2 Chronicles 23
Judah kills their queen
Judah’s priest plots a coup
2 Kings 11:4-21 1After Joash’s six years of hiding, when he turned seven, a priest named Jehoiada called in five military commanders for a secret meeting. They were Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. [1] 2They secretly traveled throughout Judah and told family leaders and religious leaders from Levi’s tribe to go to Jerusalem.
3They all met at the Temple. Priest Jehoiada brought out the young prince and said, “Here is the king’s son! The LORD promised that David’s sons would rule our nation. Let him rule! He’s our rightful king!”
4Jehoiada told the men assembled there, “Here are your orders. Divide yourselves into three groups of guards. Assign one unit—priests and Levites—to guard the entrance into the Temple. 5Assign a second unit to guard the king’s palace. And assign the third group to the Foundation Gate [2] into the city. Everyone else should stay in the Temple courtyards. 6Don’t let anyone but priests and the support staff of Levites into the Temple building. They are the only ones allowed inside because they have gone through the cleansing rituals to make themselves holy. Everyone needs to observe the LORD’s laws about this. 7I want a detail of Levites to stay with the boy, King Joash, inside the Temple. Surround him with protection and follow him wherever he goes. Have your men draw their swords and stand ready to use them. If anyone tries to come inside the Temple to get him, kill them.”
8Everyone followed their orders. Security guards scheduled for Sabbath duty along with those scheduled to be relieved stayed at their posts. No one went home.
9The priest Jehoiada gave the military commanders revered weapons of King David, which the priests kept at the Temple: spears and shields. 10He stationed armed guards around the young king, from the south side of the Temple to the north, and around the main building with the altar.
11Priest Jehoiada escorted the king outside, put a crown on his head, and handed him laws for governing Israel. Then the priest declared Joash king, to the cheers of the soldiers, “Long live the king!” Queen Athaliah executed
12Queen Athaliah heard the noise outside and followed it to the Temple.
13She saw young Joash standing where kings normally stood when they went to the Temple—by one of the outside columns. Commanders, singers, musicians with instruments, and trumpeters with their ram’s horns stood beside him—exactly like they were supposed to for a king. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Traitors! You’re all traitors!”
14Priest Jehoiada ordered the commanders to arrest Athaliah. “Bring her over here among the troops and execute her with the sword. We don’t want to kill her at the LORD’s Temple.” 15They arrested her and brought her to the palace through the gate that horseback riders used. They killed her there. Priest Jehoiada orders Baal temple destroyed
16Priest Jehoiada had the king and the people of Judah make a sacred promise to be the LORD’s people and to show it in the way they lived.
17The people tore down the temple devoted to Baal. [3] They shattered the idol figures. They killed Baal’s priest, Mattan, at the altar. And they destroyed the altar.
18Jehoiada ordered priests from the tribe of Levi to do the job God gave them and take charge of all that happens at the Temple. They are to direct the sacrificial offerings, as prescribed in the laws that Moses gave the people. And they are in charge of the music ministry that David set up.
19He posted guards at the entrance onto the Temple courtyards, to protect against people ritually unclean and unfit for worship at the holy site. 20Then Jehoaida led the young king on a victory lap from the Temple, where he had been in hiding, to the palace throne, where he would rule the nation. Military commanders joined the parade, along with Judah’s government officials, family leaders, and all the happy people who had come together to crown their king. They watched as he sat on the throne. 21Everyone there celebrated because Athaliah had been slain and the city could now rest in peace. 
Footnotes
123:1They were “commanders of the queen’s personal guard and other commanders of the palace guard,” according to 2 Kings 11:4.
223:5The writer of 2 Kings 11:6 called it the Sur Gate. Names and locations of gates remain a mystery. Some scholars associate this gate with the Horse Gate into the palace complex. Names and locations of gates may have changed throughout the centuries, much like the names and paths of some roads today.
