2 Chronicles 23

2 Kings xi. 5—7. where this is delivered a little more largely. ■;

2 Chronicles 23:1

JjLND in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jerohdm,‘ahd Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son ofZichri, into covenant with him.] It is not to be supposed that he took all the captains of hundreds that were in the nation into confederacy with him: but Such whom lie could depend upon, whose names arc here mentioned..

2 Chronicles 23:2

, And they went abotit in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah. These captains went about, and communicated the design to the Levites, as men that might be trusted with it. And the chief of the fathers of Israel.] Some of which wore under the government’of the king of Judah; and others, perhaps, were known to be. well afFected to religion, and so were invited to give their assistance. Butitis.most likely that Judah is here called Israel (as in several other places), the principal men of authority of which were acquainted with Jehoiada’s intentions. And they came to Jerusalem.] To settle their resolution with Jehoiada.

2 Chronicles 23:3

And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord hath said of the sons of David. When all the forenamed persons were assembled at the temple, the young king was produced, and they all swore to be faithful to him. See 2 Kings xi. 4. where, in the following verses, most of this chapter hath been explained already.

2 Chronicles 23:4

This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors.

2 Chronicles 23:5

And a third part shall be at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. Sec

2 Chronicles 23:6

But let none come into the house of the Lord, save the priests, and they tliat minister of the Levites. Who were thezi in waiting in their course. They shall go in, for they are holy.] They were consecrated to the service of God, and were bound to attend there. But all the people sJuitt keep the watch of the Lord.’) That is, of the house of the Lord, as was said before, ver. 5.

2 Chronicles 23:7

And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be you with the king when he cometKin, andivhen he goeth out.] It appears by 2 Kings xi. 8. that part of the Levites were assigned to be the king’s guard, which did not belong to their office (which was to guard the temple, and minister there); but upon this extraordinary occasion they were thus employed, as men upon whose fidelity Jehoiada might rely.

2 Chronicles 23:8

So the Levites, and all Judah, did according to all things that Jehoiada tlie priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.] This is more distinctly set down in 2 Kings xi. 7. to which I refer the reader.

2 Chronicles 23:9

Moreover, Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that Jtad been king David’s, which were in the house of God. These seem to have been hung up as trophies in the house of God, after David’s victories. (See there, ver, 10.)

2 Chronicles 23:10

And he set all the people (every man having his weapon in his hand) from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.] See there, ver. 11.. v

2 Chronicles 23:11

Then they brought otit the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king: and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him. The same is said in 2 Kings xi. 12. only one thing is here added, that* he was anointed by Jehoiada and his sons. Among whom Zacharias was one, whom the king most basely requited..The Targum here hath a long fable, that this w T as the crown taken from the head of the king of Ammon, wherein was a magnet, &c. And said, God save the king.] They said this, with clapping their hands, as we read in the book of the Kings.

2 Chronicles 23:12

Now, when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord. They ran from place to place proclaiming the king, and praising God, for setting him upon the throne. This is more briefly related in 2 Kings xi. 13.’,

2 Chronicles 23:13

And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar, at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the pebple of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets; also the singers with instruments of music, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, treason!] In this verse something is added concerning their expressions of joy> with instruments of music, &c. otherwise it is the same with 2 Kings xi. 14. CHAP. XXXII?] THE SECQND BOOK OF THE CHRONICLES,

2 Chronicles 23:14

ThenJehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over theJiost, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges; and whoso followeth her. let him be slain with the sword* For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the Lord.’] See 2 Kings xi. 15. where this is expressed more plainly.

2 Chronicles 23:15

So they laid hands on’her: and when she was come to the entering of the horse-gate, by the king’s house, tliey slew her there. See 2 Kings xi. 16. For no doubt an usurper may be slain, by those who have the supreme power and authority: whether it be in the king, or the seriate, or the people, as Grotius speaks. To which he adds, the tutors of young kings who are their pupils, such as Jehoiada, lib. i. de Jure Belli et Pacis, cap. 4. sect 8. where he very wisely subjoins, that he cannot. allow any private man to have a right to kill an usurper, sect. 19. Such a one Athaliah was, for she had no right to reign, but invaded the throne, by a tyrannical force, as Schickard calls it, (cap. 1. Theor. 3. de Jure Regio.) • -

2 Chronicles 23:16

And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the Lord’s people. I have explained this: in 2 Kings xi. 17. where it is expressly said this covenant was made between the Lord, and the people, and the king. (See there.) Unto which I may here add, that there is no such difference between these two verses as may be imagined. For Jehoiada the priest sustaining the person of God, the covenant was made with God, not with Jehoiada, who only represented God, to whom they promised obedience,

2 Chronicles 23:17

Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. See 2 Kings xi. 18. *

2 Chronicles 23:18

Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests the. Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt-offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.] What is set down briefly, at the end of that eighteenth verse, that the priest appointed officers’ over the house of the Lord, is here set down more largely in this verse, and in the next. The first words of which sound thus in the Hebrew, he put the offices, the offices of the house of the Lord, in the hand of the priests and Levites. Who, perhaps, had been put out of their’offices by the former wicked kings, or by Athaliah, and now were restored by Jehoiada, according to the regulation made by David.

2 Chronicles 23:19

And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none which was tmclean in any thing should enter therein. These also had been constituted by David. (See 1 Chron. xxvi. 1, &c.) For there is no earthly king, as Maimonides observes, whose palace is not encompassed with strong guards: and therefore much more fit was it that the dwelling-place of God, the King of kings, should be surrounded by his ministers, priests, and Levites, who should carefully watch that nothing did pollute it.

2 Chronicles 23:20

And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the Lord: and they came through the high gate into the Icing’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.] He would have those who had begun this work see it accomplished: and therefore they all accompanied the Jung from the temple to his palace, and saw him set on the throne of his father, (see 2. Kings xi. 19.) whereby he took, possession of the kingdom, to which he had been anointed in the temple… -. t ^ a. •

2 Chronicles 23:21

And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword. See this’ explained in 2 Kings xi. 20.