19 And he set the doorkeepers at the gates of the house of Jehovah, that no one unclean in anything should enter in.
All these chosen to be doorkeepers at the thresholds were two hundred and twelve. These were registered by genealogy according to their villages: David and Samuel the seer had instituted them in their trust. And they and their sons were at the gates of the house of Jehovah, the house of the tent, to keep watch there. At the four quarters were the doorkeepers, toward the east, west, north, and south.
The divisions of the doorkeepers. Of the Korahites: Meshelemiah the son of Kore, of the sons of Asaph. And Meshelemiah had sons: Zechariah the firstborn, Jediael the second, Zebadiah the third, Jathniel the fourth, Elam the fifth, Johanan the sixth, Elioenai the seventh. -- And the sons of Obed-Edom: Shemaiah the firstborn, Jehozabad the second, Joah the third, and Sacar the fourth, and Nethaneel the fifth, Ammiel the sixth, Issachar the seventh, Peulthai the eighth: for God had blessed him. And to Shemaiah his son were sons born, who were rulers in their father's house; for they were mighty men of valour. The sons of Shemaiah: Othni, and Rephael, and Obed, [and] Elzabad, whose brethren were valiant men, Elihu and Semachiah. All these were of the sons of Obed-Edom: they and their sons and their brethren, able men in strength for the service, were sixty-two of Obed-Edom. -- And Meshelemiah had sons and brethren, men of valour, eighteen. -- And Hosah, of the sons of Merari, had sons: Shimri the head, for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him the head; Hilkijah the second, Tebaliah the third, Zechariah the fourth: all the sons and brethren of Hosah were thirteen. Among these were the divisions of the doorkeepers, among the head-men, as to the charges together with their brethren, for performing the service in the house of Jehovah. And they cast lots, the small as well as the great, according to their fathers' houses, for every gate. And the lot eastward fell to Shelemiah; and they cast lots for Zechariah his son, a wise counsellor, and his lot came out northward; to Obed-Edom southward; and to his sons the storehouse. To Shuppim and Hosah westward, with the gate Shallecheth, by the causeway of the ascent, watch against watch. Eastward were six Levites, northward four a day, southward four a day, and in the storehouse two [and] two. At the portico westward, four at the causeway, two at the portico. These are the divisions of the doorkeepers among the sons of the Korahites and among the sons of Merari. And the Levites: Ahijah was over the treasures of the house of God, and over the treasures of the dedicated things. The sons of Laadan, the sons of the Gershonites of Laadan, chief fathers of Laadan the Gershonite: Jehieli; the sons of Jehieli: Zetham, and Joel his brother, over the treasures of the house of Jehovah. As to the Amramites, the Jizharites, the Hebronites, the Uzzielites.... And Shebuel the son of Gershom, the son of Moses, was overseer of the treasures. And his brethren, of Eliezer: Rehabiah his son, and Isaiah his son, and Joram his son, and Zichri his son, and Shelomith his son. This Shelomith and his brethren were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which king David, and the chief fathers, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the host, had dedicated (from the wars and out of the spoils had they dedicated [them], to maintain the house of Jehovah), and all that Samuel the seer, and Saul the son of Kish, and Abner the son of Ner, and Joab the son of Zeruiah had dedicated: all that was dedicated was under the hand of Shelomith and of his brethren. Of the Jizharites, Chenaniah and his sons were over Israel, for the outward business for officers and judges. Of the Hebronites, Hashabiah and his brethren, men of valour, a thousand and seven hundred, for the administration of Israel on this side Jordan westward, for all the business of Jehovah, and for the service of the king. Of the Hebronites was Jerijah the head; (as to the Hebronites, according to their families according to the fathers: in the fortieth year of the reign of David they were sought for, and there were found among them mighty men of valour at Jaazer in Gilead;) and his brethren, men of valour, two thousand seven hundred chief fathers, whom king David made rulers over the Reubenites and the Gadites and the half tribe of the Manassites, for every matter pertaining to God, and the affairs of the king.
