Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 23:10
He stationed all the troops, with their weapons in hand, surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — Jehoiada commands the temple guards and military commanders to form an armed perimeter around the newly crowned king and the sacred precincts during the coronation ceremony.
The words — וַ/יַּעֲמֵ֨ד (va/i.ya.'a.Med) translates literally as "and he stationed," while שִׁלְח֣/וֹ (shil.Ch/o) means "his weapon," both highlighting the deliberate mobilization of armed personnel.
The thread — This perimeter deployment mirrors the guard placement in 2 Kings 11:11, parallels the altar's positioning before the tabernacle in Exodus 40:6, and recalls Solomon's stance before the altar in 2 Chronicles 6:12.
Why it lands — The text requires readers to recognize that legitimate authority must operate within the bounds of sacred space and that physical protection of the temple is inseparable from the establishment of godly rule.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
And he set all the people, every man having his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, along by the altar and the temple, by the king round about.
Cross-references
- Exodus 40:6 Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting.
- 2 Kings 11:11 And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.
- 2 Chronicles 6:12 Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel and spread out his hands.