2 Chronicles 23:3 - Exposition

All the congregation ; i.e. all who have been mentioned in 2 Chronicles 23:1 and 2 Chronicles 23:2 ; for so the parallel makes plain. Made a covenant . This was the second wider and more embracing covenant. This covenant is between all the gathered representatives and the young king, Jehoiada no doubt putting all things into shape. And he said unto them, Behold, the king's son shall reign . The he is Jehoiada, as of course. In view of the last clause of 2 Chronicles 23:4 —in the parallel, " Jehoiada showed them the king's son "—the likelier rendering of our text here is, Behold the king ' s son; he shall reign, as, etc . As the Lord hath said of the sons of David (see 2 Chronicles 6:16 ; 2 Chronicles 7:18 ; 2 Samuel 7:12 ; 1 Kings 2:4 ; 1 Kings 9:5 ). The hereditary nature of the monarchy ( 2 Samuel 7:1-29 .), pervaded ever by the spirit of the covenant, is evidently glanced at. It is probable that the existence of Joash was news to those to whom Jehoiada, as the parallel has it, "showed … the king's son," so that double significance lies in the word "showed."