2 Kings 11:2

2 And Jehosheba, the daughter of king Jehoram , (and) the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash , the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from the midst of the sons of the king, that were slain (who were killed); and she (also) took the nurse of him from the house of three stages; and she hid him from the face of Athaliah, so that he were not slain.

2 Kings 11:2 Meaning and Commentary

2 Kings 11:2

But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram
Not by Athaliah, but another woman; for an high priest, as her husband was, would not have married the daughter of such an idolatrous woman, nor would she have married her to him:

sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from
among the king's sons which were slain:
among whom he lay; either being cast there by the murderer, or her associates, supposed to be dead, or by his nurse, that he might be thought to be so, who acquainting his aunt with it, went and privately took him away:

and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from
Athaliah, so that he was not slain;
that is, Jehosheba and her husband hid him and his nurse in a bedchamber; or "chamber of beds" F25, in which there were more beds than one; one of the chambers of the priests and Levites in the temple, that is, which were adjoining to it; for into the sanctuary itself it was not usual to bring beds F26; wherefore

the house of the Lord,
in the next verse, must be understood largely as including all the appendages of it.


FOOTNOTES:

F25 (twjmh rdxb) "in cubiculo lectorum", Pagninus, Montanus. So Sept. &c.
F26 T. Bab. Tamid, c. 1. fol. 26. 2.

2 Kings 11:2 In-Context

1 Forsooth Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw (that) her son (was) dead, and she rose up, and killed all the seed of the king (and killed all of the king's descendants).
2 And Jehosheba, the daughter of king Jehoram , (and) the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash , the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from the midst of the sons of the king, that were slain (who were killed); and she (also) took the nurse of him from the house of three stages; and she hid him from the face of Athaliah, so that he were not slain.
3 And he was with her in the house of the Lord privily six years (And he was hid with her in the House of the Lord for six years). Forsooth Athaliah reigned upon the land six years.
4 But in the seventh year Jehoiada, the priest, sent, and took (the) chieftains upon hundreds, and (the) knights, and he brought them to him into the temple of the Lord; and covenanted with them a bond of peace (and made a covenant with them), and he made them to swear in the temple of the Lord, and showed to them the son of the king.
5 And he commanded to them, and said, This is the word, that ye ought to do; the third part of you enter in (on) the sabbath day, and keep ye the watches of the king's house; (And he commanded to them, and said, This is the thing, that ye ought to do; a third part of you be on duty on the sabbath day, and keep ye watch over, or guard, the palace;)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.