2 Chronicles 23:4

2 Chronicles 23:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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;
• New International Version (NIV)Now this is what you are to do: A third of you priests and Levites who are going on duty on the Sabbath are to keep watch at the doors,
• English Standard Version (ESV)This is the thing that you shall do: of you priests and Levites who come off duty on the Sabbath, one third shall be gatekeepers,
• New King James Version (NKJV)This is what you shall do: One-third of you entering on the Sabbath, of the priests and the Levites, shall be keeping watch over the doors;

Context of 2 Chronicles 23:4

2They went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the households of the fathers (ancestors) in Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3Then all the assembly made a covenant in the house of God with the king [that is, with the child Joash, to overthrow Athaliah by proclaiming his sovereignty]. And Jehoiada [the priest] said to them, “Behold, the king’s son [Joash] shall reign, as the Lord has said in regard to the sons of David. This is what you shall do: a third of you, of the priests and Levites who are resuming service on the Sabbath, shall be gatekeepers, 5a [second] third shall be at the king’s house (palace), and a [final] third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courtyards of the house of the Lord. 6But let no one enter the house (temple) of the Lord except the priests and the Levites who minister; they may enter, for they are holy. And let all the people carefully observe the law of the Lord.

2 Chronicles 23:4 word by word

זֶ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּעֲשׂ֑וּ הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֨ית מִכֶּ֜ם בָּאֵ֣י הַשַּׁבָּ֗ת לַכֹּֽהֲנִים֙ וְלַלְוִיִּ֔ם לְשֹֽׁעֲרֵ֖י הַסִּפִּֽים׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• that ye shall doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• A third partשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
• of you enteringבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• on the sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
• of the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and of the Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• portersשֹׁעֵרshô‛êr shô‛êr · gatekeeperH7778
• of the doorsסַףsaph · thresholdH5592

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 23:4

• 1 Chronicles 23:3The Levites thirty years old and upward were counted, and their number man by man was 38,000.
• 1 Chronicles 24:3David, with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to their offices for their assigned duties.
• Luke 1:8Now it happened while Zacharias was serving as priest before God in the appointed order of his priestly division,
• 1 Chronicles 26:13They cast lots, the small (younger) and great (older) alike, in accordance with their fathers’ households, for every gate.

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 23:4

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The writer of Chronicles relates the orders that were given to the Levites, the author of Kings those received by the royal body-guard (2 Kings 11:5 note).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4-6The best time for the coup was during the temple guard change. This was when many people moved around. One-third of the guards started their shifts. They were stationed in three places to do their usual tasks and to watch for any palace activity. The rest of the armed force stayed in the Lord’s temple courtyards, forming a human wall to protect the king.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 4-94-9. This is the thing that ye shall do--The arrangements made for defense are here described. The people were divided into three bodies; one attended as guards to the king, while the other two were posted at all the doors and gates, and the captains and military officers who entered the temple unarmed to lull suspicion, were furnished with weapons out of the sacred armory, where David had deposited his trophies of victory and which was reopened on this…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Chronicles 23:4

• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Porters
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Covenant
• Athaliah
• Criticism
• Doorkeeper
• Genealogy
• Jehoash; Joash
• Jehoiada
• Priests and Levites

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings