2 Kings Chapter 11
The Young King Joash
A. The preservation of Joash
1. The queen mother reigns over Judah
(2 Kings 11:1-3)
“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs. But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him away from among the king’s sons who were being murdered, and they hid him and his nurse in the bedroom, from Athaliah, so that he was not killed. So he was hidden with her in the house of the LORD for six years, while Athaliah reigned over the land.”
This passage opens with one of the darkest moments in the history of Judah. When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah, learned that her son had been killed by Jehu, she seized the throne through violent treachery. Rather than mourning her son or upholding the Davidic covenant, Athaliah sought to extinguish every remaining heir to the throne. She murdered the royal seed, attempting to wipe out the house of David entirely. This horrifying act shows the depth of her wickedness, a wickedness inherited from her parents Ahab and Jezebel. Athaliah ruled Judah for six years as an illegitimate usurper, exercising the same cruelty and idolatry that had characterized her father’s house in Israel.
Yet hidden beneath her violent ambition, God was working quietly through a faithful remnant. Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and the sister of Ahaziah, acted with extraordinary courage. Seeing that Athaliah intended to kill all the royal heirs, she rescued the infant Joash from among the children marked for slaughter. She concealed him and his nurse in a bedroom, shielding him from Athaliah’s murderous purge. Through her bravery the Davidic line, from which God promised the Messiah would come, was preserved. Jehosheba then brought the child to the house of the LORD, where he remained hidden for six years under the protection of the high priest Jehoiada, her husband, until the time came for his rightful coronation.
Notes on Key Phrases
“When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead.”
Ahaziah had been executed by Jehu (2 Kings 9:27-29). Instead of grieving, Athaliah used the crisis to seize power. Her response reveals her character: she acted with the same brutality that defined her parents, Ahab and Jezebel. She brought the corrupt spirit of the northern kingdom into Judah.
“And destroyed all the royal heirs.”
Athaliah attempted to annihilate the Davidic line, something no foreign enemy had ever accomplished. Her purpose was not only political survival but the preservation of Ahab’s lineage in Judah. Having seen Jehu destroy Ahab’s descendants in Israel, she attempted to secure Ahab’s influence by destroying David’s house in Judah. Clarke rightly observed the destructive nature of the lust for power: it can turn even mothers into savage murderers. Poole noted that this tragedy traced back to Jehoshaphat’s foolish alliance when he gave his son in marriage to Ahab’s daughter, bringing cancer into the royal line.
“But Jehosheba.”
This brief phrase introduces one of Scripture’s most heroic women. She, though little-known, stands among the great preservers of God’s covenant purposes. Through her bravery the promise to David was kept alive. Morgan notes that evil, though clever and cunning, always misses something—always fails to seal every crack. God raised up Jehosheba at the precise moment when the royal line hung by a thread.
2 Chronicles 22:11 indicates that Jehosheba was the wife of Jehoiada the high priest. This marriage positioned her inside both the royal house and the priestly house, uniquely equipping her to protect the last surviving heir. It is unlikely she was Athaliah’s daughter; she was Ahaziah’s sister, but probably through a different mother.
“He was hidden with her in the house of the LORD for six years.”
This hiding place was not merely a refuge—it was a fulfillment of God’s covenant faithfulness. Though the lamp of David’s house seemed ready to go out, the LORD preserved a single flickering flame in the form of a boy hidden in His own sanctuary. Josephus notes that the room they used was a storage area, which offered both concealment and accessibility. Like Samuel, Joash grew up quietly in the house of God, likely helping in small tasks, learning from the priests, and being shaped by the atmosphere of worship rather than the corruption of Athaliah’s palace.
God protected the Davidic line through the faithfulness of ordinary people in hidden places. While Athaliah reigned in darkness and bloodshed, God was preparing a child king in His house, ready to restore Judah to covenant faithfulness.
