2 Kings 11:1-6

Athaliah Queen of Judah

1 ¹When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose and destroyed all the royal offspring.

2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, ²took Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and placed him and his nurse in the bedroom *. So they hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death.

3 So he was hidden with her in the house of the LORD six years, while Athaliah was reigning over the land.

4 ³Now in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds of ⁴the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him in the house of the LORD. Then he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the LORD, and showed them the king's son.

5 He commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that you shall do: ⁵one third of you, who come in on the sabbath and keep watch over the king's house

6 (one third also shall be at the gate Sur, and one third at the gate behind the guards ), shall keep watch over the house for defense.

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2 Kings 11:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 2 KINGS 11

This chapter relates how that Joash the son of Ahaziah, king of Judah, being hid and preserved, when his grandmother murdered all the seed royal, after six years was produced, 2Ki 11:1-3, when Jehoiada the priest set a sufficient guard about him, and the king's house, and anointed him king, 2Ki 11:4-12, and Athaliah his grandmother, who had reigned six years, was put to death by the order of the priest, 2Ki 10:13-16, and then a covenant was made between the Lord, and the king, and the people, and between the king and the people; and he was placed on the throne, to the satisfaction of the people, and the quiet thereof, 2Ki 10:17-21.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 5

1. 2 Chronicles 22:10-12
2. 2 Kings 11:21; 2 Kings 12:1
3. 2 Chronicles 23:1-21
4. 2 Samuel 20:23; 2 Kings 11:19
5. 1 Chronicles 9:25

Footnotes 4

[a]. Lit "seed"
[b]. Lit "runners"
[c]. Lit "runners"
[d]. Lit "and shall"