Chapter 11 tells a story we don't often hear in Sunday school. When King Ahaziah dies his mother, Athaliah, kills all her grandchildren and proclaims herself Queen of Judah. Sweet lady! But Ahaziah's sister hides one of the grandchildren, Joash. Seven years later the high priest crowns Joash and has Athaliah killed, along with the high priest of Baal. That's it. Anyway, Judah now has a seven year old king. That's the entire story but as you can see this version is rather long-winded.
1 Now when Athali′ah the mother of Ahazi′ah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. 2 But Jehosh′eba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahazi′ah, took Jo′ash the son of Ahazi′ah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be slain, and she put[a] him and his nurse in a bedchamber. Thus she[b] hid him from Athali′ah, so that he was not slain; 3 and he remained with her six years, hid in the house of the Lord, while Athali′ah reigned over the land.
Jehoiada Anoints the Child Joash
4 But in the seventh year Jehoi′ada sent and brought the captains of the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the Lord; and he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king’s son. 5 And he commanded them, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, those who come off duty on the sabbath and guard the king’s house 6 (another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards), shall guard the palace; 7 and the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the sabbath and guard the house of the Lord,[c] 8 shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand; and whoever approaches the ranks is to be slain. Be with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”
9 The captains did according to all that Jehoi′ada the priest commanded, and each brought his men who were to go off duty on the sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the sabbath, and came to Jehoi′ada the priest. 10 And the priest delivered to the captains the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of the Lord; 11 and the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house.[d] 12 Then he brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they proclaimed him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, “Long live the king!”
Death of Athaliah
13 When Athali′ah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the Lord to the people; 14 and when she looked, there was the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and blowing trumpets. And Athali′ah rent her clothes, and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 15 Then Jehoi′ada the priest commanded the captains who were set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks; and slay with the sword any one who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord.” 16 So they laid hands on her; and she went through the horses’ entrance to the king’s house, and there she was slain.
17 And Jehoi′ada made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord’s people; and also between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land went to the house of Ba′al, and tore it down; his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they slew Mattan the priest of Ba′al before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord. 19 And he took the captains, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land; and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through the gate of the guards to the king’s house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet after Athali′ah had been slain with the sword at the king’s house.
21 [e] Jeho′ash was seven years old when he began to reign.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 11:2 With 2 Chr 22.11: Heb lacks and she put
- 2 Kings 11:2 Gk Syr Vg Compare 2 Chr 22.11: Heb they
- 2 Kings 11:7 Heb the Lord to the king
- 2 Kings 11:11 Heb the house to the king
- 2 Kings 11:21 Ch 12.1 in Heb
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