2 Chronicles 23 Study Notes

23:1-3 Jehoiada waited patiently for six years before he carried out his plan to overthrow Athaliah. Jehoiada did not act rashly, but he made sure he had the military leaders on his side as well as the Levites and the prominent families. As they gathered in Jerusalem, it was evident that Athaliah did not have much support from the people.

23:4-7 Jehoiada gathered a revolutionary force that was powerful, disciplined, and well prepared. He made it appear as though the priests and Levites were carrying on with their usual duties, with the normal one-third of the total work force serving in the temple. At the same time, the other Levites were in the immediate vicinity, half of them at the nearby king’s palace and half at one of the major gates. The armed troops were in the courtyards, but Jehoiada insisted that the sanctity of the temple not be violated. The presence of the military would assure that nothing happened to young Joash.

23:8-10 The temple contained an arsenal of weapons that had been stored there since the time of David. Thus, the soldiers were able to walk into the temple precinct unarmed, but they received weapons as soon as they entered.

23:11 Then they brought in Joash and began to acclaim the child as king. The testimony may have been a copy of the Torah, perhaps Deuteronomy, but it may also have been a copy of the agreement that Jehoiada had made with all the leaders acknowledging Joash as the rightful king.

23:12-13 The pillar was apparently where coronations traditionally took place (Jdg 9:6; 2Kg 11:14; 23:3). Athaliah probably would not have recognized little Joash, so she concluded that someone was committing treason.

23:14-15 Jehoiada did not want to desecrate the temple by killing her there.

23:16-17 Jehoiada would speak for the child king while he was too young to make decisions. On behalf of the king, he and the people agreed to return to the Lord. They went to the temple of Baal, the main center of worship during the time of Jehoram, Ahaziah, and Athaliah. They destroyed the building, the altars, the idols, and the priest of Baal, Mattan.

23:18-19 Jehoiada restored order to the temple, following the plans outlined years before by David. He made sure that sacrifices would be conducted and that the joyful music David had made a part of the daily operation of the temple would be heard once again.

23:20-21 Jehoiada and his co-conspirators escorted young Joash to the royal palace and placed him on the throne. The word quiet is the same word used in Judges when the nation was at peace, with no threats (Jdg 3:11; cp. Jb 3:26; Is 32:17; Jr 30:10). Athaliah had been a source of conflict.