2 Chronicles 23:17

Verse

So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

American Standard Version (1901)

And all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

Bible in Basic English

Then all the people went to the house of Baal and had it pulled down, and its altars and images broken up; and Mattan, the priest of Baal, they put to death before the altars.

Douay-Rheims 1899

And all the people went into the house of Baal, and destroyed it: and they broke down his altars and his idols: and they slew Mathan the priest of Baal before the altars.

Free Bible Version

Everyone went to the Temple of Baal and tore down its altars and smashed the idols. They killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, right in front of the altar.

Geneva Bible 1599

And all the people went to the house of Baal, and destroyed, and brake his altars and his images, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

King James (Authorized) Version

Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

Translation for Translators

Then all the people who were there went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars of Baal. They also killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of those altars.

Unlocked Literal Bible

So all the people went to the house of Baal and tore it down. They smashed Baal's altars and his images to pieces, and they killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of those altars.

Noah Webster Bible

Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and broke it down, and broke his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

World English Bible

All the people went to the house of Baal, broke it down, broke his altars and his images in pieces, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars.

Young's Literal Translation

and all the people enter the house of Baal, and break it down, yea, his altars and his images they have broken, and Mattan priest of Baal they have slain before the altars.

Context

Jehoiada Restores the Worship of the LORD

¹⁶Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people.¹⁷So all the people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.

Sermons

The Lord Stirred Up the Spirit of Cyrus.

F.B. Meyer

Summary

In this verse, we see the culmination of the events surrounding the anointing and crowning of Joash as king of Judah. The covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people is reaffirmed, signifying a return to God's ordained leadership and worship. The removal of Athaliah, the wicked queen who sought to destroy the royal line, represents the triumph of God's righteousness over evil. This passage highlights the importance of upholding God's covenant, obeying His commands, and the restoration of true worship in the nation of Judah.

Commentary

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

Mattan the priest - The Targum will not prostitute the term priest, but calls him כומרא cumera, priestling.