(11) Now.--And.

At what time the chest was brought.--Literally, at the time when one used to bring the chest to the royal inspection (or, to the king's officers p?qudd?h), by the hand of the Levites; i.e., whenever the chest was brought, &c.

The chronicler, as usual, is careful to record the participation of the Levites in the business.

The king's scribe and the high priest's officer came and emptied the chest.--Rather, the king's scribe (or accountant) and the high priest's officer would come in and empty the chest; and they (i.e., the Levites) would take it up and restore it to its place.

Kings has: "The king's scribe and the high priest came up, and bound up and counted the money that was found in the house of the Lord." The substitution of "the high priest's officer" for "the high priest" seems to be made in the interest of the high priest's dignity. In the time of the chronicler the high priesthood was invested with all the greater majesty in that the monarchy was a thing of the distant past.

Day by day.--That is, time after time, as often as the chest seemed full (l?yom b?yom). The Hebrew phrase only occurs here. (Comp. 1Chronicles 12:22.)

Verse 11. - Unto the king's office. Not "office" in the modern technical business sense; the meaning is the care, charge, or custody of the king, the Hebrew word being פְקֻדַּת; nor does this necessitate the supposition of the personal care of the king. The body of this verse leaves it quite open to possibility, in harmony with the usage of the Hebrew language and its idiom, that the process described took place, if necessary, more than once in a day, and, on the other hand, not necessarily every evening. The change of the number of the verb in "they emptied," etc., and the apparent statement that those who emptied also carried back the chest, betoken that while the king's scribe (1 Kings 4:3) and the high priest's officer stood by, the usual Levite functionaries did the work. The phrase, day by day, is not necessarily equivalent to every evening, but to time after time.

24:1-14 Joash is more zealous about the repair of the temple than Jehoiada himself. It is easier to build temples, than to be temples to God. But the repairing of places for public worship is a good work, which all should promote. And many a good work would be done that now lies undone, if active men would put it forward.Now it came to pass, that at what time the chest was brought unto the king's office by the hand of the Levites,.... The place where his officer or officers met, appointed for this service; very probably in one of the chambers of the temple,

and when they saw that there was much money: see 2 Kings 12:10,

the king's scribe; or secretary:

and the high priest's officer; his "sagan", or deputy priest:

came and emptied the chest; poured out the money, and told it, and put it up in bags, 2 Kings 12:10 and took it, and carried it to its place again, 2 Chronicles 24:8, by the hands of the Levites that brought it:

and thus they did day by day; as often as the chest was full, or they perceived there was much in it:

and gathered money in abundance; enough to repair the house, ornament it, and furnish it with vessels that were wanting.