Lectionary Calendar
Sunday, July 27th, 2025
the Week of Proper 12 / Ordinary 17
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Read the Bible

Christian Standard Bible ®

2 Kings 11:7

“Your two divisions that go off duty on the Sabbath are to provide the king protection at the Lord’s temple.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Armies;   Church and State;   Citizens;   Conspiracy;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Levites;   Loyalty;   Orphan;   Usurpation;   Watchman;   Women;   Zeal, Religious;   Thompson Chain Reference - Bible Stories for Children;   Children;   Home;   Pleasant Sunday Afternoons;   Religion;   Stories for Children;   Watch, a Guard;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Fatherless;   Kings;   Levites, the;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Athaliah;   Joash or Jehoash;   King, Kings;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Judah, tribe and kingdom;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Fulfillment;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Judgments of God;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Jehoiada;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Athaliah;   Canaan, History and Religion of;   High Priest;   History;   Kings, 1 and 2;   People of the Land;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Athaliah;   Chronicles, I;   Government;   Jehoash;   Jerusalem;   Marriage;   Priests and Levites;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Athaliah ;   Guard;   Jealousy,;   Jehoiada ;   People's Dictionary of the Bible - Athaliah;   Joash;   Queen;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Kingdom of Judah;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Jehoiada;   Joel (2);   Priest, High;   Priests and Levites;   Temple;   Watch;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
The two companies of you, even all who go forth on the Shabbat, shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.
King James Version
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.
English Standard Version
And the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the Lord on behalf of the king,
New Century Version
The two groups who go off duty on the Sabbath must protect the Temple of the Lord for the king.
New English Translation
The two units who are off duty on the Sabbath will guard the Lord 's temple and protect the king.
Amplified Bible
"Two units of you, all those who go out [off duty] on the Sabbath, shall also keep watch over the house (temple) of the LORD for [the protection of] the king.
New American Standard Bible
"And two parts of you, all who go out on the Sabbath, shall also keep watch over the house of the LORD for the king.
Geneva Bible (1587)
And two parts of you, that is, all that goe out on the Sabbath day, shal keepe the watch of the house of the Lord about the King.
Legacy Standard Bible
And two parts of you, even all who go out on the sabbath, shall also keep watch over the house of Yahweh for the king.
Contemporary English Version
The other two guard units are supposed to be off duty on the Sabbath. But I want both of them to stay here at the temple and protect King Joash.
Complete Jewish Bible
while the other two groups of you who come on duty on Shabbat will guard the house of Adonai , where the king is.
Darby Translation
And the two parts of you, all those that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of Jehovah about the king.
Easy-to-Read Version
Your two divisions who go off duty on the Sabbath day will stand guard at the Lord 's Temple and protect King Joash.
George Lamsa Translation
And two parts of all you that go off duty on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD together with the kings house;
Good News Translation
The two groups that go off duty on the Sabbath are to stand guard at the Temple to protect the king.
Lexham English Bible
Two of the units among you, all who go on duty on the Sabbath, guard the post of the temple of Yahweh for the king.
Literal Translation
And two parts of you, all who go out on the sabbath, they shall keep the watch of the house of Jehovah about the king.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
But two partes of you all that go of on the Sabbath, shal kepe the watch in the house of the LORDE aboute the kinge
American Standard Version
And the two companies of you, even all that go forth on the sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of Jehovah about the king.
Bible in Basic English
And the two divisions of you, who go out on the Sabbath and keep the watch of the house of the Lord,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
And two partes of you, that is, al that go out on the Sabbath day, shall keepe the watch of the house of the Lorde about the king.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
And the other two parts of you, even all that go forth on the sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.
King James Version (1611)
And two parts of all you, that goe foorth on the Sabbath, euen they shall keepe the watch of the house of the Lord about the King.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And there shall be two parties among you, even every one that goes out on the Sabbath, and they shall keep the guard of the Lord’s house before the king.
English Revised Version
And the two companies of you, even all that go forth on the sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king.
Berean Standard Bible
the two divisions that would go off duty on the Sabbath are to guard the house of the LORD for the king.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe twei partis of you alle goynge out in the sabat, kepe ye the wakyngis of the hows of the Lord aboute the kyng.
Young's Literal Translation
and two parts of you, all going out on the sabbath -- they have kept the charge of the house of Jehovah about the king,
Update Bible Version
And the two companies of you, even all that go forth on the Sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of Yahweh about the king.
Webster's Bible Translation
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.
World English Bible
The two companies of you, even all who go forth on the Sabbath, shall keep the watch of the house of Yahweh about the king.
New King James Version
The two contingents of you who go off duty on the Sabbath shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD for the king.
New Living Translation
The other two units who are off duty on the Sabbath must stand guard for the king at the Lord 's Temple.
New Life Bible
And two parts of all of you who go out on the Day of Rest must keep watch over the house of the Lord for the king.
New Revised Standard
and your two divisions that come on duty in force on the sabbath and guard the house of the Lord
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, two parts of you, are all that are going out on the sabbath, - so shall ye keep the watch of the house of Yahweh, as touching the king.
Douay-Rheims Bible
But let two parts of you all that go forth on the sabbath, keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king.
Revised Standard Version
and the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the sabbath and guard the house of the LORD,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"Two parts of you, even all who go out on the sabbath, shall also keep watch over the house of the LORD for the king.

