at the entering in, H3996 and the princes H8269 and the trumpets H2689 by the king: H4428 and all the people H5971 of the land H776 rejoiced, H8056 and sounded H8628 with trumpets, H2689 also the singers H7891 with instruments H3627 of musick, H7892 and such as taught H3045 to sing praise. H1984 Then Athaliah H6271 rent H7167 her clothes, H899 and said, H559 Treason, H7195 Treason. H7195

14 Then Jehoiada H3077 the priest H3548 brought out H3318 the captains H8269 of hundreds H3967 that were set over H6485 the host, H2428 and said H559 unto them, Have her forth H3318 of the ranges: H1004 H7713 and whoso followeth H935 H310 her, let him be slain H4191 with the sword. H2719 For the priest H3548 said, H559 Slay H4191 her not in the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068

15 So they laid H7760 hands H3027 on her; and when she was come H935 to the entering H3996 of the horse H5483 gate H8179 by the king's H4428 house, H1004 they slew H4191 her there.

16 And Jehoiada H3077 made H3772 a covenant H1285 between him, and between all the people, H5971 and between the king, H4428 that they should be the LORD'S H3068 people. H5971

17 Then all the people H5971 went H935 to the house H1004 of Baal, H1168 and brake it down, H5422 and brake H7665 his altars H4196 and his images H6754 in pieces, H7665 and slew H2026 Mattan H4977 the priest H3548 of Baal H1168 before H6440 the altars. H4196

18 Also Jehoiada H3077 appointed H7760 the offices H6486 of the house H1004 of the LORD H3068 by the hand H3027 of the priests H3548 the Levites, H3881 whom David H1732 had distributed H2505 in the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 to offer H5927 the burnt offerings H5930 of the LORD, H3068 as it is written H3789 in the law H8451 of Moses, H4872 with rejoicing H8057 and with singing, H7892 as it was ordained by H3027 David. H1732

19 And he set H5975 the porters H7778 at the gates H8179 of the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 that none which was unclean H2931 in any thing H1697 should enter in. H935

20 And he took H3947 the captains H8269 of hundreds, H3967 and the nobles, H117 and the governors H4910 of the people, H5971 and all the people H5971 of the land, H776 and brought down H3381 the king H4428 from the house H1004 of the LORD: H3068 and they came H935 through H8432 the high H5945 gate H8179 into the king's H4428 house, H1004 and set H3427 the king H4428 upon the throne H3678 of the kingdom. H4467

21 And all the people H5971 of the land H776 rejoiced: H8055 and the city H5892 was quiet, H8252 after that they had slain H4191 Athaliah H6271 with the sword. H2719

Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 23

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 23 Matthew Henry Commentary


Chapter 23

Six years bloody Athaliah had tyrannised; in this chapter we have her deposed and slain, and Joash, the rightful heir, enthroned. We had the story before nearly as it is here related, 2 Ki. 11:4, etc.

  • I. Jehoiada prepared the people for the king, acquainted them with his design, armed them, and appointed them their posts (v. 1-10).
  • II. He produced the king to the people, crowned him, and anointed him (v. 11).
  • III. He slew the usurper (v. 12-15).
  • IV. He reformed the kingdom, re-established religion, and restored the civil government (v. 16-21).

2Ch 23:1-11

We may well imagine the bad posture of affairs in Jerusalem during Athaliah's six years' usurpation, and may wonder that God permitted it and his people bore it so long; but after such a dark and tedious night the returning day in this revolution was the brighter and the more welcome. The continuance of David's seed and throne was what God had sworn by his holiness (Ps. 89:35), and an interruption was no defeasance; the stream of government here runs again in the right channel. The instrument and chief manager of the restoration is Jehoiada, who appears to have been,

