2 Chronicles 23:8
in 2 Chronicles 23So the Levites and all Judah did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—for Jehoiada the priest had not released any of the divisions.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men, those that were to come in on the sabbath, with those that were to go out on the sabbath; for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
KJV
So the Levites and all Judah did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest had commanded, and took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that were to go out on the sabbath: for Jehoiada the priest dismissed not the courses.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 23
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
dismissed not the courses
on 2 Chronicles 23:8-9
Judah obeys to the letter, and Jehoiada dismisses not the courses: the outgoing and incoming week's rotation stay armed together, doubling the guard David's own system already had in place. The spears and shields the captains receive had belonged to David himself, kept in the house of God since his reign, so the weapons that secure his descendant's throne are relics of the same king's provision. The order filling these two verses runs on Davidic institutions from beginning to end, the courses of 1 Chronicles 24 and the deposits of 1 Chronicles 26 doing service here rather than a palace armory built for the purpose.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
), and, which is strange, all that were entrusted with the secret kept their own counsel till it was executed. Thus the words of the wise are heard in quiet, Eccl. ix.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 occasion.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Jehoiada . . . dismissed not the courses--As it was necessary to have as large a disposable force as he could command on such a crisis, the high priest detained those who, in other circumstances, would have returned home on the expiry of their week of service.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And took every man his men ... - i. e. the relief, already organized by Jehoiada into three bodies 2Ch 23:4-5, was further strengthened by the members of the outgoing “course,” who were associated in the work to be done.
The words behind it
25 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲשׂ֨וּ | vaiyaasu | and they did | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| הַלְוִיִּ֜ם | halviyim | the Levites | H3881 → | 291 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| יְהוּדָ֗ה | yehudah | Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| כְּכֹ֣ל | kekhol | according to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּה֮ | tzivah | he had commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| יְהוֹיָדָ֣ע | yehoyada' | Jehoiada | H3077 → | 51 times |
| הַכֹּהֵן֒ | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| וַיִּקְחוּ֙ | vaiyikchu | and they took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אִ֣ישׁ | ʾish | each | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲנָשָׁ֔יו | ʾanashav | men his | H582 → | 566 times |
| בָּאֵ֣י | baei | [who] were coming of | H935 → | 2568 times |
| הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת | hashabat | the sabbath | H7676 → | 110 times |
| עִ֖ם | ʾim | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| יוֹצְאֵ֣י | yotzei | [who] were going out of | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| הַשַּׁבָּ֑ת | hashabat | the sabbath | H7676 → | 110 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| פָטַ֛ר | fatar | he dismissed | H6362 → | |
| יְהוֹיָדָ֥ע | yehoyada' | Jehoiada | H3077 → | 51 times |
| הַכֹּהֵ֖ן | hakohen | the priest | H3548 → | 750 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַֽמַּחְלְקֽוֹת׃ | hamachlekot | the divisions | H4256 → | 42 times |
וַיַּעֲשׂ֨וּand they did
vaiyaasuH6213 →2628 times
הַלְוִיִּ֜םthe Levites
halviyimH3881 →291 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
יְהוּדָ֗הJudah
yehudahH3063 →819 times
כְּכֹ֣לaccording to all
kekholH3605 →5413 times
אֲשֶׁר־that
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
צִוָּה֮he had commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
יְהוֹיָדָ֣עJehoiada
yehoyada'H3077 →51 times
הַכֹּהֵן֒the priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
וַיִּקְחוּ֙and they took
vaiyikchuH3947 →966 times
אִ֣ישׁeach
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲנָשָׁ֔יוmen his
ʾanashavH582 →566 times
בָּאֵ֣י[who] were coming of
baeiH935 →2568 times
הַשַּׁבָּ֔תthe sabbath
hashabatH7676 →110 times
עִ֖םwith
ʾimH5973 →1050 times
יוֹצְאֵ֣י[who] were going out of
yotzeiH3318 →1067 times
הַשַּׁבָּ֑תthe sabbath
hashabatH7676 →110 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
פָטַ֛רhe dismissed
fatarH6362 →
יְהוֹיָדָ֥עJehoiada
yehoyada'H3077 →51 times
הַכֹּהֵ֖ןthe priest
hakohenH3548 →750 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַֽמַּחְלְקֽוֹת׃the divisions
hamachlekotH4256 →42 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
2 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
2 Kings 11:9So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 11:4
Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them…
- 1 Chronicles 26:26
This Shelomith and his brothers were in charge of all the treasuries for the things dedicated by King David, by the heads of families who were the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and…
- 2 Kings 11:4
About 2 Chronicles

Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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.
