2 Kings 11:1-9

1 Now when Athaliah, Ahaziah's mother, saw that her son was dead, she set about to destroy all the royal family.

2 But Jehosheba, King Joram's daughter, Ahaziah's sister, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king's children who were about to be killed; she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus she hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not killed;

3 he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land.

4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada summoned the captains of the Carites and of the guards and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. He made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord; then he showed them the king's son.

5 He commanded them, "This is what you are to do: one-third of you, those who go 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 your two divisions that come on duty in force on the sabbath and guard the house of the Lord

8 shall surround the king, each with weapons in hand; and whoever approaches the ranks is to be killed. Be with the king in his comings and goings."

9 The captains did according to all that the priest Jehoiada commanded; 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 the priest Jehoiada.

2 Kings 11:1-9 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.

Footnotes

• [a]. With 2 Chr 22.11: Heb lacks [she put]
• [b]. Gk Syr Vg Compare 2 Chr 22.11: Heb [they]
• [c]. Heb [the Lord to the king]