2 Kings 11
Judah's queen: grandbaby-killer Athaliah
Grandma kills her royal family
2 Chronicles 22:10-12 1Judah’s Queen Mother, Athaliah, got the news that her son, King Ahaziah, was dead. She decided to kill all her grandchildren and everyone else in the royal family. [1] 2But her sister, Jehosheba, [2] who was also the daughter of assassinated King Joram of Israel, saved one baby boy. She hid King Ahaziah’s young son, year-old Joash, while the other royal children were about to be slaughtered. She rushed the boy and his servant to a bedroom, saving his life.
3The boy and servant spent the next six years hidden inside the Jerusalem Temple, while Athaliah reigned as queen. A little boy crowned king of Israel
2 Chronicles 23:1-21 4After Joash’s six years of hiding, when he turned seven, a priest named Jehoiada called in some military commanders for a secret meeting. Commanders of the queen’s personal guard and other commanders of the palace guard met the priest at the Temple. They took a vow, invoking the LORD’s name, and then priest Jehoida showed them the king’s son.
5Jehoaida told the men, “Here are your orders. You have three units of soldiers scheduled for guard duty on the Sabbath. Assign one unit to the palace. 6Assign the second unit to Sur Gate into the city. Then put the third unit at the gate into the palace. [3] 7You have two units off duty on the Sabbath. But assign them to guard the Temple and protect the boy, King Joash. 8Surround him with protection and follow him wherever he goes. Have your men draw their swords and stand ready to use them.”
9Commanders followed their orders. All units scheduled for Sabbath duty and those scheduled for the day off took their positions. 10The priests passed around revered weapons of King David, which the priests kept at the Temple: spears and shields. 11Armed guards surrounded the Temple and young king Joash as he stood there.
12Priest Jehoiada escorted the king to a position in front of the soldiers, put a crown on his head, and handed him laws for governing Israel. Then the priest declared Joash king, to the cheers of the soldiers, “Long live the king!” Goodbye Queen Grandma Athaliah
13Queen Athaliah heard the noise outside and followed it to the Temple. 14She saw young Joash standing where kings normally stood when they went to the Temple—by one of the outside columns. Commanders and trumpeters with their ram’s horns stood beside him—exactly like they were supposed to for a king. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Traitors! You’re all traitors!”
15Priest Jehoiada ordered the commanders to arrest Athaliah. “Bring her over here among the troops and execute her with the sword. We don’t want to kill her at the LORD’s Temple.” 16They arrested her and brought her to the palace through the gate that horseback riders used. Soldiers killed her there. Jehoiada destroys temple of Baal
17Priest Jehoiada had the king and the people of Judah make a sacred promise to be the LORD’s people and to show it in the way they lived. 18The people tore down the temple devoted to Baal. [4] They shattered the idol figures. They killed Baal’s priest, Mattan, at the altar. And they destroyed the altar. Then Jehoida posted guards all around the LORD’s Temple.
19He assembled the commanders of the king’s personal guard and other commanders of the palace, along with the people witnessing the events. They all escorted the king from the Temple to the palace, by way of the gate that the guards used.
20The people in town celebrated and lived in peace after Athaliah’s execution at the palace. 21Judah’s new king was seven years old when the priest anointed him king. Footnotes
111:1“Over my dead body” is what it took for Athaliah to become queen of Judah. She had to kill everyone else in the family to secure her right to rule. She became Judah’s only ruling queen, “over their dead bodies.”
211:2Jehosheba was the wife of Jerusalem’s top priest, Jehoiada. That may explain why no one searched the bedroom where she hid the baby. The room may have been off-limits to everyone but the priest.
311:6The word describing the mission of the third unit is unknown. That’s why Bible versions offer different educated guesses.
411:18Baal was a god of fertility in family, fields, and flocks. Canaanites, who were native to what is now Israel and Palestinian land, worshiped Baal. Joshua led the Jews in killing many Canaanites while the Jews reclaimed the land that the Bible says God promised to the descendants of Abraham. But Jews continued to worship Baal and other Middle Eastern gods off and on throughout Old Testament times.
Discussion Questions
- Sorry, there are currently no questions for this chapter.
Maps/Guides
Map of Jerusalem and City of David
Sketch of Solomon's Temple and Palace 
Solomon's Temple
Balage Balogh / ArchaeologyIllustrated.com
Licensed to Casual English Bible
Videos
3The boy and servant spent the next six years hidden inside the Jerusalem Temple, while Athaliah reigned as queen.
A little boy crowned king of Israel
2 Chronicles 23:1-21 4After Joash’s six years of hiding, when he turned seven, a priest named Jehoiada called in some military commanders for a secret meeting. Commanders of the queen’s personal guard and other commanders of the palace guard met the priest at the Temple. They took a vow, invoking the LORD’s name, and then priest Jehoida showed them the king’s son.
5Jehoaida told the men, “Here are your orders. You have three units of soldiers scheduled for guard duty on the Sabbath. Assign one unit to the palace. 6Assign the second unit to Sur Gate into the city. Then put the third unit at the gate into the palace. [3] 7You have two units off duty on the Sabbath. But assign them to guard the Temple and protect the boy, King Joash. 8Surround him with protection and follow him wherever he goes. Have your men draw their swords and stand ready to use them.”
9Commanders followed their orders. All units scheduled for Sabbath duty and those scheduled for the day off took their positions. 10The priests passed around revered weapons of King David, which the priests kept at the Temple: spears and shields. 11Armed guards surrounded the Temple and young king Joash as he stood there.
