And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king’s house;
And he gave them orders, saying, 'This is what you must do: One third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath will guard the king's palace;'
The writer is describing how Jehoiada the priest organized his guards, with one-third assigned to protect the king's palace on the Sabbath.
📚 Historical Context
This verse occurs during Jehoiada the priest's carefully planned coup to overthrow the evil Queen Athaliah and place the rightful heir, young Joash, on the throne of Judah. Jehoiada was organizing the temple guards and palace guards to protect the seven-year-old king during his coronation ceremony. The plan required precise coordination to ensure Athaliah couldn't harm the boy king or disrupt the restoration of David's royal line.
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