XXIII. THE FALL OF ATHALIAH, AND SUCCESSION OF JOASH. (Comp. 2 Kings 11:4.) (1) JEHOIADA STRENGTHENED HIMSELF. — _Showed himself strong_ or _courageous, behaved boldly_ (1 Samuel 4:9). The chronicler has substituted a favourite expression (_hithchazzaq_) for the term used in Kings, “Jehoiada _sen... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY WENT ABOUT IN JUDAH. — 2 Chronicles 17:9; 1 Samuel 7:16. THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS. — _The heads of the clans,_ or _chiefs of houses._ This and the next verse are added by the chronicler. In Kings the narrative passes at once to the charge of 2 Chronicles 23:4 : “This is the thing that ye s... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE CONGREGATION. — Of the assembled Levites and family chiefs, as well as the royal guard. MADE A COVENANT WITH THE KING. — Comp. 2 Kings 11:4 : “And he made a covenant _for_ them,” _i.e.,_ imposed a compact on them, made them swear fidelity to the young prince. (Comp. also 2 Samuel 3:21;... [ Continue Reading ]
THIS IS THE THING THAT YE SHALL DO. — 2 Kings 11:5 : “And he charged them saying, This is the thing,” (&c. There he charges the captains of the guard as being the leaders of the conspiracy. A THIRD. — _The third._ So 2 Chronicles 23:5. “The third of you who come in on the Sabbath” is read also in 2... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A THIRD PART AT THE GATE OF THE FOUNDATION. — 2 Kings 11:6 reads: “the gate Sûr,” which appears there as a gate of the palace. (LXX., “the middle gate;” Syr. and Arab., “the Butchers’ gate”) AND ALL THE PEOPLE SHALL BE IN THE COURTS OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. — This appears to be written from th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT LET NONE COME INTO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. — This verse is not read in Kings. Apparently it is merely an emphatic repetition of the direction of the last verse that all the people were to remain in the courts, and not to break the law by presuming to enter the holy chambers. In 2 Kings 11:7 we re... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE LEVITES SHALL COMPASS. — Kings, “And ye (_i.e.,_ the centurions of the royal guard) shall compass.” (See Note on 2 Chronicles 23:4.) The chronicler characteristically dwells on the share of the Levites in the matter; but he does not expressly _exclude_ the royal guard; and it is utterly unfa... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LEVITES AND ALL JUDAH. — 2 Kings 11:9 reads, “the captains of the hundreds.” The rest of the verse is the same in both narratives so far as the words “go out on the Sabbath.” FOR JEHOIADA THE PRIEST DISMISSED NOT THE COURSES. — The companies of priests and Levites, whose weekly duties had been... [ Continue Reading ]
MOREOVER. — _And._ This verse is essentially identical with 2 Kings 11:10 : “And the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spear and the shields that had been king David’s, which were in the house of Jehovah.” The chronicler has added _Jehoiada_ and _the bucklers,_ and turned _the spear_... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SET ALL THE PEOPLE. — 2 Kings 9:11 : “And the Couriers stood.” By “the people,” the chronicler obviously means, not the mass of the congregation, but the armed body who were to “compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand” (2 Chronicles 23:7). HIS WEAPON. — Or, _his... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN. — _And._ So in 2 Chronicles 23:14; 2 Chronicles 23:17. THEY BROUGHT OUT ... AND PUT. — 2 Kings 11:12 : “_he_ (Jehoiada) brought out... and put.” PUT UPON HIM THE CROWN, AND GAVE HIM THE TESTIMONY. — Literally, _put upon him the crown_ (_nçzer;_ Exodus 29:6; 2 Samuel 1:10) _and the law_ (_ha-’... [ Continue Reading ]
THE EXECUTION OF ATHALIAH (2 Chronicles 23:12). (See 2 Kings 11:13.) (12) NOW WHEN ATHALIAH... SHE CAME. — _And Athaliah heard... and she came._ THE NOISE OF THE PEOPLE RUNNING AND PRAISING THE KING. — Or, _the noise of the people, the Couriers, and those who were acclaiming the king._ (1 Kings 1... [ Continue Reading ]
STOOD. — _Was standing._ AT HIS PILLAR. — _On his stand._ So 2 Kings 23:3. Kings here has, “on _the_ stand;” LXX., ἐπὶ τῆς στάσεως αὐτοῦ; Vulg., “stantem super gradum.” AT THE ENTERING IN. — In _the entry._ LXX., ἐπὶ τῆς εἰσόδου. Kings reads, “according to the custom.” So the Syriac and Arabic her... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN. — _And._ This verse is the same as 2 Kings 11:15, with a few formal variations. BROUGHT OUT. — Kings, “commanded.” The Heb. words are so nearly alike that one may easily be a corruption of the other. The Syriac and Arabic agree with Kings. The LXX. gives both readings. HAVE HER FORTH OF THE... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THEY LAID HANDS ON HER. — Rather, _And they made way for her on both sides._ LXX., καὶ ἔδωκαν αὐτῇ ἄνεσιν. Syriac, “And they made room for her.” TO THE ENTERING OF THE HORSE GATE. — Kings reads: “And she went by the way of the entry of the horses into the king’s house.” Syriac, “And she entered... [ Continue Reading ]
RENEWAL OF THE THEOCRATIC COVENANT AND ABOLITION OF BAAL-WORSHIP (2 Chronicles 23:16). (16) A COVENANT BETWEEN... THE KING. — A slight but characteristic variation from 2 Kings 11:17 : “_the_ covenant _between Jehovah_ and the king and the people, that they should become a people for Jehovah.” BE... [ Continue Reading ]
BRAKE IT DOWN. — _Pulled it down._ AND BRAKE. — _And its altars, &c., they broke in pieces._ Kings adds, “thoroughly.” (See 2 Kings 11:18.)... [ Continue Reading ]
ALSO JEHOIADA APPOINTED. — This and the next verse are a thoroughly characteristic expansion of the brief notice: “And the priest set officers over the house of the Lord” (Kings). Render, “And Jehoiada put the offices of the house of the Lord into the hand of the priests the Levites.” Syriac, “And J... [ Continue Reading ]
AND he SET. — _Stationed,_ or _appointed._ AT THE GATES. — Or, _over the gates._ (See 1 Chronicles 23:5; 1 Chronicles 26:1.) THAT NONE WHICH WAS UNCLEAN... SHOULD ENTER. — Comp. 2 Chronicles 23:6, and Leviticus 5:7; Numbers 5:19_;_ Deuteronomy 24:1; Deuteronomy 24:10.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK. — See 2 Kings 11:19. THE NOBLES, AND THE GOVERNORS OF THE PEOPLE. — Kings has: “And the Carians and the _Couriers.”_ (See Note on 2 Chronicles 23:1.) THE NOBLES. — Comp. Psalms 16:3. GOVERNORS OF THE PEOPLE. — Comp. Isaiah 28:14. These “nobles and governors” are perhaps “the heads of... [ Continue Reading ]