2. Jehoiada plans to reveal the hidden heir to the throne
(2 Kings 11:4-11)
“In the seventh year Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of hundreds, of the bodyguards and the escorts, and brought them into the house of the LORD to him. And he made a covenant with them and took an oath from them in the house of the LORD, and showed them the king’s son. Then he commanded them, saying, ‘This is what you shall do, One-third of you who come on duty on the Sabbath shall be keeping watch over the king’s house, one-third shall be at the gate of Sur, and one-third at the gate behind the escorts. You shall keep the watch of the house, lest it be broken down. The two contingents of you who go off duty on the Sabbath shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD for the king. But you shall surround the king on all sides, every man with his weapons in his hand, and whoever comes within range, let him be put to death. You are to be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in.’ So the captains of the hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded. Each of them took his men who were to be on duty on the Sabbath, with those who were going off duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. And the priest gave the captains of hundreds the spears and shields which had belonged to King David, that were in the temple of the LORD. Then the escorts stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, all around the king, from the right side of the temple to the left side of the temple, by the altar and the house.”
Six years had passed since Athaliah seized the throne through bloodshed, and the promised heir of David remained hidden in the house of the LORD. Now Jehoiada the high priest, a man of deep courage and covenant loyalty, initiated a carefully planned and divinely guided restoration of the Davidic monarchy. In the seventh year he summoned the captains of hundreds—leaders of the bodyguards and royal escorts—and brought them secretly into the temple. There he made a covenant with them under the authority of the LORD. The setting of the oath demonstrates that true worship had not died in Judah, even though Athaliah ruled with idolatry and violence. These captains were still responsive to the LORD and loyal to the line of David.
After securing their oath Jehoiada revealed the astonishing truth: the rightful king, the son of Ahaziah, was alive. The text simply states, “he… showed them the king’s son,” but the moment would have been overwhelming. For six years the nation believed the royal seed of David had been entirely exterminated. The covenant promise seemed to have failed. Then, suddenly, before their eyes stood a six-year-old boy—the living heir of David’s throne, preserved by God’s providence. This revelation transformed their grief into loyalty and their fear into resolve. The soldiers now had a cause worth dying for.
Jehoiada then laid out a precise military plan. He used the Sabbath because it was the day when the guard shifts changed, allowing him to gather twice the normal number of soldiers at the temple without drawing suspicion. One-third would guard the king’s house, one-third the gate of Sur, and one-third the gate behind the escorts. Those going off duty would reinforce the watch inside the temple itself. Every soldier was commanded to surround the young king with weapons in hand, forming a living wall of protection. Jehoiada ordered that anyone who approached within striking distance was to be put to death immediately. This was necessary because Athaliah’s agents would stop at nothing to prevent a legitimate Davidic heir from ascending the throne.
The officers carried out every instruction exactly. They assembled both the incoming and outgoing Sabbath units, doubling the protective force around the temple. Then Jehoiada armed them with the ancient spears and shields of King David, kept in the temple as sacred relics. This was a profoundly symbolic act. The weapons of David—the man after God’s own heart, the founder of the royal covenant—were placed once again in the hands of those restoring his descendant to the throne. Finally the escorts took their positions, weapons ready, forming a full semicircle from the right side of the temple to the left, standing guard near the altar and the house of God. The stage was set for the dramatic unveiling of Judah’s true king.
Notes on Key Phrases
“Jehoiada sent and brought captains.”
Jehoiada acted not merely as a priest but as a faithful shepherd of the covenant. His goal was to remove Athaliah, the illegitimate usurper from Ahab’s line, and restore the true heir of David. His actions preserved the Messianic line.
“On the Sabbath.”
This was strategic. The Sabbath guard rotation allowed Jehoiada to assemble additional troops without drawing attention. Athaliah’s spies would not suspect anything unusual.
“He made a covenant with them… in the house of the LORD.”
The setting shows that Judah still retained men who feared the LORD, even under the oppressive rule of Athaliah. Their oath reflected covenant loyalty, not merely political ambition.
“And showed them the king’s son.”
A breathtaking moment. Six years of despair gave way to sudden hope. The existence of Joash proved that God’s promises cannot be extinguished, no matter how violent the enemy.
