2 Kings 11 Study Notes: Athaliah Falls and Joash Is Crowned
After Ahaziah’s death, his mother Athaliah seizes Judah’s throne and kills the royal heirs, but his sister Jehosheba hides the young Joash in the temple for six years. The priest Jehoiada then crowns the boy, Athaliah is executed, and the people renew their covenant with the LORD and destroy Baal’s temple.
General
Why did Jehoiada order the commanders to lead Athaliah out under guard before she was executed (2 Kings 11:13-16)?
Answer: He would not let her die inside the LORD’s temple
Hearing the shouting, Athaliah came into the temple courts and saw the young king standing beside the pillar, surrounded by officers and trumpeters while the people celebrated. She ripped her garments and cried out that this was treason (11:13-14), though she herself had taken the throne by murdering the royal heirs. Jehoiada ordered the officers to march her out flanked by soldiers and to kill anyone who followed her, because he had ruled that she was not to be killed inside the temple. They seized her where the horses entered the palace area, and she was executed there (11:15-16). The law likewise required that a deliberate murderer be taken away from God’s altar for execution (Exodus 21:14), and the LORD makes His justice known when the wicked are caught by their own deeds (Psalm 9:16).
- 2 Kings 11:14 (BSB)“And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!””Athaliah sees the crowned king, tears her clothes, and cries treason.
- 2 Kings 11:15-16 (BSB)“And Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.” So they seized Athaliah as she reached the horses’ entrance to the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.”Jehoiada has her taken out so that she is not killed in the temple, and she is executed at the palace.
- Exodus 21:14 (BSB)“But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.”The law required a willful murderer to be taken away from God’s altar before being executed.
- Psalm 9:16 (BSB)“The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion Selah”The LORD’s justice is seen when the wicked are caught by their own deeds, as Athaliah is.
Theological
What reason does the text give for Jehoiada having Athaliah marched out under guard before her execution (2 Kings 11:13-16)?
Answer: He would not let her die inside the LORD’s temple
Athaliah enters the temple courts, sees the crowned king by the pillar amid celebration, tears her clothes and cries treason (11:13-14), an ironic charge from one who seized the throne by bloodshed. Jehoiada has her marched out between the lines, with orders to kill any who come after her, explicitly because she is not to be killed within the temple; she is executed where the horses entered the palace grounds (11:15-16). The concern for the sanctuary agrees with the law that a willful murderer is to be taken even from the altar for execution (Exodus 21:14), and the outcome displays the LORD’s justice in ensnaring the wicked in their own work (Psalm 9:16).
- 2 Kings 11:14 (BSB)“And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!””Athaliah sees the crowned king, tears her clothes, and cries treason.
- 2 Kings 11:15-16 (BSB)“And Jehoiada the priest ordered the commanders of hundreds in charge of the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest had said, “She must not be put to death in the house of the LORD.” So they seized Athaliah as she reached the horses’ entrance to the palace grounds, and there she was put to death.”Jehoiada has her taken out so that she is not killed in the temple, and she is executed at the palace.
- Exodus 21:14 (BSB)“But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.”The law required a willful murderer to be taken away from God’s altar before being executed.
- Psalm 9:16 (BSB)“The LORD is known by the justice He brings; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands. Higgaion Selah”The LORD’s justice is seen when the wicked are caught by their own deeds, as Athaliah is.
General
True or False: After the covenant was made, the people demolished Baal’s temple and killed Mattan, Baal’s priest.
Answer: True
This is true. Baal was a Canaanite god whose worship Ahab had promoted in Israel, building him an altar in a temple in Samaria (1 Kings 16:31-32). Judah’s royal house had been drawn into Ahab’s ways when King Jehoram married Ahab’s daughter (8:18). After the covenant, the whole population went to Baal’s temple, demolished it, shattered its altars and images, and put Mattan, Baal’s priest, to death before those altars (11:18). God’s law had commanded Israel to destroy the altars and images of false gods (Deuteronomy 12:2-3). Belonging to the LORD meant turning from other gods.
- 2 Kings 11:18 (BSB)“So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD.”The people tear down Baal’s temple and kill Mattan its priest.
- 1 Kings 16:31-32 (BSB)“And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal. First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria.”Ahab served and worshiped Baal and built him an altar in the temple of Baal in Samaria.
- 2 Kings 8:18 (BSB)“And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.”Jehoram married Ahab’s daughter and walked in the ways of Ahab’s house.
- Deuteronomy 12:2-3 (BSB)“Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree. Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.”God commanded Israel to tear down the altars and idols of other gods.
