2 Chronicles 23:16 kjv
And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD's people.
2 Chronicles 23:16 nkjv
Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the people, and the king, that they should be the LORD's people.
2 Chronicles 23:16 niv
Jehoiada then made a covenant that he, the people and the king would be the LORD's people.
2 Chronicles 23:16 esv
And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and all the people and the king that they should be the LORD's people.
2 Chronicles 23:16 nlt
Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people.
2 Chronicles 23 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 19:5-6 | "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice... you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." | Israel as God's special possession and kingdom. |
| Deut 29:10-13 | "All of you stand today before the Lord your God... that you may enter into the covenant..." | Covenant renewal encompassing the entire nation. |
| Josh 24:25 | "So Joshua made a covenant with the people that day and made for them a statute and an ordinance..." | Leadership guiding people in covenant with God. |
| 1 Sam 12:24-25 | "Only fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart... but if you still do wickedly, you shall be swept away..." | Samuel warns against turning from God. |
| 2 Chr 15:12-15 | "They entered into a covenant to seek the Lord, the God of their fathers, with all their heart and with all their soul." | Asa's widespread covenant renewal and commitment. |
| 2 Chr 29:10 | "Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the Lord, the God of Israel..." | Hezekiah’s intention to restore proper worship. |
| 2 Chr 34:31-32 | "The king took his stand in his place and made a covenant before the Lord... and made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin stand to it." | Josiah's comprehensive covenant renewal. |
| Neh 9:38 | "Because of all this we make a firm covenant and write it..." | People and leaders seal a covenant after exile. |
| Ps 100:3 | "Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." | God as Creator and owner of His people. |
| Isa 43:21 | "The people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise." | Purpose of God forming a people for Himself. |
| Jer 31:33 | "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people." | Promise of the New Covenant's inner transformation. |
| Eze 37:27 | "My dwelling place shall be with them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people." | God's presence among His reunited people. |
| Hos 2:23 | "I will sow her for myself in the land. And I will have mercy on Lo-ruhamah, and I will say to Lo-ammi, ‘You are my people’..." | Restoration of God's covenant relationship. |
| Mal 2:5 | "My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear..." | Priestly covenant based on reverence for God. |
| Tit 2:14 | "...who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession..." | Christ purifying a special people for God. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession..." | New Testament believers as God's special people. |
| Rom 9:25-26 | "Those who were not my people I will call ‘My people’... In the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’ there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’" | Gentiles brought into God's people. |
| Heb 8:10 | "For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel... I will be their God, and they shall be my people." | New Covenant fulfilling Old Testament prophecy. |
| Deut 7:6 | "For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession..." | Israel chosen for special relationship. |
| Lev 26:12 | "And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people." | God's promise to walk among obedient people. |
| Exod 6:7 | "I will take you to be my people, and I will be your God..." | God's promise to deliver Israel for Himself. |
2 Chronicles 23 verses
2 Chronicles 23 16 Meaning
This verse details a tripartite covenant orchestrated by Jehoiada the High Priest, binding Jehoiada himself, all the people of Judah, and the young King Joash. The profound purpose of this solemn agreement was to formally establish and confirm their collective identity as "the Lord's people," signifying a nationwide re-dedication and exclusive loyalty to Yahweh following the idolatrous reign of Queen Athaliah. It marks a pivotal moment of spiritual and political restoration, reaffirming Judah's foundational covenant with God.
2 Chronicles 23 16 Context
This verse is situated immediately after Jehoiada's successful coup that overthrew the wicked Queen Athaliah and enthroned the rightful heir, Joash, the young son of Ahaziah. Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, had brutally seized power after her son's death, attempting to eradicate the Davidic royal line. For six years, young Joash had been hidden in the temple. Jehoiada, the High Priest, meticulously planned and executed a coup, rallying the Levites, army commanders, and the people, establishing security within the temple grounds, and proclaiming Joash as king. The preceding verses (2 Chr 23:14-15) detail Athaliah's capture and execution, symbolizing the purging of pagan influence from the palace. With the political restoration complete, Jehoiada now moves to the crucial spiritual restoration. This act of covenant-making directly precedes the dismantling of the temple of Baal and the destruction of its idols and altars (2 Chr 23:17), solidifying the nation's commitment back to Yahweh worship and law, and serving as a model for subsequent covenant renewals in Judah's history under righteous kings.
