2Kings 11 comments

 

2Kings 11:1 ¶  And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. 2  But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king’s sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain. 3  And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.

Let’s review the past reference to Athaliah.

2Kings 8:26  Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

She attempts to consolidate power for herself by these wicked murders, even of her grandchildren. We’ll learn later in 2Chronicles that this job had been partially done for her by others but we’ll save Chronicles for later, at which time I will refer back to events reported in Kings.

Jehosheba is Ahaziah’s sister and the priest, Jehoiada’s wife (2Chronicles 22:11). For six years while the wicked queen rules over Judah, the young man is hidden from her. It would not be so hard to do in a big household as long as servants were in on the scheme to protect him as Athaliah was clearly a tyrant and obviously hated, as we will see.  

2Kings 11:4 ¶  And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king’s son. 5  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; 6  And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down. 7  And two parts of all you that go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD about the king. 8  And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in. 9  And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10  And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David’s spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD. 11  And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple. 12  And he brought forth the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.

Finally, the child is presented as the rightful king by the priest, Jehoiada, who has secured the proclamation lest loyal stalwarts of wicked queen Athaliah attack. So, they proclaim after the crown is placed on the young boy’s head, God save the king.

2Kings 11:13 ¶  And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. 14  And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason. 15  But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. 16  And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king’s house: and there was she slain.

This nasty piece of work, Queen Athaliah, hears the tumult and she rushes to the temple. She screams treason. The queen is executed after being dragged out of the temple. Her short reign is over. Clearly, she was hated and the people rejoiced at the events that transpired.

2Kings 11:17 ¶  And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD’S people; between the king also and the people. 18  And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD. 19  And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house. And he sat on the throne of the kings. 20  And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king’s house. 21  Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.

This seven year old is placed on the throne and allegiance is sworn to him. The house of Baal is broken down. It looks like a new era or repentance and turning to God could take place. Does it?

2Chronicles 23:16  And Jehoiada made a covenant between him, and between all the people, and between the king, that they should be the LORD’S people. 17  Then all the people went to the house of Baal, and brake it down, and brake his altars and his images in pieces, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. 18  Also Jehoiada appointed the offices of the house of the LORD by the hand of the priests the Levites, whom David had distributed in the house of the LORD, to offer the burnt offerings of the LORD, as it is written in the law of Moses, with rejoicing and with singing, as it was ordained by David. 19  And he set the porters at the gates of the house of the LORD, that none which was unclean in any thing should enter in. 20  And he took the captains of hundreds, and the nobles, and the governors of the people, and all the people of the land, and brought down the king from the house of the LORD: and they came through the high gate into the king’s house, and set the king upon the throne of the kingdom. 21  And all the people of the land rejoiced: and the city was quiet, after that they had slain Athaliah with the sword.

 

Jehoash will also be called the shorter Joash, according to Strong’s, from the same meaning in Hebrew, “given by the Lord”. Let me know if you disagree with any calculations I've made based on the text of the King James Bible.