Contextual Overview

4In the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards. He had them come to him in the Lord’s temple, where he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son 5and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath are to provide protection for the king’s palace. 6A third are to be at the Foundation Gate and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns providing protection for the palace. 7“Your two divisions that go off duty on the Sabbath are to provide the king protection at the Lord’s temple. 8Completely surround the king with weapons in hand. Anyone who approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king in all his daily tasks.” 9So the commanders of hundreds did everything the priest Jehoiada commanded. They each brought their men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to the priest Jehoiada. 10The priest gave to the commanders of hundreds King David’s spears and shields that were in the Lord’s temple. 11Then the guards stood with their weapons in hand surrounding the king—from the right side of the temple to the left side, by the altar and by the temple. 12Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, gave him the testimony, and made him king. They anointed him and clapped their hands and cried, “Long live the king!”

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

parts: or, companies, Heb. hands

go forth: 2 Kings 11:5, 2 Chronicles 23:6

Reciprocal: 1 Chronicles 9:25 - seven

Cross-References

Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
Genesis 3:22
The Lord God said, “Since the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not reach out, take from the tree of life, eat, and live forever.”
Genesis 10:5
From these descendants, the peoples of the coasts and islands spread out into their lands according to their clans in their nations, each with its own language.
Genesis 10:20
These are Ham’s sons by their clans, according to their languages, in their lands and their nations.
Genesis 10:32
These are the clans of Noah’s sons, according to their family records, in their nations. The nations on earth spread out from these after the flood.
Genesis 11:2
As people migrated from the east, they found a valley in the land of Shinar and settled there.
Genesis 11:4
And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the sky. Let us make a name for ourselves; otherwise, we will be scattered throughout the earth.”
Genesis 11:5
Then the Lord came down to look over the city and the tower that the humans were building.
Genesis 11:11
After he fathered Arpachshad, Shem lived 500 years and fathered other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:12
Arpachshad lived 35 years and fathered Shelah.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 2 Chronicles 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.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Five divisions of the guard under their five captains are distinguished here. Three of the five divisions “enter in” on the Sabbath; the other two “go forth” on the Sabbath 2 Kings 11:7. By the former phrase seems to be meant the mounting guard at the royal palace (the “king’s house,” where Athaliah then was); by the latter the serving of escort to the sovereign beyond the palace bounds. Jehoiada orders that of those whose business it would be to guard the palace on the ensuing Sabbath, one company or cohort should perform that task in the ordinary way, while another should watch the gate of Sur - or better, “the gate of the foundation” 2 Chronicles 23:5 - that by which the palace was usually quitted for the temple, and a third should watch another of the palace gates, called “the gate of the guard” (see 2 Kings 11:19). The two companies whose proper business it would be to serve as the royal escort beyond the palace walls, he orders to enter the temple, and surround the person of the young king.

2 Kings 11:6

That it be not broken down - The one word in the original text of which this is a translation occurs nowhere else; and its meaning is very doubtful.

2 Kings 11:8

Within the ranges - Rather, “within the ranks.” If anyone tried to break through the soldiers’ ranks to the king, or even to disturb their order, he was to be immediately slain.


 
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