2 Kings 11:4
in 2 Kings 11Then 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 and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains over hundreds of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of Jehovah; and he made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of Jehovah, and showed them the king’s son.
KJV
And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord, and shewed them the king’s son.
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This verse in 2 Kings 11
Commentary
6 notes on this verseAnd the seventh year Jehoiada sent - He had certainly sounded them all, and brought them into the interests of the young king, before this time; the plot having been laid, and now ripe for execution, he brings the chief officers of the army and those of the body guard into the temple, and there binds them by an oath of secrecy, and shows them the king’s son, in whose behalf they are to rise.
This site's exposition
made a covenant with them
on 2 Kings 11:4-6
In the seventh year Jehoiada strikes at the one hour when the temple guard is doubled without raising suspicion, the sabbath change of watch, when the outgoing and the incoming courses are both present at once. He binds the captains by oath and shows them the hidden king's son before dividing the loyal guard three ways, a third at the king's house, a third at the gate of Sur, a third at the gate behind the guard, sealing every entrance before a sword is drawn. Barnes reads the sabbath doubling as ordinary priestly rotation turned to a plotter's use.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), and so well satisfied were they with his fidelity that they saw no reason to suspect an imposition. We may well think what a pleasing surprise it was to the good people among them, who feared that the house and lineage of David were quite cut off, to find such a spark as this in the embers.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
Moreover, Jehoiada was most probably the high priest, whose official duty it was to watch over the due execution of God's laws, and who in his present movement, was encouraged and aided by the countenance and support of the chief authorities, both civil and ecclesiastical, in the country.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
See the marginal reference. The captains - The word used here and in 2Ki 11:19, הא־כרי ha-kârı̂y, designates a certain part of the royal guard, probably that which in the earlier times was known under the name of Cherethites 1Ki 1:38. Others see in the term an ethnic name - “Carians,” who seem certainly to have been much inclined to take service as mercenaries from an early date. Render the whole passage thus - “And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the centurions of the Carians and the guardsmen (literally, ‘runners, ‘ 2Ki 10:25), etc.”
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּבַשָּׁנָ֣ה | uvashanah | and in the year | H8141 → | 877 times |
| הַ֠שְּׁבִיעִית | hasheviit | <the> seventh | H7637 → | 98 times |
| שָׁלַ֨ח | shalach | he sent | H7971 → | 845 times |
| יְהוֹיָדָ֜ע | yehoyada' | Jehoiada | H3077 → | 51 times |
| וַיִּקַּ֣ח׀ | vaiyikach | and he took | H3947 → | 966 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| שָׂרֵ֣י | sarei | [the] commanders of | H8269 → | 421 times |
| הַמֵּא֗וֹת | hameyot | the hundreds | H3967 → | 581 times |
| לַכָּרִי֙ | lakari | of the Carian[s] | H3746 → | |
| וְלָ֣רָצִ֔ים | velaratzim | and of the runners | H7323 → | 103 times |
| וַיָּבֵ֥א | vaiyave' | and he brought | H935 → | 2568 times |
| אֹתָ֛ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֵלָ֖יו | ʾelav | to himself | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בֵּ֣ית | beit | [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָ֑ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיִּכְרֹת֩ | vaiyikhrot | and he made | H3772 → | 288 times |
| לָהֶ֨ם | lahem | to them | ||
| בְּרִ֜ית | berit | a covenant | H1285 → | 284 times |
| וַיַּשְׁבַּ֤ע | vaiyashba' | and he made to swear an oath | H7650 → | |
| אֹתָם֙ | ʾotam | with them | H854 → | 929 times |
| בְּבֵ֣ית | beveit | in [the] house of | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| וַיַּ֥רְא | vaiyar' | and he showed | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֹתָ֖ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| בֶּן־ | ben- | [the] son of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
וּבַשָּׁנָ֣הand in the year
uvashanahH8141 →877 times
הַ֠שְּׁבִיעִית<the> seventh
hasheviitH7637 →98 times
שָׁלַ֨חhe sent
shalachH7971 →845 times
יְהוֹיָדָ֜עJehoiada
yehoyada'H3077 →51 times
וַיִּקַּ֣ח׀and he took
vaiyikachH3947 →966 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
שָׂרֵ֣י[the] commanders of
sareiH8269 →421 times
הַמֵּא֗וֹתthe hundreds
hameyotH3967 →581 times
לַכָּרִי֙of the Carian[s]
lakariH3746 →
וְלָ֣רָצִ֔יםand of the runners
velaratzimH7323 →103 times
וַיָּבֵ֥אand he brought
vaiyave'H935 →2568 times
אֹתָ֛ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
אֵלָ֖יוto himself
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
בֵּ֣ית[the] house of
beitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָ֑הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיִּכְרֹת֩and he made
vaiyikhrotH3772 →288 times
לָהֶ֨םto them
lahem
בְּרִ֜יתa covenant
beritH1285 →284 times
וַיַּשְׁבַּ֤עand he made to swear an oath
vaiyashba'H7650 →
אֹתָם֙with them
ʾotamH854 →929 times
בְּבֵ֣יתin [the] house of
beveitH1004 →2046 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
וַיַּ֥רְאand he showed
vaiyar'H7200 →1300 times
אֹתָ֖ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
בֶּן־[the] son of
ben-H1121 →4930 times
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 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
2 Kings 11:17Then 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.
it leads to
- 2 Samuel 5:3
So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron, where King David made with them a covenant before the LORD. And they anointed him king over Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 15:12–14
Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.
- 2 Chronicles 34:31
So 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,…
- Joshua 24:25
On that day Joshua made a covenant for the people, and there at Shechem he established for them a statute and ordinance.
- 1 Samuel 10:25
Then Samuel explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own…
- 2 Samuel 5:3
Through
2 Chronicles 15:12Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and soul.
it leads to
- Acts 24:14
I do confess to you, however, that I worship the God of our fathers according to the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is laid down by the Law and…
- Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God by walking in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the LORD your…
- 2 Chronicles 23:16
Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people.
- Acts 24:14
About 2 Kings

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
