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1 And in the seventh year Jehoiada strengthened himself, and took the captains of hundreds, Azariah the son of Jeroham, and Ishmael the son of Jehohanan, and Azariah the son of Obed, and Maaseiah the son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat the son of Zichri, into covenant with him.

2 And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

3 And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign, as the Lord hath said of the sons of David.

4 This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you entering on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors;

5 And a third part shall be at the king's house; and a third part at the gate of the foundation: and all the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord.

6 But let none come into the house of the Lord, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall go in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord.

7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever else cometh into the house, he shall be put to death: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.

8 So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.

9 Moreover Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David's, which were in the house of God.

10 And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.

11 Then they brought out the king's son, and put upon him the crown, and gave him the testimony, and made him king. And Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and said, God save the king.

12 Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to the people into the house of the Lord:

13 And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.

14 Then Jehoiada the priest brought out the captains of hundreds that were set over the host, and said unto them, Have her forth of the ranges: and whoso followeth her, let him be slain with the sword. For the priest said, Slay her not in the house of the Lord.

15 So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there.

16 And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the Lord's people.

17 Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

18 Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the Lord, to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David.

19 And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in.

20 And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the Lord: and they came through the high gate into the king's house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom.

21 And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

<html><b>And the entire congregation enacted a covenant in the House of God with the king</b> that they would support him.</html>

<html><b>of those coming in on the Sabbath</b> And also those leaving on the Sabbath, as is written below (verse 8): “and each one took his men, those coming in on the Sabbath with those leaving on the Sabbath.” The watches were renewed on the Sabbath (See <i>Taanith</i> 2:6,7), viz. the priests and the Levites; one [watch] would leave and one would come in. Jehoiada detained the watch that was leaving with the watch that was coming in, and divided them into three divisions.</html>

<html><b>And a third shall be in the king’s palace</b> to guard that they would not gather about him to assassinate him. <b>and a third</b> This is the second one. <b>in the Yesod Gate</b> But in II Kings (ad loc.) it is written “the Sur Gate.” In <i>Yoma Yerushalmi</i> (in extant editions it is found in <i>Erubin Yerushalmi</i> 5:1) it is explained that the Yesod Gate had seven names: 1) the Sur Gate, because they would purify those smitten with zaraath there [by placing the blood of the guilt offering and the oil] on their thumbs, reminiscent of [the verse] (Lam. 4:15): “They called out to them: ‘Depart (סוּרוּ), unclean [ones]!’”</html>

<html><b>and all the people shall keep</b> lest they enter the House of the Lord.</html>

<html><b>with his weapons in his hand</b> His weapons in his hand.</html>

<html><b>of those coming in on the Sabbath with those leaving on the Sabbath, for he did not dismiss</b> those divisions who were leaving to go home, but he detained them with those who were arriving. A similarity to [the word פָּטַר] is found in (I Chron. 9:33): “in the chambers, who are exempt (פְּטוּרִים)”; i.e., they were exempt from all work in the forecourt, for day and night it was incumbent upon them to perform the work to guard the forecourts and the chambers; they were therefore exempt from all other work in the forecourt.</html>

<html><b>and each one with his sword in his hand</b> - Heb. שִׁלְחוֹ his weapon, like (Joel 2:8): “and upon the sword (הַשֶּׁלַח).”</html>

<html><b>the crown</b> This is the crown that David took from Rabbah of the children of Ammon, as it is written (I Chron 20:2): “And David took the crown of Malkam off his head, etc., and it was on David’s head.” From then on, the kings of Judah would wear that crown on their heads. <b>and the testimony</b> This is a Sepher Torah, and so Scripture states (Deut. 17:19): “and he shall read from it as long as he lives.” Our Sages stated (<i>Abodah Zarah</i> 4a), however, that the crown itself was the testimony, for it would not fit anyone unfit for the throne.</html>

<html><b>standing on his stand</b> as it says (above 6:12f.): “And he stood before the altar of the Lord, etc. for Solomon had made a copper laver, etc., and he stood on it and kneeled on his knees.” It is still customary today that when they assemble together, the king or the duke stands on a high place, so that they should be able to see him and hear his words. <b>“Treason! Treason!”</b> Rebellion! Rebellion!</html>

<html><b>the ranks</b> - Heb. הַשְּׂדֵרוֹת. Rashi (II Kings 11:8) explains: the place of the king’s entry from his palace to the House of the Lord. I do not know the origin of the word, and <i>Jonathan</i> rendered it as “rows” [like סְדָרִים]. <b>and whoever follows her is to be put to death</b> Do not allow her to go out by way of the exit of the forecourt to the city, lest she find helpers who will join her. <b>and whoever follows her</b> to her aid. <b>is to be put to death</b> Put him to death.</html>

<html><b>And they made a place for her</b> a place to escape.</html>

<html><b>between himself and all the people and the king</b> that all of them, the king and the people, should follow the Lord.</html>

<html><b>appointees</b> - Heb. פְּקֻדּוֹת, people appointed to offer burnt offerings and all that is mentioned in this chapter. An example is (Jer. 20:1): “And Pashhur heard, etc. and he was the chief officer (פָּקִיד) in the House of the Lord.”</html>

<html><b>so that no one who was unclean should enter for any matter</b> There were also appointees [whose job it was] not to allow any unclean person to enter the forecourt for any reason.</html>