Part 393

11:7. But let two parts of you all that go forth on the sabbath, keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king.

11:8. And you shall compass him round about, having weapons in your hands: and if any man shall enter the precinct of the temple, let him be slain: and you shall be with the king, coming in and going out.

11:9. And the centurions did according to all things that Joiada the priest, had commanded them: and taking every one their men, that went in on the sabbath, with them that went out in the sabbath, came to Joiada, the priest.

11:10. And he gave them the spears, and the arms of king David, which were in the house of the Lord.

11:11. And they stood, having every one their weapons in their hands, from the right side of the temple, unto the left side of the altar, and of the temple, about the king.

11:12. And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the diadem upon him, and the testimony: and they made him king, and anointed him: and clapping their hands, they said: God save the king.

The testimony.... The book of the law.

11:13. And Athalia heard the noise of the people running: and going in to the people into the temple of the Lord,

11:14. She saw the king standing upon a tribunal, as the manner was, and the singers, and the trumpets near him, and all the people of the land rejoicing, and sounding the trumpets: and she rent her garments, and cried: A conspiracy, a conspiracy.

A tribunal.... A tribune, or a place elevated above the rest.

11:15. But Joiada commanded the centurions that were over the army, and said to them: Have her forth without the precinct of the temple, and whosoever shall follow her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest had said: Let her not be slain in the temple of the Lord.

11:16. And they laid hands on her: and thrust her out by the way by which the horses go in, by the palace, and she was slain there.

11:17. And Joiada made a covenant between the Lord, and the king, and the people, that they should be the people of the Lord; and between the king and the people.

11:18. And all the people of the land went into the temple of Baal, and broke down his altars, and his images they broke in pieces thoroughly: they slew also Mathan the priest of Baal before the altar. And the priest set guards in the house of the Lord.

11:19. And he took the centurions, and the bands of the Cerethi, and the Phelethi, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king from the house of the Lord: and they came by the way of the gate of the shieldbearers into the palace, and he sat on the throne of the kings.

11:20. And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet: but Athalia was slain with the sword in the king’s house.

11:21. Now Joas was seven years old when he began to reign.

4 Kings Chapter 12

The temple is repaired. Hazael is bought off from attacking Jerusalem. Joas is slain.

12:1. In the seventh year of Jehu, Joas began to reign: and he reigned forty years in Jerusalem. The name of his mother was Sebia, of Bersabee.

12:2. And Joas did that which was right before the Lord all the days that Joiada, the priest, taught him.

12:3. But yet he took not away the high places: for the people still sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places.

12:4. And Joas said to the priests: all the money of the sanctified things, which is brought into the temple of the Lord by those that pass, which is offered for the price of a soul, and which of their own accord, and of their own free heart, they bring into the temple of the Lord:

Sanctified.... That is, dedicated to God’s service.—Ibid. The price of a soul.... That is, the ordinary oblation, which every soul was to offer by the law. Ex. 30.

12:5. Let the priests take it according to their order and repair the house, wheresoever they shall see any thing that wanteth repairing.

12:6. Now till the three and twentieth year of king Joas the priests did not make the repairs of the temple.

12:7. And king Joas called Joiada, the high priest, and the priests, saying to them: Why do you not repair the temple? Take you, therefore, money no more according to your order, but restore it for the repairing of the temple.

12:8. And the priests were forbidden to take any more money of the people, and to make the repairs of the house.