Athaliah in Judah
1 When Athaliah, the mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son had died, she was determined to wipe out all the descendants of the king.
2 But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Joram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash, her nephew, and brought him away from among the king’s sons who were about to be killed, and put him with his wet nurse in the bedroom. Thus she hid him from Athaliah, so that the boy was saved.
3 And Joash remained hidden in the House of Yahweh for six years while Athaliah reigned over the land.
4 In the seventh year, Jehoiada the chief priest, summoned the officers of the royal guard and of the Carites to the House of Yahweh. After concluding a pact with them under oath, he showed them the king’s son.
5 Then he gave them these orders, “One third of your men who come on duty on the sabbath shall guard the king’s house,
6 another third shall be at the foundation gate, and the last third at the back gates. Keep watch continuous ly.
7 Now about those who come off duty on the sabbath, two divisions of them shall guard the House of Yahweh and surround King Joash.
8 You shall be at his side, each with drawn weapons, and you will kill all who would cross your line. Take care of the king wherever he goes.”
9 The commanders of the guards did what Jehoiada the priest had told them to do and they showed up with all their men, those who were to go off duty on the sabbath as well as those who were to come on duty on that day.
10 Jehoia da entrusted to the officers the spears and shields of King David which were in the House of Yahweh.
11 And then the guards stood from the southern corner of the house to the north, surrounding the altar and the House of Yahweh.
12 Then Jehoiada, the priest, brought out the king’s son, crowned him and put the bracelets on him, then proclaimed and consecrated him king. All clapped their hands, shouting and crying out, “Long live the king!”
13 When Athaliah heard the noise of the people, she approached the crowd surrounding the House of Yah weh.
14 The king was standing by the pillar, according to the custom, and the officers and the trumpeters were with him. The people were filled with joy and they were blowing trumpets. On seeing this, Athaliah tore her clothes and cried out, “Treason, treason!”
15 Jehoiada the priest commanded the officers, “Surround her and bring her out to the courtyard, and kill anyone who tries to defend her.” He gave this order, because he thought, “She should not die in the House of Yahweh.”
16 They brought her out, and when they reached the palace of the king by the horses’ entrance, there they killed her.
17 Jehoiada made a covenant between Yahweh and the king and the people so they would be the people of Yahweh.
18 All the citizens went to the temple of Baal and destroyed it. They broke the altars and the images into pieces, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, before his altar.
Then Jehoiada, the priest, posted guards over the House of Yahweh.
19 He led the officers, the guards of the king, the Carites guards and the citizens, and they accompanied the king to the palace, passing through the Gate of the Guards. King Joash sat on the royal throne.
20 All the citizens were happy and the city was at peace. Now regarding Athaliah, she had died by the sword in the king’s palace.
------------------------------------------------------------
Comments 2 Kings, Chapter 11
• 11.1 Athaliah was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. When her son Ahaziah, the king of Judah dies, she thinks of taking over the kingdom by killing all her grandchildren. This would mean the end of David’s descendants, or the failure of Yahweh’s promises. Joash escapes death under miraculous circumstances. Six years later, the head of the priests succeeds in a plot with the help of the “people of the land,” that is to say, the free men who enjoy full rights as citizens (vv. 14, 18, 19…). These remain faithful to David’s family.
History shows that on several occasions the people have been the ones who preserve the faith when the authorities failed to do so. Thus, in the fourth century A.D., the errors of Arius – who denied the divinity of Christ – were accepted by many bishops who were influenced by the Roman emperor. In a church where authority came from above but where, in fact, the emperor named the bishops, the situation seemed desperate in spite of the courage of a few great bishops such as St. Hilary and St. Athanasius. It was the resistance of Christian people that assured the victory of the faith.
The chief priest restores the child king and he also tries to give him directions. An agreement is signed according to which the people and the king commit themselves to be faithful to the Covenant of Yahweh.