_A.M. 3120. B.C. 884._
Athaliah destroys all the seed royal, except Joash, who is saved by
Jehosheba, and hid six years in the house of God, 2 Kings 11:1. In the
seventh year he is made king by Jehoiada and the captains, 2 Kings
11:4. Athaliah is slain, 2 Kings 11:13. Jehoiada restores the worship... [ Continue Reading ]
_And destroyed all the seed royal_ All of the royal family that had
not been cut off by Jehu and others, except one, mentioned 2 Kings
11:2. To this wickedness she was impelled by many motives: 1st, By
rage to see Ahab's family destroyed, which made her resolve that the
family of David should share... [ Continue Reading ]
_But Jehosheba_ Called Jehoshabeath, 2 Chronicles 22:11; _the daughter
of King Joram_ Namely, by another wife, and not by this Athaliah: for
Athaliah would not have suffered her daughter to be married to the
high-priest of the true God, nor would he, in all likelihood, have
married the daughter of s... [ Continue Reading ]
_He was hid with her six years_ Probably Athaliah thought they were
dead; or, if she suspected this child was preserved, she supposed an
infant could do her no great harm; and that she could so well
establish herself in the possession of the kingdom within a few years,
that she need not fear any suc... [ Continue Reading ]
_With the captains and the guard_ The chief commanders of the
soldiery, and those that had been the former king's guard; for it is
not likely that he would dare to call the guard of the present queen:
and it is probable that the former could not well brook the dominion
of a woman, and that woman a f... [ Continue Reading ]
_A third part of you_ Of the Levites, who were distributed into
twenty-four courses, to minister in turns, each course consisting of
about a thousand men for a week. _That enter in_, &c. That come into
the temple to attend your ministry. _Shall be keepers of the king's
house_ Of that part which led... [ Continue Reading ]
_Two parts that go forth on the sabbath_ Who, having finished their
course, should have gone home, but were detained, 2 Chronicles 23:8.
_Shall keep_ While the rest guard the entrances into the temple, these
shall have a special care of the king's person. _Ye shall compass the
king_, &c. When you ha... [ Continue Reading ]
_To the captains did the priest give King David's spears and shields_
Offensive and defensive weapons, both for themselves and for all their
soldiers; for they had all come into the temple unarmed, to prevent
suspicion. These are called _David's_, either because they were such
as he had taken from h... [ Continue Reading ]
_The guard stood from the right to the left corner of the temple _
From the south-east to the north-east side. _Along by the altar_ Of
burnt-offerings, which was by the great eastern gate of the temple.
The meaning is, they defended the temple on all sides.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And put the crown upon him_ Having produced Joash, he put the crown
on his head, which, it is likely, was kept in the sanctuary. _And gave
him the testimony_ The book of the law, which he put into the king's
hand to remind him of his duty at his entrance upon his kingdom, which
was to read and writ... [ Continue Reading ]
_She came to the people_ To inquire into the cause of this great
noise; being hitherto kept in deep ignorance, because the affair was
managed with so much secrecy, and in the temple; and because the
people universally hated her, and wished her downfall. _Into the
temple of the Lord _ That is, into t... [ Continue Reading ]
_Behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was_ It is
generally supposed that the royal throne was erected near one of the
pillars, described 1 Kings 7:15; 1 Kings 7:21, unless we may suppose
that what is here called a pillar was that brazen scaffold five cubits
long, &c., which Solomon made... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jehoiada commanded the officers of the host_ Of those companies of
Levites, who are elsewhere called the Lord's host, and now were the
king's host. _Have her forth without the ranges_ Through which they
had suffered her to come. If she will not go out of them of her own
accord, force her out of the... [ Continue Reading ]
_They laid hands on her_ The Hebrew, ישׁמו לה ידים,
_Jashimu lah jadaim_, may be properly rendered, _Then they gave her
room,_ or left her a free passage to depart out of the temple. Thus
Houbigant, after the Chaldee. _And she went by the way_, &c. By the
great public road, by which horses and chari... [ Continue Reading ]
_Jehoiada made a covenant between the Lord_, &c. A sacred covenant,
whereby he solemnly engaged both the _king and people, that they
should be the Lord's people_ That they should renounce and root out
all idolatry, and set up and maintain God's true worship. _Between the
king also and the people_ Th... [ Continue Reading ]
_All the people went into the house of Baal_ They began immediately to
make good their covenant in part, by destroying the worship of Baal,
which had been introduced in Judah by Jehoram, (2 Kings 8:18,) and was
continued by Ahaziah, 2 Kings 8:27. _And slew the priest of Baal
before the altars_ To wh... [ Continue Reading ]
_He took the rulers over hundreds_, &c. Brought them out of the
temple, that they might conduct the king in state to the royal palace.
_By the way of the gate of the guard_ By the gate of the royal palace,
where the king's guard stood. _And he sat on the throne of the kings_
Which was the accomplish... [ Continue Reading ]
_Seven years old was Jehoash_, &c. Being so very young, he was very
unfit for so weighty a charge; but he was under the direction of so
excellent a counsellor, that, while Jehoiada lived, all things went
well, and the nation was prosperous and happy. But after that good man
was dead, he was seduced... [ Continue Reading ]