2 Kings 11:5

³ And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.

⁴ Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son

and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace,

⁶ a third shall be at the gate of Sur, and a third at the gate behind the guards. You are to take turns guarding the temple—

⁷ the two divisions that would go off duty on the Sabbath are to guard the house of the LORD for the king.

Here the Bible tells a story about someone else. Ask yourself what it can say to us today. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB: and commanded them, “This is what you are to do: A third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the royal palace,
KJV: 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;
WEB: He commanded them, saying, “This is what you must do: a third of you, who come in on the Sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king’s house;
ASV: And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king`s house;
DARBY: And he commanded them saying, This is the thing which ye shall do: a third part of you, that come in on the sabbath, shall be keepers of the watch of the king's house;
BLB: And he commanded them, saying, “This [is] the thing that you⁺ shall do: A third of you⁺ who come on duty on the Sabbath shall be keeping the watch over the house of the king,

ÅB: Og han befalte dem og sa: Hør nå hva dere skal gjøre: Den ene tredjedel av dere skal tiltrede vakten på sabbaten og holde vakt ved kongens hus,
OTB: Og han befalte dem og sa: «Dette er det dere skal gjøre: en tredjedel av dere som kommer inn på sabbaten og holder vakt over kongens hus,
B1930: Og han bød dem og sa: Hør nu hvad I skal gjøre: Den ene tredjedel av eder skal tiltrede vakten på sabbaten og holde vakt ved kongens hus,

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

1 Chronicles 9:25
Their relatives came from their villages at fixed times to serve with them for seven-day periods.
Read in context
Ezekiel 46:2–3
The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost, while the priests sacrifice his burnt offerings and peace offerings. He is to bow in worship at the threshold of the gate and then depart, but the gate must not be shut until evening.
Read in context
1 Chronicles 23:32
So the Levites were to carry out the responsibilities for the Tent of Meeting and the Holy Place, and, under their brothers the descendants of Aaron, the service of the house of the LORD.
Read in context
Luke 1:8–9
One day while Zechariah’s division was on duty and he was serving as priest before God,
Read in context
Jeremiah 26:10
When the officials of Judah heard these things, they went up from the king’s palace to the house of the LORD and sat there at the entrance of the New Gate.
Read in context
2 Kings 16:18
And on account of the king of Assyria, he removed the Sabbath canopy they had built in the temple and closed the royal entryway outside the house of the LORD.
Read in context
Ezekiel 44:2–3
And the LORD said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It shall not be opened, and no man shall enter through it, because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it. Therefore it will remain shut.
Read in context
1 Chronicles 24:3–6
With the help of Eleazar’s descendant Zadok and Ithamar’s descendant Ahimelech, David divided them according to the offices of their service.
Read in context