Baby Joash Hidden During Athaliah’s Reign
2 Kings 11Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal offspring. 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 slain, and put him and him and his in a bedroom. They hid him from Athaliah, so that he was not killed. He was hidden with her in the house of YHWH for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
Joash Appointed King in Judah
In the seventh year Jehoiada sent and fetched the captains over hundreds of the Carites and of the guard, and brought them to him into the house of YHWH. He made a covenant with them, and made a covenant with them in the house of YHWH, and showed them the king’s son. He commanded them, saying, “This is what y’all must do: a third of y’all, who come in on the Sabbath are to be keepers of the watch for the king’s house, a third at the Sur gate, and a third at the gate behind the guard. Y’all will take turns guarding the temple. The two companies of y’all who are off on the Sabbath will keep watch over the house of YHWH for the king. Y’all are to surround the king, every man with his weapons in his hand. Anyone who approaches the ranks must be killed. Y’all are to stay with the king when he goes out and when he comes in.”
The captains over hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded; and they each took his men, those who were to come in on the Sabbath with those who were to go out on the Sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. The priest delivered to the captains over hundreds the spears and shields that had been King David’s, which were in the house of YHWH. The guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, along by the altar and the house, around the king. Then he brought out the king’s son, and put the crown on him, and gave him the covenant, and they made him king. They anointed him and clapped their hands, and said, “Long live the king!”
When Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the house of YHWH. She looked and there was the king stood by the pillar, as the tradition was, with the captains and the trumpets by the king. All the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason! Treason!”
Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds who were set over the army, and said to them, “Y’all bring her out between the ranks and kill anyone who follows her with the sword.” For the priest said, “Don’t let her be slain in the house of YHWH.” So they seized her, and she went by the way of the horses’ entry to the king’s house, and she was slain there.
Jehoiada made a covenant between YHWH and the king and the people, that they should be YHWH’s people; also between the king and the people. All the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and broke it down. They broke his altars and his images in pieces thoroughly, and killed Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. The priest appointed officers over the house of YHWH. He took the captains over hundreds, and the Carites, and the guard, and all the people of the land; and they brought down the king from the house of YHWH, and came by the way of the gate of the guard to the king’s house. He sat on the throne of the kings. So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had slain Athaliah with the sword at the king’s house.
Young Joash King of Judah
Joash+11:21 The Hebrew uses Jehoash, an alternate form of Joash, from here until 12:9 was seven years old when he began to reign.