2 Kings 11:7

2Ki 11:7 And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.

Ver. 7. Shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord.] To keep the place from pollution, and the young king from danger.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 11:7-8. Two parts that go forth on the sabbath — Who, having finished their course, should have gone home, but were detained, 2Ch 23:8. Shall keep — While the rest guard the entrances into the temple, these shall have a special care of the king’s person. Ye shall compass the king, &c. — When you have set your watches and guards, all the rest of you shall draw near to the king, to preserve his royal person from all assaults and dangers. He that cometh within the ranges — Or fences, the walls wherewith the courts of the temple were environed; or your ranks. If any of Athaliah’s guard shall attempt to break in upon you, or come within your bounds. As he goeth out, and as he cometh in — Whether the king shall go out of the temple to assault and subdue his enemies, or retire hither to defend himself, do you always accompany him.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Whose charge is ended.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

(7, 8) The whole body of guards relieved on the Sabbath are to guard the Temple and the young prince.

(7) And two parts of all you . . . sabbath.—Rather, and the two branches among you, all that go out on the Sabbath. The two “branches” means the two fundamental divisions—viz., Carians (or executioners) and Couriers. The troops relieved on the Sabbath were not to be posted in three companies at three different points, like those who came on duty in their place; but they were to form in two ranks—Carians on one side and Couriers on the other—for the purpose of guarding the Temple, and especially the king’s person.

About.—Literally, in the direction of—i.e., with regard to, over. “The house of the Lord” is obviously contrasted with “the king’s house” (2Ki_11:5).

(8) Ye shall compass the king round about.—They were to form two lines, between which the king might walk safely from the Temple to the palace.

The ranges.—Rather, the ranks—scil., the two lines of the guard formed for the protection of the king. If any one attempted to force his way through the ranks in order to attack the king he was to be slain.

Be ye with the king . . . cometh in.—When he leaves the Temple, and when he enters the palace.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

7. And two parts of all you that go forth] R.V. And the two companies of you, even all that go forth. All those men who were going off duty at the palace were to divide themselves into two bodies, and go and serve at the temple to protect the king. The ‘of you’ refers to the purely military body, as in verse 5. We see in verse 2 that their duty was outside the temple building, while the narrative in Chronicles in almost identical language appoints the Levites for duty within the temple.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath,.... The course that went out of service at the end of the sabbath; these were not suffered, not any of them, to go into the country, but were detained for the present purpose, and divided into two parts:

even they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king, these were placed in the temple where the king was, or where he should be brought forth, and be a guard on his right and left; this interpretation seems to be agreeably to the order of the text here, and is the sense of Jarchi; but there is this objection to it, that, by such a distribution of both courses, no provision is made for the services of the temple; wherefore Dr. Lightfoot (c) divides them into six parts, each into three, one third of the course that came in for service, the other to keep the watch at the king's house, and the other third at the gate Sur; and the course that went out, one third of them was placed at the gate behind the guard, and the other two to keep the watch of the house for the king's safety; but according to the account in Ch2 23:4, there were but three ranks or orders of them in all; wherefore the sense of Kimchi, Ben Gersom, and Abarbinel, seems most agreeable, that the first consisted of those that went in on the sabbath, not of all, but half of them, the other half being employed in the service of the sanctuary; and the other two of the course that went out, even all of them, they being entirely at leisure, who were divided into two parts, and disposed of as above.

(c) Prospect of the Temple, c. 20.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Of you. Levites, who waited on the king’s person alternately. (Calmet) --- They were divided into three parts, being in actual service, ver. 6. Those who went out of office were twice the number, and are here told what to do. Sa thinks that those who entered upon duty, and those who went out, formed two thirds of the Levites, ver. 9., and 2 Paralipomenon xxiii. 8. (Menochius)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

You that go forth on the sabbath, i.e. who having finished their course and week, should have gone home, but were detained, 2Ch 23:8.

They shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king; whilst the rest guard the doors and entrances into the temple, these shall have a special care of the king’s person, part on his right, and part on his left hand.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

7. Two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath — Those who went forth on the Sabbath were the course of Levites who were relieved on that day from their term of temple service by the coming in of another course. Instead of departing from the temple and returning home, as usual they were to form themselves into two parts or divisions, (literally, hands,) and to be the immediate bodyguard of the youthful king. Their particular duty is more fully given in 2Ki_11:8, and they are identical with the guard mentioned in 2Ki_11:11.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath. Three-fifths of the guard having been disposed of about the palace, there remained only two-fifths, or two "companies" (margin of Authorized Version). These Jehoiada commanded to enter the temple and protect the young king. Even they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king. According to Chronicles, (2Ch_23:7) the great body of the Levites gathered from the cities of Judah was also to be in the temple, and to assist in the protection of the monarch.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That go, &c. - Who having finished their course, should have gone home, but were detained, 2 Chron. xxiii, 8. Shall keep - While the rest guard the entrances into the temple; these shall have a special care of the king's person.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

General Information:

Jehoiada continues giving directions to the soldiers who will protect King Joash.

for the king

They were to keep watch for the purpose of protecting the king from harm. AT: "in order to protect King Joash" (See: Assumed Knowledge and Implicit Information)

Whoever enters within your ranks

"Anyone who tries to go past you while you are protecting King Joash." A rank refers to a line of soldiers.

let him be killed

This can be stated in active form. AT: "you must kill him" (See: Active or Passive)

You must stay with the king when he goes out, and when he comes in

These two opposite things are a merism that refers to everything the king does. AT: "You must stay near the king at all times" (See: Merism)

translationWords

servant

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

The two groups of you. Who I said should be in the Sur Gate and in the Gate of the Runners, and with them all those who leave on Shabbos, [i.e.,] all the men of the departing watch.

Will guard Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy for the king. That no harm befall him from within the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy. He did not require all this except for the first Shabbos, until Atalyoh was killed and her allies fled from the city.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.