2 Kings 11

Athalia slayeth all the Royal Family, ver.1,&c. Excepting Joas, 2. Who being seven years old, by Jojada’s direction, is made King of Juda, 4. Athalia, that usurped the government, is slain, 13. The covenant is renewed between God, the King, and the People, 15. The worship of Baal destroy, 18. And the King set in his Kingly Throne, 19.

1. Now when Athalia [Which was Achabs daughter, the wife of Joram, and mother of Ahazia, (as the following words declare) whom Jehu had slain, above chap.8.18. and 9.27.] the mother of Ahazia [see above chap.9 27.] saw, that her son was dead; then she gat her up, and destroyed all the royal seed. [Heb. all the seed of the Kingdom: that is, all the Princes of the blood, unto whom the succession of the Crown might come. Understand this of Athalia’s intent and purpose, not of the full and perfect act: for one escaped, as the following verse sheweth.]

2. But Joseba [Heb. Jehoschebah. Oth. Jehoschabbath, 2 Chron.22.11. where its also mentioned that she was the wife of Jojada the High Priest: but its conceived that she was born of another wife of Joram, then of the Idolatrous Athalia] the daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahazia, took Joas [Hebr. Joas ch. Oth. Jehim out of the midst of the Kings sons, that were slain, (putting) [this word is here inserted out of 2 Chron.22.11.] him, and his nurse in a bed-chamber: [Heb. a chamber of beds: that is, in one ofthe chambers, that were built near the Temple, wherein were beds of the priests, on which they lay, when in their turns they were to wait upon the service of God. See Jer.35.2.] and they [to wit, Jojada, and Joseba] hid him from Athalia [Heb. before the face of Athalia] (so) that he was not slain.

3. And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years: and Athalia reigned over the land.

4. Now in the seventh year Jojada [Heb. Jehojadah, the son of Azarias, the son of Achimaaz, the son of Zadok the High Priest, and distinguished from Jojada the Father of Benaja, who lived in Davids time, 2 Sam.8.18.] sent, and took the Rulers of hundreds, [these were five in number, and are named 2 Chron.23.1. They seem to have been Priests, as may be gathered from ver.5,7,9.] with the Captains, and with the Guard, and he brought them to him, into the house of the LORD, and be made a Covenant with them, [to wit, to slay Athalia, to place Joas in the Kingdom, to root out Idolatry, and to restore the pure worship of God] and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD, and he shewed them the Kings son.

5. And he commanded them, saying; This is the thing, which ye shall do: a third part of you [Meaning Priests, and Levites, 2 Chron.23.4.] that enter in [to wit, into the Temple. The Priests and the Levites were divided into 24. Orders, 1 Chron.24. according to which division they entered every week by turns into the Temple, to heed the worship of God, according to the appointed order, which is called entring in, to wit, into the Temple, to keep the Watch] on the Sabbath, [oth. in the week] shall keep the watch of the Kings house. [i.e. at the Chamber in the Temple, where the young King was hid.]

6. And a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; [This was the gate towards the East, and was the greatest gate of the Temple, therefore it is also called the high gate, below chap.15.35. also the Foundation gate, 2 Chron.23.5. also the new gate, Jer.26.10. because it was renewed by King Jotham, 2 Chron.27.3.] and a third part at the gate behind the guard: [this gate was in the South, toward the Court of the Priests; which (as some conceive) was otherwise called Sippim, that is, the threshold-gate, 2 Chron.23.4.] so ye shall keep the watch of this house, against breaking in. [or, against pulling, or, taking away; that is, ye shall so keep the Temple, that nothing of it be broken, and that the King be not taken from thence by force, and carried away.]

7. And the two parts [Heb. hands] of you, all that go forth on the Sabbath, [understand those that went forth out of the Temple homeward, having for that week performed their office in their turn: for on every Sabbath new ones were to succeed in their room] they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD near the King.

8. And ye shall compass the King round about, every man with his weapons in his hand, and he that entereth in between the ranks, [Or between the files, that are placed in rank and order: that is, cometh into your guard, when ye shall advance, or be about the King to safeguard him] shall be slain: and be ye with the King, when he goeth out; and when he cometh in.

9. The Rulers of hundreds then did according to all that Jojada the Priest had commanded, and took every man his men, that came in on the Sabbath, with those that went out on the Sabbath: and they came to Jojada the Priest.

