11:1 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son
was dead, she arose and destroyed all the a seed royal.
(a) Meaning, all the posterity of Jehoshaphat, to whom the
kingdom belonged: thus God used the cruelty of this
woman to destroy the family of Ahab.
11:2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of
Ahaziah, b 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 c the bedchamber from
Athaliah, so that he was not slain.
(b) The Lord promised to maintain the family of David, and
not to quench the light of it, therefore he moved the
heart of Jehosheba to preserve him.
(c) Where the priests slept.
11:4 And the seventh year d 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.
(d) The chief priest, Jehosheba's husband.
11:5 And he commanded them, saying, This [is] the thing that ye
shall do; A third part of e you that enter in on the
sabbath shall f even be keepers of the watch of the
king's house;
(e) Of the Levites, who had charge of the keeping of the
temple, and kept watch by course.
(f) That no one should come on them, while they were
crowning the king.
11:6 And a third part [shall be] at the gate of g 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.
(g) Called the east gate of the temple, (2Ch 23:5).
11:7 And two parts of all you that h go forth on the sabbath,
even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD
about the king.
(h) Whose charge is ended.
11:9 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 i sabbath, and came to
Jehoiada the priest.
11:10 And to the captains over hundreds did the k priest give
king David's spears and shields, that [were] in the temple
of the LORD.
(k) That is, Jehoiada.
11:12 And he brought forth l the king's son, and put the crown
upon him, and [gave him] m the testimony; and they made
him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands,
and said, God save the king.
(l) That is, Joash, who had been kept secret six years.
(m) Meaning, the law of God, which is his chief charge,
and by which only his throne is established.
11:14 And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a n
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.
(n) Where the king's place was in the temple.
11:15 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 o
followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had
said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD.
(o) To take her part.
11:17 And Jehoiada made a p covenant between the LORD and the
king and the people, that they should be the LORD'S
people; between the q king also and the people.
(p) That both the king and the people should maintain the
true worship of God and destroy all idolatry.
(q) That he should govern and they obey in the fear of
God.
11:18 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 r altars. And the s priest appointed
officers over the house of the LORD.
(r) Even in the place where he had blasphemed God, and
thought to have been helped by his idol, there God
poured his vengeance on him.
(s) That is, Jehoiada.
11:20 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was
in quiet: t and they slew Athaliah with the sword
[beside] the king's house.
(t) Who by his cruelty and persecution had troubled the
whole land.