“The spears and shields which had belonged to King David.”
This was rich with symbolism. David’s weapons represented the covenant, the promises, the battles won through faith, and the enduring kingdom God pledged to David’s house. They were now placed back into service to restore the throne to his descendant.
3. Joash is crowned and received as king
(2 Kings 11:12)
“And he brought out the king’s son, put the crown on him, and gave him the Testimony, they made him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, ‘Long live the king!’”
At the climax of Jehoiada’s careful and prayerful strategy, the hidden heir was finally revealed. After six long years in secrecy, the rightful descendant of David was brought forth in full public view. The moment was charged with covenant significance. The boy Joash, who had lived his entire childhood hidden in the temple, now stood before the people as God’s chosen king. His appearance in the temple courts was not only a political act but a spiritual proclamation: the line of David lived, and God’s promises had not failed. The people, long oppressed under Athaliah’s illegitimate and violent reign, now saw with their own eyes the son of the king, preserved by the providence of God.
Jehoiada’s actions followed a clear order. He first revealed the king’s son, because no one could follow or honor the king until they knew he existed. The crown was then placed on Joash’s head, publicly identifying him as the rightful ruler of Judah. After the crown came the Testimony, the copy of the Law, placed into his hands according to the command found in Deuteronomy 17:18. This action declared that Joash was not only a king but a king under God, bound to rule by the Word of the LORD. They then formally made him king, receiving his rule willingly rather than by coercion. He was anointed, setting him apart with divine authority and equipping him for his sacred responsibility. Finally, the people erupted in celebration, clapping their hands and declaring, “Long live the king.” The rightful ruler had been revealed, crowned, received, anointed, and praised. This marked the restoration of the Davidic throne and the overthrow of Athaliah’s wicked regime.
Notes on Key Phrases
“He brought out the king’s son.”
Before Joash could reign, he had to be revealed. For years the nation was unaware that a legitimate heir existed, just as many live in spiritual bondage because they do not know there is a true King waiting to rule over them. Joash’s unveiling was both a moment of shock and of hope.
“Put the crown on him.”
This was the official recognition of his royal authority. The crown symbolized the restoration of the Davidic dynasty. No usurper—not even one as brutal as Athaliah—could erase the covenant God made with David.
“And gave him the Testimony.”
The king ruled under the authority of Scripture. Deuteronomy 17:18 required that the king possess his own copy of the Law. Joash was crowned with the Word in his hands, symbolizing the inseparable connection between the throne and the covenant. As Wiseman notes, this became the precedent for coronations in later history, including the practice of presenting a Bible to monarchs during British coronation ceremonies.
“They made him king.”
Although Joash had the divine right to the throne, Jehoiada allowed the people to receive him. This shows the voluntary acceptance of rightful rule. God’s kingship is not forced upon His people; He calls them to receive Him.
“And anointed him.”
Anointing signified divine empowerment and consecration. Joash could not rule rightly apart from the Spirit of God equipping him for the task. Every king of Judah ruled poorly when he ignored the anointing and the Word.
“They clapped their hands and said, ‘Long live the king!’”
Joy erupted as the people celebrated the restoration of legitimate rule. Their clapping and proclamation expressed relief, gratitude, and renewed hope for Judah. The covenant king had returned, and with him came the promise of stability and righteousness.
Spiritual Parallel
Many interpreters rightly see a parallel in the believer’s spiritual life. Meyer powerfully notes that Joash’s early years resemble the condition of many Christians. The King—Jesus Christ—is present within the temple of the believer’s heart, yet often hidden, unrecognized, and not enthroned in practical authority. Meanwhile, an Athaliah-like tyranny of the flesh rules unchecked. What is needed is a revealing, crowning, anointing, and enthroning of the true King in the life of the believer. Christ must be acknowledged, His Word embraced, His rule received, and His authority established over the whole temple of our being.
