2 Kings 11:4

“And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, etc.] This was the husband of Jehosheba, who was high priest, (<142211>2 Chronicles 22:11) these rulers over hundreds were not those appointed over the people for civil affairs, as by the advice of Jethro, but over the priests and Levites in their courses; five of whom are mentioned by name, and were employed in gathering together the Levites, and the chief of the fathers, throughout all the cities of Judah, (<142301>2 Chronicles 23:1,2), and the “captains” here are the heads of the fathers there, who were the heads of the courses they were sent to gather; and the “guard”, those of the…”

“HE IS MADE KING. (Kg2 11:4-12) the seventh year--namely, of the reign of Athaliah, and the rescue of Jehoash. Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers, &c.--He could scarcely have obtained such a general convocation except at the time, or on pretext, of a public and solemn festival. Having revealed to them the secret of the young king's preservation and entered into a covenant with them for the overthrow of the tyrant, he then arranged with them the plan and time of carrying their plot into execution (see on 2Ch. 22:10-23:21). The conduct of Jehoiada, who acted the leading and chief part in this conspiracy, admits of an easy and full justification; for, while Athaliah was a usurper, and belonged…”

“See the marginal reference. The captains - The word used here and in 2 Kings 11:19, הא־כרי ha-kârı̂y, designates a certain part of the royal guard, probably that which in the earlier times was known under the name of Cherethites 1 Kings 1:38. Others see in the term an ethnic name - “Carians,” who seem certainly to have been much inclined to take service as mercenaries from an early date. Render the whole passage thus - “And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the centurions of the Carians and the guardsmen (literally, ‘runners, ‘ 2 Kings 10:25), etc.” return to 'Top of Page'”

“The house - Into the courts of that house, for into the house none but the priests or Levites might enter. 4 Kings (2 Kings) 11:5”

“11:4 Jehoiada knew that what he was doing was treasonous (11:14), and he was not sure that he could trust the men he was enlisting as his co-conspirators, so he had them swear an oath of loyalty before he revealed to them the existence of the rightful heir to the throne of Judah. These men went out to the towns of Judah and brought the Levites and heads of families to the Temple in Jerusalem, where they made a covenant with Joash (2 Chr 23:3). • The Carite mercenaries, from the Aegean, served as bodyguards for the king (2 Sam 20:23).”

“am 3126, bc 878 the seventh: Ch2 23:1-15 rulers: Kg2 11:9; Ch1 9:13 the captains: Act 5:24, Act 5:26 made a covenant: Kg2 11:17, Kg2 23:3; Jos 24:25; Sa1 18:3, Sa1 23:18; Ch2 15:12, Ch2 29:10, Ch2 34:31, Ch2 34:32; Neh 9:38 took an oath: Gen 50:25; Kg1 18:10; Neh 5:12, Neh 10:29 4 Kings (2 Kings) 11:5”

“Dethronement of Athaliah and Coronation of Joash (compare the account in 2 Chron 23, which is more elaborate in several points). (Note: In both accounts we have only short extracts preserved from a common and more complete original, the extracts having been made quite independently of one another and upon different plans. Hence the apparent discrepancies, which have arisen partly from the incompleteness of the two abridged accounts, and partly from the different points of view from which the extracts were made, but which contain no irreconcilable contradictions. The assertion of De Wette, which has been repeated by Thenius and Bertheau, that the chronicler distorted the true state of the…”