Bible Commentaries
2 Chronicles 23

Verse 1

23:1 And {a} 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.

(a) Of the reign of Athaliah or after the death of Ahaziah.

Verse 2

23:2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the {b} chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

(b) Meaning of Judah and Benjamin. To see why they are called Israel, see Geneva (l) "2 Chronicles 15:17"

Verse 5

23:5 And a third part [shall be] at the king’s house; and a third part at the gate of the {c} foundation: and all the people [shall be] in the courts of the house of the LORD.

(c) Which was the chief gate of the temple toward the east.

Verse 7

23:7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever [else] cometh {d} into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.

(d) Meaning to make any tumult, or to hinder their enterprise.

Verse 8

23:8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that {e} were to go [out] on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

(e) Who had finished their course on the Sabbath and so the other part entered to keep their turn.

Verse 10

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 {f} temple, by the king round about.

(f) Meaning the most holy place where the ark stood.

Verse 11

23:11 Then they brought out the king’s son, and put upon him the crown, and [gave him] the {g} testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.

(g) That is, the book of the law or as some read they put on him his royal apparel.

Verse 13

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 people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, {h} Treason, Treason.

(h) Declaring her vile impudency who having unjustly and by murder usurped the crown would still have defeated the true possessor and therefore called true obedience treason.

Verse 14

23:14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges: and whoso {i} followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the LORD.

(i) To join with her party and to maintain her authority.

Verse 16

23:16 And Jehoiada made a {k} covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD’S people.

(k) That they would only serve him and renounce all idolatry.

Verse 17

23:17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and {l} brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew {m} Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

(l) According to their covenant made to the Lord.

(m) As the Lord commanded in his law both for the person and also the city, De 13:9,15.

Verse 20

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 {n} high gate into the king’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

(n) Which was the principal gate that the king might be seen by all the people.

Verse 21

23:21 And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, {o} after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

(o) For where a tyrant and an idolater reigns there can be no peace for the plagues of God are always among such people.