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

2And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers’ households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And Jehoiada said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has spoken concerning the sons of David. This is the thing which you shall do: a third of you, of the priests and Levites who come in on the Sabbath, shall be gatekeepers, 5and a third shall be at the king’s house, and a third at the Gate of the Foundation; and all the people shall be in the courtyards of the house of the Lord. 6But no one is to enter the house of the Lord except the priests and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy. And all the people are to keep the command 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

• Thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
• is the thingדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
• whichאֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
• you shall doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• a thirdשְׁלִישִׁיshelîyshîy · thirdH7992
• of you, of the priestsכֹּהֵןkôhên · priestH3548
• and Levitesלֵוִיlêvîyîy lêvîy · LeviH3881
• who comeבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• on the Sabbathשַׁבָּתshabbâth · SabbathH7676
• gatekeepersשֹׁעֵרshô‛êr shô‛êr · gatekeeperH7778
• gatekeepersסַףsaph · thresholdH5592

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 23:4

• 1 Chronicles 23:3Now the Levites were counted from thirty years old and upward, and their number by head count of men was thirty-eight thousand.
• 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 ministry.
• Luke 1:8Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division,
• 1 Chronicles 26:13They cast lots, the small and the great alike, according to 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