What does 2 Chronicles 23:21 mean?
"And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword." - 2 Chronicles 23:21
2 Chronicles 23:21 - "And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword."
2 Chronicles 23:21 (KJV) reads, "And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword."
This verse comes at the end of the account of the coronation of Joash as king of Judah. Athaliah, the mother of the previous king Ahaziah, had usurped the throne for herself upon her son's death and had killed all of the royal heirs to secure her rule. However, Joash, the youngest son of Ahaziah, had been hidden away and preserved by the high priest Jehoiada and his wife Jehosheba. When he was seven years old, Jehoiada arranged for Joash's coronation and had Athaliah put to death, allowing Joash to assume the throne.
The context of this verse is one of political unrest and a struggle for power. Athaliah's reign had brought great turmoil to the land of Judah, as her ruthless actions to secure her throne had resulted in bloodshed and oppression. The people of the land had suffered under her rule, and there was a sense of relief and rejoicing when she was finally removed from power. The city being "quiet" after her death signifies a return to peace and order after a period of chaos and oppression.
The theme of justice and righteousness is prevalent in this verse. Athaliah's reign had been unjust and oppressive, and her removal from power was a step towards restoring righteousness to the land. The people's rejoicing reflects their desire for a righteous and just ruler who would govern them with fairness and integrity.
Symbolically, the slaying of Athaliah represents the defeat of evil and the triumph of good. Athaliah's tyrannical rule and brutal methods had brought suffering and fear to the people, but her death signified the end of that oppression and the beginning of a new era of hope and peace. The people's rejoicing is a symbol of the restoration of hope and the anticipation of a better future under the leadership of Joash.
Spiritually, this verse can be interpreted as a reminder that justice will ultimately prevail and that even in times of darkness and oppression, there is always hope for a brighter future. Athaliah's downfall serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of unrighteous rule and the importance of standing up for justice and righteousness.
In summary, 2 Chronicles 23:21 (KJV) captures the moment of relief and rejoicing that comes with the downfall of a wicked ruler and the restoration of peace and order. It serves as a reminder of the triumph of good over evil, the importance of justice and righteousness, and the hope for a better future. The verse's historical and symbolic significance makes it a powerful testament to the enduring themes of justice and hope found throughout the Bible.
2 Chronicles 23:21 Artwork
2 Chronicles 23:21 - "And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword."
1 Chronicles 23:21 - "¶ The sons of Merari; Mahli, and Mushi. The sons of Mahli; Eleazar, and Kish."
1 Chronicles 23:2 - "¶ And he gathered together all the princes of Israel, with the priests and the Levites."
2 Chronicles 4:21 - "And the flowers, and the lamps, and the tongs, made he of gold, and that perfect gold;"
Acts 1:21-23
2 Kings 21:23 - "¶ And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house."
2 Chronicles 21:18 - "¶ And after all this the LORD smote him in his bowels with an incurable disease."
2 Chronicles 23:2 - "And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem."
1 Chronicles 23:23 - "The sons of Mushi; Mahli, and Eder, and Jeremoth, three."
2 Kings 8:23 - "And the rest of the acts of Joram, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
2 Chronicles 21:8 - "¶ In his days the Edomites revolted from under the dominion of Judah, and made themselves a king."
2 Chronicles 23:16 - "¶ 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 24:21 - "And they conspired against him, and stoned him with stones at the commandment of the king in the court of the house of the LORD."
2 Kings 23:28 - "Now the rest of the acts of Josiah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
2 Kings 15:21 - "¶ And the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?"
2 Chronicles 36:2 - "Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem."
2 Kings 21:25 - "Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?"
2 Chronicles 23:19 - "And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in."
2 Chronicles 30:23 - "And the whole assembly took counsel to keep other seven days: and they kept other seven days with gladness."
2 Chronicles 29:23 - "And they brought forth the he goats for the sin offering before the king and the congregation; and they laid their hands upon them:"
2 Chronicles 13:21 - "¶ But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters."
2 Chronicles 21:16 - "¶ Moreover the LORD stirred up against Jehoram the spirit of the Philistines, and of the Arabians, that were near the Ethiopians:"
2 Chronicles 21:2 - "And he had brethren the sons of Jehoshaphat, Azariah, and Jehiel, and Zechariah, and Azariah, and Michael, and Shephatiah: all these were the sons of Jehoshaphat king of Israel."
2 Kings 23:21 - "¶ And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant."
2 Chronicles 34:23 - "¶ And she answered them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Tell ye the man that sent you to me,"
2 Chronicles 33:21 - "¶ Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem."
1 Chronicles 8:23 - "And Abdon, and Zichri, and Hanan,"
2 Chronicles 9:23 - "¶ And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart."
2 Chronicles 33:23 - "And humbled not himself before the LORD, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself; but Amon trespassed more and more."
2 Chronicles 23:15 - "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."