12Priest Jehoiada escorted the king to a position in front of the soldiers, put a crown on his head, and handed him laws for governing Israel. Then the priest declared Joash king, to the cheers of the soldiers, “Long live the king!” Goodbye Queen Grandma Athaliah
13Queen Athaliah heard the noise outside and followed it to the Temple. 14She saw young Joash standing where kings normally stood when they went to the Temple—by one of the outside columns. Commanders and trumpeters with their ram’s horns stood beside him—exactly like they were supposed to for a king. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Traitors! You’re all traitors!”
15Priest Jehoiada ordered the commanders to arrest Athaliah. “Bring her over here among the troops and execute her with the sword. We don’t want to kill her at the LORD’s Temple.” 16They arrested her and brought her to the palace through the gate that horseback riders used. Soldiers killed her there. Jehoiada destroys temple of Baal
17Priest Jehoiada had the king and the people of Judah make a sacred promise to be the LORD’s people and to show it in the way they lived. 18The people tore down the temple devoted to Baal. [4] They shattered the idol figures. They killed Baal’s priest, Mattan, at the altar. And they destroyed the altar. Then Jehoida posted guards all around the LORD’s Temple.
19He assembled the commanders of the king’s personal guard and other commanders of the palace, along with the people witnessing the events. They all escorted the king from the Temple to the palace, by way of the gate that the guards used.
20The people in town celebrated and lived in peace after Athaliah’s execution at the palace. 21Judah’s new king was seven years old when the priest anointed him king. Footnotes
111:1“Over my dead body” is what it took for Athaliah to become queen of Judah. She had to kill everyone else in the family to secure her right to rule. She became Judah’s only ruling queen, “over their dead bodies.”
211:2Jehosheba was the wife of Jerusalem’s top priest, Jehoiada. That may explain why no one searched the bedroom where she hid the baby. The room may have been off-limits to everyone but the priest.
311:6The word describing the mission of the third unit is unknown. That’s why Bible versions offer different educated guesses.
411:18Baal was a god of fertility in family, fields, and flocks. Canaanites, who were native to what is now Israel and Palestinian land, worshiped Baal. Joshua led the Jews in killing many Canaanites while the Jews reclaimed the land that the Bible says God promised to the descendants of Abraham. But Jews continued to worship Baal and other Middle Eastern gods off and on throughout Old Testament times.
Discussion Questions
- Sorry, there are currently no questions for this chapter.
Maps/Guides
Map of Jerusalem and City of DavidSketch of Solomon's Temple and Palace Solomon's Temple
Balage Balogh / ArchaeologyIllustrated.com
Licensed to Casual English Bible
Videos
5Jehoaida told the men, “Here are your orders. You have three units of soldiers scheduled for guard duty on the Sabbath. Assign one unit to the palace. 6Assign the second unit to Sur Gate into the city. Then put the third unit at the gate into the palace. [3] 7You have two units off duty on the Sabbath. But assign them to guard the Temple and protect the boy, King Joash. 8Surround him with protection and follow him wherever he goes. Have your men draw their swords and stand ready to use them.”
9Commanders followed their orders. All units scheduled for Sabbath duty and those scheduled for the day off took their positions. 10The priests passed around revered weapons of King David, which the priests kept at the Temple: spears and shields. 11Armed guards surrounded the Temple and young king Joash as he stood there.
12Priest Jehoiada escorted the king to a position in front of the soldiers, put a crown on his head, and handed him laws for governing Israel. Then the priest declared Joash king, to the cheers of the soldiers, “Long live the king!”
Goodbye Queen Grandma Athaliah
13Queen Athaliah heard the noise outside and followed it to the Temple. 14She saw young Joash standing where kings normally stood when they went to the Temple—by one of the outside columns. Commanders and trumpeters with their ram’s horns stood beside him—exactly like they were supposed to for a king. Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Traitors! You’re all traitors!”15Priest Jehoiada ordered the commanders to arrest Athaliah. “Bring her over here among the troops and execute her with the sword. We don’t want to kill her at the LORD’s Temple.” 16They arrested her and brought her to the palace through the gate that horseback riders used. Soldiers killed her there.
Jehoiada destroys temple of Baal
17Priest Jehoiada had the king and the people of Judah make a sacred promise to be the LORD’s people and to show it in the way they lived. 18The people tore down the temple devoted to Baal. [4] They shattered the idol figures. They killed Baal’s priest, Mattan, at the altar. And they destroyed the altar. Then Jehoida posted guards all around the LORD’s Temple.19He assembled the commanders of the king’s personal guard and other commanders of the palace, along with the people witnessing the events. They all escorted the king from the Temple to the palace, by way of the gate that the guards used.
20The people in town celebrated and lived in peace after Athaliah’s execution at the palace. 21Judah’s new king was seven years old when the priest anointed him king.
Footnotes
“Over my dead body” is what it took for Athaliah to become queen of Judah. She had to kill everyone else in the family to secure her right to rule. She became Judah’s only ruling queen, “over their dead bodies.”
Jehosheba was the wife of Jerusalem’s top priest, Jehoiada. That may explain why no one searched the bedroom where she hid the baby. The room may have been off-limits to everyone but the priest.
The word describing the mission of the third unit is unknown. That’s why Bible versions offer different educated guesses.
Baal was a god of fertility in family, fields, and flocks. Canaanites, who were native to what is now Israel and Palestinian land, worshiped Baal. Joshua led the Jews in killing many Canaanites while the Jews reclaimed the land that the Bible says God promised to the descendants of Abraham. But Jews continued to worship Baal and other Middle Eastern gods off and on throughout Old Testament times.
Discussion Questions
- Sorry, there are currently no questions for this chapter.
Maps/Guides
Balage Balogh / ArchaeologyIllustrated.com
Licensed to Casual English Bible