the seventh year of this misrule, Jehoiada "took courage,"* and organized a counter-revolution, in

which all ranks in the State were equally represented.

* This is the real meaning of what is rendered in the A.V., "strengthened himself," in 2 Chronicles

If ever a movement of this kind was constitutional, it was that against the murderous usurper of

the throne of David. The Book of Chronicles, while always relating events pre -eminently from the

priestly and Levitical viewpoint, here furnishes some welcome details, apparently derived from the

same original sources as the account in the Book of Kings, although omitted in the latter.

From the two accounts we infer that Jehoiada in the first place addressed himself to the five

"captains of hundreds," or centurions, whose names are mentioned in 2 Chronicles 23:1.

Apparently they commanded the five divisions of the royal bodyguard, which combined the

designation Kari (equivalent to Kerethi) given in Davidic time to the corps, then consisting

chiefly, if not entirely, of foreign (Philistian) auxiliaries, with the older (So in 1 Samuel 22:17) and

more permanent* name of "runners" (ratsim).

* Kings 14:27; 2 Kings 11:4; 2 Chronicles 30:6. Considerable doubt, however, prevails as to the

literal reading of the "Cherethites and Pelethites." Some regard them as appellations of Philistian

clans; Kimchi even as those of two families in Israel; while most translate "executioners and

couriers." In our view, the "Kari," or "Kari tribe," is an appellation marking the old name of the

corps, due partly to its original composition, partly, perhaps, also to the circumstances in which it

was formed. The correct rendering of 2 Kings 11:4 wo uld be: "The centurions of the Kari and the

The account in the Book of Chronicles adds what in itself would seem most likely, that the

military leaders distributed themselves through the country to secure the adhesion and co-

operation of the heads of families and clans, and of the Levites. Manifestly it would be necessary

to enlist the latter, since the central scene of the rising was to be the Temple. There the

confederates met, probably at one of the great festivals, when the youthful prince wa s presented to

them. As, no doubt, in the first instance the military leaders, so now the whole assembly bound

themselves by a solemn oath to the undertaking, which primarily had only the proclamation of the

new king for its object (comp. 2 Chronicles 23:3).

The differences, and even more the similarity, in the narratives of the event in the Books of Kings

and Chronicles have suggested what to some appear discrepancies of detail. It is well to know that,

even if these were established, they would not in any way invalidate the narrative itself, since in

any case they only concern some of its minor details, not its substance. The most notable

difference is that in the Book of Kings the plot and its execution seem entirely in the hands of the

military; in Chronicles, exclusively in those of the priests and Levites. But in Chronicles also -

and, indeed, there alone - the five military leaders are named; while, on the other hand, the

narrative in the Book of Kings throughout admits the leadership of the priest Jehoiada. And even a

superficial consideration must convince that both the priests and the military must have been

engaged in the undertaking, and that neither party could have dispensed with the other. A

revolution inaugurated by the high-priest in favor o f his nephew, who for six years had been

concealed in the Temple, and which was to be carried out within the precincts of the Sanctuary

itself, could no more have taken place without the co-operation of the priesthood than a change in

the occupancy of the throne could have been brought about without the support of the military

power. And this leaves untouched the substance of the narrative in the two accounts, even if what

we are about to suggest in the sequel should not seem to some a sufficient explanatio n of the part

assigned respectively to the priesthood and the military in the two narratives.

Of this, at least, there cannot be any doubt, that the account in the Book of Kings deals with the

operations assigned to the military. Briefly, they may be ske tched as follows. As each of the