B. The death of the Queen Mother Athaliah
1. Joash, the rightful heir, is revealed to Athaliah
(2 Kings 11:13-14)
“Now when Athaliah heard the noise of the escorts and the people, she came to the people in the temple of the LORD. When she looked, there was the king standing by a pillar according to custom, and the leaders and the trumpeters were by the king. All the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. So Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, ‘Treason! Treason!’”
The noise of celebration, the sound of trumpets, and the shouts of the people reached the ears of Athaliah, prompting her to rush into the temple courts to see what was happening. What she saw struck terror into her heart. There, standing by the pillar according to custom—the place where kings stood during coronation ceremonies—was Joash, the rightful heir of David, publicly recognized as king. Surrounded by the leaders of the nation and the royal trumpeters proclaiming his legitimacy, Joash stood as the visible proof that her assumption of the throne had always been illegitimate. The people of the land were rejoicing, their enthusiasm and unity revealing how deeply they resented Athaliah’s violent and idolatrous rule. In desperation she tore her clothes and shouted, “Treason! Treason!” Her accusation was technically correct, but morally upside down. She, the murderer and usurper, called others rebels when the nation was simply returning to the God-appointed line of David.
Notes on Key Phrases
“When she looked, there was the king.”
This sight shattered Athaliah’s sense of security. For six years she ruled under the assumption that she had obliterated every Davidic heir. Seeing Joash—her grandson whom she thought dead—alive and crowned was the greatest possible blow. It exposed both her failure and her wickedness.
“All the people of the land were rejoicing.”
The people’s response reveals how hated Athaliah’s reign truly was. Israel and Judah had endured wicked kings, but Athaliah stood out for her violence, her alliance with Ahab’s house, and her aggressive push toward Baal worship. Her overthrow was a relief to the nation.
“Treason! Treason!”
Her words reflect the twisted logic of the wicked. She called righteousness treason and considered herself the legitimate ruler, even though she had seized the throne by murder. Her reign itself was the deepest treason against the covenant God made with David.
2. Jehoiada commands the execution of Athaliah and her supporters
(2 Kings 11:15-16)
“And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the army, and said to them, ‘Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.’ For the priest had said, ‘Do not let her be killed in the house of the LORD.’ So they seized her, and she went by way of the horses’ entrance into the king’s house, and there she was killed.”
Once Athaliah cried out and attempted to challenge the coronation, Jehoiada acted immediately. As the godly high priest and the architect of Joash’s restoration, he knew that allowing Athaliah to remain free even for a moment could trigger rebellion, chaos, or bloodshed inside the temple. He ordered the captains of the hundreds and the officers of the army to seize her and escort her outside the temple precincts with armed guard. His command included a decisive instruction: anyone who attempted to support or defend her was to be put to death. This ensured that no loyalists could gather around her, rally forces, or disrupt the coronation.
Jehoiada insisted she not be killed inside the temple of the LORD. As priest, he was deeply concerned with the sanctity, purity, and public reputation of the temple. The execution of a wicked usurper was necessary, but it must not defile the sacred grounds where God was worshiped. So Athaliah was taken through the horses’ entrance into the king’s house, an area associated with travel, labor, and guard activity—far from the holy courts of the temple. There, at last, she was put to death. Her end mirrored the fate of her mother, Jezebel, who also died violently and in humiliation, judged by the God whom she had defied.
Notes on Key Phrases
“Take her outside under guard, and slay with the sword whoever follows her.”
This instruction was both just and wise. Athaliah had murdered the royal seed, introduced Baal worship, and corrupted the nation. Her execution was righteous. The warning to kill any who followed her ensured that the coup would not devolve into civil conflict.
“Do not let her be killed in the house of the LORD.”
Jehoiada understood the need to preserve the sacredness of the temple. Even in executing judgment, the holiness of the LORD’s house was to be honored. The killing was moved to a secular location.
“There she was killed.”
The simplicity of the phrase matches the certainty of divine justice. Her violent end reflects the biblical principle that the wicked often perish in the very manner they inflicted upon others. Patterson and Austel observe the parallel with Jezebel’s death—both mother and daughter met a humiliating end because both raised themselves against the LORD and against His anointed line.
