2 Kings 11:18 - Exposition

And all the people of the land — i.e. all those who had come up to Jerusalem from the various cities of Judah to help Jehoiada (see 2 Chronicles 23:2 )— went into the house of Baal. According to Josephus, "the house of Baal" hero mentioned was built by Jehoram and Athaliah in the reign of the former ('Ant. Jud.,' 9.7. § 4), But, if this was the case, it is rather strange that the writer of Chronicles, who enumerates so many of the evil acts of Jehoram ( 2 Chronicles 21:4 , 2 Chronicles 21:6 , 2 Chronicles 21:11 ), does not mention it. The present narrative shows that the temple was in, or very near, Jerusalem; but there is nothing to fix the site of it. And brake it down —Josephus says they "razed it to the ground" ( κατέσκαψαν )— his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly. It was common among the heathen to have several altars in one temple, and not uncommon to have several images even of the same god, especially if he was a god worshipped under different forms, as Baal was (whence the word "Baalim"). The Baalim of this temple are mentioned by the writer of Chronicles (see 2 Chronicles 24:7 ). And slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. The name "Mattan" recalls that of the last King of Judah, which was originally Mattaniah, equivalent to "gift of Jehovah" ( 2 Kings 24:17 ). Mattan would be simply "gift." We may presume that, though only called "priest," he was the high priest. And the priest — i.e. Jehoiada— appointed officers over the house of the Lord. The parallel passage of Chronicles ( 2 Chronicles 23:18 , 2 Chronicles 23:19 ) explains this statement. We are there told that "Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the Lord by the hand of the priests the Levites … to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as it is written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David. And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the Lord, that none which was unclean in anything should enter in." During Athaliah's reign the temple service had ceased; breaches had been broken in the outer walls; and neither the priests nor the porters had served in their regular order; there had been no morning or evening sacrifice, and no antiphonal psalm-singing. Jehoiada re-established the regular courses and the worship.