2 Kings 11:8

8 You must surround the king all about, each with his weapon in his hand; whoever comes to the ranks must be killed. Be with the king {wherever he goes}."

2 Kings 11:8 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 11:8

And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his
weapons in his hand
Afterwards given them, ( 2 Kings 11:10 ) ,

and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain;
any strange man that was not of them, that came into the ranks in which they were formed, was to be put to death as a spy, who might go and inform the queen what was doing; according to Jarchi, the word for "ranges" signifies the place through which the king went from his own house to the house of God ^F4; and here it seems the guards were placed:

and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in
when brought forth to be crowned and anointed, and returned again.

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FOOTNOTES:

F4 Vid. David. de Pomis Lexic. fol. 205. 3.

2 Kings 11:8 In-Context

6 and another third at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the runners, shall guard the post of the palace alternately.

7 Two of the units among you, all {who go on duty on the Sabbath}, guard the post of the temple of Yahweh for the king.

8 You must surround the king all about, each with his weapon in his hand; whoever comes to the ranks must be killed. Be with the king {wherever he goes}."

9 So the commanders of hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and each took his men {who went off duty on the Sabbath} and those {who came on duty on the Sabbath}, and they came to Jehoiada the priest.

10 Then the priest gave to the commanders of the hundreds spears and small round shields which [were] King David's, which [were] in the temple of Yahweh.

Footnotes

• [a] Literally "when he goes out and when he comes"