The Meaning of 2 Kings 11:5 Explained

2 Kings 11:5

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;

YLT: and commandeth them, saying, 'This is the thing that ye do; The third of you are going in on the sabbath, and keepers of the charge of the house of the king,

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;

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;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

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; 

What does 2 Kings 11:5 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 11:1-12 - Crowning The Boy-King
Athaliah well deserves the title given her in 2 Chronicles 24:7. She usurped the throne, and played in Judah the part of her mother Jezebel. Joram was a wicked man and a bad king, but he recognized the value of piety, and chose the good priest Jehoiada as the husband of his daughter. The husband neutralized the evil influences of his wife's upbringing and led her into a noble and useful career, the chief episode of which was the rescue of the youngest son of Ahaziah. His nurse and he were hidden in a room where the mattresses were kept in case of a sudden influx of priests at festal times. Is not this hidden king a type of the hiding of the true Prince in the recesses of our hearts, while some Athaliah occupies too large a share of government? There is no alternative but that the evil self-life, our Athaliah, should be stoned.
It was a glad moment when the hidden prince was produced. Many loyal hearts had renounced all hope of again seeing a scion of David's line. But God kept His promise. The Word of God was a befitting gift to place in the hands of the young prince, 2 Kings 11:12. Compare Deuteronomy 17:18-19. But what a revelation will it be when Jesus assumes the government of the earth, and its kingdoms become the kingdom of God and His Christ! He is now hidden, but He shall be manifested, Colossians 3:4. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 11

1  Jehoash, being saved by Jehosheba his aunt from Athaliah's massacre,
3  is hidden six years in the house of God
13  Jehoiada, giving order to the captains, in the seventh year anoints him king
17  Jehoiada restores the worship of God

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 11:5 mean?

And he commanded them saying this [is] the thing what you shall do a third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath and shall be keeping watch over house of the king
וַיְצַוֵּ֣ם לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֥ה הַדָּבָ֖ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּעֲשׂ֑וּן הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֤ית מִכֶּם֙ בָּאֵ֣י הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת וְשֹׁ֣מְרֵ֔י מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת בֵּ֥ית הַמֶּֽלֶךְ

וַיְצַוֵּ֣ם  And  he  commanded  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
זֶ֥ה  this  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הַדָּבָ֖ר  the  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
תַּעֲשׂ֑וּן  you  shall  do 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֤ית  a  third 
Parse: Article, Number, ordinal feminine singular
Root: שְׁלִישִׁי 
Sense: third, one third, third part, third time.
מִכֶּם֙  of  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
בָּאֵ֣י  who  come  on  duty 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
הַשַּׁבָּ֔ת  on  the  Sabbath 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שַׁבָּת  
Sense: Sabbath.
וְשֹׁ֣מְרֵ֔י  and  shall  be  keeping 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
מִשְׁמֶ֖רֶת  watch  over 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִשְׁמֶרֶת  
Sense: guard, charge, function, obligation, service, watch.
בֵּ֥ית  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַמֶּֽלֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.