Theological
True or False: The covenant renewal was followed by the destruction of Baal’s temple and the death of Mattan, its priest.
Answer: True
This is true. Baal worship, promoted in Israel by Ahab (1 Kings 16:31-32), had found a way into Judah once Jehoram married Ahab’s daughter and followed the conduct of Ahab’s house (8:18). The covenant is immediately followed by action: the people demolish Baal’s temple, break its altars and images, and kill Mattan its priest (11:18), in keeping with the Mosaic command to destroy the shrines of the nations’ gods (Deuteronomy 12:2-3). Covenant loyalty to the LORD necessarily means the repudiation of rival gods.
- 2 Kings 11:18 (BSB)“So all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and idols to pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars. And Jehoiada the priest posted guards for the house of the LORD.”The people tear down Baal’s temple and kill Mattan its priest.
- 1 Kings 16:31-32 (BSB)“And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then proceeded to serve and worship Baal. First, Ahab set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he had built in Samaria.”Ahab served and worshiped Baal and built him an altar in the temple of Baal in Samaria.
- 2 Kings 8:18 (BSB)“And Jehoram walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done. For he married a daughter of Ahab and did evil in the sight of the LORD.”Jehoram married Ahab’s daughter and walked in the ways of Ahab’s house.
- Deuteronomy 12:2-3 (BSB)“Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree. Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.”God commanded Israel to tear down the altars and idols of other gods.
General
How does the chapter describe Jerusalem once Joash was seated as king (2 Kings 11:19-21)?
Answer: The people were glad, and calm settled on the city
Jehoiada, the officers, the royal guards and the crowd escorted the young king from the temple to the palace, and Joash sat on the throne. The whole nation celebrated, and Jerusalem was calm now that Athaliah was dead. Joash was only seven when he began to reign (11:19-21). Proverbs describes this kind of scene: a people is glad when the righteous prosper and groans under wicked rulers (Proverbs 29:2), and the downfall of the wicked brings shouts of joy (Proverbs 11:10).
- 2 Kings 11:19-21 (BSB)“He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace by way of the Gate of the Guards. Then Joash took his seat on the royal throne, and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace. Joash was seven years old when he became king.”Joash is brought to the palace and enthroned, the people rejoice, and the city is quiet.
- Proverbs 29:2 (BSB)“When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”People rejoice under righteous rule and groan under the wicked, as Judah does after Athaliah.
- Proverbs 11:10 (BSB)“When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.”When the wicked perish there are shouts of joy, as Jerusalem rejoices here.
Theological
What was the state of Jerusalem after Joash was enthroned (2 Kings 11:19-21)?
Answer: The people were glad, and calm settled on the city
The procession brings the king from the temple to the palace, and Joash, only seven, is enthroned; the nation celebrates, and Jerusalem is calm now that Athaliah is dead (11:19-21). The scene matches the wisdom observation that a people is glad under righteous rule and groans under the wicked (Proverbs 29:2), and that the downfall of the wicked brings shouts of joy (Proverbs 11:10).
- 2 Kings 11:19-21 (BSB)“He took with him the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD and entered the royal palace by way of the Gate of the Guards. Then Joash took his seat on the royal throne, and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace. Joash was seven years old when he became king.”Joash is brought to the palace and enthroned, the people rejoice, and the city is quiet.
- Proverbs 29:2 (BSB)“When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”People rejoice under righteous rule and groan under the wicked, as Judah does after Athaliah.
- Proverbs 11:10 (BSB)“When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.”When the wicked perish there are shouts of joy, as Jerusalem rejoices here.
General
What covenant did Jehoiada make after Athaliah’s death (2 Kings 11:17)?
Answer: That king and people would belong to the LORD as His own
With Athaliah gone, Jehoiada led a covenant renewal. A covenant is a binding agreement; here the LORD, the new king and the nation were bound together so that Judah would once again belong to the LORD as His own. Jehoiada also bound the king and his subjects to each other (11:17). This returned Judah to the heart of what God had always called Israel to be. In Moses’ day the people declared that the LORD was their God, while the LORD declared them His treasured possession (Deuteronomy 26:17-18). Later King Josiah would also lead the whole nation into covenant with the LORD (23:3). The promise at the center of every covenant, that God belongs to His people and they belong to Him, finds its fullest expression in the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:33).
- 2 Kings 11:17 (BSB)“Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.”Jehoiada makes a covenant that the king and people would be the LORD’s people.
- Deuteronomy 26:17-18 (BSB)“Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice. And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,”Moses’ generation declared the LORD their God and were declared His people, the bond Jehoiada renews.
