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2 Kings Chapter
Eleven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 11
This
chapter relates how that Joash the son of Ahaziah
king of Judah
being hid and
preserved
when his grandmother murdered all the seed royal
after six years
was produced
2 Kings 11:1
when
Jehoiada the priest set a sufficient guard about him
and the king's house
and
anointed him king
2 Kings 11:4
and
Athaliah his grandmother
who had reigned six years
was put to death by the
order of the priest
2 Kings 10:13
and
then a covenant was made between the Lord
and the king
and the people
and
between the king and the people; and he was placed on the throne
to the
satisfaction of the people
and the quiet thereof
2 Kings 10:17.
2 Kings 11:1 When
Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead
she arose and
destroyed all the royal heirs.
YLT
1And Athaliah [is] mother of
Ahaziah
and she hath seen that her son [is] dead
and she riseth
and
destroyeth all the seed of the kingdom;
And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead
.... Who was
the daughter of Ahab
and granddaughter of Omri 2 Kings 8:18
she
arose:
and destroyed all the seed royal; that were left
for many
had been slain already; the sons of Jehoshaphat
the brothers of Joram
were
slain by him
2 Chronicles 21:4
and all Joram's sons
excepting Ahaziah
were slain by the Arabians
2 Chronicles 22:1
and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah were slain by Jehu
2 Kings 11:8
these
therefore seem to be the children of Ahaziah
the grandchildren of this brutish
woman
whom she massacred out of her ambition of rule and government
which
perhaps she was intrusted with while her son went to visit Joram king of
Israel; other reasons are by some assigned
but this seems to be the chief. For
the same reason Laodice
who had six sons by Ariarathes king of the
Cappadocians
poisoned five of them; the youngest escaping her hands
was
murdered by the peopleF24Justin. e Trogo
l. 37. c. 1.
as this
woman also was.
2 Kings 11:2 2 But Jehosheba
the
daughter of King Joram
sister of Ahaziah
took Joash the son of Ahaziah
and
stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered; and
they hid him and his nurse in the bedroom
from Athaliah
so that he was not
killed.
YLT
2and Jehosheba daughter of
king Joram
sister of Ahaziah
taketh Joash son of Ahaziah
and stealeth him
out of the midst of the sons of the king who are put to death
him and his
nurse
in the inner part of the bed-chambers
and they hide him from the
presence of Athaliah
and he hath not been put to death
But Jehosheba
the daughter of King Joram
.... Not by
Athaliah
but another woman; for an high priest
as her husband was
would not
have married the daughter of such an idolatrous woman
nor would she have married
her to him:
sister of Ahaziah
took Joash the son of Ahaziah
and stole him
from among the king's sons which were slain: among whom he lay;
either being cast there by the murderer
or her associates
supposed to be
dead
or by his nurse
that he might be thought to be so
who acquainting his
aunt with it
went and privately took him away:
and they hid him
even him and his nurse
in the bedchamber from
Athaliah
so that he was not slain; that is
Jehosheba and
her husband hid him and his nurse in a bedchamber; or "chamber of
beds"F25בחדר המטות
"in cubiculo lectorum"
Pagninus
Montanus. So Sept. &c.
in
which there were more beds than one; one of the chambers of the priests and
Levites in the temple
that is
which were adjoining to it; for into the
sanctuary itself it was not usual to bring bedsF26T. Bab. Tamid
c.
1. fol. 26. 2. ; wherefore
the house of the Lord
in the next verse
must
be understood largely as including all the appendages of it.
2 Kings 11:3 3 So he was hidden with her
in the house of the Lord
for six years
while Athaliah reigned over the land.
YLT
3and he is with her
in the
house of Jehovah
hiding himself
six years
and Athaliah is reigning over the
land.
And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years
.... In the
temple; not in the holy of holies
as Jarchi
but in a chamber of the priests
and Levites
of which there were several in a temple
as Kimchi
and others;
and the husband of Jehosheba
being high priest
had one of them for his own
use; and here the child was hid six years
so that he was but a year old when
he was first taken and preserved
for he was made king when seven years of age
2 Kings 11:21
and Athaliah did reign over the land; the only
instance we hear of a woman reigning in Israel
and this was not by right
but
by usurpation; and so
according to the Jewish canons
a woman might not rule;
which thus runsF1Maimon. Hilchot Melachim
c. 1. sect. 5.
they do
not set a woman in the kingdom
as it is said
Deuteronomy 17:15
"a king over them"
not a queen; and so
in all places of power and
authority in Israel
they put in them none but a man.
