After her son Ahaziah's death, Athaliah seized power by destroying the royal seed, but Joash, the infant son of Ahaziah, was secretly hidden in the house of the LORD for six years. In the seventh year, Jehoiada the priest orchestrated a coup, revealing Joash and crowning him king in the temple. Athaliah was subsequently captured and executed, and the people destroyed the house of Baal. Joash, at seven years old, began his reign, restoring legitimate rule to Judah.
But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bedchamber from Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
¶ And the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD, and made a covenant with them, and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and shewed them the king's son.
And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that ye shall do; A third part of you that enter in on the sabbath shall even be keepers of the watch of the king's house;
And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the guard: so shall ye keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down.
And ye shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that cometh within the ranges, let him be slain: and be ye with the king as he goeth out and as he cometh in.
And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest.
And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right corner of the temple to the left corner of the temple, along by the altar and the temple.
And he brought forth the king's son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, God save the king.
And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.
But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.
¶ And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S people; between the king also and the people.
And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.
And he took the rulers over hundreds, and the captains, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of the LORD, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king's house. And he sat on the throne of the kings.
Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
Study Notes for 2 Kings 11
Verse 1
Athaliah, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, attempts to secure her power by eradicating the entire Davidic royal line, aiming to extinguish the covenant promise made to David (2 Sam 7).
Verse 2
Jehosheba, sister of the deceased king Ahaziah, was married to the high priest Jehoiada. Her courageous act of hiding Joash preserved the legitimate Davidic heir, a crucial moment for salvation history.
Verse 3
Hiding Joash in the inner chambers of the Temple for six years demonstrates the powerful refuge the sanctuary provided and the pivotal role Jehoiada, the high priest, played in protecting the rightful kingship.
Verse 4
Jehoiada strategically chose the seventh year, coordinating with the military leaders (rulers over hundreds) and using the Temple as the secure location for the covenant and oath of loyalty.
Verse 5
The plan was based on the rotation of the Temple guard on the Sabbath, ensuring that a large, loyal, and armed force was present within the complex without arousing the suspicions of Athaliah’s regime.
Verse 10
The spears and shields of King David, stored in the Temple treasury, symbolize the continuity and legitimacy of the Davidic dynasty, equipping the guards with sacred authority for the rebellion.
Verse 12
The ceremony included three key actions: placing the crown (symbol of monarchy), giving him the testimony (the Law, signifying rule under God’s covenant), and anointing him (consecration by the priest).
Verse 14
The king stood 'by a pillar,' likely a designated royal station in the Temple courtyard. Athaliah’s cry of 'Treason' is ironic, as she was the true usurper who had broken the covenant order.
Verse 15
Jehoiada was careful not to defile the sanctity of the Temple by shedding royal blood within its walls, maintaining ritual purity even during an act of political justice.
Verse 17
Jehoiada initiated a dual covenant: a religious covenant re-establishing Yahweh as supreme God, and a political covenant between the king and the people, securing loyalty and good governance.
Verse 18
The immediate destruction of the house of Baal and the execution of its priest, Mattan, marked a decisive and violent end to the influence of Phoenician Baal worship in Judah.
Verse 21
Joash (Jehoash) was only seven years old, meaning the stability and direction of the kingdom rested entirely upon the faithful leadership of the priest Jehoiada during his minority.
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