- 2 Kings 23:3 (BSB)“So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.”King Josiah later makes a covenant before the LORD, and all the people enter into it.
- Jeremiah 31:33 (BSB)““But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.”God’s covenant purpose is that He will be their God and they will be His people.
Theological
What was the substance of the covenant Jehoiada made after Athaliah’s fall (2 Kings 11:17)?
Answer: That king and people would belong to the LORD as His own
Jehoiada’s first act after Athaliah’s fall is covenant renewal, binding the LORD, Joash and the nation so that Judah would belong to the LORD, alongside a covenant between king and subjects (11:17). The restoration is theological before it is political, reaffirming the mutual declaration made in Moab (Deuteronomy 26:17-18) and anticipating Josiah’s later covenant (23:3). The formula of mutual belonging between God and His people is the substance of the covenant relationship and reaches its fullest form in the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:33).
- 2 Kings 11:17 (BSB)“Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD’s people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.”Jehoiada makes a covenant that the king and people would be the LORD’s people.
- Deuteronomy 26:17-18 (BSB)“Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice. And today the LORD has proclaimed that you are His people and treasured possession as He promised, that you are to keep all His commandments,”Moses’ generation declared the LORD their God and were declared His people, the bond Jehoiada renews.
- 2 Kings 23:3 (BSB)“So the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant before the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, decrees, and statutes with all his heart and all his soul, and to carry out the words of the covenant that were written in this book. And all the people entered into the covenant.”King Josiah later makes a covenant before the LORD, and all the people enter into it.
- Jeremiah 31:33 (BSB)““But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people.”God’s covenant purpose is that He will be their God and they will be His people.
General
True or False: Jehoiada armed the commanders with weapons that had once belonged to King David and were kept in the temple.
Answer: True
This is true. Jehoiada the priest handed the officers King David’s own spears and shields, which were stored in the temple. The guards then took their places, armed, all around the young king, across the whole width of the temple (11:10-11). The scene is fitting: weapons once used by David now protected the last surviving son of David’s line, the heir through whom the LORD would keep His promise that David would never lack a lamp in Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 8:19).
- 2 Kings 11:10-11 (BSB)“Then the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David from the house of the LORD. And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.”Jehoiada gives the commanders David’s spears and shields, and the guards surround the king.
- 2 Kings 8:19 (BSB)“Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”The LORD had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever, the promise this guarded heir carries forward.
- 1 Kings 11:36 (BSB)“I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name.”The LORD promised that David would always have a lamp before Him in Jerusalem.
Theological
True or False: The commanders guarding Joash were equipped with King David’s weapons, which had been stored in the temple.
Answer: True
This is true. Jehoiada distributes King David’s spears and shields from the temple to the officers, who then ring the king near the altar (11:10-11). The image is apt: David’s own weapons now guard the one surviving Davidic heir, through whom the LORD keeps His promise of an enduring lamp for David in Jerusalem (1 Kings 11:36; 2 Kings 8:19).
- 2 Kings 11:10-11 (BSB)“Then the priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and shields of King David from the house of the LORD. And the guards stood with weapons in hand surrounding the king by the altar and the temple, from the south side to the north side of the temple.”Jehoiada gives the commanders David’s spears and shields, and the guards surround the king.
- 2 Kings 8:19 (BSB)“Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”The LORD had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever, the promise this guarded heir carries forward.
- 1 Kings 11:36 (BSB)“I will give one tribe to his son, so that My servant David will always have a lamp before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I chose to put My Name.”The LORD promised that David would always have a lamp before Him in Jerusalem.
General
After six years of Athaliah’s rule, what did Jehoiada the priest do when he brought the military commanders into the temple (2 Kings 11:4)?
Answer: He bound them by covenant and oath and showed them the prince
After six years of Athaliah’s rule, Jehoiada the priest called the officers of the royal guard into the temple. He bound them by a covenant (a solemn agreement) and had them swear an oath, and only then did he reveal the hidden prince (11:4). He gave careful orders: the guard units changing shifts on the Sabbath were divided so that both the palace and the temple were covered, and the men were to form an armed ring around the young king and kill anyone who tried to break through (11:5-8). The officers carried out every instruction (11:9). The overthrow of Athaliah was carefully planned before it was carried out, as Proverbs advises for any battle (Proverbs 20:18; 24:6).
- 2 Kings 11:4 (BSB)“Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son”Jehoiada brings the commanders into the temple, binds them by covenant and oath, and shows them the king’s son.
- 2 Kings 11:8-9 (BSB)“You must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who approaches the ranks must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.” So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest.”The guards are to surround the king, and the commanders do all that Jehoiada orders.