2 Kings 11:4 4 In the seventh year
Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds—of the bodyguards and the
escorts—and brought them into the house of the Lord to him. And he
made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the Lord
and showed
them the king’s son.
YLT
4And in the seventh year
hath Jehoiada sent and taketh the heads of the hundreds
of the executioners
and of the runners
and bringeth them in unto him
to the house of Jehovah
and
maketh with them a covenant
and causeth them to swear in the house of Jehovah
and sheweth them the son of the king
And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over
hundreds
with the captains and the guard
.... This was the husband
of Jehosheba
who was high priest
2 Chronicles 22:11
these
rulers over hundreds were not those appointed
over the people for civil affairs
as by the advice of Jethro
but over the
priests and Levites in their courses; five of whom are mentioned by name
and
were employed in gathering together the Levites
and the chief of the fathers
throughout all the cities of Judah
2 Chronicles 23:1
and the "captains" here are the heads of the fathers there
who were
the heads of the courses they were sent to gather; and the "guard"
those of the late king
whom Athaliah had turned out of their post
and took in
others in their room
unless rather the temple guard is meant:
and brought them to him into the house of the Lord; the temple
that part of it where was the court of the priests and Levites:
and made a covenant with them; to join with him
assist
him
and stand by him in the restoration of the king
and the reformation of
the kingdom:
and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord; to keep
secrecy
and be faithful to him:
and showed them the king's son; for the truth of which he
could produce his wife
the sister of the late king
and also the nurse of this
child with him.
2 Kings 11:5 5 Then he commanded them
saying
“This is what you shall do: one-third of you who come on duty on
the Sabbath shall be keeping watch over the king’s house
YLT
5and commandeth them
saying
`This [is] the thing that ye do; The third of you [are] going in on the
sabbath
and keepers of the charge of the house of the king
And he commanded them
saying
this is the thing that ye shall do
.... These
were the rulers over hundreds among the priests and Levites
and which he
as
high priest
could command
and whom he could convene without suspicion
being
such as he had a connection with
and were unarmed men: and for the better
understanding of what follows
it should be observed
that the priests
in the
times of David
were divided into twenty four courses
which were by turns to
serve a week in the temple; the course that came in entered when the sabbath
began
and that which went out went out when it ended
and each course
consisted of a thousand men: now with respect to both these courses
both that
which went in and that which went out
Jehoiada gave them the following charge:
a third part of you that enter in on the sabbath; on the
beginning of it
to do duty in the temple the week following:
shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house
which
according to some
was that part of the temple where the king was hid and
brought up
supposed to be the north part of it: or rather these were set at
the north gate of the temple
which led to the royal palace
lest any should
rush out of that
and kill the king.
2 Kings 11:6 6 one-third shall be
at the gate of Sur
and one-third at the gate behind the escorts. You shall
keep the watch of the house
lest it be broken down.
YLT
6and the third [is] at the
gate of Sur
and the third at the gate behind the runners
and ye have kept the
charge of the house pulled down;
And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur
.... Generally
thought by the Jews to be the eastern gate
so called
as they say
because
such as were defiled were bid to depart
or go back
as this word signifies
and not enter the temple; it is called "the gate of the foundation"
2 Chronicles 23:5
because
according to Ben Gersom
here the foundation of the sanctuary was
first laid; it is saidF2T. Hieros. Yoma apud Beckium in Targ. in 2
Chron. xxiii. 5. to have five other names besides these:
and a third part at the gate behind the guard; the temple
guard
which had a captain of them
Acts 4:1 this gate
is supposed to be the same with "sippim"
or the threshold gate
2 Chronicles 23:4
and to be the southern one:
so shall ye keep the watch of the house
that it be not broken
down; guard the temple
that none break or rush into it
of Athaliah's
party.
2 Kings 11:7 7 The two contingents of you
who go off duty on the Sabbath shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord for the king.
YLT
7and two parts of you
all
going out on the sabbath -- they have kept the charge of the house of Jehovah
about the king
And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath
.... The
course that went out of service at the end of the sabbath; these were not
suffered
not any of them
to go into the country
but were detained for the
present purpose
and divided into two parts:
even they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the
king
these were placed in the temple where the king was
or where he
should be brought forth
and be a guard on his right and left; this
interpretation seems to be agreeably to the order of the text here
and is the
sense of Jarchi; but there is this objection to it
that
by such a
distribution of both courses
no provision is made for the services of the
temple; wherefore Dr. LightfootF3Prospect of the Temple
c. 20.
divides them into six parts
each into three
one third of the course that came
in for service
the other to keep the watch at the king's house
and the other
third at the gate Sur; and the course that went out
one third of them was
placed at the gate behind the guard
and the other two to keep the watch of the
house for the king's safety; but according to the account in 2 Chronicles 23:4
there were but three ranks or orders of them in all; wherefore the sense of
Kimchi
Ben Gersom
and Abarbinel
seems most agreeable
that the first
consisted of those that went in on the sabbath
not of all
but half of them
the other half being employed in the service of the sanctuary; and the other
two of the course that went out
even all of them
they being entirely at
leisure
who were divided into two parts
and disposed of as above.
