2 ChroniquesChapitre 23

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In the seventh year Jehoiada took courage and brought the commanders of hundreds into a covenant with him: Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri.

They traveled throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the towns of Judah, along with the heads of the families of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

Then the whole assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. Jehoiada said to them, "Here is the king's son! He shall reign, just as the LORD promised concerning the sons of David.

This is what you are to do: a third of you priests and Levites who come on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the doors,

a third are to be at the royal palace, and a third at the Foundation Gate, while all the people are to be in the courts of the house of the LORD.

No one is to enter the house of the LORD except the priests and the Levites who minister there; they may enter, for they are consecrated. But all the people are to keep the watch of the LORD.

The Levites are to surround the king, each man with his weapons in his hand, and anyone who enters the temple is to be put to death. Stay close to the king wherever he goes."

The Levites and all Judah did everything Jehoiada the priest had commanded. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.

Jehoiada the priest gave the commanders of hundreds the spears and the large and small shields that had belonged to King David and were kept in the house of God.

He stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, around the king—from the right side of the temple to the left, near the altar and the temple.

Then they brought out the king's son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony, and proclaimed him king. Jehoiada and his sons anointed him, and they shouted, "Long live the king!"

When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, she came to them at the house of the LORD.

She looked, and there was the king, standing by his pillar at the entrance, with the officers and the trumpeters beside him. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, and the singers were leading the praise with their instruments. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, "Treason! Treason!"

Jehoiada the priest brought out the commanders of hundreds who were in charge of the troops and said to them, "Take her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not put her to death in the house of the LORD."

So they seized her, and when she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate at the royal palace, they put her to death there.

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king, that they would be the LORD's people.

All the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed its altars and its images, and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.

Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the house of the LORD in the hands of the priests, who were Levites, whom David had assigned to the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and song, as David had directed.

He also stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the house of the LORD, so that no one who was unclean in any way could enter.

Then he took the commanders of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the house of the LORD. They went through the Upper Gate into the palace and seated the king on the royal throne.

All the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death with the sword.

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Résumé2

Chapitre 23

Main Theme: The priest Jehoiada leads a successful uprising against Queen Athaliah and restores the Davidic line by installing the young Joash as king.

Content: In the seventh year, Jehoiada gathers military leaders, Levites, and family heads and makes a covenant with them in the house of God. He organizes guard duty around the temple, arms the officers with King David's weapons, and brings forward Prince Joash, who is crowned and anointed as king. When Athaliah hears the shouting and sees the king, she cries out "Treason!", but is led out and executed at the Horse Gate. Jehoiada makes a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, and Baal's temple along with its altar and idols is destroyed.

Key Words/Images:

The Covenant: Jehoiada makes several covenants—first with the leaders, then between God, the king, and the people—which mark a renewal of the relationship with the Lord.
David's Weapons: The weapons from King David symbolize continuity in the Davidic line and legitimacy for the new king.
The Temple: God's house is the center of the coronation and stands in contrast to Baal's temple, which is torn down.
The Crown and the Testimony: Joash receives both the royal crown and the testimony (the law), showing that the king must rule under God's word.

Contexte historique

Historical and Cultural Context for 2 Chronicles 23

People

Joash (יוֹאָשׁ) was the son of King Ahaziah and the rightful heir to David’s throne. As an infant, he had been saved from Athaliah’s massacre by his aunt Jehosheba and hidden in the temple for six years (2 Chron 22:11-12). In this chapter, at the age of seven, he is brought forward and crowned king over Judah.

Jehoiada was the high priest in Jerusalem and the central figure behind the coup against Athaliah. He was married to Jehosheba, daughter of King Joram, who had rescued young Joash from Athaliah’s massacre (2 Chron 22:11). Jehoiada emerges as the true leader of the uprising, illustrating how powerful the high priest could be in Judah.

Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel from the northern kingdom and the mother of King Ahaziah. When her son died, she seized power and nearly wiped out the entire royal house—she was the only woman to reign as queen in Judah. She represented the Baal cult that had spread from the northern kingdom, and her six-year rule (approximately 841–835 B.C.) posed a serious threat to the Davidic dynasty.

