1. strengthened himself] Compare i. 1 (note); the phrase does not occur in the parallel passage of Kings.
Azariah, etc.] The names of course are not in Kings (see previous note). The individual names add to the naturalness of the Chronicler’s account. It is unlikely that the Levitical contemporaries of the Chronicler had any reliable traditions enabling them to say who probably were the leading Priests or Levites of Jerusalem in the time of Athaliah and Joash. Perhaps the Chronicler has simply chosen names which were suitable for Levites to bear.
captains of hundreds] In 2 Kings “captains over hundreds of the Carites (i.e. Cherethites) and of the guard.” The Chronicler takes the captains to be captains of Levites.
²And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers’ houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.
2. gathered the Levites] This statement is not found in Kings—see the head-note.
Israel] See xi. 3 (note).
³And all the congregation made a covenant with the king in the house of God. And he said unto them, Behold, the king’s son shall reign, as the Lord hath spoken concerning the sons of David.
3. all the congregation] Contrast 2 Kings xi. 4, where the “covenant” is a secret agreement between Jehoiada and the officers of the guard.
hath spoken concerning] Compare 2 Samuel vii. 16; 1 Chronicles xvii. 17.
⁴This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, of the priests and of the Levites, shall be porters of the doors[¹];