2 Kings 11 - Clarke's commentary and critical notes on the Bible

Bible Comments
  • 2 Kings 11:1 open_in_new

    And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. Athaliah - This woman was the daughter of Ahab, and grand-daughter of Omri, and wife of Joram king of Judah, and mother of Ahaziah.

    Destroyed all the seed royal - All that she could lay her hands on whom Jehu had left; in order that she might get undisturbed possession of the kingdom.

    How dreadful is the lust of reigning! it destroys all the charities of life; and turns fathers, mothers, brothers, and children, into the most ferocious savages! Who, that has it in his power, makes any conscience

    "To swim to sovereign rule through seas of blood?"

    In what a dreadful state is that land that is exposed to political revolutions, and where the succession to the throne is not most positively settled by the clearest and most decisive law! Reader, beware of revolutions; there have been some useful ones, but they are in general the heaviest curse of God.

  • 2 Kings 11:2 open_in_new

    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. Daughter of - Joram, sister of Ahaziah - It is not likely that Jehosheba was the daughter of Athaliah; she was sister, we find, to Ahaziah the son of Athaliah, but probably by a different mother. The mother of Jehoash was Zibiah of Beer-sheba; see 2 Kings 12:1.

  • 2 Kings 11:3 open_in_new

    And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land. He was - hid in the house of the Lord - This might be readily done, because none had access to the temple but the priests; and the high priest himself was the chief manager of this business.

  • 2 Kings 11:4 open_in_new

    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. And the seventh year Jehoiada sent - He had certainly sounded them all, and brought them into the interests of the young king, before this time; the plot having been laid, and now ripe for execution, he brings the chief officers of the army and those of the body guard into the temple, and there binds them by an oath of secrecy, and shows them the king's son, in whose behalf they are to rise.

  • 2 Kings 11:5 open_in_new

    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; That enter in on the Sabbath - It appears that Jehoiada chose the Sabbath day to proclaim the young king, because as that was a day of public concourse, the gathering together of the people who were in this secret would not be noticed; and it is likely that they all came unarmed, and were supplied by Jehoiada with the spears and shields which David had laid up in the temple, 2 Kings 11:10.

    The priests and Levites were divided into twenty-four classes by David, and each served a week by turns in the temple, and it was on the Sabbath that they began the weekly service, all this favored Jehoiada's design.

  • 2 Kings 11:6 open_in_new

    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.

  • 2 Kings 11:7 open_in_new

    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.

  • 2 Kings 11:8 open_in_new

    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.

  • 2 Kings 11:9 open_in_new

    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.

  • 2 Kings 11:10 open_in_new

    And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David's spears and shields, that were in the temple of the LORD. King David's spears and shields - Josephus expressly says that David had provided an arsenal for the temple, out of which Jehoiada took those arms. His words are; Ανοιξας δε Ιωαδος την εν τῳ ἱερῳ ὁπλοθηκην, ἡν Δαβιδης κατεσκευασε, διεμερισε τοις ἑκατονταρχαις ἁμα και ἱεροισι και Λευιταις ἁπανθ' ὁσα εὑρεν εν αυτῃ δορατα τε και φαρετρας, και ει τι ἑτερον ειδος ὁπλου κατελαβε. "And Jehoiada having opened the arsenal in the temple, which David had prepared, he divided among the centurions, priests, and Levites, the spears, (arrows), and quivers, and all other kinds of weapons which he found there." - Ant. lib. ix., c. 7, s. 8.

  • 2 Kings 11:11 open_in_new

    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.

  • 2 Kings 11:12 open_in_new

    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. Put the crown upon him - This was a diadem or golden band that went round the head.

    And - the testimony - Probably the book of the law, written on a roll of vellum. This was his scepter. Some think that it was placed upon his head, as well as the diadem. The diadem, the testimony, and the anointing oil, were essential to his consecration.

    They clapped their hands - This I believe is the first instance on record of clapping the hands as a testimony of joy.

    God save the king - יחי המלך yechi hannmelech; May the king live! So the words should be translated wherever they occur.

  • 2 Kings 11:13 open_in_new

    And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD.

  • 2 Kings 11:14 open_in_new

    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. The king stood by a pillar - Stood On a pillar or tribunal; the place or throne on which they were accustomed to put the kings when they proclaimed them.

    Treason, Treason - קשר קשר kesher, kasher; A conspiracy, A conspiracy! from kashar, to bind, unite together.

  • 2 Kings 11:15 open_in_new

    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. Have her forth - She had pressed in among the guards into the temple.

    And him that followeth - The person who takes her part, let him instantly be slain.

  • 2 Kings 11:16 open_in_new

    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. By the way - which the horses came - They probably brought her out near the king's stables. It has been supposed, from Ezekiel 46:1, Ezekiel 46:2, that the east gate of the inner court was that by which the king entered on the Sabbath day, whereas on all other days he entered by the south gate.

    And there was another gate, called the horse gate, in the wall of the city, (Jeremiah 31:40), for the king's horses to go out at from the stables at Millo, which is therefore called, 2 Chronicles 23:15, the horse gate toward the king's house.

  • 2 Kings 11:17 open_in_new

    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. Jehoiada made a covenant - A general covenant was first made between the Lord, the Supreme King, the king his viceroy, and the people, that they should all be the Lord's people; each being equally bound to live according to the Divine law.

    Then, secondly, a particular covenant was made between the king and the people, by which the king was bound to rule according to the laws and constitution of the kingdom, and to watch and live for the safety of the public. And the people were bound on their part, to love, honor, succor, and obey the king. Where these mutual and just agreements are made and maintained, there can be nothing else than prosperity in the Church and the state.

  • 2 Kings 11:18 open_in_new

    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. His altars and images brake they in pieces - It is probable that Athaliah had set up the worship of Baal in Judah, as Jezebel had done in Israel; or probably it had never been removed since the days of Solomon. It was no wonder that Jehoiada began his reform with this act, when we learn from 2 Chronicles 24:7, that the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the Lord did they bestow upon Baalim.

  • 2 Kings 11:19 open_in_new

    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.

  • 2 Kings 11:20 open_in_new

    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. The people - rejoiced - They were glad to get rid of the tyranny of Athaliah.

    And the city was in quiet - She had no partisans to rise up and disturb the king's reign.

  • 2 Kings 11:21 open_in_new

    Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign. Seven years old was Jehoash - The first instance on record of making a child seven years old the king of any nation, and especially of such a nation as the Jews, who were at all times very difficult to be governed.

    Commentary on the Bible, by Adam Clarke [1831].