Athaliah

When Athaliah saw that her son the king was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. One child escaped: Jehosheba hid Joash, her infant nephew, and he stayed in the house of the LORD six years while Athaliah reigned. In the seventh year the priest Jehoiada showed the boy to the people and crowned him. Athaliah tore her clothes and cried, “Treason, Treason,” but she was led out and slain. The account sits in 2 Kings 11 and again in 2 Chronicles 22 and 23. It is a story of a family line nearly lost, and of those who quietly kept it alive.

15 verses

2 Kings

2 Kings 8:18

And he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, as did the house of Ahab: for the daughter of Ahab was his wife: and he did evil in the sight of the LORD.

2 Kings 8:26

Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.

2 Kings 11:1

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

2 Kings 11:2

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.

2 Kings 11:3

And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.

2 Kings 11:12

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.

2 Kings 11:13

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

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.

2 Kings 11:15

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.

2 Kings 11:16

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.

2 Kings 11:20

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.

2 Chronicles

2 Chronicles 22:10

But when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal of the house of Judah.

2 Chronicles 22:11

But Jehoshabeath, the daughter of the king, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were slain, and put him and his nurse in a bedchamber. So Jehoshabeath, the daughter of king Jehoram, the wife of Jehoiada the priest,(for she was the sister of Ahaziah,) hid him from Athaliah, so that she slew him not.

2 Chronicles 22:12

And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

Ezra

Ezra 8:7

And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.

From Easton's Bible Dictionary

Matthew George Easton, 1897

Whom God afflicts. (1.) The daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and the wife of Jehoram, king of Judah (2 Kings 8:18), who “walked in the ways of the house of Ahab” (2 Chr. 21:6), called “daughter” of Omri (2 Kings 8:26). On the death of her husband and of her son Ahaziah, she resolved to seat herself on the vacant throne. She slew all Ahaziah’s children except Joash, the youngest (2 Kings 11:1,2). After a reign of six years she was put to death in an insurrection (2 Kings 11:20; 2 Chr. 21:6; 22:10-12; 23:15), stirred up among the people in connection with Josiah’s being crowned as king.

(2.) Ezra 8:7. (3.) 1 Chr. 8:26.

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From Smith's Bible Dictionary

William Smith, 1884

(afflicted of the Lord) daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, married Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and introduced into that kingdom the worship of Baal. (B.C. 891.) After the great revolution by which Jehu seated himself on the throne of Samaria she killed all the members of the royal family of Judah who had escaped his sword. (2 Kings 11:1) From the slaughter one infant, named Joash, the youngest son of Ahaziah, was rescued by his aunt Jehosheba wife of Jehoiada, (2 Chronicles 23:11) the high priest. (2 Chronicles 24:6) The child was brought up under Jehoiada’s care, and concealed in the temple for six years, during which period Athaliah reigned over Judah. At length Jehoiada thought it time to produce the lawful king to the people, trusting to their zeal for the worship of God and their loyalty to the house of David. His plan was successful, and Athaliah was put to death.