And the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of the Lord.
Parallel translations
- WEB The priest delivered to the captains over hundreds the spears and shields that had been king David’s, which were in Yahweh’s house.
- KJV And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David’s spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD.
- BSB Then the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David from the house of the LORD.
- NASB Then the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord.
- NLT and he supplied them with the spears and small shields that had once belonged to King David and were stored in the Temple of the Lord.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jehoiada arms the guards with King David's own spears and shields kept in the temple. The weapons link the new king to David's legacy.
Overview
The dedicated weapons from David, stored in Yahweh's house, are distributed to the loyal guard. Using them connects the restoration of Joash to the founding king of the dynasty. The detail underscores the continuity of the Davidic covenant that God is preserving, the line leading to the eternal King.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- 2 Sam 8:7David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
- 1 Chr 18:7David took the shields of gold that were on the servants of Hadadezer, and brought them to Jerusalem.
- 2 Chr 23:9–10Jehoiada the priest delivered to the captains of hundreds the spears, and bucklers, and shields, that had been king David’s, which were in God’s house.
- 1 Sam 21:9The priest said, “Behold, the sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, is here wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod. If you would like to take that, take it; for there is no other except that here.” David said, “There is none like that. Give it to me.”
- 2 Chr 5:1Thus all the work that Solomon did for Yahweh’s house was finished. Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of God’s house.
- 1 Chr 26:26–27This Shelomoth and his brothers were over all the treasures of the dedicated things, which David the king, and the heads of the fathers’ households, the captains over thousands and hundreds, and the captains of the army, had dedicated.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 11:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.