Chapter 23 of Divrei HaYamim II is the chapter of the revolution: after six years in which the young Yehoash was hidden in the bedchamber while the wicked Atalyahu reigned, Yehoyada the Kohen arises and executes an orderly, meticulous plan to crown the child of the House of David and depose Atalyahu. This chapter parallels the account in the Book of Melachim, and Ezra's approach - as the Malbim emphasizes repeatedly - is to fill in what was left unexplained there.
וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִעִית הִתְחַזַּק יְהוֹיָדָע וַיִּקַּח אֶת־שָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת לַעֲזַרְיָהוּ בֶן־יְרֹחָם וּלְיִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־יְהוֹחָנָן וְלַעֲזַרְיָהוּ בֶן־עוֹבֵד וְאֶת־מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ בֶן־עֲדָיָהוּ וְאֶת־אֱלִישָׁפָט בֶּן־זִכְרִי עִמּוֹ בַבְּרִית׃ - "And in the seventh year, Yehoyada strengthened himself and took the captains of hundreds: Azaryahu the son of Yerocham, Yishmael the son of Yehochanan, Azaryahu the son of Oved, Maaseiyahu the son of Adayahu, and Elishafat the son of Zichri, with him into a covenant."
This verse is a wonderful illustration of a rule we often review: an adjacent EHEVI letter drops the dagesh from a beged-kefet letter. A beged-kefet letter at the beginning of a word normally takes a dagesh, but when the preceding word ends with one of the letters alef, hei, vav, or yud (EHEVI), the EHEVI letter causes the dagesh to fall away. Look at how many variations occur in this single verse: "עֲזַרְיָהוּ בֶן־יְרֹחָם" - without a dagesh in the beit, because the preceding word ends in a vav. "וּלְיִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־יְהוֹחָנָן" - with a dagesh, because the word ends with a lamed, not an EHEVI letter. "וְלַעֲזַרְיָהוּ בֶן־עוֹבֵד" - without a dagesh, ending in a vav. "מַעֲשֵׂיָהוּ בֶן־עֲדָיָהוּ" - without a dagesh, ending in a vav. "אֱלִישָׁפָט בֶּן־זִכְרִי" - with a dagesh, because it ends in a tet. "עִמּוֹ בַבְּרִית" - without a dagesh, because it ends in a vav. Here we have multiple examples of a single rule, providing clarity for anyone reading the text and wondering why a dagesh appears in some places and not in others - everything is precisely ordered according to grammatical principles.
Yehoash had been in hiding for six years, and in the seventh year Yehoyada strengthened himself. He took the captains of hundreds - and "לַעֲזַרְיָהוּ" means "Azaryahu" (the lamed functioning as the direct object marker) - namely Azaryahu the son of Yerocham, Yishmael the son of Yehochanan, Azaryahu the son of Oved, Maaseiyahu the son of Adayahu, and Elishafat the son of Zichri, and formed a covenant with them. As we will see immediately, making this covenant was aimed at crowning Yehoash.
The Malbim notes: in the Book of Melachim it is written, "and he took the captains of hundreds, of the Kari and of the guards [ratzim]," whereas here Ezra comes and specifies who those captains of hundreds were - Azaryahu, Yishmael, Azaryahu the son of Oved, Maaseiyahu, and Elishafat; they were the men who joined with him in the conspiracy to crown Yehoash. And what was stated there, "of the Kari and of the guards," means that he made them emissaries to travel throughout Yehudah and gather the Levi'im. The Malbim explains: "Kari" refers to a running messenger, and "Kari and ratzim" are types of emissaries whom he dispatched, as it is written, "Send a kar [messenger] to the ruler of the land."
וַיָּסֹבּוּ בִּיהוּדָה וַיִּקְבְּצוּ אֶת־הַלְוִיִּם מִכָּל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְרָאשֵׁי הָאָבוֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם׃ - "And they went around throughout Yehudah and gathered the Levi'im from all the cities of Yehudah, and the heads of the fathers' houses of Yisrael, and they came to Yerushalayim."