2 Chronicles 23 16 Word analysis
- And Jehoiada: Jehoiada (יְהוֹיָדָע, Yehoyada), meaning "Yahweh knows" or "Yahweh is knowing," was the High Priest. He served as the primary instigator and orchestrator of this restoration, effectively acting as regent for the young king Joash and embodying both spiritual and political authority. His name itself points to God's providence in this crisis.
- made a covenant: The Hebrew word for covenant is berit (בְּרִית), a solemn and binding agreement often initiated by a suzerain (superior party) with a vassal (inferior party), but here representing a renewal and reaffirmation of national commitment. It's more than a mere agreement; it establishes or reaffirms a foundational relationship, carrying both obligations and promised blessings/curses. This was not a new covenant but a restoration of Israel's foundational covenant with Yahweh.
- between him and all the people, and the king: This phrase delineates the three parties explicitly involved in the covenant-making, yet implicitly the ultimate party is God Himself.
- between him: Refers to Jehoiada. His inclusion highlights his unique role as mediator and leader in this restoration, serving as God's representative to the people and the king.
- and all the people: kol-ha'am (כָּל־הָעָם), emphasizes the inclusive, nationwide participation. This covenant was publicly declared and presumably assented to by the populace, making it a truly national commitment. This distinguishes it from private oaths or decrees.
- and the king: ha'melech (הַמֶּלֶךְ), refers to Joash, the newly crowned legitimate king. His participation signifies the re-establishment of the monarchy under God's law and authority, rather than under arbitrary human rule or idolatrous foreign influences. The king, though highest human authority, is also subject to the divine covenant.
- that they should be the Lord's people: This phrase states the central objective and profound essence of the covenant. Le'am l'YHWH (לְעָם לַיהוָה), "as a people to Yahweh."
- the Lord's: Refers to YHWH, the sacred, personal name of the God of Israel. This designation stresses an exclusive relationship.
- people: am (עָם), signifies an established group or nation. To be "the Lord's people" means to have a national identity fundamentally rooted in a special, chosen, and exclusive relationship with Yahweh. This directly countered Athaliah's Baal worship, emphasizing Israel's unique calling to serve only Yahweh and abide by His commands, establishing pure worship and proper governance as the hallmarks of Judah.
2 Chronicles 23 16 Bonus section
The immediate establishment of this covenant, before the full purge of idolatry from the land (v. 17 describes Baal's temple destruction), indicates Jehoiada's wisdom in first securing a foundational commitment from the people to Yahweh. He recognized that outward reforms would be ineffective without an inward dedication and a public pledge of loyalty to the true God. This sequence shows that spiritual re-commitment often precedes and empowers effective practical reformation. Furthermore, Jehoiada's careful inclusion of himself, the people, and the king in the covenant implies a system of checks and balances where even the monarch is accountable to the divine law and the covenant, not being above it. This acts as a bulwark against the kind of tyrannical and idolatrous rule exemplified by Athaliah. The very act of "making a covenant" echoed foundational events in Israel's history (Sinai, Shechem), grounding the new beginning in established tradition and divine promises.
2 Chronicles 23 16 Commentary
This verse succinctly captures the theological and practical climax of Jehoiada's courageous and strategic efforts to restore divine order in Judah. By forging this solemn berit, Jehoiada did more than simply crown a new king; he spiritually re-constituted the nation. The covenant's explicit purpose—"that they should be the Lord's people"—was a deliberate repudiation of the preceding years of Baal worship under Athaliah, emphatically re-asserting Yahweh's exclusive claim over Judah. It highlighted that the true basis of legitimate authority and national identity in Israel was not dynastic succession alone, but covenant faithfulness to God. Jehoiada, as high priest, spearheaded this spiritual revival, underscoring the vital role of godly leadership in guiding a nation back to covenant with the Almighty. This public, tripartite agreement ensured accountability from all levels of society—priestly, royal, and popular—to uphold God's laws and purposes for their nation.