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2 Chronicles 23:7

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Chronicles 23:7 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever cometh into the house, let him be slain: and be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever cometh into the house, let him be slain: and be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.
2 Chronicles 23:7 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Chronicles 23

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
4This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the thresholds;
5and 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 Jehovah.
6But let none come into the house of Jehovah, save the priests, and they that minister of the Levites; they shall come in, for they are holy: but all the people shall keep the charge of Jehovah.
7And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever cometh into the house, let him be slain: and be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.
8So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath; with those that were to go out on the sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
9And Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David`s, which were in the house of God.
10And he set all the people, every man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, by the king round about.
← 2 Chronicles 23:62 Chronicles 23:8 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Compare 2 Kings 11:8, 2 Kings 11:11. The soldiers and the Levites in the temple were probably intermixed in about equal proportions. return to 'Top of Page'”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“the Levites: Kg2 11:8, Kg2 11:9 whosoever: Exo 19:12, Exo 19:13, Exo 21:14; Num 3:10, Num 3:38 2 Chronicles 23:8”
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Keil & Delitzsch
C. F. Keil & F. Delitzsch · Commentary on the Old Testament · 19th-century historical commentary
“"And the Levites shall compass the king round about, each with his weapons in his hand." The Levites are the bodies of guards mentioned in Ch2 23:4, Ch2 23:5. If we keep that in view, then the following words, "every one who cometh into the house shall be put to death," say the same as the words, "every one who cometh within the ranks" ( Kg2 11:8). A contradiction arises only if we misinterpret הקּיפוּ, and understand it of the forming of a circle around the king; whereas הקּיפוּ, like הקּפתּם (Kings), is to be understood, according to the context, of the setting of the guards both at the temple gate and in the courts, so that whoever entered the court of the temple came within the ranks of…”
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Related study paths

Read 2 Chronicles 23 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification