2 Chronicles 23:15 kjv
So they laid hands on her; and when she was come to the entering of the horse gate by the king's house, they slew her there.
2 Chronicles 23:15 nkjv
So they seized her; and she went by way of the entrance of the Horse Gate into the king's house, and they killed her there.
2 Chronicles 23:15 niv
So they seized her as she reached the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and there they put her to death.
2 Chronicles 23:15 esv
So they laid hands on her, and she went into the entrance of the horse gate of the king's house, and they put her to death there.
2 Chronicles 23:15 nlt
So they seized her and led her out to the entrance of the Horse Gate on the palace grounds, and they killed her there.
2 Chronicles 23 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Ki 11:1-16 | When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose... So she fled through the entrance... there they killed her. | Parallel account of Athaliah's coup & execution. |
| 2 Ki 11:1 | Athaliah... destroyed all the royal offspring. | Context: Her original wicked act of usurping the throne and killing the royal heirs. |
| 2 Ki 11:20 | All the people of the land rejoiced... And the city was quiet, for they had put Athaliah to death... | Consequence: Peace and rejoicing after her demise. |
| 2 Ch 23:14 | "Do not kill her in the house of the LORD..." | Immediate context: Jehoiada's command to preserve the temple's sanctity. |
| 1 Ki 21:19-23 | "Thus says the LORD: 'In the place where dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, dogs shall lick up your own blood!'" ...the dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. | Prophetic judgment and death of Jezebel, Athaliah's mother. |
| 2 Ki 9:30-37 | As Jehu entered Jezreel, Jezebel heard... the dogs devoured her. | Fulfilment of judgment on Jezebel, showing divine justice on wicked queens. |
| 2 Ki 10:1-11 | Jehu destroyed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel... | Jehu's purging of the Omride dynasty, related to Athaliah's lineage. |
| Deut 17:12-13 | The man who acts presumptuously by not obeying the priest... that man shall die. | Principle of consequences for rebelling against divinely appointed authority. |
| Rom 13:4 | For he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is God's servant, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. | Civil authority's role in executing justice on evildoers. |
| Psa 75:7 | But it is God who judges; he brings one down, he exalts another. | God's sovereign control over rulers, bringing down the wicked. |
| Psa 9:16 | The LORD has made himself known; he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. | Divine judgment on the wicked and their schemes. |
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | When your days are fulfilled... I will raise up your offspring after you... I will establish his kingdom. Your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. | Davidic Covenant: God's promise to maintain David's royal line, preserved through Joash. |
| Psa 89:3-4 | "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build your throne for all generations.’" | Affirmation of the everlasting nature of the Davidic Covenant. |
| Jer 33:17-21 | For thus says the LORD: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel. | God's faithfulness to the Davidic line. |
| Matt 1:6-7 | and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah... and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah... | Jesus' genealogy affirming the continuity of the Davidic line. |
| Lev 18:24-28 | "Do not defile yourselves by any of these things... Lest the land vomit you out..." | Principle of not defiling the land/sanctuary by detestable acts. |
| 1 Sam 15:23 | "For rebellion is as the sin of divination..." | Athaliah's rebellion and usurpation likened to other serious sins. |
| Pro 29:2 | When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan. | Contrast between righteous and wicked rule; her death brought joy. |
| Isa 59:17-18 | He put on righteousness as a breastplate... He put on garments of vengeance for clothing... According to their deeds, so will he repay. | God's ultimate vengeance against wickedness and adversaries. |
| Rev 19:11-16 | Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. | Eschatological fulfillment of divine judgment on all wickedness and evil rulers. |
2 Chronicles 23 verses
2 Chronicles 23 15 Meaning
This verse narrates the immediate execution of Athaliah, the wicked queen of Judah. After her plot to usurp the throne and annihilate the royal line was thwarted by the high priest Jehoiada, and young Joash was crowned, Athaliah cried "Treason!" She was apprehended by the forces commanded by Jehoiada, led out of the sacred precincts of the Temple to the royal palace vicinity, specifically at the Horses’ Gate, and put to death there. This act concluded the coup, marking the removal of a tyrannical and idolatrous ruler and paving the way for the restoration of legitimate Davidic kingship and true worship in Judah.
2 Chronicles 23 15 Context
2 Chronicles chapter 23 recounts the detailed execution of High Priest Jehoiada’s masterful plan to overthrow the usurping Queen Athaliah and restore the rightful Davidic heir, Joash, to the throne. Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab (and granddaughter of Omri) and Jezebel, seized power in Judah after her son Ahaziah's death, brutally massacring all the royal offspring except for infant Joash, who was hidden by Jehoiada and his wife Jehoshabeath for six years in the Temple (2 Chr 22:10-12). In the seventh year, Jehoiada prepared the Levites, the captains, and the people for the coup. He publicly presented Joash, anointed him king, and placed the crown and testimony upon him, leading the people to shout, "Long live the king!" Athaliah, hearing the uproar from the Temple, came to see the shocking scene, crying "Treason! Treason!" The immediate context of verse 15 details her capture and execution following Jehoiada's command to remove her from the Temple precincts to avoid defiling the holy place with her blood. Her death not only solidified Joash's reign but also facilitated a sweeping spiritual revival, cleansing Judah of Baal worship introduced by Athaliah and her family. Historically, this event was pivotal for the continuity of the Davidic covenant and the preservation of the royal lineage from which the Messiah would come.
2 Chronicles 23 15 Word analysis
- So they laid hands on her: The phrase "laid hands on her" (וַיָּשִׁיתוּ עָלֶיהָ יָדַיִם - vayyashitu aleiha yadayim) signifies seizing or apprehending with force. The agents were the commanded officers and guards under Jehoiada, highlighting the disciplined execution of the High Priest's orders. This was a lawful arrest, not a spontaneous act of violence.
- and when she entered the horses’ Gate: The "Horses' Gate" (שַׁעַר הַסּוּסִים - sha'ar hassusim) was a known entrance or exit from the royal palace grounds, located somewhere near the stables, leading away from the Temple. This detail is significant because Jehoiada had explicitly commanded that Athaliah not be killed in the "house of the LORD" (v. 14). This demonstrates respect for the sanctity of the Temple, preventing defilement by shedding blood, especially the blood of one who had perpetrated so much evil against the covenant people and violated God's sacred order. Her being led there symbolizes her removal from sacred space to a more mundane, albeit still royal, area for her deserved judgment.
- of the king’s house: This clarifies the "Horses' Gate" as being part of or leading directly to the royal palace complex (בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ - beit hammélekh). It contrasts sharply with the Temple precincts from which she was forcibly removed, further emphasizing the shift from sacred ground to a secular location for execution.
- they put her to death there: The phrase "they put her to death" (וַיְמִיתֻהָ - vay'mituha) is a direct and unambiguous statement of her execution. It indicates that the order was carried out fully and swiftly by Jehoiada's forces. This swift, decisive action marks the complete end of Athaliah's tyrannical reign and the full restoration of the Davidic monarchy as established by divine decree. The location "there" reiterates the precise point of execution outside the Temple, adhering to Jehoiada’s command.
2 Chronicles 23 15 Bonus section
The location of Athaliah's execution, "the Horses' Gate," carries additional theological and practical significance. Beyond simply being outside the Temple, it was likely a major public thoroughfare. Her death there would have served as a highly visible declaration of her downfall and the decisive victory for the rightful king and the true faith. The precise wording regarding the gate emphasizes the meticulous planning of Jehoiada, not leaving any detail to chance, even under the duress of a coup. This attention to maintaining the sanctity of God's dwelling place during such a volatile event underscores the deep piety of Jehoiada and his adherence to the covenant law. Athaliah's attempt to erase the Davidic line directly challenged God's covenant with David (2 Sam 7), making her judgment a testament to God's faithfulness in preserving His promises despite human wickedness. The narrative positions Jehoiada not merely as a high priest, but as a wise and decisive leader, fulfilling a key role in Israel's history for the continuity of God's redemptive plan.
2 Chronicles 23 15 Commentary
2 Chronicles 23:15 is the dramatic climax of the successful coup led by High Priest Jehoiada to oust Queen Athaliah, a wicked usurper from the line of Ahab and Jezebel, who had illegitimately seized the throne of Judah and introduced Baal worship. Her swift and public execution was not merely an act of political retribution but a decisive divine judgment against usurpation, idolatry, and the ruthless attempt to annihilate God’s chosen royal lineage. The strict command to remove her from the Temple before her death highlights a profound reverence for the sacredness of God's house, preventing its defilement by violence and blood. Her demise was essential for restoring legitimate authority, ending Baal's influence, and allowing the true worship of Yahweh to be re-established in Jerusalem, securing the continuity of the Davidic covenant from which the Messiah would ultimately descend. It serves as a powerful biblical illustration of divine justice triumphing over evil, restoring order out of chaos, and safeguarding the promises made to God’s people.