2 Kings 11:6

6 and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; {Heb. turning aside}; and a third part at the gate behind the guard; so ye shall have the watch of the house of Mesah. {Heb. broken down}

2 Kings 11:6 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 11:6

And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur
Generally thought by the Jews to be the eastern gate, so called, as they say, because such as were defiled were bid to depart, or go back, as this word signifies, and not enter the temple; it is called "the gate of the foundation", ( 2 Chronicles 23:5 ) because, according to Ben Gersom, here the foundation of the sanctuary was first laid; it is said F2 to have five other names besides these:

and a third part at the gate behind the guard;
the temple guard, which had a captain of them, ( Acts 4:1 ) this gate is supposed to be the same with "sippim", or the threshold gate, ( 2 Chronicles 23:4 ) and to be the southern one:

so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down;
guard the temple, that none break or rush into it, of Athaliah's party.


FOOTNOTES:

F2 T. Hieros. Yoma apud Beckium in Targ. in 2 Chron. xxiii. 5.

2 Kings 11:6 In-Context

4 But the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took rulers over hundreds, captains and people of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD and made a covenant with them, causing them to swear an oath in the house of the LORD, and he showed them the king’s son.
5 And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; a third part of you that shall enter in on the sabbath shall be the keepers of the watch of the king’s house;
6 and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; {Heb. turning aside}; and a third part at the gate behind the guard; so ye shall have the watch of the house of Mesah. {Heb. broken down}
7 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.
8 And ye shall compass the king round about, each man with his weapons in his hand; and he that comes within these orders shall be slain. Ye must be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in.
The Jubilee Bible (from the Scriptures of the Reformation), edited by Russell M. Stendal, Copyright © 2000, 2001, 2010