Kings II 11:20

20 then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and he shall say to thee, Why did ye draw nigh to the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from off the wall?

Kings II 11:20 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 11:20

And all the people of the land rejoiced
That one of the house of David was set upon the throne, which they might fear was extinct, as it very near was; the lamp of David was almost quenched, only this single life left, from whom a line of kings proceeded, and the King Messiah; the promise of God cannot fail see ( Psalms 132:11 Psalms 132:17 ) , this occasioned great joy:

and the city was quiet:
was very easy at, yea, pleased with, the dethroning and death of Athaliah; there was no tumult on account thereof, nor such disturbances as she occasioned in her life:

and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house;
as related in ( 2 Kings 11:16 ) where she was buried, or what became of her carcass, is not said; some have thought she was cast into the brook Kidron, because Josephus says ^F8 Jehoiada ordered her to be had into that valley, and there slain.

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FOOTNOTES:

F8 Antiqu. l. 9. c. 7. sect. 3.

Kings II 11:20 In-Context

18 And Joab sent, and reported to David all the events of the war, so as to tell them to the king.

19 And he charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast finished reporting all the events of the war to the king,

20 then it shall come to pass if the anger of the king shall arise, and he shall say to thee, Why did ye draw nigh to the city to fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from off the wall?

21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal son of Ner? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from above the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall? then thou shalt say, Thy servant Urias the Chettite is also dead.

22 And the messenger of Joab went to the king to Jerusalem, and he came and reported to David all that Joab told him, all the affairs of the war. And David was very angry with Joab, and said to the messenger, Why did ye draw nigh to the wall to fight? knew ye not that ye would be wounded from off the wall? Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerobaal? did not a woman cast upon him a piece of millstone from the wall, and he died in Thamasi? why did ye draw near to the wall?