Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 11
God promised that his Messiah, Israel’s great future king, will belong to the family of David (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Isaiah 11:1-11; Jeremiah 33:15-16; Matthew 1:1).
However, Athaliah’s marriage to Jehoram, the former king of Israel, united David’s family with the wicked family of Ahab. When she became the absolute ruler of Judah, she murdered her own family. So, it seemed as if God’s promise about David’s family had failed. For the next six years, almost everyone believed that no man or boy from the royal family was still alive.
Some people may have realised that Jehosheba, a daughter of Jehoram, remained alive. She had married Jehoiada, the chief priest (2 Chronicles 22:11). Usually, the chief priest would only marry a woman who was from the families of the priests (Leviticus 21:10-15). Perhaps Jehoiada married Jehosheba in order to save her life from Athaliah. He brought her to live with him in the buildings that surrounded the temple, God’s house. With its strong walls and its own guards, the temple was a safe place under Jehoida’s authority.
In her home next to the temple, Jehosheba hid Athaliah’s youngest grandson, Joash, with the woman who fed him at her breast. Jehosheba had rescued this baby, just one year old, from the soldiers that Athaliah had sent. They killed all his brothers, and only Joash remained alive.
Until Joash was seven years old, he remained in that secret place at the temple. During those six years, his grandmother Athaliah ruled Judah in an extremely cruel and evil manner. However, Joash had the right to be king of Judah.
Next part: Joash, the boy who became king (2 Kings 11:4)
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© 2025, Keith Simons.