And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house on behalf of the king.
Athaliah murdered the royal family and ruled for six years. All that time one child of David's line lay hidden inside the temple. Now the boy is about to be shown to the nation, and the first thing this verse records is not his crown but the ring of armed men around him.
The King Enclosed
Protection comes before the crown. Jehoiada arms the guard, and opposition never gets a chance to form.
Leslie M. GrantThe captains followed these instructions. Jehoiada gave them spears and shields that had belonged to David and were kept in the temple of the Lord (vv.9-10). This way the king was surrounded and protected. If there were any friends of Athaliah, they had no opportunity to do anything to oppose the coronation of Joash.
Weapons Drawn from the House of God
The weapons in every man's hand came from the temple, and they had belonged to David.
H. L. RossierJehoiada, to defend the kingship, turns to David's weapons. In this way he returned to the origin of the divine institution of the kingship. These weapons were good and they were kept in the house of God. So we too must defend "that which was from the beginning." We do not look for this Word in human arsenals, but in the temple of God.
Another writer looks at the history of those weapons, and at a store that never runs out:
The Bible TreasuryJehoiada handed out king David's spears and shields to all the faithful warriors. These weapons had already been through many a hard battle. Each one was long tried and proved. This shows in a beautiful way how every Christian ought to be equipped with the whole armour of God. King David's psalms still hold the divine store of supply. They give the soul the experiences of a most varied and eventful life. Whatever the state of your soul, you can always find a psalm that pictures those same experiences.
Every Man in His Place, Facing the Altar
The verse fixes where each man stood. One writer ties that position to the altar they faced.
An Outline of Sound WordsAnd so, as the king is about to come out, each man has his right place in the house, facing the altar. Surely this means they recognise that the king comes out because of all that was done there. Before He entered the presence of God, He completed the great work of redemption.
Guarding the Person of the King
The same writer lists what the Levites, the temple servants, had done before, and what is new here.
An Outline of Sound WordsThey were to surround the king on every side, every man with his weapons in his hand. They were to be with the king when he came in and when he went out. How varied the services of the Levites were. They served the priests in the house, they were doorkeepers in the house, they played the musical instruments and took part in the service of song. Now they carry the weapons of war as men attached to the person of the king.
Rossier turns the picture into a direct appeal, and names our weapons:
H. L. RossierIs Jehoiada not an example for us? Our time is harder and, despite all appearances, more dangerous than the time of Athaliah. Will we allow anyone to touch the person of the Son of God? Let us surround Him, every one with his weapon in his hand. Our weapons are not fleshly; they are the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God. Let us press together around Him, even if we are only a few, and God will be with us as He was with the faithful group that surrounded Joash. Then the enemy's efforts to destroy the name of the holy Son of God and His testimony will fail.
A Picture of a Greater Coronation
One writer sets the whole scene beside a greater one still to come.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinThe company was brought together, armed with King David's shields and spears. The king's son was brought into their midst. Jehoiada put the crown on his head and anointed him with oil. They clapped their hands and shouted, "Long live the king!" The scene will be greater still when He is crowned King of Kings, the One whose right it is to reign.
Summary
- Hidden. Athaliah held the throne while the rightful king stayed out of sight in the house of God. The guard forms just before he appears.
- Armed. The weapons were David's own, kept in the temple. The guard defended the kingship from its own beginning, not from a human arsenal.
- Proven. Those spears and shields had already seen hard battle. One writer says the Psalms are the same: a tested store for every state of soul.
- Positioned. Each man stood in his own place, facing the altar. The king comes out on the strength of what was done there.
- Surrounded. Stand close around the king, weapon in hand. Writers apply that picture to guarding the honour of the Son of God until the greater coronation comes.