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
And Elijah H452 said H559 unto them, Take H8610 the prophets H5030 of Baal; H1168 let not one H376 of them escape. H4422 And they took H8610 them: and Elijah H452 brought them down H3381 to the brook H5158 Kishon, H7028 and slew H7819 them there.
And ye shall overthrow H5422 their altars, H4196 and break H7665 their pillars, H4676 and burn H8313 their groves H842 with fire; H784 and ye shall hew down H1438 the graven images H6456 of their gods, H430 and destroy H6 the names H8034 of them out of that place. H4725
And that prophet, H5030 or that dreamer H2492 of dreams, H2472 shall be put to death; H4191 because he hath spoken H1696 to turn H5627 you away from the LORD H3068 your God, H430 which brought you out H3318 of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 and redeemed H6299 you out of the house H1004 of bondage, H5650 to thrust H5080 thee out of the way H1870 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 commanded H6680 thee to walk in. H3212 So shalt thou put H1197 the evil H7451 away H1197 from the midst H7130 of thee. If thy brother, H251 the son H1121 of thy mother, H517 or thy son, H1121 or thy daughter, H1323 or the wife H802 of thy bosom, H2436 or thy friend, H7453 which is as thine own soul, H5315 entice H5496 thee secretly, H5643 saying, H559 Let us go H3212 and serve H5647 other H312 gods, H430 which thou hast not known, H3045 thou, nor thy fathers; H1 Namely, of the gods H430 of the people H5971 which are round about H5439 you, nigh H7138 unto thee, or far off H7350 from thee, from the one end H7097 of the earth H776 even unto the other end H7097 of the earth; H776 Thou shalt not consent H14 unto him, nor hearken H8085 unto him; neither shall thine eye H5869 pity H2347 him, neither shalt thou spare, H2550 neither shalt thou conceal H3680 him: But thou shalt surely H2026 kill H2026 him; thine hand H3027 shall be first H7223 upon him to put him to death, H4191 and afterwards H314 the hand H3027 of all the people. H5971
And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end H3615 of offering H6213 the burnt offering, H5930 that Jehu H3058 said H559 to the guard H7323 and to the captains, H7991 Go in, H935 and slay H5221 them; let none H376 come forth. H3318 And they smote H5221 them with the edge H6310 of the sword; H2719 and the guard H7323 and the captains H7991 cast them out, H7993 and went H3212 to the city H5892 of the house H1004 of Baal. H1168 And they brought forth H3318 the images H4676 out of the house H1004 of Baal, H1168 and burned H8313 them. And they brake down H5422 the image H4676 of Baal, H1168 and brake down H5422 the house H1004 of Baal, H1168 and made H7760 it a draught house H4163 H4280 unto this day. H3117 Thus Jehu H3058 destroyed H8045 Baal H1168 out of Israel. H3478
And all the people H5971 of the land H776 went H935 into the house H1004 of Baal, H1168 and brake it down; H5422 his altars H4196 and his images H6754 brake they in pieces H7665 thoroughly, H3190 and slew H2026 Mattan H4977 the priest H3548 of Baal H1168 before H6440 the altars. H4196 And the priest H3548 appointed H7760 officers H6485 H6486 over the house H1004 of the LORD. H3068 And he took H3947 the rulers H8269 over hundreds, H3967 and the captains, H3746 and the guard, H7323 and all the people H5971 of the land; H776 and they brought down H3381 the king H4428 from the house H1004 of the LORD, H3068 and came H935 by the way H1870 of the gate H8179 of the guard H7323 to the king's H4428 house. H1004 And he sat H3427 on the throne H3678 of the kings. H4428
He removed H5493 the high places, H1116 and brake H7665 the images, H4676 and cut down H3772 the groves, H842 and brake in pieces H3807 the brasen H5178 serpent H5175 that Moses H4872 had made: H6213 for unto those days H3117 the children H1121 of Israel H3478 did burn incense H6999 to it: and he called H7121 it Nehushtan. H5180
And they brake down H5422 the altars H4196 of Baalim H1168 in his presence; H6440 and the images, H2553 that were on high above them, H4605 he cut down; H1438 and the groves, H842 and the carved images, H6456 and the molten images, H4541 he brake in pieces, H7665 and made dust H1854 of them, and strowed H2236 it upon H6440 the graves H6913 of them that had sacrificed H2076 unto them.
