2 Kings 11
English Standard Version
Athaliah Reigns in Judah
11 (A)Now when (B)Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. 2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took (C)Joash the son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the king's sons who were being put to death, and she put[a] him and his nurse in a bedroom. Thus they[b] hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not put to death. 3 And he remained with her six years, hidden in the house of the Lord, while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Joash Anointed King in Judah
4 (D)But in the seventh year (E)Jehoiada sent and brought the captains of (F)the Carites and of the guards, and had them come to him in the house of the Lord. And he made a covenant with them and put them under oath in the house of the Lord, and he showed them the king's son. 5 And he commanded them, “This is the thing that you shall do: one third of you, (G)those who come off duty on the Sabbath and guard the king's house 6 ((H)another third being at the gate Sur and a third at the gate behind the guards) shall guard the palace.[c] 7 And the two divisions of you, which come on duty in force on the Sabbath and guard the house of the Lord on behalf of the king, 8 shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And whoever approaches the ranks is to be put to death. Be with the king (I)when he goes out and when he comes in.”
9 The captains did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they each brought his men who were to go off duty on the Sabbath, with those who were to come on duty on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And the priest gave to the captains the spears and (J)shields that had been King David's, which were in the house of the Lord. 11 And the guards stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the south side of the house to the north side of the house, around the altar and the house on behalf of the king. 12 Then he brought out the king's son and put (K)the crown on him and gave him (L)the testimony. And they proclaimed him king and anointed him, and they clapped their hands and said, (M)“Long live the king!”
13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she went into the house of the Lord to the people. 14 And when she looked, there was the king standing (N)by the pillar, according to the custom, and the captains and the trumpeters beside the king, and all the people of the land rejoicing and (O)blowing trumpets. And Athaliah (P)tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!” 15 Then Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains who were set over the army, “Bring her out between the ranks, and put to death with the sword anyone who follows her.” For the priest said, “Let her not be put to death in the house of the Lord.” 16 So they laid hands on her; and she went through the horses' entrance to the king's house, and there she was put to death.
17 And Jehoiada (Q)made a covenant between the Lord and the king and people, that they should be the Lord's people, and also (R)between the king and the people. 18 Then all the people of the land went to (S)the house of Baal and tore it down; (T)his altars and his images they broke in pieces, and they killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest posted watchmen over the house of the Lord. 19 And he took the captains, (U)the Carites, the guards, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down from the house of the Lord, marching through (V)the gate of the guards to the king's house. And he took his seat on the throne of the kings. 20 So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet after Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the king's house.
Jehoash Reigns in Judah
21 [d] (W)Jehoash[e] was seven years old when he began to reign.
Footnotes
- 2 Kings 11:2 Compare 2 Chronicles 22:11; Hebrew lacks and she put
- 2 Kings 11:2 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate (compare 2 Chronicles 22:11) she
- 2 Kings 11:6 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain
- 2 Kings 11:21 Ch 12:1 in Hebrew
- 2 Kings 11:21 Jehoash is an alternate spelling of Joash (son of Ahaziah) as in verse 2
2 Kings 11
Expanded Bible
Athaliah and Joash(A)
11 When Ahaziah’s mother, Athaliah, ·saw [learned] that her son was dead, she ·killed [destroyed] all the royal ·family [offspring; C in order to claim power herself; she was a granddaughter of Omri, king of Israel; 8:26]. 2 But Jehosheba, King Jehoram’s daughter and Ahaziah’s sister, took Joash [C about a year old], Ahaziah’s son [C Joash was also known as Jehoash]. She stole him away from among the other sons of the king who were about to be murdered. She put Joash and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, so he was not ·killed [murdered]. 3 He hid with her in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord for six years. During that time Athaliah ·ruled [reigned over] the land.
4 In the seventh year Jehoiada sent for the ·commanders [captains] of groups of a hundred men, as well as the Carites [C mercenaries, probably a palace guard like the Kerethites and the Pelethites; 2 Sam. 8:18; 20:23]. He brought them together in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and ·made [L cut] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] with them. There, in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord, he ·made them promise loyalty [put them under oath], and then he showed them the king’s son. 5 He commanded them, “This is what you must do. A third of you who go on duty on the Sabbath will guard the king’s ·palace [L house]. 6 A third of you will be at the Sur Gate, and another third will be at the gate behind the guard. This way you will guard the ·Temple [L house]. 7 The two groups who go off duty on the Sabbath must ·protect [stand guard/watch over] the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord for the king. 8 ·All of you must stand around [Surround] the king, with weapons in hand. Kill anyone who ·comes near [tries to break your ranks]. Stay ·close to [with] the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”
9 The ·commanders [captains] over a hundred men ·obeyed [did] everything Jehoiada the priest had commanded. Each one took his men who came on duty on the Sabbath and those who went off duty on the Sabbath, and they came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 He gave the commanders the spears and shields that had belonged to King David and that were kept in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.
Joash Becomes King
11 Then each guard took his place with his weapons in his hand. ·There were guards [They stretched] from the ·south [L right] side of the ·Temple [L house] to the ·north [L left] side. They stood by the altar and the ·Temple [L house] and around the king. 12 Jehoiada brought out the king’s son and put the crown on him and gave him a copy of the ·agreement [covenant; testimony]. They ·appointed him king and poured olive oil on [anointed] him. Then they clapped their hands and ·said [shouted], “Long live the king!”
13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the guards and the people, she went to them at the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 14 She looked, and there was the king, standing by the pillar [C a symbol of authority], as the custom was. The ·officers [commanders; captains] and trumpeters were standing beside him, and all the people of the land were ·very happy [rejoicing] and were blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes [C a sign of mourning or distress] and screamed, “·Traitors! Traitors! [Treason! Treason!]”
15 Jehoiada the priest gave orders to the ·commanders [captains] of a hundred men, who led the army. He said, “·Surround her with soldiers [Take her out under guard; L Bring her out between the ranks] and kill with a sword anyone who follows her.” For he had said, “Don’t put Athaliah to death in the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord.” 16 So they ·caught [seized] her ·when she came [and took her] to the horses’ entrance near the ·palace [L king’s house]. There she was put to death.
17 Then Jehoiada ·made [L cut] an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] between the Lord and the king and the people that they would be the Lord’s people. He also made an ·agreement [covenant; treaty] between the king and the people. 18 All the people of the land went to the ·temple [L house] of Baal and tore it down, smashing the altars and idols. They also killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars.
Then Jehoiada the priest ·placed [stationed; posted] guards at the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. 19 He took with him the ·commanders [captains] of a hundred men and the ·Carites [C mercenaries; v. 4], the royal bodyguards, as well as the guards and all the people of the land. Together they ·took [brought; escorted] the king out of the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord and went into the ·palace [king’s house] through the gate of the guards. Then the king sat on the ·royal throne [throne of the kings]. 20 So all the people of the land ·were very happy [rejoiced], and Jerusalem ·had peace [was quiet/calm], because Athaliah had been put to death with the sword at the ·palace [L king’s house].
21 Joash was seven years old when he became king.
2 Kings 11
King James Version
11 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
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;
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.
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 round 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
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