They went about Yehudah and gathered all the Levi'im from all the cities of Yehudah. The Levi'im were naturally loyal to him: Yehoyada was the Kohen Gadol, and the Levi'im were those who frequented and served in the House of Hashem - the very antithesis of the wicked Atalyahu. The Kohanim and Levi'im belonged to his own tribe, and he could rely upon them that not one of them would reveal the matter to Atalyahu, preventing her from crushing the conspiracy in its infancy. Along with them, he also assembled the heads of the fathers' houses of Yisrael, summoning them all to ascend to Yerushalayim. The covenant made with the Levi'im and the heads of the fathers' houses is mentioned only by Ezra, as it does not appear in the Book of Melachim.
וַיִּכְרֹת כָּל־הַקָּהָל בְּרִית בְּבֵית הָאֱלֹהִים עִם־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם הִנֵּה בֶן־הַמֶּלֶךְ יִמְלֹךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר יְהֹוָה עַל־בְּנֵי דָוִיד׃ - "And the entire assembly made a covenant in the House of God with the king, and he said to them: 'Behold, the king's son shall reign, as Hashem spoke concerning the sons of David.'"
He made a covenant with them so that they would demonstrate loyalty to what he was about to do - to crown Yehoash. "Behold, the king's son shall reign" means: behold, the king's son is worthy to reign. And calculate: if Shlomo arose to reign at the age of twelve, here we are speaking of a seven-year-old child who arose to reign - a mere youngster, so to speak.
זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּ הַשְּׁלִשִׁית מִכֶּם בָּאֵי הַשַּׁבָּת לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם לְשֹׁעֲרֵי הַסִּפִּים׃ וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית בְּבֵית הַמֶּלֶךְ וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית בְּשַׁעַר הַיְסוֹד וְכָל־הָעָם בְּחַצְרוֹת בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃ - “This is the thing that you shall do: a third of you who come in on the Sabbath, of the kohanim and of the Levites, shall be gatekeepers of the thresholds; and a third shall be at the king's palace; and a third at the Foundation Gate; and all the people shall be in the courtyards of the House of the Lord.”
The priestly watches (mishmarot) changed on Shabbat: there were the *ba’ei haShabbat* (those entering their service on Shabbat) and the *yotzei haShabbat* (those departing after completing their week). Yehoyada wanted to mobilize both watches together - both those currently entering and those who had finished their shift and were due to return home. He recruited them all so that he would have a sizable force to carry out the plan he was about to set in motion. Regarding the 'gatekeepers of the thresholds' (*sho'arei hasippim*), Radak explains that this refers to what is elsewhere called the 'storehouse' (*beit ha-asuppim*) in connection with the gatekeepers' watches, a gate situated on the southern side of the courtyard; it does not refer to the doorway of the Temple itself, but rather to the Gate of the Thresholds, or the Gate of the Storehouses.
The Malbim explains: The entire operation was designed to protect Yoash. He was now being brought out into the open to be proclaimed king, and every precaution had to be taken so that he would not be assassinated. Yehoyada therefore stationed the men at the various gates to secure the area, preventing Athaliah's forces from breaking in and crushing the uprising.
In the Book of Melachim (II Kings 11:5-7) it is written: “And he commanded them, saying: This is the thing that you shall do: a third of you who come in on the Sabbath and keep the watch of the king's house, and a third shall be at the Sur Gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard; and you shall keep the watch of the house, *massach*” - *massach* is related to *heseh* (removal or distraction), meaning not to budge from there and not to allow your attention to wander - “and two parts of you, all who go out on the Sabbath” - meaning two divisions from among the outgoing watch, those who had concluded their week's service - “shall keep the watch of the House of the Lord about the king.”
The Malbim explains: There I already explained that he divided them into three main bodies. One-third was comprised of the incoming watch (*ba'ei haShabbat*), those scheduled to begin their week of service in the Temple, and to them he said: You will guard from within, which is described as 'those who come in on the Sabbath and keep the watch of the king's house.' Two-thirds were the outgoing watch (*yotzei haShabbat*), who had completed their weekly service, and these he positioned in two separate locations: one-third at the Sur Gate and one-third at the gate behind the royal guard. To the incoming watch he gave the warning, “and you shall keep the watch of the house, *massach*” - do not allow your focus to waver; while the two parts, the outgoing watch, were to guard the House of the Lord from the outside.
