2 Kings 11:4

2 Kings 11:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord, and shewed them the king’s son.
• New International Version (NIV)In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the commanders of units of a hundred, the Carites and the guards and had them brought to him at the temple of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath at the temple of the Lord. Then he showed them the king’s son.
• English Standard Version (ESV)But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king's son.
• New King James Version (NKJV)In the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds—of the bodyguards and the escorts—and brought them into the house of the Lord to him. And he made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king’s son.

Context of 2 Kings 11:4

2So Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Ahaziah’s son Joash and sneaked him away from the rest of the royal descendants who were to be executed. She hid him and his nurse in the room where the bed covers were stored. So he was hidden from Athaliah and escaped execution. 3He hid out with his nurse in the Lord’s temple for six years, while Athaliah was ruling over the land. In the seventh year Jehoiada summoned the officers of the units of hundreds of the Carians and the royal bodyguard. He met with them in the Lord’s temple. He made an agreement with them and made them swear an oath of allegiance in the Lord’s temple. Then he showed them the king’s son. 5He ordered them, “This is what you must do. One third of the unit that is on duty during the Sabbath will guard the royal palace. 6Another third of you will be stationed at the Foundation Gate. Still another third of you will be stationed at the gate behind the royal guard. You will take turns guarding the palace.

2 Kings 11:4 word by word

וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה הַ֠שְּׁבִיעִית שָׁלַ֨ח יְהוֹיָדָ֜ע וַיִּקַּ֣ח׀ אֶת־שָׂרֵ֣י הַמֵּא֗וֹת לַכָּרִי֙ וְלָ֣רָצִ֔ים וַיָּבֵ֥א אֹתָ֛ם אֵלָ֖יו בֵּ֣ית יְהוָ֑ה וַיִּכְרֹת֩ לָהֶ֨ם בְּרִ֜ית וַיַּשְׁבַּ֤ע אֹתָם֙ בְּבֵ֣ית יְהוָ֔ה וַיַּ֥רְא אֹתָ֖ם אֶת־בֶּן־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the seventhשְׁבִיעִיshebîy‛îy shebi‛îy · seventhH7637
• yearשָׁנָהshâneh shânâh · yearH8141
• Jehoiadaיְהוֹיָדָעyehôyâdâ‛ · JehoiadaH3077
• sentשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• and fetchedלָקַחlâqach · to take: bringH3947
• the rulersשַׂרώar · rulerH8269
• over hundredsמֵאָהmê'âh mê'yâh · hundredH3967
• with the captainsכָּרִיkârîy · CariteH3746
• and the guardרוּץrûts · to run: guardH7323
• and broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
• them to him into the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: templeH1004
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and madeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
• a covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
• with them, and took an oathשָׁבַעshâba‛ · to swearH7650
• and shewedרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• them the king’sמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121

Cross-references for 2 Kings 11:4

• 2 Chronicles 23:1In the seventh year Jehoiada made a bold move. He made a pact with the officers of the units of hundreds: Azariah son of Jehoram, Ishmael son of Jehochanan, Azariah son of Obed, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zikri.
• 2 Kings 11:9The officers of the units of hundreds did just as Jehoiada the priest ordered. Each of them took his men, those who were on duty during the Sabbath as well as those who were off duty on the Sabbath, and reported to Jehoiada the priest.
• 1 Chronicles 9:13Their relatives, who were leaders of their families, numbered 1,760. They were capable men who were assigned to carry out the various tasks of service in God’s temple.
• Acts 5:24Now when the commander of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were greatly puzzled concerning it, wondering what this could be.
• 2 Kings 11:17Jehoiada then drew up a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, stipulating that they should be loyal to the Lord.
• 2 Kings 23:3The king stood by the pillar and renewed the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, by carrying out the terms of this covenant recorded on this scroll. All the people agreed to keep the covenant.
• Joshua 24:25That day Joshua drew up an agreement for the people, and he established rules and regulations for them in Shechem.
• 1 Samuel 18:3Jonathan made a covenant with David, for he loved him as much as he did his own life.
• 1 Samuel 23:18When the two of them had made a covenant before the Lord, David stayed on at Horesh, but Jonathan went to his house.
• 2 Chronicles 15:12They solemnly agreed to seek the Lord God of their ancestors with their whole heart and being.
• 2 Chronicles 29:10Now I intend to make a covenant with the Lord God of Israel, so that he may relent from his raging anger.
• 2 Chronicles 34:31The king stood by his pillar and renewed the covenant before the Lord, agreeing to follow the Lord and to obey his commandments, laws, and rules with all his heart and being, by carrying out the terms of this covenant recorded on this scroll.
• Nehemiah 9:38(10:1) “Because of all of this we are entering into a binding covenant in written form; our leaders, our Levites, and our priests have affixed their names on the sealed document.”
• Genesis 50:25Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath. He said, “God will surely come to you. Then you must carry my bones up from this place.”
• 1 Kings 18:10As certainly as the Lord your God lives, my master has sent to every nation and kingdom in an effort to find you. When they say, ‘He’s not here,’ he makes them swear an oath that they could not find you.
• Nehemiah 5:12They replied, “We will return these things, and we will no longer demand anything from them. We will do just as you say.” Then I called the priests and made the wealthy and the officials swear to do what had been promised.

Commentaries on 2 Kings 11:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4And the seventh year Jehoiada sent - He had certainly sounded them all, and brought them into the interests of the young king, before this time; the plot having been laid, and now ripe for execution, he brings the chief officers of the army and those of the body guard into the temple, and there binds them by an oath of secrecy, and shows them the king's son, in whose behalf they are to rise.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4See 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…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Jehoiada the priest knew his plan could be seen as treason (2 Kings 11:14). He also did not fully trust the men he wanted to join him. Before he revealed the existence of Joash, the rightful heir to Judah’s throne, he required them to swear an oath of loyalty. These men went to the towns of Judah and brought the Levites and family leaders to the temple in Jerusalem, where they made a covenant with Joash (2 Chronicles 23:3). The Carite mercenaries came…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. 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…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Kings 11:4

• Armies
• Church
• Church and State
• Citizens
• Conspiracy
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• King
• Loyalty
• Oath
• Orphan
• Usurpation
• Women
• Zeal, Religious

In the dictionaries

• Jehoiada
• Host
• Testimony
• Benaiah
• Carites
• Covenant, in the Old Testament
• Criticism
• Guard
• Jehoash; Joash
• Jezebel

Commentaries on 2 Kings 11

• 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