- Proverbs 24:6 (BSB)“Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.”War is to be waged with sound guidance, and Jehoiada’s plan is carefully laid before it is carried out.
- Proverbs 20:18 (BSB)“Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.”Plans are to be made with counsel and war waged under sound guidance, as Jehoiada’s careful orders show.
Theological
How does Jehoiada begin the move against Athaliah when he brings the commanders into the temple (2 Kings 11:4)?
Answer: He bound them by covenant and oath and showed them the prince
Jehoiada summons the officers of the guard into the temple, binds them by covenant and oath, and only then reveals the prince (11:4). His orders use the Sabbath change of the guard so that both palace and temple are covered and the king is ringed by armed men (11:5-8), and the officers carry them out in full (11:9). The move is deliberate and carefully ordered, in keeping with the wisdom that war be waged under sound guidance (Proverbs 20:18; 24:6).
- 2 Kings 11:4 (BSB)“Then in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent for the commanders of hundreds, the Carites, and the guards, and had them brought into the house of the LORD. There he made a covenant with them and put them under oath. He showed them the king’s son”Jehoiada brings the commanders into the temple, binds them by covenant and oath, and shows them the king’s son.
- 2 Kings 11:8-9 (BSB)“You must surround the king with weapons in hand, and anyone who approaches the ranks must be put to death. You must stay close to the king wherever he goes.” So the commanders of hundreds did everything that Jehoiada the priest had ordered. Each of them took his men—those coming on duty on the Sabbath and those going off duty—and came to Jehoiada the priest.”The guards are to surround the king, and the commanders do all that Jehoiada orders.
- Proverbs 24:6 (BSB)“Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.”War is to be waged with sound guidance, and Jehoiada’s plan is carefully laid before it is carried out.
- Proverbs 20:18 (BSB)“Set plans by consultation, and wage war under sound guidance.”Plans are to be made with counsel and war waged under sound guidance, as Jehoiada’s careful orders show.
General
Along with the crown, what did Jehoiada present to Joash when he made him king (2 Kings 11:12)?
Answer: The Testimony
Jehoiada led the prince out, set the crown on his head, gave him the Testimony, and declared him king. Then he was anointed (oil was poured on him to mark him as the LORD’s chosen king), and the crowd clapped and shouted their wish for the king’s long life (11:12). The verse does not say what the Testimony contained. Many readers take it to be a written copy of God’s covenant law, which would fit the law for Israel’s kings: the king was to keep a copy of God’s instruction and read it all his life (Deuteronomy 17:18-19). The people’s acclaim echoes the anointing of Solomon (1 Kings 1:39).
- 2 Kings 11:12 (BSB)“Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!””Jehoiada crowns Joash, gives him the Testimony, and the people acclaim the anointed king.
- Deuteronomy 17:18-19 (BSB)“When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.”Israel’s king was to keep a copy of God’s instruction and read it all his life.
- 1 Kings 1:39 (BSB)“Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!””Solomon was likewise anointed by a priest and acclaimed by the people.
Theological
Besides crowning him, what does Jehoiada give Joash at his coronation (2 Kings 11:12)?
Answer: The Testimony
Jehoiada crowns the prince, gives him the Testimony, and declares him king; he is anointed, and the people clap and acclaim him (11:12). The verse does not specify what the Testimony contained. Many readers take it as a copy of the covenant law, which would accord with Deuteronomy’s requirement that the king keep and read God’s instruction all his days (Deuteronomy 17:18-19). The coronation echoes Solomon’s anointing by a priest and acclamation by the people (1 Kings 1:39).
- 2 Kings 11:12 (BSB)“Then Jehoiada brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, presented him with the Testimony, and proclaimed him king. They anointed him, and the people clapped their hands and declared, “Long live the king!””Jehoiada crowns Joash, gives him the Testimony, and the people acclaim the anointed king.
- Deuteronomy 17:18-19 (BSB)“When he is seated on his royal throne, he must write for himself a copy of this instruction on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes.”Israel’s king was to keep a copy of God’s instruction and read it all his life.
- 1 Kings 1:39 (BSB)“Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!””Solomon was likewise anointed by a priest and acclaimed by the people.
General
When Athaliah set out to wipe out Judah’s royal family, who rescued young Joash and hid him (2 Kings 11:1-3)?
