מלכים ב, פרק י״א, פסוק ז׳

An unprecedented security operation unfolds inside the Temple to protect the young king on the day of his coronation. To navigate this highly sensitive and dangerous political moment, the defense plan takes advantage of the weekly shift change of the Priests and Levites on the Sabbath. By coordinating the transition between the incoming and outgoing shifts, the security detail around the king is effectively doubled.

Two-thirds of the security force consists of the outgoing personnel who have just completed their weekly service. Instead of returning home for the week, they remain on the Temple grounds to serve as the primary defense force [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They are specifically chosen for this task because they are now free from their regular Temple duties. In contrast, the incoming shift must manage the ongoing daily service and cannot spare all its members to guard the king [מצודת דוד]. Another perspective suggests that these outgoing guards do not act alone; rather, they join forces with the two-thirds of the guards already stationed at the various Temple gates, creating an even more heavily fortified defense network [רש״י].

The specific mission of these guards is to secure the Temple entirely for the sake of the young king [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Their goal is to prevent his enemies from breaking into the grounds and to ensure that absolutely no harm comes to him from within the Temple [אברבנאל]. Mobilizing all the shifts in this manner is not a permanent protocol, but rather a one-time security measure required for this critical first Sabbath. This intense level of protection is maintained only until Queen Athaliah is killed and her supporters flee the city [רש״י].