And it shall come to pass in that day, H3117 saith H5002 the LORD H3068 of hosts, H6635 that I will cut off H3772 the names H8034 of the idols H6091 out of the land, H776 and they shall no more be remembered: H2142 and also I will cause the prophets H5030 and the unclean H2932 spirit H7307 to pass H5674 out of the land. H776 And it shall come to pass, that when any H376 shall yet prophesy, H5012 then his father H1 and his mother H517 that begat H3205 him shall say H559 unto him, Thou shalt not live; H2421 for thou speakest H1696 lies H8267 in the name H8034 of the LORD: H3068 and his father H1 and his mother H517 that begat H3205 him shall thrust H1856 him through when he prophesieth. H5012
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 23
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
2Ch 23:1-11. Jehoiada Makes Joash King.
1. in the seventh year Jehoiada … took the captains of hundreds, &c.—(See on 2Ki 11:4; 2Ki 11:17). The five officers mentioned here had been probably of the royal guard, and were known to be strongly disaffected to the government of Athaliah.
2. chief of all the fathers of Israel—This name is frequently used in Chronicles for Judah and Benjamin, now all that remained of Israel. Having cautiously entrusted the secret of the young prince's preservation to all the leading men in the kingdom, he enlisted their interest in the royal cause and got their pledge to support it by a secret oath of fidelity.
they came to Jerusalem—The time chosen for the grand discovery was, probably, one of the annual festivals, when there was a general concourse of the nation at the capital.
4-9. This is the thing that ye shall do—The arrangements made for defense are here described. The people were divided into three bodies; one attended as guards to the king, while the other two were posted at all the doors and gates, and the captains and military officers who entered the temple unarmed to lull suspicion, were furnished with weapons out of the sacred armory, where David had deposited his trophies of victory and which was reopened on this occasion.
8. Jehoiada … dismissed not the courses—As it was necessary to have as large a disposable force as he could command on such a crisis, the high priest detained those who, in other circumstances, would have returned home on the expiry of their week of service.
11. Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony—Some think that the original word rendered "testimony," as its derivation warrants, may signify here the regalia, especially the bracelet (2Sa 1:10); and this view they support on the ground that "gave him" being supplemented, the text properly runs thus, "put upon him the crown and testimony." At the same time, it seems equally pertinent to take "the testimony" in the usual acceptation of that term; and, accordingly, many are of opinion that a roll containing a copy of the law (De 17:18) was placed in the king's hands, which he held as a scepter or truncheon. Others, referring to a custom of Oriental people, who when receiving a letter or document from a highly respected quarter, lift it up to their heads before opening it, consider that Joash, besides the crown, had the book of the law laid upon his head (see Job 31:35, 36).
God save the king—literally, "Long live the king."
2Ch 23:12-15. Athaliah Slain.
12. Athaliah heard the noise of the people—The unusual commotion, indicated by the blast of the trumpets and the vehement acclamations of the people, drew her attention, or excited her fears. She might have flattered herself that, having slain all the royal family, she was in perfect security; but it is just as likely that, finding on reflection, one had escaped her murderous hands, she might not deem it expedient to institute any enquiries; but the very idea would keep her constantly in a state of jealous suspicion and irritation. In that state of mind, the wicked usurper, hearing across the Tyropœon the outburst of popular joy, rushed across the bridge to the temple grounds, and, penetrating from a single glance the meaning of the whole scene, raised a shriek of "Treason!"
13. behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in—The king's pillar was in the people's court, opposite that of the priests'. The young king, arrayed in the royal insignia, had been brought out of the inner, to stand forth in the outer court, to the public view. Some think that he stood on the brazen scaffold of Solomon, erected beside the pillar [see on 2Ch 6:13].
14, 15. Slay her not in the house of the Lord … and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there—The high priest ordered her immediately to be taken out of the temple grounds and put to death. "And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain" (2Ki 11:16). "Now, we are not to suppose that horses came into [the king's house] of residence, but into the king's (horses') house or hippodrome (the gate of the king's mules) [Josephus], he had built for them on the southeast of the temple, in the immediate vicinity of the horse gate in the valley of Kedron—a valley which was at that time a kind of desecrated place by the destruction of idols and their appurtenances" (2Ki 23:2, 6, 12) [Barclay, City of the Great King].
2Ch 23:16. Jehoiada Restores the Worship of God, and Settles the King.
16. Jehoiada made a covenant—(See on 2Ki 11:17).