TEXT [Commentary]

2. Revolt against Athaliah (11:4-12)

4 In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the palace guards to come to the Temple of the LORD. He made a solemn pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the LORD’s Temple; then he showed them the king’s son.

5 Jehoiada told them, “This is what you must do. A third of you who are on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the royal palace itself. 6 Another third of you are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. And the final third must stand guard behind the palace guard. These three groups will all guard the palace. 7 The other two units who are off duty on the Sabbath must stand guard for the king at the LORD’s Temple. 8 Form a bodyguard around the king and keep your weapons in hand. Kill anyone who tries to break through. Stay with the king wherever he goes.”

9 So the commanders did everything as Jehoiada the priest ordered. The commanders took charge of the men reporting for duty that Sabbath, as well as those who were going off duty. They brought them all to Jehoiada the priest, 10 and he supplied them with the spears and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of the LORD. 11 The palace guards stationed themselves around the king, with their weapons ready. They formed a line from the south side of the Temple around to the north side and all around the altar.

12 Then Jehoiada brought out Joash, the king’s son, placed the crown on his head, and presented him with a copy of God’s laws.[*] They anointed him and proclaimed him king, and everyone clapped their hands and shouted, “Long live the king!”

NOTES

11:4 In the seventh year. This chronological synchronism, like its counterpart in 11:3, reminds us that the brief discussion of Athaliah’s “reign” was neither introduced nor concluded with typical regnal formulas, thus signaling by silence its illegitimacy (Sweeney 2007:342). Yet, its seven years must be included in any chronological reckoning of the Davidic dynasty (cf. Cogan and Tadmor 1988:133; also Barnes 1991:140 [citing Bin-Nun 1968:423], 153).

Jehoiada the priest. The Hebrew reads only “Jehoiada”; some LXX mss add the phrase “the priest” (cf. 2 Chr 22:11). His abrupt introduction gives support to the view that the present story is an excerpt from a longer account which had previously mentioned the priest (Cogan and Tadmor 1988:126). (Concerning this interesting collusion between royalty and priesthood, see the previous commentary section.) The name Jehoiada probably means “Yahweh knows” or “Yahweh has regarded.”

Carite mercenaries. This was apparently a group of foreign mercenaries loyal to the Davidic house (ABD 1.872), but it is a term (kari [TH3746, ZH4133]) of uncertain origin (= the Kethiv of 2 Sam 20:23 [Qere = “Kerethites”]). Sweeney (2007:345), noting its similarity to the noun kar [TH3733, ZH4119] (ram), suggests it signifies a military rank akin to the modern-day noncommissioned officer. In any case, these soldiers (who reappear in 11:19) are not to be confused with the “Kerethites and Pelethites” of 1 Kgs 1:38, 44 and elsewhere (cf. NLT mg; also cf. the note on 1 Kgs 1:38). Cogan and Tadmor (1988:126) liken them to the “Swiss Guard” of the Davidides, loyal to that family ever since the early days of David himself.

palace guards. Heb., ratsim [TH7323, ZH8132], traditionally, the “outrunners”; Hobbs (1985:139), however, notes that such military terms can change with time, and he would define this group as “the elite royal bodyguard” (cf. 1 Kgs 14:27).

11:5-6 A third . . . Another third . . . And the final third. Some of the details concerning this complicated and carefully coordinated set of military maneuvers remain unclear (11:6 is particularly hard to follow in the Hebrew), but its overall import is reasonably clear: All Temple and palace guards, both those normally off duty and those currently on duty, will be strategically deployed to facilitate the crowning of the heretofore-hidden seven-year-old king-designate. In particular (and some of the details of this reconstruction are hazy in places), on or around the Sabbath, when both the soldiers about to go off duty and those just reporting for duty can be mustered at the Temple precincts without undue suspicion, Jehoiada deployed the guards as follows: Of those still on duty, one third of them were divided and sent to the royal palace, another third to the “Sur Gate” (see the next note), and the final third to the gate where the palace guard (haratsim [TH7323, ZH8132]; see previous note) would normally enter (this gate is also mentioned in 11:19). The other two-thirds of the total guard (11:7), who had been off duty (cf. the three shifts of Adoniram’s labor force in 1 Kgs 5:14), would take up positions throughout the Temple proper to guard the arrival and coronation of the new king. This reconstruction basically follows Cogan and Tadmor (1988:127; cf. Montgomery 1951:419-420). In this way, forces loyal to Queen Athaliah would find it most difficult to interrupt the coronation of Joash.

