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 Living Translation (NLT)This is what you must do. When you priests and Levites come on duty on the Sabbath, a third of you will serve as gatekeepers.

Context of 2 Chronicles 23:4

2And they went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem. 3Then all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said to them, “Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord has said of the sons of David. 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; 5one-third shall be at the king’s house; and one-third at the Gate of the Foundation. All the people shall be in the courts of the house of the Lord. 6But let no one come into the house of the Lord except the priests and those of the Levites who serve. They may go in, for they are holy; but all the people shall keep the watch 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 23:3Now the Levites were numbered from the age of thirty years and above; and the number of individual males was thirty-eight thousand.
• 1 Chronicles 24:3Then David with Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, divided them according to the schedule of their service.
• Luke 1:8So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division,
• 1 Chronicles 26:13And they cast lots for each gate, the small as well as the great, according to their father’s house.

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