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Commentary on 2 Chronicles 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
2Ch 23:1-11. Jehoiada Makes Joash King.
1. in the seventh year Jehoiada … took the captains of hundreds, &c.—(See on 2Ki 11:4; 2Ki 11:17). The five officers mentioned here had been probably of the royal guard, and were known to be strongly disaffected to the government of Athaliah.
2. chief of all the fathers of Israel—This name is frequently used in Chronicles for Judah and Benjamin, now all that remained of Israel. Having cautiously entrusted the secret of the young prince's preservation to all the leading men in the kingdom, he enlisted their interest in the royal cause and got their pledge to support it by a secret oath of fidelity.
they came to Jerusalem—The time chosen for the grand discovery was, probably, one of the annual festivals, when there was a general concourse of the nation at the capital.
4-9. This is the thing that ye shall do—The arrangements made for defense are here described. The people were divided into three bodies; one attended as guards to the king, while the other two were posted at all the doors and gates, and the captains and military officers who entered the temple unarmed to lull suspicion, were furnished with weapons out of the sacred armory, where David had deposited his trophies of victory and which was reopened on this occasion.
8. Jehoiada … dismissed not the courses—As it was necessary to have as large a disposable force as he could command on such a crisis, the high priest detained those who, in other circumstances, would have returned home on the expiry of their week of service.
11. Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony—Some think that the original word rendered "testimony," as its derivation warrants, may signify here the regalia, especially the bracelet (2Sa 1:10); and this view they support on the ground that "gave him" being supplemented, the text properly runs thus, "put upon him the crown and testimony." At the same time, it seems equally pertinent to take "the testimony" in the usual acceptation of that term; and, accordingly, many are of opinion that a roll containing a copy of the law (De 17:18) was placed in the king's hands, which he held as a scepter or truncheon. Others, referring to a custom of Oriental people, who when receiving a letter or document from a highly respected quarter, lift it up to their heads before opening it, consider that Joash, besides the crown, had the book of the law laid upon his head (see Job 31:35, 36).
God save the king—literally, "Long live the king."
2Ch 23:12-15. Athaliah Slain.
12. Athaliah heard the noise of the people—The unusual commotion, indicated by the blast of the trumpets and the vehement acclamations of the people, drew her attention, or excited her fears. She might have flattered herself that, having slain all the royal family, she was in perfect security; but it is just as likely that, finding on reflection, one had escaped her murderous hands, she might not deem it expedient to institute any enquiries; but the very idea would keep her constantly in a state of jealous suspicion and irritation. In that state of mind, the wicked usurper, hearing across the Tyropœon the outburst of popular joy, rushed across the bridge to the temple grounds, and, penetrating from a single glance the meaning of the whole scene, raised a shriek of "Treason!"
13. behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in—The king's pillar was in the people's court, opposite that of the priests'. The young king, arrayed in the royal insignia, had been brought out of the inner, to stand forth in the outer court, to the public view. Some think that he stood on the brazen scaffold of Solomon, erected beside the pillar [see on 2Ch 6:13].
14, 15. Slay her not in the house of the Lord … and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there—The high priest ordered her immediately to be taken out of the temple grounds and put to death. "And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain" (2Ki 11:16). "Now, we are not to suppose that horses came into [the king's house] of residence, but into the king's (horses') house or hippodrome (the gate of the king's mules) [Josephus], he had built for them on the southeast of the temple, in the immediate vicinity of the horse gate in the valley of Kedron—a valley which was at that time a kind of desecrated place by the destruction of idols and their appurtenances" (2Ki 23:2, 6, 12) [Barclay, City of the Great King].
2Ch 23:16. Jehoiada Restores the Worship of God, and Settles the King.
16. Jehoiada made a covenant—(See on 2Ki 11:17).