2 Chronicles 23.
Commentary (4)
Adam Clarke
Jehoiada the priest, after having taken counsel with the captains, Levites, etc., proclaims Joash, and anoints him king, Ch2 23:1-11. Athaliah, endeavoring to prevent it, is slain, Ch2 23:12-15. He makes the people enter into a covenant, that they would serve the Lord, Ch2 23:16. The people break down the temple of Baal, and slay Mattan his priest, Ch2 23:17. Jehoiada makes several alterations, and remodels the kingdom, Ch2 23:18-21.
1–8. And in the seventh year - See on Kg2 11:4 (note), etc.
9–10. Spears and bucklers - See on Kg2 11:10 (note).
11–13. God save the king - May the king live! See on Kg2 11:12 (note).
14. And whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword - He who takes her part, or endeavors to prevent the present revolution, let him be immediately slain.
15. Of the horse-gate - See on Kg2 11:16 (note).
16. Made a covenant between him - The high priest was, on this occasion, the representative of God; whom both the people and the king must have had in view, through the medium of his priest.
17–20. Mattan the priest - The Targum will not prostitute the term priest, but calls him כומרא cumera, priestling.
21. The city was quiet - There was no attempt at a counter-revolution. Concerning the coronation of Joash, there is a curious circumstance mentioned by the Targumist on Ch2 23:11, it is as follows: - "And they brought forth the son of the king, and put on him the royal crown which David took from the head of the king of the children of Ammon. In it was inserted the precious attracting stone, in which was engraven and expressed the great and honorable Name [יהוה] which David had placed there by the Holy Spirit: and it was of the weight of a talent of gold; it was therefore a testimony to the house of David that no king who was not of the seed of David should be able to put it on his head, nor be able to bear its weight. When, therefore, the people saw it placed on the head of Joash, and that he was able to bear this crown, they believed him to be of the seed of David, and immediately constituted him king. Therefore Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, May the king be prosperous in his kingdom!"
The Jews say that this was the crown of the king of the Ammonites; and that it was always worn afterwards by the kings of the house of Judah. See Jarchi on this place.
John Gill
The contents of this chapter are the same with Kg2 11:4 and need no other explanation than what may be found in the notes there, to which the reader is referred.See Gill on Kg2 11:4. See Gill on Kg2 11:5. See Gill on Kg2 11:6. See Gill on Kg2 11:7. See Gill on Kg2 11:8. See Gill on Kg2 11:9. See Gill on Kg2 11:10. See Gill on Kg2 11:11. See Gill on Kg2 11:12. See Gill on Kg2 11:13. See Gill on Kg2 11:14. See Gill on Kg2 11:15. See Gill on Kg2 11:16. See Gill on Kg2 11:17. See Gill on Kg2 11:18. See Gill on Kg2 11:19. See Gill on Kg2 11:20.
Next: 2 Chronicles Chapter 24
JFB
JEHOIADA MAKES JOASH KING. (Ch2 23:1-11)
in the seventh year Jehoiada . . . took the captains of hundreds, &c.--(See on Kg2 11:4; Kg2 11:17). The five officers mentioned here had been probably of the royal guard, and were known to be strongly disaffected to the government of Athaliah.
2–3. chief of all 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 got 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.
4–7. This is the thing that ye shall do--The arrangements made for defense are here described. The people were divided into three bodies; one attended as guards to the king, while the other two were posted at all the doors and gates, and the captains and military officers who entered the temple unarmed to lull suspicion, were furnished with weapons out of the sacred armory, where David had deposited his trophies of victory and which was reopened on this occasion.
8–10. Jehoiada . . . dismissed not the courses--As it was necessary to have as large a disposable force as he could command on such a crisis, the high priest detained those who, in other circumstances, would have returned home on the expiry of their week of service.
11. Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony--Some think that the original word rendered "testimony," as its derivation warrants, may signify here the regalia, especially the bracelet (Sa2 1:10); and this view they support on the ground that "gave him" being supplemented, the text properly runs thus, "put upon him the crown and testimony." At the same time, it seems equally pertinent to take "the testimony" in the usual acceptation of that term; and, accordingly, many are of opinion that a roll containing a copy of the law (Deu 17:18) was placed in the king's hands, which he held as a scepter or truncheon. Others, referring to a custom of Oriental people, who when receiving a letter or document from a highly respected quarter, lift it up to their heads before opening it, consider that Joash, besides the crown, had the book of the law laid upon his head (see Job 31:35-36).
