Chapter 11
Themes, discussion questions, Christ connections, and denomination lenses.
Just read this chapter →Scripture
KJV1And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
2But 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.
3And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.
4And 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.
5And 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;
6And 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.
7And 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.
8And 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.
9And 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.
10And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David’s spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD.
11And 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.
12And 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.
13And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.
14And 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.
15But 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.
16And 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.
17And 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.
18And 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.
19And 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.
20And 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.
21Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.
“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.”
Overview
When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, sees her son is dead, she murders the royal family and seizes the throne of Judah. But the infant Joash is hidden in the temple by his aunt Jehosheba for six years. In the seventh year, Jehoiada the priest orchestrates a coup, crowns the boy Joash as king, and Athaliah is executed. Jehoiada renews the covenant between the LORD, the king, and the people.
Key Themes
God's Preservation of the Davidic Line
Athaliah's attempted extermination of the royal seed seems to threaten God's covenant with David, but God preserves one child — the lamp of David is not extinguished.
The Courage of Faithful Individuals
Jehosheba's bold act of hiding Joash and Jehoiada's careful, courageous plan remind us that God works through individuals willing to risk everything for His purposes.
Covenant Renewal
Jehoiada's renewal of the covenant signals a fresh start for Judah, showing that spiritual restoration begins with a return to covenant faithfulness.
Study Questions
How does the preservation of baby Joash demonstrate God's unbreakable commitment to the Davidic covenant?
What does Athaliah's attempt to destroy the royal line foreshadow about Satan's attempts to thwart God's messianic plan?
What role does Jehoiada the priest play, and what does his leadership teach about the relationship between spiritual and civil authority?
Why is the renewal of the covenant so important after years of apostasy?
How does this chapter encourage us when evil seems to triumph?
Connection to Christ
The preservation of the infant Joash when all the royal seed was being destroyed is a vivid picture of God's protection of the messianic line. Satan has repeatedly tried to destroy the line leading to Christ — through Pharaoh, Athaliah, Herod — but God always preserves His promised Seed. The hidden child who emerges to take the throne foreshadows Christ, who was hidden in Egypt and later revealed as King of kings.
Personal Reflection
Take time to journal or meditate on what God is teaching you through 2 Kings 11. How can these truths transform your thinking and actions today?