2 Kings 11:8 8 But you shall surround the
king on all sides
every man with his weapons in his hand; and whoever comes
within range
let him be put to death. You are to be with the king as he goes
out and as he comes in.”
YLT
8and ye have compassed the
king round about
each with his weapons in his hand
and he who is coming unto
the ranges is put to death; and be ye with the king in his going out and in his
coming in.'
And ye shall compass the king round about
every man with his
weapons in his hand
.... Afterwards given them
2 Kings 11:10
and he that cometh within the ranges
let him be slain; any strange
man that was not of them
that came into the ranks in which they were formed
was to be put to death as a spy
who might go and inform the queen what was
doing; according to Jarchi
the word for "ranges" signifies the place
through which the king went from his own house to the house of GodF4Vid.
David. de Pomis Lexic. fol. 205. 3. ; and here it seems the guards were placed:
and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in when brought
forth to be crowned and anointed
and returned again.
2 Kings 11:9 9 So the captains of the
hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each of them
took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath
with those who were going
off duty on the Sabbath
and came to Jehoiada the priest.
YLT
9And the heads of the
hundreds do according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded
and take each
his men going in on the sabbath
with those going out on the sabbath
and come
in unto Jehoiada the priest
And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things
that Jehoiada the priest commanded
.... Of whom see 2 Kings 11:4.
and they took every man his men; everyone his hundred:
that were to come in on the sabbath
with them that should go out
on the sabbath; both the courses
of which see 2 Kings 11:5.
and came to Jehoiada the priest; with the said courses
at least as many of them as were to be employed in the present service.
2 Kings 11:10 10 And the priest gave the
captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King
David
that were in the temple of the Lord.
YLT
10and the priest giveth to
the heads of the hundreds the spears and the shields that king David had
that
[are] in the house of Jehovah.
And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give King David's
spears and shields
that were in the temple of the Lord. Such as he had
taken in war from his enemies
and had dedicated for the service of the temple
to defend it on occasion
and laid up there; those the priests gave to the
captains
to arm their men with
who came unarmed
and so unsuspected
and in
this way might be armed without being seen and known.
2 Kings 11:11 11 Then the escorts stood
every man with his weapons in his hand
all around the king
from the right
side of the temple to the left side of the temple
by the altar and the house.
YLT
11And the runners stand
each
with his weapons in his hand
from the right shoulder of the house unto the
left shoulder of the house
by the altar and by the house
by the king round
about;
And the guard stood
every man with his weapons in his hand
round
about the king
.... As ordered
2 Kings 11:8.
from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the
temple from the northeast to the southeast:
along by the altar and the temple: the altar of burnt
offering
which stood in the court.
2 Kings 11:12 12 And he brought out the
king’s son
put the crown on him
and gave him the Testimony;[a] they made
him king and anointed him
and they clapped their hands and said
“Long live
the king!”
YLT
12and he bringeth out the son
of the king
and putteth on him the crown
and the testimony
and they make him
king
and anoint him
and smite the hand
and say
`Let the king live.'
And he brought forth the king's son
.... Out of the apartment
in the temple where he had been brought up:
and put the crown upon him; the crown royal
which
seems to have been kept in the temple:
and gave him the testimony; the book of the law
which
he was to read in all his days
and according to it govern the people; and
which was a testimony of the will of God both to him and them: Kimchi and Ben
Melech interpret it of royal garments put upon him:
and they made him king
and anointed him; proclaimed
and declared him king
and anointed him
for the confirmation of it
because of
the pretension Athaliah made to the kingdom; otherwise
as the Jewish writers
say
the son of a king was not anointed; and hence
they say
it was
that
Solomon was anointed
because of the claim of Adonijah:
and they clapped their hands; in token of joy:
and said
God save the king; or
"let the king
live"; or
"may he prosper"
as the Targum; may health and
prosperity attend him in his government. In 2 Chronicles 23:11
it is said; "Jehoiada and his sons anointed him"
and said those
words; among whom must be Zechariah
whom this king afterwards slew
which was
an instance of great ingratitude
2 Chronicles 24:20.
2 Kings 11:13 13 Now when Athaliah heard
the noise of the escorts and the people
she came to the people in
the temple of the Lord.