God save the king--literally, "Long live the king."
12. ATHALIAH SLAIN. (Ch2 23:12-15)
Athaliah heard the noise of the people--The unusual commotion, indicated by the blast of the trumpets and the vehement acclamations of the people, drew her attention, or excited her fears. She might have flattered herself that, having slain all the royal family, she was in perfect security; but it is just as likely that, finding on reflection, one had escaped her murderous hands, she might not deem it expedient to institute any enquiries; but the very idea would keep her constantly in a state of jealous suspicion and irritation. In that state of mind, the wicked usurper, hearing across the Tyropœon the outburst of popular joy, rushed across the bridge to the temple grounds, and, penetrating from a single glance the meaning of the whole scene, raised a shriek of "Treason!"
13. behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in--The king's pillar was in the people's court, opposite that of the priests'. The young king, arrayed in the royal insignia, had been brought out of the inner, to stand forth in the outer court, to the public view. Some think that he stood on the brazen scaffold of Solomon, erected beside the pillar [see on Ch2 6:13].
14–15. Slay her not in the house of the Lord . . . and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there--The high priest ordered her immediately to be taken out of the temple grounds and put to death. "And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain" (Kg2 11:16). "Now, we are not to suppose that horses came into [the king's house] of residence, but into the king's (horses') house or hippodrome (the gate of the king's mules) [JOSEPHUS], he had built for them on the southeast of the temple, in the immediate vicinity of the horse gate in the valley of Kedron--a valley which was at that time a kind of desecrated place by the destruction of idols and their appurtenances" (Kg2 23:2, Kg2 23:6, Kg2 23:12) [BARCLAY, City of the Great King].
16. JEHOIADA RESTORES THE WORSHIP OF GOD, AND SETTLES THE KING. (Ch2 23:16)
Jehoiada made a covenant--(See on Kg2 11:17).
Next: 2 Chronicles Chapter 24
Matthew Henry
Six years bloody Athaliah had tyrannised; in this chapter we have her deposed and slain, and Joash, the rightful heir, enthroned. We had the story before nearly as it is here related, Kg2 11:4, etc. I. Jehoiada prepared the people for the king, acquainted them with his design, armed them, and appointed them their posts (Ch2 23:1-10). II. He produced the king to the people, crowned him, and anointed him (Ch2 23:11). III. He slew the usurper (Ch2 23:12-15). IV. He reformed the kingdom, re-established religion, and restored the civil government (Ch2 23:16-21).
1–11. We may well imagine the bad posture of affairs in Jerusalem during Athaliah's six years' usurpation, and may wonder that God permitted it and his people bore it so long; but after such a dark and tedious night the returning day in this revolution was the brighter and the more welcome. The continuance of David's seed and throne was what God had sworn by his holiness (Psa 89:35), and an interruption was no defeasance; the stream of government here runs again in the right channel. The instrument and chief manager of the restoration is Jehoiada, who appears to have been, 1. A man of great prudence, who reserved the young prince for so many years till he was fit to appear in public, and till the nation had grown weary of the usurper, who prepared his work beforehand, and then effected it with admirable secresy and expedition. When God has work to do he will qualify and animate men for it. 2. A man of great interest. The captains joined with him, Ch2 23:1. The Levites and the chief of the fathers of Israel came at his call to Jerusalem (Ch2 23:2) and were there ready to receive his orders. See what a command wisdom and virtue will give men. The Levites and all Judah did as Jehoiada commanded (Ch2 23:8), and, which is strange, all that were entrusted with the secret kept their own counsel till it was executed. Thus the words of the wise are heard in quiet, Ecc 9:17. 3. A man of great faith. It was not only common equity (much less his wife's relation to the royal family) that put him upon this undertaking, but a regard to the word of God, and the divine entail of the crown (Ch2 23:3): The king's son shall reign, must reign, as the Lord hath said. His eye to the promise, and dependence upon that, added a great deal of glory to this undertaking. 4. A man of great religion. This matter was to be done in the temple, which might occasion some breach of rule, and the necessity of the case might be thought to excuse it; but he gave special order that none of the people should come into the house of the Lord, but the priests and Levites only, who were holy, upon pain of death, Ch2 23:6, Ch2 23:7. Never let sacred things be profaned, no, not for the support of civil rights. 5. A man of great resolution. When he had undertaken this business he went through with it, brought out the king, crowned him, and gave him the testimony, Ch2 23:11. He ventured his head, but it was in a good cause, and therefore he went on boldly. It is here said that his sons joined with him in anointing the young king. One of them, it is likely, was that Zechariah whom Joash afterwards put to death for reproving him (Ch2 24:20), which was so much the more ungrateful because he bore a willing part in anointing him.
