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.
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) "2Ch 15:17")
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