YLT
13And Athaliah heareth the
voice of the runners [and] of the people
and she cometh in unto the people
to
the house of Jehovah
And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard
and of the people
.... Their
acclamations and shouts at the coronation of the king; for by this time the
people had some knowledge of the affair
and ran
and came flocking to see the
new king
and express their joy on this occasion
and whom they greatly
praised
2 Chronicles 23:12.
she came to the people into the temple of the Lord; the outward
court
where the people were assembled; and she seems to come alone
unattended
in great surprise and consternation
and was admitted to pass the
guards
being the queen
and alone
and perhaps by the particular order of
Jehoiada
though contrary to the general orders he gave
2 Kings 11:8.
2 Kings 11:14 14 When she looked
there was
the king standing by a pillar according to custom; and the leaders and the
trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and
blowing trumpets. So Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out
“Treason!
Treason!”
YLT
14and looketh
and lo
the
king is standing by the pillar
according to the ordinance
and the heads
and
the trumpets
[are] by the king
and all the people of the land are rejoicing
and blowing with trumpets
and Athaliah rendeth her garments
and calleth
`Conspiracy! conspiracy!'
And when she looked
behold
the king stood by a pillar
as the
manner was
.... Of kings
when they came into the temple on any occasion
civil or religious
therefore it is called his pillar
2 Chronicles 23:13
some think this was the brazen scaffold erected by Solomon
2 Chronicles 6:13
though VitringaF5Proleghom. de Synagog. Vet. c. 4. p. 32. and Bishop
Patrick suppose it to be the post of the east gate of the inner court
from Ezekiel 46:2
according to Jacob LeoF6Apud Wagenseil. Sotah
p. 680.
this was
the royal throne in the court of the Israelites
near the high or upper gate
on a marble pillar
where the kings of the house of David sat
when they came
into the sanctuary to see the Lord in the second temple; this throne was like
an high tower
standing upon two pillars
each twenty cubits high
and their
circumference twelve; here sat Joash
and Hezekiah
and Josiah; however
Athaliah saw Jehoash with the crown on his head
and in the place where kings
used to sit or stand:
and the princes and the trumpeters by the king; the rulers of
the courses of the priests
and the Levites
blowing the trumpets:
and all the people of the land rejoiced
and blew with trumpets; it is added
in 2 Chronicles 23:13
that the singers played also on musical instruments; that were then and there
assembled:
and Athaliah rent her clothes; through grief
and as
one almost distracted:
and cried
treason
treason! to try if she could get
any to take her part
and seize on the new king
and those that set him up.
2 Kings 11:15 15 And Jehoiada the priest
commanded the captains of the hundreds
the officers of the army
and said to
them
“Take her outside under guard
and slay with the sword whoever follows
her.” For the priest had said
“Do not let her be killed in the house of the Lord.”
YLT
15And Jehoiada the priest
commandeth the heads of the hundreds
inspectors of the force
and saith unto
them
`Bring her out unto the outside of the ranges
and him who is going after
her
put to death by the sword:' for the priest had said
`Let her not be put
to death in the house of Jehovah.'
But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds
the officers of the host
.... Of the priests and Levites:
and said unto them
have her forth without the ranges; the ranks of
the guards
which were at the gate leading to the palace
or rather
"within" themF7מבית לשדרת "intra ordines"
Munster
Junius
Tremellius
Piscator
Noldius
p. 79. No. 365. So Jarchi
Kimchi
Ben Gersom
& Ben Melech. ; the meaning is
that he ordered her to be had out of the
court of the temple
and be put within their ranks
and enclosed by them
that
her blood might not be shed in the temple
and yet not escape them:
and him that followeth her
kill with the sword: that takes
her part
and offers to help and assist her
passing through the ranks after
her
dispatch him at once:
for the priest had said
let her not be slain in the house of the
Lord: that it might not be defiled with her blood; by which it appears
that the guards had orders concerning her before
should she come to the
temple
see 2 Kings 11:13.
2 Kings 11:16 16 So they seized her; and
she went by way of the horses’ entrance into the king’s house
and there
she was killed.
YLT
16And they make for her
sides
and she entereth the way of the entering in of the horses to the house
of the king
and is put to death there.
And they laid hands on her
.... Or rather
"set
a place for her'
as the Targum; so Jarchi and Kimchi; made a space
opened a
way for her to come out of the temple into their ranks
that she might be there
taken and slain
and not in the temple:
and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the
king's house; either the high road in which the horses and carriages went to
the palace
or the way to the king's stables near the palace: and there was she
slain; they let her go so far
which was far enough from the temple
and then
they slew her.