  • 1. A man of great prudence, who reserved the young prince for so many years till he was fit to appear in public, and till the nation had grown weary of the usurper, who prepared his work beforehand, and then effected it with admirable secresy and expedition. When God has work to do he will qualify and animate men for it.
  • 2. A man of great interest. The captains joined with him, v. 1. The Levites and the chief of the fathers of Israel came at his call to Jerusalem (v. 2) and were there ready to receive his orders. See what a command wisdom and virtue will give men. The Levites and all Judah did as Jehoiada commanded (v. 8), and, which is strange, all that were entrusted with the secret kept their own counsel till it was executed. Thus the words of the wise are heard in quiet, Eccl. 9:17.
  • 3. A man of great faith. It was not only common equity (much less his wife's relation to the royal family) that put him upon this undertaking, but a regard to the word of God, and the divine entail of the crown (v. 3): The king's son shall reign, must reign, as the Lord hath said. His eye to the promise, and dependence upon that, added a great deal of glory to this undertaking.
  • 4. A man of great religion. This matter was to be done in the temple, which might occasion some breach of rule, and the necessity of the case might be thought to excuse it; but he gave special order that none of the people should come into the house of the Lord, but the priests and Levites only, who were holy, upon pain of death, v. 6, 7. Never let sacred things be profaned, no, not for the support of civil rights.
  • 5. A man of great resolution. When he had undertaken this business he went through with it, brought out the king, crowned him, and gave him the testimony, v. 11. He ventured his head, but it was in a good cause, and therefore he went on boldly. It is here said that his sons joined with him in anointing the young king. One of them, it is likely, was that Zechariah whom Joash afterwards put to death for reproving him (ch. 24:20), which was so much the more ungrateful because he bore a willing part in anointing him.

2Ch 23:12-21

Here we have,

  • I. The people pleased, v. 12, 13. When the king stood at his pillar, whose right it was to stand there, all the people of the land rejoiced to see a rod sprung out of the stem of Jesse, Isa. 11:1. When it seemed a withered root in a dry ground, to see what they despaired of ever seeing-a king of the house of David, what a pleasing surprise was it to them! They ran in transports of joy to see this sight, praised the king, and praised God, for they had with them such as taught to sing praise.
  • II. Athaliah slain. She ran upon the point of the sword of justice; for, imagining her interest much better than it was, she ventured into the house of the Lord at that time, and cried, Treason, treason! But nobody seconded her, or sided with her. The pride of her heart deceived her. She thought all her own, whereas none were cordially so. Jehoiada, as protector in the king's minority, ordered her to be slain (v. 14), which was done immediately (v. 15), only care was taken that she should not be slain in the house of the Lord, that sacred place must not be so far disgraced, nor that wicked woman so far honoured.
  • III. The original contract agreed to, v. 16. In the Kings it is said that Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the people, and the king, 2 Ki. 11:17. Here it is said to be between himself, the people, and the king; for he, as God's priest, was his representative in this transaction, or a sort of mediator, as Moses was. The indenture was tripartite, but the true intent and meaning of the whole was that they should be the Lord's people. God covenanted by Jehoiada to take them for his people; the king and people covenanted with him to be his; and then the king covenanted with the people to govern them as the people of God, and the people with the king to be subject to him as the Lord's people, in his fear and for his sake. Let us look upon ourselves and one another as the Lord's people, and this will have a powerful influence upon us in the discharge of all our duty both to God and man.
  • IV. Baal destroyed, v. 17. They would not have done half their work if they had only destroyed the usurper of the king's right, and not the usurper of God's right-if they had asserted the honour of the throne, and not that of the altar. The greatest grievance of Athaliah's reign was the bringing in of the worship of Baal, and supporting of that; therefore that must be abolished in the first place. Down with Baal's house, his altars, his images; down with them all, and let the blood of his priests be mingled with his sacrifices; for God had commanded that seducers to idolatry should be put to death, Deu. 13:5, 6.
  • V. The temple service revived, v. 18, 19. This had been neglected in the last reigns, the priest and people wanting either power or zeal to keep it up when they had princes that were disaffected to it. But Jehoiada restored the offices of the house of the Lord, which in the late times had been disturbed and invaded, to the proper course and proper hands.
    • 1. He appointed the priests to their courses, for the due offering of sacrifices, according to the law of Moses.
    • 2. The singers to theirs, according to the appointment of David. The sacrifices (it should seem) were offered with rejoicing and singing, and with good reason. We joy in God when we receive the atonement, Rom. 5:11.
    • 3. The porters were put in their respective posts as David ordered (v. 19), and their office was to take care that none who were upon any account ceremonially unclean should be admitted into the courts of the temple.
  • VI. The civil government re-established, v. 20. They brought the king in state to his own palace, and set him upon the throne of the kingdom, to give law, and give judgment, either in his own person or by Jehoiada his tutor. Thus was this happy revolution perfected. The generality of the people rejoiced in it, and the rest were quiet and made no opposition, v. 21. When the Son of David is enthroned in the soul all is quiet and springs of joy are opened.