2 Kings 11:1-12 - Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

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Crowning the Boy-King

2 Kings 11:1-12

Athaliah well deserves the title given her in 2 Chronicles 24:7. She usurped the throne, and played in Judah the part of her mother Jezebel. Joram was a wicked man and a bad king, but he recognized the value of piety, and chose the good priest Jehoiada as the husband of his daughter. The husband neutralized the evil influences of his wife's upbringing and led her into a noble and useful career, the chief episode of which was the rescue of the youngest son of Ahaziah. His nurse and he were hidden in a room where the mattresses were kept in case of a sudden influx of priests at festal times. Is not this hidden king a type of the hiding of the true Prince in the recesses of our hearts, while some Athaliah occupies too large a share of government? There is no alternative but that the evil self-life, our Athaliah, should be stoned.

It was a glad moment when the hidden prince was produced. Many loyal hearts had renounced all hope of again seeing a scion of David's line. But God kept His promise. The Word of God was a befitting gift to place in the hands of the young prince, 2 Kings 11:12. Compare Deuteronomy 17:18-19. But what a revelation will it be when Jesus assumes the government of the earth, and its kingdoms become the kingdom of God and His Christ! He is now hidden, but He shall be manifested, Colossians 3:4.

Related Commentaries of 2 Kings 11:1

2 Kings 11:1-12

1 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seeda royal.

2 But Jehosheba,b 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 partsc 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 cornerd 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.