2 Chronicles 23:2

_AND THEY WENT ABOUT IN JUDAH, AND GATHERED THE LEVITES OUT OF ALL THE CITIES OF JUDAH, AND THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS OF ISRAEL, AND THEY CAME TO JERUSALEM._ Chief of 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 gotten 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...

Jehoiada was unwilling to trust the success of the revolution wholly and entirely to the royal body-guard. Accordingly, the captains collected from the cities of Judah a strong body of Levites and the chief of the fathers of Israel (i. e. “Judah,” see 2 Chronicles 20:34 note) who were brought up to Jerusalem....

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

2 Chronicles 23:1....

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

ISRAEL. Note this word here, and see note on 1 Kings 12:17....

_gathered the Levites_ This statement is not found in Kings, nor is it there stated as here (2 Chronicles 23:6) that only Levites were allowed inside the Temple to guard the king. _the chief of the fathers_ R.V. THE HEADS OF FATHERS" HOUSES. _Israel_ See 2 Chronicles 11:3 (note)....

AND THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS OF ISRAEL— _Judah_ is here called by the general name of _Israel._...

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....