2 Chronicles 23:13
in 2 Chronicles 23And she looked out and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!”
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and she looked, and, behold, the king stood by his pillar at the entrance, and the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets; the singers also played on instruments of music, and led the singing of praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason! treason!
KJV
And she looked, and, behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entering in, and the princes and the trumpets by the king: and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded with trumpets, also the singers with instruments of musick, and such as taught to sing praise. Then Athaliah rent her clothes, and said, Treason, Treason.
⋯
This verse in 2 Chronicles 23
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
the noise of the people running
on 2 Chronicles 23:12-13
Athaliah hears the noise and comes into the house of the LORD to find the coronation already finished: the king at his pillar, the princes and trumpets beside him, the people sounding trumpets. Chronicles names one detail Kings does not carry at this point, the singers with instruments of music and such as taught to sing praise standing among the crowd, the temple choir David founded caught up in the same acclamation as the priests and the guard. Athaliah tears her clothes and cries the one word that names what she has just lost: Treason.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
When it seemed a withered root in a dry ground, to see what they despaired of ever seeing--a king of the house of David, what a pleasing surprise was it to them! They ran in transports of joy to see this sight, praised the king, and praised God, for they had with them such as taught to sing praise.
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Slay her not in the house of the Lord . . . and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there--The high priest ordered her immediately to be taken out of the temple grounds and put to death. "And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain" (2Ki 11:16).
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:83%@v10-15
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
At the entering in - i. e. at, or near, the opening from the main chamber of the temple into the holy of holies.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
standing on his stand as it says (above:12f.): “And he stood before the altar of the Lord, etc. for Solomon had made a copper laver, etc., and he stood on it and kneeled on his knees.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 6 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
29 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַתֵּ֡רֶא | vatere' | and she saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| וְהִנֵּ֣ה | vehineh | and there! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| הַמֶּלֶךְ֩ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| עוֹמֵ֨ד | omed | [was] standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
| עַֽל־ | ʾal- | at | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עַמּוּד֜וֹ | amudo | pillar his | H5982 → | 111 times |
| בַּמָּב֗וֹא | bamavo' | at the entrance | H3996 → | |
| וְהַשָּׂרִ֣ים | vehasarim | and the officials | H8269 → | 421 times |
| וְהַחֲצֹצְרוֹת֮ | vehachatzotzerot | and the trumpets | H2689 → | 29 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [were] with | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הַמֶּלֶךְ֒ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| עַ֨ם | ʾam | [the] people of | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| הָאָ֜רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| שָׂמֵ֗חַ | sameach | [was] joyful | H8056 → | |
| וְתוֹקֵ֙עַ֙ | vetokea' | and [was] giving a blast | H8628 → | |
| בַּחֲצֹ֣צְר֔וֹת | bachatzotzerot | on trumpets | H2689 → | 29 times |
| וְהַמְשֽׁוֹרֲרִים֙ | vehamshorarim | and the singers | H7891 → | 86 times |
| בִּכְלֵ֣י | bikhlei | with [the] instruments of | H3627 → | 325 times |
| הַשִּׁ֔יר | hashir | <the> song | H7892 → | 59 times |
| וּמוֹדִיעִ֖ים | umodiim | <and> [were] leading | H3045 → | 945 times |
| לְהַלֵּ֑ל | lehalel | to praise | H1984 → | 165 times |
| וַתִּקְרַ֤ע | vatikra' | and she tore | H7167 → | 63 times |
| עֲתַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ | ʾatalyahu | Athaliah | H6271 → | 17 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בְּגָדֶ֔יהָ | begadeiha | clothes her | H899 → | 217 times |
| וַתֹּ֖אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| קֶ֥שֶׁר | kesher | treason | H7195 → | 16 times |
| קָֽשֶׁר׃ ס | kasher | treason | H7195 → | 16 times |
וַתֵּ֡רֶאand she saw
vatere'H7200 →1300 times
וְהִנֵּ֣הand there!
vehinehH2009 →843 times
הַמֶּלֶךְ֩the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
עוֹמֵ֨ד[was] standing
omedH5975 →521 times
עַֽל־at
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עַמּוּד֜וֹpillar his
amudoH5982 →111 times
בַּמָּב֗וֹאat the entrance
bamavo'H3996 →
וְהַשָּׂרִ֣יםand the officials
vehasarimH8269 →421 times
וְהַחֲצֹצְרוֹת֮and the trumpets
vehachatzotzerotH2689 →29 times
עַל־[were] with
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
הַמֶּלֶךְ֒the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
עַ֨ם[the] people of
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
הָאָ֜רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
שָׂמֵ֗חַ[was] joyful
sameachH8056 →
וְתוֹקֵ֙עַ֙and [was] giving a blast
vetokea'H8628 →
בַּחֲצֹ֣צְר֔וֹתon trumpets
bachatzotzerotH2689 →29 times
וְהַמְשֽׁוֹרֲרִים֙and the singers
vehamshorarimH7891 →86 times
בִּכְלֵ֣יwith [the] instruments of
bikhleiH3627 →325 times
הַשִּׁ֔יר<the> song
hashirH7892 →59 times
וּמוֹדִיעִ֖ים<and> [were] leading
umodiimH3045 →945 times
לְהַלֵּ֑לto praise
lehalelH1984 →165 times
וַתִּקְרַ֤עand she tore
vatikra'H7167 →63 times
עֲתַלְיָ֙הוּ֙Athaliah
ʾatalyahuH6271 →17 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בְּגָדֶ֔יהָclothes her
begadeihaH899 →217 times
וַתֹּ֖אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
קֶ֥שֶׁרtreason
kesherH7195 →16 times
קָֽשֶׁר׃ סtreason
kasherH7195 →16 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 29:2When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
it leads to
- Proverbs 28:12
When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
- Proverbs 11:10
When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
- Proverbs 28:28
When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous flourish.
- Esther 8:15
Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal garments of blue and white, with a large gold crown and a purple robe of fine linen. And the city of Susa shouted…
- Ecclesiastes 10:5
There is an evil I have seen under the sun—an error that proceeds from the ruler:
- Proverbs 28:12
Through
2 Kings 23:3So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul,…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 11:14
And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and…
- 2 Kings 11:17
Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.
- Deuteronomy 13:4
You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him.
- 2 Kings 11:14
About 2 Chronicles

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson Fausset and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
