All the people of the land... the city. — Thenius calls this an “evident contrast between the soldiery and the. citizens; the former exulting in their work, the latter not lifting a finger while the idolatrous tyrant was being put to death “ (connecting the first half of the verse with the second; after Ewald). But his assumption that “all the people of the land,” here and in 2 Kings 11:14, means “the soldiery” (“die ganze in Jerusalem anwesende Kriegerische Landesmannschaft — Die Kriegsmannschaft”) is certainly wrong. “The people of the land” are plainly opposed to the royal guards — “the Praetorians” — who effected the revolution, as civilians to soldiers.
The city was in quiet. — The citizens of Jerusalem accepted the revolution without attempting any counter movement. No doubt there was a strong element of Baal-worshippers and partisans of Athaliah in the capital. “The people of the land” (i.e., probably, the people whom the centurions had called together from the country, at the instance of Jehoiada, according to 2 Chronicles 23:2) are contrasted with the burghers of Jerusalem. The phrase, “the city was in quiet” (or “had rest,” Judges 5:31), may, however, possibly refer to the deliverance from the tyranny of Athaliah.
And they slew Athaliah. — Rather, and Athaliah they had slain; an emphatic recurrence to the real climax of the story (2 Kings 11:16), by way of conclusion.
Beside. — Rather, in, i.e., within the palace enclosure.