2 Kings 11:17 17 Then Jehoiada made a covenant
between the Lord
the king
and the people
that they should be the Lord’s people
and also
between the king and the people.
YLT
17And Jehoiada maketh the
covenant between Jehovah and the king and the people
to be for a people to
Jehovah
and between the king and the people.
And Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and the
people
that they should be the Lord's people
.... Renewed the covenant
between the Lord on the one part
and the king and the people on the other;
assuring them
that as God had declared that he would be their God
he would
yet be their God to bless and protect them
they continuing in obedience to
him; and obliging them to promise that they would serve the Lord their God
and
him only
and root out all idolatry from the land
and restore
and continue
in
the pure worship of God:
between the king also and the people; he promising
on his part
that he would govern them according to the law of God
and protect
them in their rights and properties
privileges and liberties; and they
on
their part
that they would honour and obey him
and be his faithful subjects.
In 2 Chronicles 23:16
Jehoiada is said to make this covenant between him
&c. which may be
understood of the Lord; or if of himself
the meaning is
that it was made
between him
the king and people
and the Lord.
2 Kings 11:18 18 And all the people of the
land went to the temple of Baal
and tore it down. They thoroughly broke in
pieces its altars and images
and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the
altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the Lord.
YLT
18And all the people of the
land go in to the house of Baal
and break it down
its altars and its images
they have thoroughly broken
and Mattan priest of Baal they have slain before
the altars; and the priest setteth inspectors over the house of Jehovah
And all the people of the land
.... That were at
Jerusalem
and the parts adjacent
that came from the country
hearing what was
done: went into the house of Baal; a temple of his Athaliah had built
either
in Jerusalem
or near it; perhaps on the mount of Olives
called the mount of
corruption
2 Kings 23:13 from
the idolatry there committed:
and brake it down
his altars and his images brake they in pieces
thoroughly; made an entire destruction of them all
temple
altars
the
images of Baal and other deities:
and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altar; either as he
was sacrificing
or that he might be a sacrifice
or where he had fled for
refuge:
and the priest appointed officers over the house of the Lord; priests to
offer sacrifices
Levites to sing the praises of God
porters at the door of
the temple
and watches in it
and restored the courses of the priests
and
everything to its proper order
which had been neglected
or had ceased
during
the usurpation of Athaliah; see 2 Chronicles 23:18.
2 Kings 11:19 19 Then he took the captains
of hundreds
the bodyguards
the escorts
and all the people of the land; and
they brought the king down from the house of the Lord
and went by
way of the gate of the escorts to the king’s house. Then he sat on the throne
of the kings.
YLT
19and taketh the heads of the
hundreds
and the executioners
and the runners
and all the people of the
land
and they bring down the king from the house of Jehovah
and come by the
way of the gate of the runners
to the house of the king
and he sitteth on the
throne of the kings.
And he took the rulers over hundreds
and the captains
and the
guard
.... Of which 2 Kings 11:4 and
all the people of the land; as many as were assembled together on this
occasion:
and they brought down the king from the house of the Lord; the temple
which was built on an eminence:
and came by the way of the gate to the king's house; the gate of
the royal palace
where the king's guards were placed
and did their duty: and
he sat on the throne of the kings: where the kings of Judah used to sit
and
this finished the formality of his being made king.
2 Kings 11:20 20 So all the people of the
land rejoiced; and the city was quiet
for they had slain Athaliah with the
sword in the king’s house.
YLT
20And all the people of the
land rejoice
and the city [is] quiet
and Athaliah they have put to death by
the sword in the house of the king;
And all the people of the land rejoiced
.... That one
of the house of David was set upon the throne
which they might fear was
extinct
as it very near was; the lamp of David was almost quenched
only this
single life left
from whom a line of kings proceeded
and the King Messiah;
the promise of God cannot fail see Psalm 132:11
this
occasioned great joy:
and the city was quiet: was very easy at
yea
pleased with
the dethroning and death of Athaliah; there was no tumult on
account thereof
nor such disturbances as she occasioned in her life:
and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house; as related in
2 Kings 11:16 where
she was buried
or what became of her carcass
is not said; some have thought
she was cast into the brook Kidron
because Josephus saysF8Antiqu.
l. 9. c. 7. sect. 3. Jehoiada ordered her to be had into that valley
and there
slain.
2 Kings 11:21 21 Jehoash was seven
years old when he became king.
YLT
21a son of seven years is
Jehoash in his reigning.
Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign. Being a year
old when his father was killed and having been hid six years in the temple.
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)