Answer: Jehosheba, King Joram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister
After Ahaziah king of Judah was killed, his mother Athaliah set out to destroy every member of the royal family who could claim the throne (11:1). But Jehosheba, Joram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister, took Ahaziah’s little son Joash away from the other princes before they were killed. She concealed the boy along with the woman nursing him in a bedroom, and afterward Joash stayed hidden in the temple for six years, all through Athaliah’s reign over the land (11:2-3). Like the baby Moses, whose mother kept him hidden as a baby (Exodus 2:2), this child survived because a woman acted with courage. Scripture pictures God sheltering His people in His own dwelling in times of trouble (Psalm 27:5), and here the LORD’s house literally became the hiding place of David’s heir.
- 2 Kings 11:2-3 (BSB)“But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed. And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.”Jehosheba rescues Joash from the purge and keeps him hidden in the temple for six years.
- Exodus 2:2 (BSB)“and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.”Moses’ mother hid her baby son, another child kept alive through a woman’s courage.
- Psalm 27:5 (BSB)“For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.”The psalmist trusts God to hide him in His shelter in the day of trouble, as Joash was literally hidden in the temple.
Theological
Who preserved Joash from Athaliah’s purge of the royal family (2 Kings 11:1-3)?
Answer: Jehosheba, King Joram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister
Athaliah answers her son Ahaziah’s death by setting out to wipe out the royal line (11:1). Jehosheba, Joram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister, takes the young Joash from among the princes marked for death, conceals him with his nurse, and keeps him hidden in the temple through six years of Athaliah’s rule (11:2-3). As with the hidden infant Moses (Exodus 2:2), the LORD preserves His purposes through the courage of a single woman, and the temple becomes the literal shelter of which the psalmist sings (Psalm 27:5).
- 2 Kings 11:2-3 (BSB)“But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed. And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.”Jehosheba rescues Joash from the purge and keeps him hidden in the temple for six years.
- Exodus 2:2 (BSB)“and she conceived and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid him for three months.”Moses’ mother hid her baby son, another child kept alive through a woman’s courage.
- Psalm 27:5 (BSB)“For in the day of trouble He will hide me in His shelter; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will set me high upon a rock.”The psalmist trusts God to hide him in His shelter in the day of trouble, as Joash was literally hidden in the temple.
General
Why was the rescue of Joash so important in light of the LORD’s promises to David (2 Kings 11:2; 8:19)?
Answer: He was the one royal heir saved, so David’s line was not cut off
The LORD had made a covenant (a binding promise) with David that his royal house and throne would last forever (2 Samuel 7:16). Even when Judah’s kings did evil, the LORD refused to destroy Judah for David’s sake, because of His pledge to keep a lamp burning for David’s family line (8:19). Athaliah’s purge threatened to put out that lamp entirely. Yet one son of Ahaziah was rescued and hidden (11:2), so the line of David continued. The LORD had sworn that one of David’s descendants would sit on his throne (Psalm 132:11), and He kept His word through an act of hidden courage.
- 2 Kings 11:2 (BSB)“But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed.”Joash alone is taken from among the king’s sons and hidden.
- 2 Samuel 7:16 (BSB)“Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.””The LORD promised that David’s house, kingdom and throne would endure forever.
- 2 Kings 8:19 (BSB)“Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”The LORD would not destroy Judah because He had promised David a lamp, which Joash’s survival preserves.
- Psalm 132:11 (BSB)“The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.”The LORD swore to David that one of his descendants would sit on his throne.
Theological
What is the covenantal significance of Joash’s survival (2 Kings 11:2; 8:19)?
Answer: He was the one royal heir saved, so David’s line was not cut off
The Davidic covenant guaranteed David a perpetual house and throne (2 Samuel 7:16), and the narrator had earlier explained Judah’s survival under wicked kings by the LORD’s pledge to keep David’s lamp burning (8:19). Athaliah’s attempt to exterminate the royal line therefore struck at the promise itself. The rescue of a single heir (11:2) shows the LORD keeping His covenant even when the line is reduced to one hidden child, in faithfulness to His sworn oath that a descendant of David would sit on his throne (Psalm 132:11).
- 2 Kings 11:2 (BSB)“But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed.”Joash alone is taken from among the king’s sons and hidden.
- 2 Samuel 7:16 (BSB)“Your house and kingdom will endure forever before Me, and your throne will be established forever.””The LORD promised that David’s house, kingdom and throne would endure forever.
- 2 Kings 8:19 (BSB)“Yet for the sake of His servant David, the LORD was unwilling to destroy Judah, since He had promised to maintain a lamp for David and his descendants forever.”The LORD would not destroy Judah because He had promised David a lamp, which Joash’s survival preserves.
- Psalm 132:11 (BSB)“The LORD swore an oath to David, a promise He will not revoke: “One of your descendants I will place on your throne.”The LORD swore to David that one of his descendants would sit on his throne.