2 Chronicles 23:1

_AND IN THE SEVENTH YEAR JEHOIADA STRENGTHENED HIMSELF, AND TOOK THE CAPTAINS OF HUNDREDS, AZARIAH THE SON OF JEROHAM, AND ISHMAEL THE SON OF JEHOHANAN, AND AZARIAH THE SON OF OBED, AND MAASEIAH THE SON OF ADAIAH, AND ELISHAPHAT THE SON OF ZICHRI, INTO COVENANT WITH HIM._ In the seventh year Jehoiada ... took the captains of hundreds ... - (see the notes at 2 Kings 11:4; 2 Kings 11:17.) The five officers mentioned here had probably formed part of the royal guard, and were known to be strongly disaffected to the government of Athaliah,...

CHAPTER XXIII _Jehoiada the priest, after having taken counsel with the_ _captains, Levites, c., proclaims Joash, and anoints him_ _king_, 1-11. _Athaliah, endeavouring to prevent it, is slain_, 12-15. _He makes the people enter into a covenant, that they would_ _serve the Lord_, 16. _The people break down the temple of Baal, and slay Mattan his_ _priest_, 17. _Jehoiada makes several alterations, and remodels the kingdom_, 18-21. NOTES ON CHAP. XXIII Verse...

The five names do not occur in Kings; only, and incidentally, the five divisions of the royal guard (2 Kings 11:5 note)....

EXPOSITION This chapter records first those careful preparations of Jehoiada which eventuated in the safe proclaiming of Joash king (2 Chronicles 23:1); then the tragic demonstration and tragic end of Athaliah (2 Chronicles 23:12); and lastly, the beneficent action of Jehoiada over people and king, to the complete restoration of the worship and temple-services of the true God (2 Chronicles 23:16-14). The chapter is very closely paralleled by 2 Kings 11:4; while the characteristic and to be expected differences on the part of our text are very conspicuous. These will be noted a

4. REFORMATION UNDER JOASH CHAPTER 23 Joash King and Athaliah's Execution _ 1. Joash made king (2 Chronicles 23:1)_ 2. Athaliah slain (2 Chronicles 23:12) 3. Jehoiada and the revival (2 Chronicles 23:16) The annotations to this interesting page in the history of Judah have already been made in connection with 2 Kings 11. We therefore pass over the preservation of the young child Joash and his hiding away in the LORD's house, on this account. However we call attention to the differences in the two accounts in...

2 CHRONICLES 23, 24. THE REIGN OF JOASH (see notes on 2 Kings 11:4 to 2 Kings 12:21. While the Chronicler bases his narrative, in the main, on the parallel passage in 2 K., he makes changes by means of additions and omissions which leave an entirely different impression on the mind of the reader; this applies more especially to the passage 2 Chronicles 23:1. According to 2 K. it is the captains of hundreds, the royal body-guard composed of foreigners, who enter the Temple at the instance of Jehoiada and proclaim Joash king; the Chronicler, on the other hand, imputes this action, not to the soldiery but to the priests and Levites, because the Law allowed none but priests and Levites to enter the sanctuary. He t

AND. This chapter is complementary to 2 Kings 11:4. See App-56. SEVENTH. The number of spiritual perfection. App-10. STRENGTHENED HIMSELF. Chronicles mentions the military (2 Chronicles 23:1), but enlarges on the Levites (verses: 2 Chronicles 23:2, &c.) Kings recognizes the Levites (2 Kings 11:4), but enlarges on the military. See the book comments for. Chronicles (note on the Title), and App-56....

2 Chronicles 23:1-11 (2 Kings 11:4-12). The Conspiracy against Athaliah 1. _strengthened himself_ Cp. 2 Chronicles 1:1 (note); the phrase does not occur in the parallel passage of Kings. _Azariah_, etc.] These names do not occur in Kings. _captains of hundreds_ In 2 Kin. "captains over hundreds of the Carites (i.e. Cherethites) and of the guard." The Chronicler takes the captains to be captains of _Levites_....

8. THE TIMES OF ATHALIAH (2 Chronicles 22:10 to 2 Chronicles 23:15) TEXT 2 Chronicles 22:10. Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah. 11. But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bedchamber. So Jehqshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest (for she was the sister of Ahaziah), hid him from Athaliah so that she slew him not. 12. And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land....

REIGN OF JOASH This chapter repeats 2 Kings 11:4, but brings into prominence the ecclesiastical officials in place of the soldiers of the royal guard....