12. Here we have, I. The people pleased, Ch2 23:12, Ch2 23:13. When the king stood at his pillar, whose right it was to stand there, all the people of the land rejoiced to see a rod sprung out of the stem of Jesse, Isa 11:1. When it seemed a withered root in a dry ground, to see what they despaired of ever seeing - a king of the house of David, what a pleasing surprise was it to them! They ran in transports of joy to see this sight, praised the king, and praised God, for they had with them such as taught to sing praise.
II. Athaliah slain. She ran upon the point of the sword of justice; for, imagining her interest much better than it was, she ventured into the house of the Lord at that time, and cried, Treason, treason! But nobody seconded her, or sided with her. The pride of her heart deceived her. She thought all her own, whereas none were cordially so. Jehoiada, as protector in the king's minority, ordered her to be slain (Ch2 23:14), which was done immediately (Ch2 23:15), only care was taken that she should not be slain in the house of the Lord, that sacred place must not be so far disgraced, nor that wicked woman so far honoured.
III. The original contract agreed to, Ch2 23:16. In the Kings it is said that Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord, the people, and the king, Kg2 11:17. Here it is said to be between himself, the people, and the king; for he, as God's priest, was his representative in this transaction, or a sort of mediator, as Moses was. The indenture was tripartite, but the true intent and meaning of the whole was that they should be the Lord's people. God covenanted by Jehoiada to take them for his people; the king and people covenanted with him to be his; and then the king covenanted with the people to govern them as the people of God, and the people with the king to be subject to him as the Lord's people, in his fear and for his sake. Let us look upon ourselves and one another as the Lord's people, and this will have a powerful influence upon us in the discharge of all our duty both to God and man.
IV. Baal destroyed, Ch2 23:17. They would not have done half their work if they had only destroyed the usurper of the king's right, and not the usurper of God's right - if they had asserted the honour of the throne, and not that of the altar. The greatest grievance of Athaliah's reign was the bringing in of the worship of Baal, and supporting of that; therefore that must be abolished in the first place. Down with Baal's house, his altars, his images; down with them all, and let the blood of his priests be mingled with his sacrifices; for God had commanded that seducers to idolatry should be put to death, Deu 13:5, Deu 13:6.
V. The temple service revived, Ch2 23:18, Ch2 23:19. This had been neglected in the last reigns, the priest and people wanting either power or zeal to keep it up when they had princes that were disaffected to it. But Jehoiada restored the offices of the house of the Lord, which in the late times had been disturbed and invaded, to the proper course and proper hands. 1. He appointed the priests to their courses, for the due offering of sacrifices, according to the law of Moses. 2. The singers to theirs, according to the appointment of David. The sacrifices (it should seem) were offered with rejoicing and singing, and with good reason. We joy in God when we receive the atonement, Rom 5:11. 3. The porters were put in their respective posts as David ordered (Ch2 23:19), and their office was to take care that none who were upon any account ceremonially unclean should be admitted into the courts of the temple.
VI. The civil government re-established, Ch2 23:20. They brought the king in state to his own palace, and set him upon the throne of the kingdom, to give law, and give judgment, either in his own person or by Jehoiada his tutor. Thus was this happy revolution perfected. The generality of the people rejoiced in it, and the rest were quiet and made no opposition, Ch2 23:21. When the Son of David is enthroned in the soul all is quiet and springs of joy are opened.