2 Kings 11:4

4 In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the palace guards to come to the Temple of the LORD . He made a solemn pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the LORD ’s Temple; then he showed them the king’s son.

2 Kings 11:4 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 11:4

And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over
hundreds, with the captains and the guard
This was the husband of Jehosheba, who was high priest, ( 2 Chronicles 22:11 ) these

rulers over hundreds
were not those appointed over the people for civil affairs, as by the advice of Jethro, but over the priests and Levites in their courses; five of whom are mentioned by name, and were employed in gathering together the Levites, and the chief of the fathers, throughout all the cities of Judah, ( 2 Chronicles 23:1 2 Chronicles 23:2 ) , and the "captains" here are the heads of the fathers there, who were the heads of the courses they were sent to gather; and the "guard", those of the late king, whom Athaliah had turned out of their post, and took in others in their room, unless rather the temple guard is meant:

and brought them to him into the house of the Lord;
the temple, that part of it where was the court of the priests and Levites:

and made a covenant with them;
to join with him, assist him, and stand by him in the restoration of the king, and the reformation of the kingdom:

and took an oath of them in the house of the Lord;
to keep secrecy, and be faithful to him:

and showed them the king's son;
for the truth of which he could produce his wife, the sister of the late king, and also the nurse of this child with him.

2 Kings 11:4 In-Context

2 But Ahaziah’s sister Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram, took Ahaziah’s infant son, Joash, and stole him away from among the rest of the king’s children, who were about to be killed. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom, and they hid him from Athaliah, so the child was not murdered.

3 Joash remained hidden in the Temple of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land.

4 In the seventh year of Athaliah’s reign, Jehoiada the priest summoned the commanders, the Carite mercenaries, and the palace guards to come to the Temple of the LORD . He made a solemn pact with them and made them swear an oath of loyalty there in the LORD ’s Temple; then he showed them the king’s son.

5 Jehoiada told them, “This is what you must do. A third of you who are on duty on the Sabbath are to guard the royal palace itself.

6 Another third of you are to stand guard at the Sur Gate. And the final third must stand guard behind the palace guard. These three groups will all guard the palace.