XI. ATHALIAH USURPS THE THRONE OF JUDAH, BUT IS DEPOSED AND SLAIN, AND HER GRANDSON JOASH CROWNED, THROUGH THE INSTRUMENTALITY OF THE HIGH PRIEST JEHOIADA. (Comp. 2 Chronicles 22:10; 2 Chronicles 23:21.) (1) AND WHEN ATHALIAH... SAW. — Rather, _Now Athaliah... had seen._ (The _and_, which the comm... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT JEHOSHEBA... SISTER OF AHAZIAH. — By a different mother (see Josephus). Athaliah would not have allowed her daughter to marry the high priest of Jehovah. (Comp. 2 Kings 11:3 with 2 Chronicles 22:11.) This marriage with a sister of the king shows what almost royal dignity belonged to the high pri... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE WAS WITH HER — _i.e._, with Jehosheba his aunt. The words “in the house of the Lord” should immediately follow. The Word “hid” is connected with “six years” in the Hebrew, and relates to the infant prince only. Joash was with his aunt “in the house of the Lord” — _i.e._, in one of the chamber... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SEVENTH YEAR. — When perhaps discontent at Athalialı’s tyranny had reached a climax. JEHOIADA. — The high priest (2 Kings 11:9). The curious fact that his rank is not specified hero upon the _first_ mention of his name, suggests the inference that in the original authority of this narrative... [ Continue Reading ]
A THIRD PART OF YOU... KING’S HOUSE. — Rather, _the third of you who come in on the Sabbath shall keep the ward of the king’s house._ (Reading _w‘shâm‘rû_, as in 2 Kings 11:7.) The troops of the royal guard regularly succeeded each other on duty just as they do in modern European capitals. That the... [ Continue Reading ]
Three companies of the guards to be stationed at the three approaches to the palace.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND A THIRD PART SHALL BE AT THE GATE OF SUR. — Or, and the third (shall be on guard) _at the gate of Sur_, Instead of _Sûr_ (“turning aside”) Chronicles has _Jesôd_ (“foundation”). The gate Sur was apparently a _side exit_ from the court of the palace, such as may be seen in the old Egyptian palace... [ Continue Reading ]
The whole body of guards relieved on the Sabbath are to guard the Temple and the young prince. (7) AND TWO PARTS OF ALL YOU... SABBATH. — Rather, _and the two branches among you, all that go out on the Sabbath._ The two “branches” means the two fundamental divisions — viz., Carians (or executioners)... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CAPTAINS OVER THE HUNDREDS — _i.e._, the centurions of the royal guard (2 Kings 11:4). So in 2 Kings 11:10. COMMANDED. — _Had commanded_.... [ Continue Reading ]
The preparations for carrying out the above arrangements.... [ Continue Reading ]
KING DAVID’S SPEARS AND SHIELDS. — The Hebrew has _spear_, but Chronicles has the plural, which appears correct. “Shields” should perhaps be _arms_. (Comp. 2 Samuel 8:7; 2 Chronicles 23:9.) The arms which David had laid up in the Temple as spoils of war were now to be used, appropriately enough, for... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GUARD. — Literally, _the Couriers;_ not therefore the Levites. CORNER. — Rather, _side_. ALONG BY. — _At_. AND THE TEMPLE. — _And at the Temple_. The guard formed in two lines, extending from the south wall to the north wall of the court, one line standing at the altar of burnt offering, whic... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE BROUGHT FORTH THE KING’S SON. — When the two lines were formed, cutting off the interior of the Temple from the court, Jehoiada led forth the young prince into the protected space between them; perhaps from a side chamber, or perhaps from the sanctuary itself. AND GAVE HIM THE TESTIMONY. — T... [ Continue Reading ]
OF THE GUARD AND OF THE PEOPLE. — This is correct. The _and_ has fallen out of the Hebrew text. THE GUARD. — The Aramaic form of the plural, rare in prose, occurs here. (Comp. 1 Kings 11:33.) In 2 Chronicles 23:11 the words are transposed. This gives a different sense — viz., “of the people_ runnin... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN SHE LOOKED. — Having entered the court, the whole scene met her astonished gaze. THE KING STOOD BY A PILLAR. — Rather, _the king was standing on the stand_. (Comp. 2 Kings 23:3.) The stand (Vulg., “tribunal”) was apparently a dais reserved for the king only, which stood before the great al... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CAPTAINS OF THE HUNDREDS, THE OFFICERS OF THE HOST. — The centurions of the royal guard are called “the officers of the host” (comp. Numbers 31:14) to signify that it was they who gave effect to the high priest’s orders by communicating them to their troops. HAVE HER FORTH WITHOUT THE RANGES. —... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY LAID HANDS ON HER. — So the LXX. and Vulg. The Hebrew phrase means: _and they made room for her on both sides — i.e._, the crowd fell back, and a lane was formed for her exit (so the Targum and Rashi). SHE WENT... KING’S HOUSE. — She _entered the palace by way of the entry of the horses_. Atha... [ Continue Reading ]
A COVENANT. — Rather, _the covenant._ The high priest solemnly renewed the original compact between Jehovah and the king and people — a compact which had been violated by the Baal-worship of recent reigns. THAT THEY SHOULD BE THE LORD’S PEOPLE. — Comp. Deuteronomy 4:20; Exodus 19:5. BETWEEN THE KIN... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND WENT INTO THE HOUSE OF BAAL. — Immediately after the covenant had been renewed, of which the extirpation of the foreign Baal-worship was a consequence. In the fervour of their newly-awakened enthusiasm for Jehovah, the assembly may have hurried off at once to the work of d... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE TOOK THE RULERS... THE LAND. — Jehoiada now arranges a procession to escort the king in triumph from the Temple to the palace. THE RULERS... GUARD. — Rather, _the captains of the hundreds_ (the centurions) _and the Carians and the Couriers_; or, as Thenius prefers, _the lictors and the satel... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE LAND... THE CITY. — Thenius calls this an “evident contrast between the soldiery and the. citizens; the former exulting in their work, the latter not lifting a finger while the idolatrous tyrant was being put to death “ (connecting the first half of the verse with the second; a... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN YEARS OLD WAS JEHOASH. — The Hebrew editions connect this verse with chapter 12.... [ Continue Reading ]