323:17Baal was a god of fertility in family, fields, and flocks. Canaanites, who were native to what is now Israel and Palestinian land, worshiped Baal. Joshua led the Jews in killing many Canaanites while the Jewish people reclaimed the land that the Bible says God promised to the descendants of Abraham. But Jews continued to worship Baal and other Middle Eastern gods off and on throughout Old Testament times.
Discussion Questions
- Sorry, there are currently no questions for this chapter.
Maps/Guides
Map of Jerusalem and City of David
Solomon's Temple
Balage Balogh / ArchaeologyIllustrated.com
Licensed to Casual English Bible
Sketch of Solomon's Temple and Palace Videos
1After Joash’s six years of hiding, when he turned seven, a priest named Jehoiada called in five military commanders for a secret meeting. They were Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri. [1] 2They secretly traveled throughout Judah and told family leaders and religious leaders from Levi’s tribe to go to Jerusalem.
3They all met at the Temple. Priest Jehoiada brought out the young prince and said, “Here is the king’s son! The LORD promised that David’s sons would rule our nation. Let him rule! He’s our rightful king!”
4Jehoiada told the men assembled there, “Here are your orders. Divide yourselves into three groups of guards. Assign one unit—priests and Levites—to guard the entrance into the Temple. 5Assign a second unit to guard the king’s palace. And assign the third group to the Foundation Gate [2] into the city. Everyone else should stay in the Temple courtyards. 6Don’t let anyone but priests and the support staff of Levites into the Temple building. They are the only ones allowed inside because they have gone through the cleansing rituals to make themselves holy. Everyone needs to observe the LORD’s laws about this. 7I want a detail of Levites to stay with the boy, King Joash, inside the Temple. Surround him with protection and follow him wherever he goes. Have your men draw their swords and stand ready to use them. If anyone tries to come inside the Temple to get him, kill them.”
8Everyone followed their orders. Security guards scheduled for Sabbath duty along with those scheduled to be relieved stayed at their posts. No one went home.
9The priest Jehoiada gave the military commanders revered weapons of King David, which the priests kept at the Temple: spears and shields. 10He stationed armed guards around the young king, from the south side of the Temple to the north, and around the main building with the altar.
11Priest Jehoiada escorted the king outside, put a crown on his head, and handed him laws for governing Israel. Then the priest declared Joash king, to the cheers of the soldiers, “Long live the king!”
13She saw young Joash standing where kings normally stood when they went to the Temple—by one of the outside columns. Commanders, singers, musicians with instruments, and trumpeters with their ram’s horns stood beside him—exactly like they were supposed to for a king. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Traitors! You’re all traitors!”
14Priest Jehoiada ordered the commanders to arrest Athaliah. “Bring her over here among the troops and execute her with the sword. We don’t want to kill her at the LORD’s Temple.” 15They arrested her and brought her to the palace through the gate that horseback riders used. They killed her there.
17The people tore down the temple devoted to Baal. [3] They shattered the idol figures. They killed Baal’s priest, Mattan, at the altar. And they destroyed the altar.
18Jehoiada ordered priests from the tribe of Levi to do the job God gave them and take charge of all that happens at the Temple. They are to direct the sacrificial offerings, as prescribed in the laws that Moses gave the people. And they are in charge of the music ministry that David set up.
19He posted guards at the entrance onto the Temple courtyards, to protect against people ritually unclean and unfit for worship at the holy site. 20Then Jehoaida led the young king on a victory lap from the Temple, where he had been in hiding, to the palace throne, where he would rule the nation. Military commanders joined the parade, along with Judah’s government officials, family leaders, and all the happy people who had come together to crown their king. They watched as he sat on the throne. 21Everyone there celebrated because Athaliah had been slain and the city could now rest in peace.
3They all met at the Temple. Priest Jehoiada brought out the young prince and said, “Here is the king’s son! The LORD promised that David’s sons would rule our nation. Let him rule! He’s our rightful king!”