What, then, does Ezra add here in Divrei HaYamim? In his characteristic manner, he fills in the complementary details: know that those who comprised the incoming watch and guarded from within were themselves subdivided into three watches. While the outgoing watch was divided into two, the incoming watch was divided into three: one-third of the incoming watch, from the kohanim and Levites, would serve as gatekeepers of the thresholds; one-third would stand inside the king's palace; and one-third would stand at the Foundation Gate. And 'all the people' - referring to the two-thirds who made up the outgoing watch - would stand outside in the courtyards of the House of the Lord, just as Melachim describes: half at the Sur Gate and half at the gate behind the guard.
Here it is called 'the Foundation Gate' (*Sha'ar HaYesod*), whereas in Melachim it is called 'the Sur Gate' (*Sha'ar Sur*). This was the eastern gate, and both texts are referring to the very same entrance. Do not be surprised that a single gate is called by two different names, for the Yerushalmi explicitly notes that this gate had seven distinct names, of which *HaYesod* and *Sur* are merely two. And why was it called *Sha'ar Sur*? Because it was there that the *metzoraim* (lepers) were purified, and regarding the *metzora* it is written, “Depart! Unclean! they cried to them” (*Suru tamei*) - meaning one must distance oneself from him; therefore, the gate where the lepers underwent purification was called the Sur Gate, from the concept of turning aside and keeping away (*tasur*).
וְאַל־יָבוֹא בֵית־יְהֹוָה כִּי אִם־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַמְשָׁרְתִים לַלְוִיִּם הֵמָּה יָבֹאוּ כִּי־קֹדֶשׁ הֵמָּה וְכָל־הָעָם יִשְׁמְרוּ מִשְׁמֶרֶת יְהֹוָה׃ - “And let no one enter the House of the Lord except the kohanim and the ministering Levites; they may enter, for they are holy, and all the people shall keep the watch of the Lord.”
This detail as well, the Malbim notes, is omitted in Melachim: into the Temple sanctuary itself, only the officiating kohanim and Levites were permitted to enter, while everyone else was barred. And what is the meaning of the phrase *ve-hameshartim la-Levi'im* ('and those ministering to the Levites') - does someone minister to the Levites? Radak explains that the prefix *lamed* here serves in place of the definite article *heh*, as if the text read *ve-hameshartim ha-Levi'im* ('and the ministering Levites') - they alone may enter. Radak brings his customary grammatical proof: the phrase *asher la-melech nishan al yado* means 'upon whose hand *the* king leaned' (*ha-melech*), showing that the letter *lamed* can indeed function as the definite article. The kohanim and Levites guarded inside the Beit HaMikdash because they possessed the requisite sanctity, whereas the Israelites were not to enter within, but rather were to keep watch from the outer perimeter.
וְהִקִּיפוּ הַלְוִיִּם אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ סָבִיב אִישׁ וְכֵלָיו בְּיָדוֹ וְהַבָּא אֶל־הַבַּיִת יוּמָת וִהְיוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּבֹאוֹ וּבְצֵאתוֹ׃ - “And the Levites shall surround the king all around, each man with his weapons in his hand, and whoever enters the house shall be put to death; and be with the king when he comes in and when he goes out.”
The Levites were to form a protective ring around the king, each man holding his battle weapons ready. Anyone who attempted to enter was to be put to death immediately, as anyone approaching from outside would presumably be one of Athaliah's partisans seeking to crush the revolt, and was therefore to be slain on the spot. In Melachim the text states, “and whoever enters within the ranks (*ha-sderot*) shall be put to death,” because there the verse is addressing the guards stationed around the exterior perimeter; in our passage, however, the instruction is directed to those positioned inside, where there were no ranks or defensive lines (*sderot*). For this reason, the detail of the *sderot* is omitted here, as will become clearer further on.
וַיַּעֲשׂוּ הַלְוִיִּם וְכָל־יְהוּדָה כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן וַיִּקְחוּ אִישׁ אֶת־אֲנָשָׁיו בָּאֵי הַשַּׁבָּת עִם יוֹצְאֵי הַשַּׁבָּת כִּי לֹא פָטַר יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־הַמַּחְלְקוֹת׃ - So the Levites and all Judah did according to all that Yehoyada the Kohen commanded; and each took his men, those coming in on the Sabbath along with those going out on the Sabbath, for Yehoyada the Kohen had not dismissed the divisions.
"Had not dismissed the divisions" - referring to the watches established since the days of David. Ordinarily, when a watch concluded its service on Shabbat, it was dismissed and returned home. Here, however, Yehoyada wanted the departing watch as an auxiliary force to assist him against anyone who might come to disrupt the coronation of Yoash. Therefore, he did not permit them to return home, but detained them all alongside those entering on Shabbat, so that they would remain to guard the king.
