Charles Ellicott Commentary 2 Chronicles 23:16

"And Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, and all the people, and the king, that they should be Jehovah`s people." — 2 Chronicles 23:16 (ASV)

RENEWAL OF THE THEOCRATIC COVENANT AND ABOLITION OF BAAL-WORSHIP (2 Chronicles 23:16–21).

A covenant between ... the king.—A slight but characteristic variation from 2 Kings 11:17: “the covenant between Jehovah and the king and the people, that they should become a people for Jehovah.”

Between him.—Or rather, himself. The high priest is thus regarded as representing Jehovah in the transaction, and the apparent irreverence of making the Deity a direct co-partner with men in a compact is avoided.

Be the Lord’s people.—Literally, become a people for Jehovah. Kings adds: “and between the king and the people,” a not unimportant clause, for it relates to certain limitations of the royal prerogative, which were usually agreed upon at the beginning of a reign (2 Samuel 3:21; 2 Samuel 5:3; 1 Samuel 10:25).