4Jehoiada told the men assembled there, “Here are your orders. Divide yourselves into three groups of guards. Assign one unit—priests and Levites—to guard the entrance into the Temple. 5Assign a second unit to guard the king’s palace. And assign the third group to the Foundation Gate [2] into the city. Everyone else should stay in the Temple courtyards. 6Don’t let anyone but priests and the support staff of Levites into the Temple building. They are the only ones allowed inside because they have gone through the cleansing rituals to make themselves holy. Everyone needs to observe the LORD’s laws about this. 7I want a detail of Levites to stay with the boy, King Joash, inside the Temple. Surround him with protection and follow him wherever he goes. Have your men draw their swords and stand ready to use them. If anyone tries to come inside the Temple to get him, kill them.”
8Everyone followed their orders. Security guards scheduled for Sabbath duty along with those scheduled to be relieved stayed at their posts. No one went home.
9The priest Jehoiada gave the military commanders revered weapons of King David, which the priests kept at the Temple: spears and shields. 10He stationed armed guards around the young king, from the south side of the Temple to the north, and around the main building with the altar.
11Priest Jehoiada escorted the king outside, put a crown on his head, and handed him laws for governing Israel. Then the priest declared Joash king, to the cheers of the soldiers, “Long live the king!”
Queen Athaliah executed
12Queen Athaliah heard the noise outside and followed it to the Temple.13She saw young Joash standing where kings normally stood when they went to the Temple—by one of the outside columns. Commanders, singers, musicians with instruments, and trumpeters with their ram’s horns stood beside him—exactly like they were supposed to for a king. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Traitors! You’re all traitors!”
14Priest Jehoiada ordered the commanders to arrest Athaliah. “Bring her over here among the troops and execute her with the sword. We don’t want to kill her at the LORD’s Temple.” 15They arrested her and brought her to the palace through the gate that horseback riders used. They killed her there.
Priest Jehoiada orders Baal temple destroyed
16Priest Jehoiada had the king and the people of Judah make a sacred promise to be the LORD’s people and to show it in the way they lived.17The people tore down the temple devoted to Baal. [3] They shattered the idol figures. They killed Baal’s priest, Mattan, at the altar. And they destroyed the altar.
18Jehoiada ordered priests from the tribe of Levi to do the job God gave them and take charge of all that happens at the Temple. They are to direct the sacrificial offerings, as prescribed in the laws that Moses gave the people. And they are in charge of the music ministry that David set up.
19He posted guards at the entrance onto the Temple courtyards, to protect against people ritually unclean and unfit for worship at the holy site. 20Then Jehoaida led the young king on a victory lap from the Temple, where he had been in hiding, to the palace throne, where he would rule the nation. Military commanders joined the parade, along with Judah’s government officials, family leaders, and all the happy people who had come together to crown their king. They watched as he sat on the throne. 21Everyone there celebrated because Athaliah had been slain and the city could now rest in peace.
Footnotes
123:1
They were “commanders of the queen’s personal guard and other commanders of the palace guard,” according to 2 Kings 11:4.
223:5
The writer of 2 Kings 11:6 called it the Sur Gate. Names and locations of gates remain a mystery. Some scholars associate this gate with the Horse Gate into the palace complex. Names and locations of gates may have changed throughout the centuries, much like the names and paths of some roads today.
323:17
Baal was a god of fertility in family, fields, and flocks. Canaanites, who were native to what is now Israel and Palestinian land, worshiped Baal. Joshua led the Jews in killing many Canaanites while the Jewish people reclaimed the land that the Bible says God promised to the descendants of Abraham. But Jews continued to worship Baal and other Middle Eastern gods off and on throughout Old Testament times.
Discussion Questions
- Sorry, there are currently no questions for this chapter.
Maps/Guides
Map of Jerusalem and City of David
Solomon's Temple
Balage Balogh / ArchaeologyIllustrated.com
Licensed to Casual English Bible
Sketch of Solomon's Temple and Palace