11:6 Sur Gate. Otherwise unknown; the parallel in 2 Chr 23:5 reads “Foundation (yasod [TH3247A, ZH3572]) Gate,” also otherwise unknown.

11:8 Kill anyone who tries to break through. Parallels with the Jehu narrative in the previous chapter are evident (cf. 10:24-25), although here the command is given in a defensive, not offensive, context. (The offensive maneuverings against the “temple of Baal” in Jerusalem will take place in 11:18.)

11:10 spears and small shields that had once belonged to King David. Thus, they were apparently over 150 years old! Whether these were the actual spears and shields literally from the time of David (cf. 2 Sam 8:7-8) or some replacement weaponry (cf. 1 Kgs 14:27-28), they probably served as much to signify the continuity of the Davidic dynasty as actual weapons of war.

small shields. This is the NLT translation of the plural form of the word shelet [TH7982, ZH8949], a relatively rare term with varying translations in the ancient and contemporary versions. Cogan and Tadmor (1988:128) argue plausibly for the translation “quivers” (cf. Hobbs 1985:141; HALOT 1522-1523).

11:12 crown. Heb., nezer [TH5145, ZH5694], mentioned as worn by Saul (2 Sam 1:10), also as emblematic of the Davidic kings (cf. Pss 89:39 [40]; 132:18, NIV).

a copy of God’s laws. Heb., ha‘eduth [TH5715, ZH6343], often translated as “the covenant” or “the testimony,” and probably signifying some sort of covenant documents (Seow 1999:230). The term ‘eduth is connected with David’s kingship in Ps 132:12, and it probably presumes some sort of fulfillment of the “law of the king” in Deut 17:18-20, where a “copy of this Torah” is to be kept with the king at all times. Wiseman (1993:232-233) notes that the British custom of presenting the monarch with a copy of the Bible during the coronation service probably echoes this procedure. In any case, such an action clearly affirms that the power of the monarch is not absolute; rather, the ruler stands under the Torah and the kingship of Yahweh. (For the suggestion that ‘eduth here signifies a second symbol of royal office [the “jewels”], in parallel with the preceding reference to the crown or diadem, see Cogan and Tadmor 1988:128; Yeivin 1974:17-20.)

anointed. See the fourth note on 9:1; the note on 9:3.

Long live the king! See the note on 1 Kgs 1:25.

COMMENTARY [Text]

“Beware the changing of the guard!” This dictum, occasionally referenced in business and politics, warns that changes at the top of an organization mean that all the lower-level “troops” must beware of the changes and new dangers they will face. This is a good parallel to the present chapter of 2 Kings. The original changing of the Temple guard at or around the Sabbath seems to have made an excellent time to change the “palace guard” as well—meaning the installation of the new king, unbeknownst to the current queen who thought she (like Jehu) had already exterminated any and all such threats to her reign. How wrong she was, and how fatal that mistake proved to be—but that is the subject of the next part of the story, as we soon shall see.

The changing of the guard, at least in modern times, is a very carefully choreographed procedure (as seen, for example, at Buckingham Palace in London), and this, too, provides a good comparison to the carefully planned positioning of the various contingents of the Temple guard (and others) by the high priest Jehoiada. Seemingly leaving nothing to chance, he first swore the commanders and the soldiers to secrecy, then revealed Joash’s existence, then gave orders for careful deployment throughout the Temple and palace complex, and then started the coronation ceremony. His efforts, however, will hardly end there—he will command both the time and the location of Athaliah’s death (see the next section), as well as effecting the double covenant (cf. the note on 11:17), the destruction of the Baal temple, and the choreographing of the final scene where King Joash will take his throne and the people rejoice. (Jehoiada will continue to play a prominent part in the Temple repairs in the next chapter as well.) In sum, it is fair to say that Jehoiada easily takes first place in any comparison to the other high priests mentioned in 1–2 Kings (cf. the Introduction for their listing). It is indeed a good thing when Temple and palace act in harmony to further their common goal of bringing God’s blessing to the people, especially in times of crisis when continuity of leadership is far from guaranteed. The changing of the guard, elaborate as it was, had as its primary purpose that very goal.