*H And in the seventh year Joiada being encouraged, took the captains of hundreds, to wit, Azarias the son of Jeroham, and Ismahel the son of Johanan, and Azarias the son of Obed, and Maasias the son of Adaias, and Elisaphat the son of Zechri: and made a covenant with them.
Ver. 1. Seventh. Vat. Sept. by mistake, has "the eighth." — Encouraged, or "strengthened." Sept. &c. H. — Captains, whether Levites, or ancient officers of the crown, who were dissatisfied with the usurper. 4 K. xi.
* Footnote * 4_Kings 11 : 1
Now Athalia, the mother of Ochozias, seeing that her son was dead, arose and slew all the royal seed.*H And they went about Juda, and gathered together the Levites out of all the cities of Juda, and the chiefs of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
Ver. 2. Israel, of which Juda formed a part. M. — At the time when the author lived, Israel was destroyed, so that there was no danger of a mistake. — Jerusalem, on a sabbath-day, and most likely on one of the three great festivals: (C.) Salien (A. 3157) thinks at the Passover, to avoid suspicion. M.
*H And this is the thing that you shall do:
Ver. 4. Do. Though God's promise was absolute, human means were to be used. W.
*H A third part of you that come to the sabbath, of the priests, and of the Levites, and of the porters shall be at the gates: and a third part at the king's house: and a third at the gate that is called the Foundation: but let all the rest of the people be in the courts of the house of the Lord.
Ver. 5. To the sabbath. That is, to perform in your weeks the functions of your office, or the weekly watches. Ch. — Porters. Sept. "even to the entrance gates." — House, where Athalia resided, or in the apartments of Joas in the temple. — Foundation. Sept. "middle." Syr. "of the cooks, or guards." H. — It led from the palace up the steps, v. 21. M. — Perhaps it was also called Sur, 4 K. — But let. This seems to be transposed out of its place from v. 6.
*H And let the Levites be round about the king, every man with his arms; and if any other come into the temple, let him be slain; and let them be with the king, both coming in, and going out.
Ver. 7. Slain. Athalia ventured to enter; but she was alone, and not much feared. C.
*H So the Levites, and all Juda did according to all that Joiada the high priest had commanded: and they took every one his men that were under him, and that came in by the course of the sabbath, with those who had fulfilled the sabbath, and were to go out. For Joiada the high priest permitted not the companies to depart, which were accustomed to succeed one another every week.
Ver. 8. High. Heb. "the priest dismissed not the courses." H. — In case of right and necessity, we see here what the high priest could do, though otherwise he would not interfere. W.
*H And he set all the people with swords in their hands from the right side of the temple, to the left side of the temple, before the altar, and the temple, round about the king.
Ver. 10. Altar of holocausts, in the court of the priests, while the people stood in their own court. T.
*H And they brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and the testimony, and gave him the law to hold in his hand, and they made him king: and Joiada the high priest and his sons anointed him: and they prayed for him, and said: God save the king.
Ver. 11. Crown. Lit. "diadem." — Testimony. This is explained in the following sentence, (H.) which is not in Heb. nor in many Latin MSS. The Jews understand the phylacteries. Deut. xvii. 18.
*H And when she saw the king standing upon the step in the entrance, and the princes, and the companies about him, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and sounding with trumpets, and playing on instruments of divers kinds, and the voice of those that praised, she rent her garments, and said: Treason, treason.
Ver. 13. Step. Heb. hamudo, "his pillar," to which he ascended by steps. D. — Entrance into the court of the priests; but the tribune stood in that of the people, where Joas was in his royal attire.
*H And Joiada made a covenant between himself and all the people, and the king, that they should be the people of the lord.
Ver. 16. Himself, as God's vicegerent. C. — A double covenant was made between God and the people, and between the king and his subjects. D.
*H And all the people went into the house of Baal, and destroyed it: and they broke down his altars and his idols: and they slew Mathan the priest of Baal before the altars.
Ver. 17. Idols. Prot. "images." H. — Those are wilfully blind who will not distinguish these from the images of Christ and his saints. W.
*H And Joiada appointed overseers in the house of the Lord, under the hands of the priests, and the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord: to offer holocausts to the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with joy and singing, according to the disposition of David.
Ver. 18. David, which had been long neglected. 1 Par. xxiv. M.
*H And he took the captains of hundreds, and the most valiant men, and the chiefs of the people, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king from the house of the Lord, and brought him through the upper gate into the king's house, and set him on the royal throne.
Ver. 20. Upper gate of the guards, at the back or western end of the temple. C. v. 5.