The Malbim notes a textual difference: here it says, "So the Levites and all Judah did," whereas in Kings it says, "And the captains of hundreds did." Why? Because there the text was referring primarily to the outer guards, who were the captains of hundreds from Israel; whereas here our passage deals with the inner guards, who were Levites and Kohanim, and therefore it states, "So the Levites did." In addition, the detail that he "had not dismissed" them appears only here and not in Kings, having been added by Ezra in his book.
וַיִּתֵּן יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן לְשָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת אֶת־הַחֲנִיתִים וְאֶת־הַמָּגִנּוֹת וְאֶת־הַשְּׁלָטִים אֲשֶׁר לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִיד אֲשֶׁר בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים׃ - And Yehoyada the Kohen gave to the captains of hundreds the spears, the bucklers, and the shields that had belonged to King David, which were in the House of God.
Yehoyada gave the captains of hundreds - those posted outside - the spears used for battle, the bucklers, and the shelatim, which are also a type of shield. The Malbim explains that this account parallels the one in the Book of Kings, where he already elaborated on the differences between the two descriptions, and one may consult his commentary there.
וַיַּעֲמֵד אֶת־כָּל־הָעָם וְאִישׁ שִׁלְחוֹ בְיָדוֹ מִכֶּתֶף הַבַּיִת הַיְמָנִית עַד־כֶּתֶף הַבַּיִת הַשְּׂמָאלִית לַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְלַבָּיִת עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ סָבִיב׃ - And he stationed all the people, each man with his weapon in his hand, from the right side of the House to the left side of the House, by the altar and the House, around the king.
Each man stood with his sword in hand. The word shelach means a sword or blade, as it is written, "And if they do not listen, they shall pass away by the sword (ba-shelach), and die without knowledge," and similarly in other verses where shelach refers to a weapon. He supplied them with weapons to protect the king the moment an attack was launched by Athaliah's supporters.
וַיּוֹצִיאוּ אֶת־בֶּן־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּתְּנוּ עָלָיו אֶת־הַנֵּזֶר וְאֶת־הָעֵדוּת וַיַּמְלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ וַיִּמְשָׁחֻהוּ יְהוֹיָדָע וּבָנָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ יְחִי הַמֶּלֶך׃ - Then they brought out the king's son, and put the crown upon him and the testimony, and proclaimed him king; and Yehoyada and his sons anointed him, and said, "Long live the king!"
They brought the king's son out of the bedchamber, presented him publicly, and placed the crown and the testimony upon him. The commentary attributed to Rashi explains that the crown (nezer) was the royal diadem that King David took from Rabbah of the Ammonites - "And David took the crown of their king... and it was on David's head" - and from then on, the kings of Judah wore it upon their heads. And the "testimony" refers to a Sefer Torah, as it is written concerning a king, "and he shall read in it all the days of his life."
Our Sages teach that the crown itself was the testimony. How so? It is explained that the crown served as proof of royalty: they would place it on the candidate's head, and if it fit him properly, they knew he was the legitimate king; if it did not fit, they knew he was not. One source suggests there was a crossbar through its center, and the kings of the House of David had a corresponding indentation on their heads into which it fit precisely. However, some question this, noting that such an indentation would imply that the kings of the House of David bore a physical blemish, and they therefore reject this view. What remains agreed is that whoever the crown fit was recognized as the rightful heir to the throne. This is the meaning of "the crown and the testimony": the crown itself testified that he was worthy of kingship, for otherwise it would not have suited him. The Radak, by contrast, explains that "testimony" refers to royal vestments, related to the expression ve-adit edi ("and you adorned yourself with ornaments"), denoting royal robes and regalia. The Metzudas David likewise interprets it as an ornament (adi), referring to precious jewels placed upon him as royal adornments.
וַתִּשְׁמַע עֲתַלְיָהוּ אֶת־קוֹל הָעָם הָרָצִים וְהַמְהַלְלִים אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַתָּבוֹא אֶל־הָעָם בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃ - And Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and praising the king, and she came to the people into the House of Hashem.
Athaliah realizes that something has been taking place beneath the surface, and she rushes to verify and see what is happening there, hearing the sound of the people running and praising the king.