10. And the Priest gave to the commanders of hundreds the spears and the shields, which had been King Davids: [i.e. which David had taken from his Enemies, and perhaps had dedicated them to the Lord in the Tabernacle for a memorial; as he had done the sword of Goliath, 1 Sam.21.2. and the shields of the Syrians, 2 Sam.8.7. which afterward seem to have been brought into the Temple by Salomon, 1 Kings 7:51.] which were in the house of the LORD.

11. And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side [i.e. the south-side] of the house, to the left side [i.e. the north-side] of the house, toward the altar, [to wit, of burnt-offerings; which was by the East-gate of the Temple] and toward the house, [i.e. the Temple, which stood west-ward from the altar] round about the King.

12. Then he [Namely, Jojada] brought forth the Kings son, and put the crown upon him; and (gave him) the testimony, [which he gave him in his hand, and it was the book of the law, wherein God testifieth how he ought to demean himself in his government. See Deut.17.18.] and they made him King, and anointed him: [those that succeeded their Fathers in the Kingdom according to the usual manner, they (as some conceive) were not anointed, but only those that after some change in the government, or above the ordinary law, or through fear of future trouble were crowned King, as Saul, 1 Sam.10.1. David, 1 Sam.16.13. Salomon, 1 Kings 1:34. Jehu 2 Kings 9:6. Joahaz 2 Kings 23:30. and Joas here, who succeeded his father, after that Athalia had violently and tyrannically usurped the Kingdom] besides, they clap their hands [for a token and manifestation of joy. Thus is the clapping of the hands taken, Psa.98.8. Ezek.25.6. Elsewhere for a token of sorrow, Ezek.6.11.] and said; let the King live.

13. When Athalia heard the voice of the Guard, (and) of the people, then she came to the people into the house of the LORD.

14. And she looked, and behold the King stood by the pillar, [Or, scaffold; that is, upon the royal scaffold, which Salomon had made of copper and stood in the peoples court against a pillar. See below chap.23.3. and 2 Chron.6.13.] according to the manner [i.e. according to the manner of proceedings: or as the King was wont to stand by that pillar, to serve God, or to speak unto the people. Compare below chap.23.3.] and the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets; then Athalia rent her cloathes, [in token of spites, grief, and great trouble of spirit. See Gen.37.on v.29.] and she cryed; treason, treason.

15. but Jojada the Priest commanded the Captains of hundreds, that were set over the host, and said unto them; Bring her forth without the ranks, [See above on v.8.] and him that followeth her, slay him 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, [Oth. they appointed a side-guard over her: or they gave, or made room for her, to wit, to go out of the Temple. Hebr. they set hands, or sides, or spaces, or places for her] and she went (by) the way of the entering in of the horses to the kings house; [to wit, by the way of Davids city-gate, which was so called, and stood north ward; from whence they went to Ephraims gate. See below chap.14.v.13. Some think that time gate had the name of the entering in of the horses, because they could conveniently ride on horseback through that way to the Kings house] and she was slain there.

17. And Jojada made a covenant between the LORD, etc between the King, and between the people, [To wit, First, a spiritual covenant between God and the King with the people, comcerning the erecting and maintaining of the pure and true worship of God. Secondly, as a political or civil covenant, concerning the Kings office toward his people in his government, and the peoples duty toward the King, in civil obedience] that they should be a people unto the LORD: [i.e. that they should know the Lord to be the only true God, and serve him according to his word, renouncing ail idolatry and false worship: Which declaration is satisfied and confirmed by and with their succeeding performance, v.18.] likewise between the King, and between the people.

18. After that all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake that down, his altars and his images they brake in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the Priest before the Altars: Now the Priest appointed [Or, restored] the offices in the house of the LORD. [because the purity of worship was much decayed by the perverseness of the time. See further and more particularly hereof, 2 Chron.23.v.18,19.]

19. And he took the Rulers of 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 [Called otherwise the high gate, 2 Chron.23.20. See the annotate. there] to the Kings house, and he sat on the throne of the Kings. [see 1 Kings 1.on verse 46.]

20. And all the people of the Land rejoiced, and the city was quite, after they had slain Athalia with the sword (by) [Oth. in] the King house.

21. Joas was seven years old when be become King. [Hence may be gathered that Joas was but a year old, when Athalia sought to kill him, and he was hid with his nurse in the Temple, for there he was kept six years, above v.3.]