Wesley Corpus

Chapter XI Athaliah usurps the government and destroys all the seed royal; only Joash escapes, ver. 1 - 3. He is made king, ver. 4 - 12. Athaliah is slain, ver. 13 - 16. Joash reigns well, ver. 17 - 21. She destroyed - This was the fruit of Jehoshaphat's marrying his son to a daughter of that idolatrous house of Ahab. And this dreadful judgment God permitted upon him and his, to shew how much he abhors all such affinities. They hid - Jehosheba and her husband Jehoiada. Bed - chamber - Which was in the house of the Lord. So that it was one of those chambers adjoining to the temple, that were for the uses of the priests and Levites only: which made it more proper for this purpose. Now was the promise made to David bound up in one life. And yet it did not fail. Thus to the Son of David will God, according to his promise, secure a spiritual seed: which tho' sometimes reduced to a small number, brought very low, and seemingly lost, yet will be preserved to the end of time. It was a special providence that Joram tho' a king, a wicked king, married his daughter to Jehoiada, a priest, an holy priest. This some might think a disparagement to the royal family; but it saved the royal family from ruin. For Jehoiada's interest in the temple, gave her an opportunity to preserve the child: and her interest in the royal family, gave him an opportunity of setting him on the throne. See what blessings they lay up in store for their families who marry their children to those that are wise and good. The house - Into the courts of that house, for into the house none but the priests or Levites might enter. Of you - Levites, who were distributed into twenty four courses, to minister in turns, each course consisting of about a thousand men for a week. Enter in - That come into the temple to attend your ministry. King's house - Of that part which lead to the king's palace, which Athaliah now possessed. Sur - The chief gate of the temple. The guard - Either, the king's guard. Or, the guard of the temple; this gate was in the south - side.