2 Chronicles 23: Jehoiada crowns Joash, and Athaliah is put to death

In plain English: In the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself. He took the commanders of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, Azariah the son of Obed, Maaseiah the son of Adaiah and Elishaphat the son of Zikri, into a covenant with himself.

Good to know: This verse names five commanders of hundreds and their fathers. 2 Kings 11:4 names none of them and says Jehoiada brought "the captains over hundreds of the Carites and of the guard". The text does not explain the difference.

In plain English: They went around in Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers' houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

Good to know: Only this account says the Levites and the heads of the fathers' houses were gathered from the cities of Judah. 2 Kings 11:4 does not mention it.

In plain English: All the assembly made a covenant with the king in God's house. Jehoiada said to them, "See, the king's son is to reign, as Yahweh has spoken about the sons of David.

Good to know: These are Jehoiada's own words, even though he says what Yahweh "has spoken concerning the sons of David". He reports what Yahweh said, and the text does not give Yahweh's words themselves.

In plain English: This is the thing you are to do: a third part of you, who come in on the Sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, will be gatekeepers of the thresholds.

Good to know: Here the guard is made of the priests and the Levites, and the third parts are at the thresholds, the king's house and the Foundation Gate (Yesod, which the dictionary gives as "a foundation"). 2 Kings 11:5-7 has a third "keepers of the watch of the king's house", a third at "the gate Sur" and a third at "the gate behind the guard", and does not name priests and Levites.

In plain English: A third part will be at the king's house, and a third part at the Foundation Gate. And all the people will be in the courts of Yahweh's house.

In plain English: No one is to go into Yahweh's house except the priests and those of the Levites who are serving. They may go in, for they are holy. But all the people will keep the duty of Yahweh (or: keep Yahweh's watch).

In plain English: The Levites will surround the king all around, each man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who comes into the house is to be put to death. Be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out."

In plain English: So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest had commanded. Each took his men, those who were coming in on the Sabbath with those who were going out on the Sabbath, for Jehoiada the priest did not dismiss the divisions (this Bible: the shift).

The Hebrew word: "Shift" is machaloqet, which the dictionary gives as "a section (of Levites, people or soldiers)". It is in 9 verses of 2 Chronicles, and this Bible says "divisions" in the other 8 and "shift" in this one.

What changes: Read as "divisions", Jehoiada did not let the groups go home when their turn ended. Read as "shift", the one group coming in and the other going out stayed on duty together. The text says no more.

In plain English: Jehoiada the priest gave the commanders of hundreds the spears and the shields (two different Hebrew words; this Bible: bucklers and shields) that had belonged to King David, which were in God's house.

In plain English: He stationed all the people, each with his weapon in his hand, from the south side (or: right side) of the house to the north side (or: left side) of the house, at the altar and the house, all around the king.

In plain English: Then they brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, and gave him the testimony (this Bible: the covenant). They made him king, and Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they said, "Long live the king!"

The Hebrew word: "The covenant" is, word for word, "the testimony" (edut, which the dictionary gives as "testimony"). It is in 3 verses of 2 Chronicles, and this Bible says "testimony" in only 1 of them, 24:6, "the Tent of the Testimony". 2 Kings 11:12 has the same word and this Bible also says "covenant" there.

What changes: Read as "the testimony", what was given to the king is the testimony itself. The text does not say what it was.

In plain English: When Athaliah heard the sound of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people at Yahweh's house.

In plain English: She looked, and see, the king was standing at his pillar at the entrance, with the officials and the trumpets by the king. All the people of the land were glad and blew trumpets, and the singers with instruments of song led the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and said, "Treason! Treason!"

The Hebrew word: "Treason" is qesher, which the dictionary gives as "an (unlawful) alliance". It is in 13 verses of the Bible, and this Bible says "conspiracy" in 10 of them and "treason" in 3.

Good to know: 2 Kings 11:14 tells the same scene and says the king stood "by the pillar, as the tradition was". This verse says the singers "played musical instruments, and led the singing of praise", which 2 Kings does not mention.

In plain English: Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds, the officers of the army, and said to them, "Bring her out from between the ranks, and whoever follows her is to be put to death with the sword." For the priest had said, "Do not put her to death in Yahweh's house."

Good to know: The text says it plainly: Jehoiada orders Athaliah brought out, orders that whoever follows her be put to death with the sword, and says she is not to be killed in Yahweh's house. Verse 15 says she was put to death at the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king's house. 2 Kings 11:15-16 tells it in close wording. Verse 21 says again that she was put to death with the sword.

In plain English: So they gave her room (or: they seized her; literally: put hands to her). She went to the entrance of the Horse Gate of the king's house, and they put her to death there.

The Hebrew words: Word for word the Hebrew says "they put hands to her". 2 Kings 11:16 has the same words, and this Bible says "they seized her" there.

What changes: Read as "gave her room", they made way for her to pass. Read as "seized her", they took hold of her. The text does not say which.

In plain English: Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, all the people and the king, that they should be Yahweh's people.

Good to know: This verse says the covenant was "between himself, all the people and the king". 2 Kings 11:17 says it was "between Yahweh and the king and the people", and also between the king and the people.

In plain English: All the people went to the house of Baal and pulled it down, broke its altars and its images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

In plain English: Jehoiada put the oversight (this Bible: the officers) of Yahweh's house in the hand of the priests, the Levites, whom David had assigned over Yahweh's house, to offer up the burnt offerings of Yahweh, as it is written in the law of Moses, with joy and with song, "on the hands of David" (this Bible: as David had ordered).

The Hebrew words: The last words of the verse are, word for word, "on the hands of David". The WEB reads them as "as David had ordered". The verse also says the priests and Levites were those whom David had assigned over Yahweh's house.

Good to know: 2 Kings 11:18 says only that the priest appointed officers over Yahweh's house. The law of Moses and David's order are named only here.

In plain English: He stationed the gatekeepers at the gates of Yahweh's house, so that no one who was unclean in any matter could come in.

In plain English: He took the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers over the people and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from Yahweh's house. They came through the middle of the upper gate to the king's house and set the king on the throne of the kingdom.

In plain English: All the people of the land were glad, and the city was at peace. Athaliah they had put to death with the sword.