2 Kings
Chapter 11
Reign and Death of Athaliah
When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son had died, she was determined to wipe out all the descendants of the king.
And Joash remained hidden in the house of the Lord for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
In the seventh year, Jehoiada, the chief priest, summoned the officers of the royal guard and the Carians to the house of the Lord. After concluding a pact with them under oath, he showed them the king’s son.
Then he gave them these orders: “One-third of your men who come on duty on the Sabbath shall guard the king’s house,
But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, her nephew, and brought him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be killed and put him with his wet nurse in the bedroom. Thus, she hid him from Athaliah so the boy was saved.
Now about those who come off duty on the Sabbath, two divisions shall guard the house of the Lord and surround King Joash.
You shall be at his side, each with drawn weapons, and you will kill all who would cross your line. Take care of the king wherever he goes.”
The guards’ commanders did what Jehoiada, the priest, had told them to do, and they showed up with all their men, those who were to go off duty on the Sabbath and those who were to come on duty on that day.
Jehoiada entrusted to the officers the spears and shields of King David, which were in the house of the Lord.
And then the guards stood from the southern corner of the house to the north, surrounding the altar and the house of the Lord.
Then Jehoiada, the priest, brought out the king’s son, crowned him and put the bracelets on him, then proclaimed and consecrated him king. All clapped their hands, shouting and crying out: “Long live the king!”
When Athaliah heard the noise of the people, she approached the crowd surrounding the house of the Lord.
According to the custom, the king was standing by the pillar, and the officers and the trumpeters were with him. The people were filled with joy, and they were blowing trumpets. Upon seeing this, Athaliah tore her clothes and cried: “Treason, treason!”
Jehoiada, the priest, commanded the officers: “Surround her and bring her out to the courtyard, and kill anyone who tries to defend her.” He gave this order because he thought: “She should not die in the house of the Lord.”
They brought her out, and when they reached the palace of the king, by the horses’ entrance, they killed her.
Jehoiada made a Covenant between the Lord and the king and the people so they would be the people of the Lord.
All the citizens went to the temple of Baal and destroyed it. They broke the altars and the images into pieces and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before his altar. Then Jehoiada, the priest, posted guards over the house of the Lord.
He led the officers, the king’s guards, the Carians’ guards, and the citizens, and they accompanied the king to the palace, passing through the Gate of the Guards. King Joash sat on the royal throne.
All the citizens were happy, and the city was at peace. Now, regarding Athaliah, she died by the sword in the king’s palace.
Commentaries
Reign and Death of Athaliah.
The violence that erupts in the north has an impact on the south. Athaliah, the mother of the late King Ahaziah, attempts to eliminate the Davidic dynasty, but Joash, the youngest son of the deceased king, manages to evade her grasp. Athaliah rules Judah for six years until Jehoiada, a priest in Jerusalem, arranges for Joash to be anointed and crowned as the true king of Judah, recognized by all the people. While there are similarities to the northern events, several notable differences stand out: first, Jehoiada conspires not for personal gain, unlike Jehu; second, there is little bloodshed, with only Athaliah dying; third, in removing the cult of Baal, only the chief priest, Mattan, is killed; finally, the Davidic lineage is restored through the renewed covenant between the Lord and the king, and between the king and the people (17). Ultimately, “all the people celebrated, and the city was quiet” (20).