But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.
But Jehoiada the priest gave orders to the military commanders and officers, saying to them, 'Take her out from between the temple ranks, and kill anyone who follows her with the sword.' The priest had said, 'Don't let her be killed inside the LORD's house.'
The priest Jehoiada ordered the military leaders to remove the wicked queen from the temple grounds before executing her, because he didn't want blood shed in God's holy house.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes the removal of Queen Athaliah, who had murdered most of the royal family and ruled Judah illegally for six years. Jehoiada the priest had just crowned the rightful heir, young King Joash, in a carefully planned coup. Athaliah was being arrested for her crimes, but Jehoiada insisted she be taken outside the temple before being executed to preserve the sanctity of God's house.
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