2 Kings 11:1-12

2 Kings 11:1-12

[1] And when Athaliah  the mother  of Ahaziah  saw  that her son  was dead,  she arose  and destroyed  all the seed  royal.  [2] 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.  [3] And he was with her hid  in the house  of the LORD  six  years.  And Athaliah  did reign  over the land.  [4] 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.  [5] 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;  [6] 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.  [7] And two  parts  of all you that go forth  on the sabbath,  even they shall keep  the watch  of the house  of the LORD  about  the king.  [8] 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.  [9] And the captains  over the hundreds  did  according to all things that Jehoiada  the priest  commanded:  and they took  every man  that were to come in  on the sabbath,  with them that should go out  on the sabbath,  and came  to Jehoiada  the priest.  [10] And to the captains  over hundreds  did the priest  give  king  David's  spears  and shields,  that were in the temple  of the LORD.  [11] 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.  [12] 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. 

What does 2 Kings 11:1-12 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Athaliah was the mother of the Judean king Ahaziah, whom Jehu assassinated ( 2 Kings 9:27-29). She was a daughter of Ahab and Jezebel and the sister of the Israelite kings Ahaziah and Joram, who had succeeded Ahab. She was the wife of the Judean king Jehoram, who had died of intestinal disease ( 2 Chronicles 21:18-19). Raiding Philistines and Arabians had killed her other sons besides Ahaziah ( 2 Chronicles 21:17).
Athaliah proceeded to assassinate all potential successors to the throne, totally disregarding God"s will that David"s descendants were to rule Judah ( 2 Samuel 7:16).
"It was one of the many attempts Satan made to exterminate the male offspring to make the coming One, the promised Savior, the seed of the woman, impossible. Had he succeeded through Athaliah in the destruction of the royal seed of David, the promise made to David would have become impossible." [1]
Jehosheba was a daughter of Athaliah"s husband, King Jehoram. She may not have been Athaliah"s own daughter, but was the half-sister of King Ahaziah of Judah, and the wife of the high priest in Judah, Jehoiada ( 2 Chronicles 22:11). [2] She hid Jehoash (Joash), as Jochebed had hidden Moses ( Exodus 2). According to Josephus, Jehosheba hid Jehoash in a room used to store spare furniture and mattresses. [3]
The Carites (another spelling of Cherethites; cf. 2 Samuel 8:18; et al.) were special guards. The other guards ( 2 Kings 11:4) were priests and Levites ( 2 Chronicles 23:4).
When the high priest crowned Jehoash (Joash), who was then seven years old, he gave him a copy of the Mosaic Law consistent with what the Law required ( Deuteronomy 17:18-19). This is the basis for the British custom of presenting the new king or queen of England with a copy of the Bible during the coronation ceremony. [4]