Melachim Bais 11:1

1 1 And when Atalyah em Achazyahu saw that her ben was dead, she arose and destroyed kol zera hamamlachah.

Melachim Bais 11:1 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 11:1

And when Athaiah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son
was dead
Who was the daughter of Ahab, and granddaughter of Omri ( 2 Kings 8:18 2 Kings 8:26 ) , she arose,

and destroyed all the seed royal;
that were left, for many had been slain already; the sons of Jehoshaphat, the brothers of Joram, were slain by him, ( 2 Chronicles 21:4 ) and all Joram's sons, excepting Ahaziah, were slain by the Arabians, ( 2 Chronicles 22:1 ) , and the sons of the brethren of Ahaziah were slain by Jehu, ( 2 Kings 11:8 ) , these therefore seem to be the children of Ahaziah, the grandchildren of this brutish woman, whom she massacred out of her ambition of rule and government, which perhaps she was intrusted with while her son went to visit Joram king of Israel; other reasons are by some assigned, but this seems to be the chief. For the same reason Laodice, who had six sons by Ariarathes king of the Cappadocians, poisoned five of them; the youngest escaping her hands, was murdered by the people ^F24, as this woman also was.

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FOOTNOTES:

F24 Justin. e Trogo, l. 37. c. 1.

Melachim Bais 11:1 In-Context

1 1 And when Atalyah em Achazyahu saw that her ben was dead, she arose and destroyed kol zera hamamlachah.

2 But Yehosheva Bat HaMelech Yoram, achot Achazyahu, took Yoash ben Achazyahu, and stole him from among the Bnei HaMelech which were being slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the cheder hamittot (bedroom) from Atalyah, so that he was not slain.

3 And he was with her hid in the Beis Hashem shesh shanim. And Atalyah did reign over HaAretz.

4 And the seventh year Yehoyada sent and got the commanders of hundreds, with the Kereti and [Peleti] bodyguard [of HaMelech] and brought them to him into the Beis Hashem, and made a Brit with them, and put them under oath in the Beis Hashem, and showed them the Ben HaMelech.

5 And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; a third part of you that come on duty on Shabbos shall even be Shomrei Mishmeret Bais HaMelech (Guards on duty at the Royal Palace);