3. Jehoiada establishes a new covenant
(2 Kings 11:17)
“Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD, the king, and the people, that they should be the LORD’s people, and also between the king and the people.”
Following the restoration of the rightful king and the execution of Athaliah, Jehoiada the high priest led the nation in a profound act of covenant renewal. This was not simply a political transition, but a spiritual reformation. Jehoiada understood that Judah did not merely need a new king; it needed a renewed relationship with the LORD. Therefore he arranged a covenant that involved three parties: the LORD, the king, and the people. The purpose was that they should again be “the LORD’s people,” committing themselves to covenant loyalty, obedience, and devotion. Years of apostasy under Athaliah had driven the nation far from God, and now Jehoiada called them back to their identity as God’s covenant community.
The covenant also included an agreement “between the king and the people,” demonstrating that in God’s design both rulers and citizens have obligations. Kings are to govern under the authority of God’s law, and the people are to support and obey the king so long as he walks in righteousness. This covenant reaffirmed the moral structure of the kingdom. Authority was restored, but authority under God. The people were not pledging blind loyalty to Joash; rather, they were pledging loyalty to a king who stood accountable before the LORD.
Notes on Key Phrases
“That they should be the LORD’s people.”
This reflects a spiritual revival. Judah recommitted itself to the covenant established at Sinai and reaffirmed throughout its history. The focus was not political identity but spiritual belonging.
“Also between the king and the people.”
Biblical kingship is never absolute. The king is under the law, and the people are under the king. Both stand before God with mutual responsibilities. Jehoiada formalized this balance as part of the restoration.
4. The reforms of Joash
(2 Kings 11:18-21)
“And all the people of the land went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down. They thoroughly broke in pieces its altars and images, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD. Then he took the captains of hundreds, the bodyguards, the escorts, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the LORD, and went by way of the gate of the escorts to the king’s house. Then he sat on the throne of the kings. So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword in the king’s house. Jehoash was seven years old when he became king.”
With the covenant renewed and the rightful king enthroned, the people immediately acted to purge Judah of Athaliah’s idolatry. The first target was the temple of Baal in Jerusalem. In the northern kingdom, Jehu had destroyed the central Baal temple in Samaria; now the people of Judah tore down the temple of Baal in their own city. This was not merely a symbolic gesture but a complete demolition of Baal worship. They destroyed the building, shattered every altar and image, and executed Mattan the priest of Baal. The people acted with zeal because Athaliah’s idolatry had deeply offended them, especially since she had robbed the temple of the LORD and used sacred objects to adorn the temple of Baal, as 2 Chronicles 24:7 reveals.
After purging the idolatry, Jehoiada restored order in the house of the LORD. He appointed officers to oversee temple functions, reinstating proper worship under the true God. Then, accompanied by soldiers, officials, and the people, Jehoiada escorted the young king from the temple to the palace through the gate of the escorts—a formal, regal procession. Joash then took his rightful seat on the throne of Judah. The people rejoiced with relief. After six years of terror, violence, and spiritual corruption under Athaliah, the city was finally quiet and at peace. The restoration of the Davidic king brought joy and stability. Joash, only seven years old, now began his reign under the guidance of Jehoiada.
Notes on Key Phrases
“All the people of the land went to the temple of Baal, and tore it down.”
This was a grassroots act of devotion. It showed genuine zeal for the LORD, not merely obedience to leadership. The idols, altars, and images were smashed beyond repair. Baal worship had no place in Judah.
They didn’t stop at tearing down the building… they killed Mattan the priest of Baal.
False worship must not linger. The people recognized the danger of allowing even the priesthood of Baal to survive. Mattan himself was executed before the idols he once served.
“Then he sat on the throne of the kings.”
This moment signaled the restoration of the Davidic monarchy. Joash sat on the throne as the rightful covenant king. After seven years of silence and secrecy, the promise to David once again shone brightly over the kingdom.
“All the people of the land rejoiced… and the city was quiet.”
Peace followed judgment. Athaliah’s death removed the source of turmoil. The nation entered a period of calm under the restored king.
