2 Kings 11:3

3 He remained with her in the temple of Yahweh, hidden for six years [while] Athaliah was reigning over the land.

2 Kings 11:3 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 11:3

And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years,
&c.] In the temple; not in the holy of holies, as Jarchi, but in a chamber of the priests and Levites, of which there were several in a temple, as Kimchi, and others; and the husband of Jehosheba, being high priest, had one of them for his own use; and here the child was hid six years, so that he was but a year old when he was first taken and preserved, for he was made king when seven years of age, ( 2 Kings 11:21 ) ,

and Athaliah did reign over the land;
the only instance we hear of a woman reigning in Israel, and this was not by right, but by usurpation; and so, according to the Jewish canons, a woman might not rule; which thus runs ^F1, they do not set a woman in the kingdom, as it is said, ( Deuteronomy 17:15 ) , "a king over them", not a queen; and so, in all places of power and authority in Israel, they put in them none but a man.

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FOOTNOTES:

F1 Maimon. Hilchot Melachim, c. 1. sect. 5.

2 Kings 11:3 In-Context

1 Now Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, so she prepared to destroy all of the offspring of the royal family.

2 But Jehosheba the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah took Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, and she stole him from among the sons of the king who were being put to death, [putting] him and his nurse in the inner bedroom. So they hid him from the presence of Athaliah, and he was not killed.

3 He remained with her in the temple of Yahweh, hidden for six years [while] Athaliah was reigning over the land.

4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took the commanders of the hundreds of the Carites and the runners, and he brought them to himself to the temple of Yahweh. Then he {made} a covenant with them and made them swear in the house of Yahweh and showed them the son of the king.

5 He commanded them, saying, "This [is] the thing which you must do: one third of you {who go off duty on the Sabbath}, the keepers of the guard in the house of the king,