The five officers named by name (Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri) were "captains of hundreds"—military leaders with whom Jehoiada made a covenant. The fact that Chronicles names them all underscores the historical significance of this event.

Places

The house of the Lord (the temple) was the center of the entire coup. The young king had been hidden there for six years, and his coronation took place within the temple complex. The chapter mentions several specific locations: "the Foundation Gate" (שַׁעַר הַיְסוֹד, sha'ar hayesod, v.5), which was likely one of the temple entrances, and the people gathered in "the courts of the house of the Lord." That the coronation occurred at the temple highlighted Joash’s religious legitimacy as a descendant of David.

The entrance of the Horse Gate near the king’s palace (v.15) was where Athaliah was executed. Jehoiada ordered that she be led out of the temple area before being killed, to avoid defiling the holy place with bloodshed.

Baal’s temple (v.17) had been built in Jerusalem under Athaliah’s influence. The existence of such a temple in Judah shows how far the Canaanite religion had spread. Its destruction was a central part of the religious purification.

Events and Customs

The coronation ritual is described in detail in verse 11: the king’s son was brought forward, given "the diadem" (נֵזֶר, nezer—the royal crown) and handed "the testimony" (עֵדוּת, edut). This "testimony" was likely a scroll containing the law or the covenant document that the king was to follow in his rule (cf. Deut 17:18-20). He was then anointed—an act signifying God’s choice and granting the king a holy status.

The Sabbath watch rotation (vv.4-8) was strategically utilized. On the Sabbath, the temple guards changed shifts, meaning twice as many men were available. Jehoiada kept both the outgoing and incoming guards, thus assembling a larger force without arousing suspicion.

The covenant renewal (vv.3, 16) had two parts: first, a covenant between the leaders and the king in God’s house; then, a broader covenant among Jehoiada, the people, and the king to be "a people for the Lord." This pattern of renewing the covenant at each change of ruler was important in Judah’s theology.

Key Terms

"The people of the land" (עַם הָאָרֶץ, am ha'arets) is mentioned several times (vv.13, 20, 21). In this period, the term referred to the free, landowning population of Judah—a political force capable of influencing royal accessions. Their joy at Joash’s coronation shows that Athaliah’s rule lacked popular support.

"The king’s column" (עַל־עַמּוּדוֹ, al-ammudo—"by his column") in verse 13 was a fixed position near the temple entrance where the king stood during ceremonies. This column was likely one of the two bronze pillars, Jachin and Boaz, that Solomon had erected (2 Chron 3:17), and its location marked the king’s special role as the link between God and the people.

Mattan (v.17), the priest of Baal who was killed, bears an ironic name—it means "gift" in Hebrew and was paradoxically a common theophoric name associated with Yahweh. His execution before the altars recalls the prophet Elijah’s killing of the prophets of Baal at the Kishon brook (1 Kings 18:40).

Personnages14

David3 Obed (son of Boaz and Ruth)1 Ba'al (Canaanite god worshipped by the Israelites)1 Maaseiah1 Jehoiada (The Priest Who Guided King Joash of Judah)5 Adaiah1 Zichri1 Johanan1 Ishmael1 Mattan1 Jeroham1 Athaliah (mother of Ahaziah, queen)3 Azariah1 Elishaphat1

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Mots-clés7

Jehoiada — A priest in Jerusalem who played a key role in overthrowing Queen Athaliah and restoring King Joash to the throne.
Athaliah — An evil queen of Judah who killed all royal descendants to keep power, but failed to kill Joash.
Joash — The young king of Judah who was protected and raised by Jehoiada, and later restored as king with Jehoiada's help.
Temple — A holy place where people worshiped God and performed religious ceremonies. In this chapter, it refers to Solomon's temple in Jerusalem.
Ark of the Covenant — A sacred relic that contained the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments, which God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. The ark symbolized God's presence among the people of Israel.
Levites — Members of the tribe of Levi, who were responsible for serving in the temple and carrying out religious duties.
Sabbath — The seventh day of the week, on which God rested after creating the world. The Israelites were also to rest and honor God on this day.