וַתֵּרֶא וְהִנֵּה הַמֶּלֶךְ עוֹמֵד עַל־עַמּוּדוֹ בַּמָּבוֹא וְהַשָּׂרִים וְהַחֲצֹצְרוֹת עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכָל־עַם הָאָרֶץ שָׂמֵחַ וְתוֹקֵעַ בַּחֲצֹצְרוֹת וְהַמְשׁוֹרְרִים בִּכְלֵי הַשִּׁיר וּמוֹדִיעִים לְהַלֵּל וַתִּקְרַע עֲתַלְיָהוּ אֶת־בְּגָדֶיהָ וַתֹּאמֶר קֶשֶׁר קָשֶׁר׃ - And she looked, and behold, the king stood at his pillar at the entrance, and the officers and the trumpets were beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced and blew trumpets, and the singers with musical instruments, leading the praise. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried: Treason! Treason!
She sees the king standing at his pillar - this is "the pillar" mentioned in the Book of Melachim, where the Targum translates it as itztevona, a colonnade structure, an elevated platform designated for the king to stand upon. She arrives at the "entrance," the way into the Temple Courtyard (the Azarah). She sees them singing, praising, sounding the trumpets, and "leading the praise" (modi'im lehalel) - instructing one another how to praise, as Metzudat David explains. Then she cries, "Treason, treason!" (Kesher, kesher) - there is a rebellion here. Why does she repeat her words? To emphasize the severity of the matter. And if one wishes, one may see a play on words here: this conspiracy (kesher) was a legitimate, kosher conspiracy (kesher kasher).
וַיּוֹצֵא יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־שָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת פְּקוּדֵי הַחַיִל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם הוֹצִיאוּהָ אֶל־מִבֵּית הַשְּׂדֵרוֹת וְהַבָּא אַחֲרֶיהָ יוּמַת בֶּחָרֶב כִּי אָמַר הַכֹּהֵן לֹא תְמִיתוּהָ בֵּית יְהֹוָה׃ - Then Yehoyada the Kohen brought out the captains of hundreds, the commanders of the army, and said to them: Take her out between the ranks, and whoever follows her shall be slain with the sword; for the Kohen had said: Do not put her to death in the House of Hashem.
Yehoyada brings out the captains of hundreds, the military commanders, and tells them: Do not kill her inside the Beit HaMikdash; rather, first lead her out between the ranks. "And whoever follows her shall be slain" - do not allow anyone to join or assist her; anyone who follows her is suspected of being an accomplice and must be put to death. Furthermore, do not allow her to exit the Courtyard into the city, as the commentary attributed to Rashi notes, because there in the city she might find supporters to rally to her aid; and anyone who attempts to follow her into the Courtyard must be killed. And what are "the ranks" (sedarot)? The commentary attributed to Rashi writes that he did not know the exact meaning of the term sederot (spelled with a shin), but Metzudat Tzion explains that it is equivalent to sedarot spelled with a samech, meaning orderly rows or ranks - an organized battle line is called a ma'arachah, and it is also called sederot, from the concept of order (seder).
וַיָּשִׂימוּ לָהּ יָדַיִם וַתָּבוֹא אֶל־מְבוֹא שַׁעַר־הַסּוּסִים בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיְמִיתוּהָ שָׁם׃ - So they made way for her, and she arrived at the entrance of the Horse Gate to the royal palace, and they put her to death there.
"They made way for her" (Vayasimu lah yadayim) - they cleared a path for her to flee and enter the passage, providing an open space for her to exit the House of Hashem. She reached the royal palace by way of the Horse Gate, and there she was executed.
וַיִּכְרֹת יְהוֹיָדָע בְּרִית בֵּינוֹ וּבֵין כָּל־הָעָם וּבֵין הַמֶּלֶךְ לִהְיוֹת לְעָם לַיהֹוָה׃ - And Yehoyada made a covenant between himself, all the people, and the king, that they should be a people unto Hashem.
He seals a covenant between himself, the entire nation, and the king, that all of them - both the king and the people - would follow after Hashem.
וַיָּבֹאוּ כָל־הָעָם בֵּית־הַבַּעַל וַיִּתְּצֻהוּ וְאֶת־מִזְבְּחֹתָיו וְאֶת־צְלָמָיו שִׁבֵּרוּ וְאֵת מַתָּן כֹּהֵן הַבַּעַל הָרְגוּ לִפְנֵי הַמִּזְבְּחוֹת׃ - And all the people went to the house of the Baal and tore it down, and broke its altars and its images into pieces, and killed Mattan the priest of the Baal before the altars.
