2 Kings 11:13
Ver. 13. 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, 2Ch 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, 2Ki 11:8. 2 Kings 11:14Ver. 14. 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, 2Ch 23:13, some think this was the brazen scaffold erected by Solomon, 2Ch 6:13, though Vitringa {e} and Bishop Patrick suppose it to be the post of the east gate of the inner court, fromEze 46:2, according to Jacob Leo {f}, 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 2Ch 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.{e} Proleghom. de Synagog. Vet. c. 4. p. 32. {f} Apud Wagenseil. Sotah, p. 680. 2 Kings 11:15Ver. 15. 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" them {g}; 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 2Ki 11:13.{g} trdvl tybm "intra ordines", Munster, Junius, Tremellius, Piscator, Noldius, p. 79. No. 365. So Jarchi, Kimchi, Ben Gersom, & Ben Melech. 2 Kings 11:16Ver. 16. 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 11:17Ver. 17. 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 2Ch 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 11:18Ver. 18. 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, 2Ki 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 2Ch 23:18. 2 Kings 11:19Ver. 19. And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard,.... Of which 2Ki 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 11:20Ver. 20. 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 Ps 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 2Ki 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 says {h} Jehoiada ordered her to be had into that valley, and there slain.{h} Antiqu. l. 9. c. 7. sect. 3. 2 Kings 11:21Ver. 21. 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.
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