1.
And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
2 Kings 11:1. When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, &c.— The consideration of the fate which attended these royal families, is sufficient to make one thankful to God for having been born of meaner parentage. The whole offspring of Jeroboam, Baasha, and Ahab, kings of Israel, were cut off for their idolatry; and the kings of Judah having contracted an affinity with the house of Ahab, and being by them seduced into the same crime, were so destroyed by three successive massacres, that there was but one left: for, first Jehoram slew all his brethren, then Jehu slew all his brother's children, and now Athaliah destroys all the rest whom her executioners can meet with. Enraged to see Ahab's family cut off, she resolved to revenge it on the house of David. As she was one of Ahab's family, she had reason to apprehend that Jehu, who had a commission to extirpate all, would not be long before he called upon her; her only way therefore to secure herself against him was, to usurp the throne; but this she knew she could not do without destroying all the royal progeny, who were no well-wishers to the worship of Baal, which she had abetted, and was resolved to maintain.
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;
2 Kings 11:5. A third part of you that enter, &c.— The captains, and other officers who were admitted to the knowledge of Jehoiada's design, came into the temple unarmed, that they might give no suspicion: but as David had erected a kind of sacred armoury in one of the apartments of the temple, wherein were deposited the weapons and other trophies which he and several other generals had gained from their enemies; Jehoiada took care upon the present occasion to have this magazine of military provisions opened, so that there was no want of any sort of arms. See 2Ki 11:10 and Joseph. Antiq. lib. 9: cap. 7.
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.
2 Kings 11:6. Keep the watch of the house, that it be not broken down— In the Hebrew מסח הבית habbaiith massach, which the Vulgate and LXX render the house Messah, supposing the original to be a proper name. Houbigant renders it, the court of casting away; supposing it to mean that part of the temple where the filth and dirt were carried out and thrown away.
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 around 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 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.
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.
2 Kings 11:12. Gave him the testimony— Both here and in the parallel place, 2Ch 23:11 there is nothing for gave him; and therefore as the word put refers to to testimony as well as crown, it is very doubtful what is the meaning of the word in this place; but as the word certainly denotes additional or adventitious embellishments or ornaments, we may very well understand it here some royal robe or ornament, wherewith it was usual to invest kings on their coronation. See Exodus 33:4. 2Sa 1:24 and Parkhurst's Lexicon on the word עדה 6:
13.
And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.
14.
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.
2 Kings 11:14. Behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was— It is generally supposed, that the royal throne was erected near one of those pillars, whereof we have an account 1Ki 15:21 unless we may suppose that עמוד ammud, that what is here called a pillar, was that brazen scaffold five cubits long, &c. which Solomon made at first upon his dedicating the temple, and which was afterwards continued for the king to appear upon on solemn occasions, and where, doubtless, there was a throne of state. See Calmet.
15.
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.
16.
And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain.
2 Kings 11:16. And they laid hands on her— Then they gave her room, or, They left her a free passage to depart out of the temple; so Houbigant, after the Chaldee.
17.
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.
2 Kings 11:17. And Jehoiada made a covenant, &c.— "This could be no other than of protection and justice on his part, and of obedience on theirs; however, it makes it evident that kings may covenant with their people, contrary to Mr. Hobbes's doctrine."
18.
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.
19.
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.
20.
And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house.
21.
Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.