They demolish the temple of the Baal, smash the altars and the idols, and execute Mattan, the priest of the Baal, before the altars.
וַיָּשֶׂם יְהוֹיָדָע פְּקֻדּוֹת בֵּית יְהֹוָה בְּיַד הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם אֲשֶׁר חָלַק דָּוִיד עַל־בֵּית יְהֹוָה לְהַעֲלוֹת עֹלוֹת יְהֹוָה כַּכָּתוּב בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשִׁיר עַל יְדֵי דָוִיד׃ - Yehoyada placed the offices of the House of the Lord into the hands of the Kohanim, the Levi'im, whom David had distributed over the House of the Lord to offer the burnt offerings of the Lord, as written in the Torah of Moshe, with joy and with song, by the hand of David.
The term pekudot refers to overseers, supervisors appointed to offer the burnt offerings, placed in the hands of the Kohanim and the Levi'im whom David had apportioned over the House of the Lord - divisions instituted back in the time of King David. Why was it necessary to establish overseers now? The Malbim explains that during Athaliah's reign, the daily Tamid offering had been abolished and the Temple service was neglected. Therefore, overseers had to be reappointed over the work, and Yehoyada entrusted this to the Kohanim and Levi'im, just as David had originally organized and entrusted it into their hands.
וַיַּעֲמֵד הַשּׁוֹעֲרִים עַל־שַׁעֲרֵי בֵּית יְהֹוָה וְלֹא־יָבוֹא טָמֵא לְכָל־דָּבָר׃ - And he stationed gatekeepers at the gates of the House of the Lord, so that anyone ritually impure in any way would not enter.
In other words, guards were stationed to ensure that no ritually impure person or object entered the Temple Courtyard.
וַיִּקַּח אֶת־שָׂרֵי הַמֵּאוֹת וְאֶת־הָאַדִּירִים וְאֶת־הַמּוֹשְׁלִים בָּעָם וְאֵת כָּל־עַם הָאָרֶץ וַיּוֹרֶד אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ מִבֵּית יְהֹוָה וַיָּבֹאוּ בְּתוֹךְ־שַׁעַר הָעֶלְיוֹן בֵּית הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיּוֹשִׁיבוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ עַל כִּסֵּא הַמַּמְלָכָה׃ - And he took the captains of hundreds, the nobles, the rulers of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought the king down from the House of the Lord; and they came through the Upper Gate to the palace of the king, and seated the king upon the royal throne.
He gathers the captains of hundreds and the nobles - the ministers and rulers - and together with the vast assembly of the people, they escort the king and accept his sovereignty.
וַיִּשְׂמְחוּ כָל־עַם־הָאָרֶץ וְהָעִיר שָׁקָטָה וְאֶת־עֲתַלְיָהוּ הֵמִיתוּ בֶחָרֶב׃ - And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword.
"And the city was quiet" - no further conflict arose. The Metzudat David explains that once they executed Athaliah, no one remained to instigate rebellion. All the sons and brothers of Ahaziah had already been killed, leaving Athaliah as the sole claimant. Once she was eliminated, not a trace of opposition was left, and the entire nation rejoiced that they now had a king accepted by all.
Chapter 23 describes Yehoyada's revolution: forging a covenant with the captains of hundreds, gathering the Levites and the heads of the ancestral houses, a meticulous division of those coming on duty for Shabbat and those going off duty to guard from within and without, bringing out the seven-year-old Yoash, placing the crown and the testimony upon him, and crowning him king. Athaliah discovers the plot, cries out, "Treason, treason!", is led outside the Temple, and is put to death at the Horse Gate. After this, a covenant is sealed to be a people to Hashem, the house of Baal is demolished, the order of the Temple service and the gatekeepers at its gates are restored, and the king is seated upon the royal throne - "and all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet." Ezra's approach throughout the entire chapter is to supply what was omitted in the Book of Melachim: detailing the names of the captains of hundreds, forging the covenant with the Levites, dividing those entering on Shabbat into three groups, noting that "he did not dismiss the divisions," and recording the warning that no one may enter the House except the Kohanim and Levites.