2 Kings 11

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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 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.

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 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.

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 corner 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

17 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.

18 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.

19 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.

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.

21 Seven years old was Jehoash when he began to reign.

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 2

<html>Into the bed-chamber‘room. In the attic of the Holy of Holies,¹In II Divrei Hayomim 22:11 it indicates that Yehosheva was the wife of Yehoyada the chief kohein, and she therefore had access to the chambers in the Beis Hamikdosh. as it states, “And he remained with her in the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy, hiding, etc.”²Below v. 3. Concerning him Dovid said, “For He will hide me in His Tabernacle … He will conceal me in the shelter of His Tent.”³Tehillim 27:5. He calls it the “bed-chamber” in accordance with, “Between my breasts He lodges.”⁴Shir Hashirim 1:13.⁵The Holy Presence rested between the two staves of the Ark within the Holy of Holies. The staves protruded into the curtain like a woman’s breasts. See Rashi I Melochim 8:8 and Maseches Yoma 54a. This is what Rabbi Eliezer⁶Rashi is referring to Rabbi Elazar Hakalir, the author of this poetic liturgy. instituted, [May He remember for atonement] “the destruction of the bed-chamber,” [i.e.,] “May the destruction of Your Beis [Hamikdosh] atone for them.”</html>

Verse 4

<html>The mighty warriors. The officers of the hundreds of the mighty warriors and the officers of the hundreds of the runners. The expression כָּרִי is used, and not כָּרִים,⁷Which is the plural of כָּרִי. because [כָּרִי] is a noun, [meaning] a company of mighty warriors, barned, in O.F. He made a covenant with them. That they will help him in crowning the king’s son.</html>

Verse 5

<html>One third of you of those who come on Shabbos. The watches would be renewed on Shabbos,⁸See Mishnayos Maseches Taanis 2:6,7. There were twenty-four families of kohanim and Leviyim that served in rotation in the Beis Hamikdosh. They changed places on Shabbos. the watches of the kohanim and Leviyim. one would enter and one would leave. He ordered the watch that was entering, to divide into three parts, one third in the king’s palace, to guard that no one rise up against the king to assassinate him.⁹I.e., Yoash. one third in the Sur Gate, the eastern gate of the Temple court, the Hasirah Gate. [6.] And one third [will be] at the gate behind the runners. That too was one of the gates of the Temple court. [Targum] Yonoson rendered, “בְּתַרְעָא דְּבַתְרוֹהִי תַּרְעָא רָהֲטַיָּא, [=the gate which was behind the Gate of the Runners].” Through the Gate of the Runners one would go from the royal palace to the Beis Hamikdosh, as it is stated at the end of this matter. And that gate of the Temple court, about which it is stated at the gate behind the runners,¹⁰See below, v. 6. was called in Divrei Hayomim, “the Gate of the Sippim.”¹¹II Divrei Hayomim 23:4.</html>

Verse 6

<html>And you shall keep the watch of the palace without taking your mind off it. This watch he commanded the first group, concerning whom he said, “will keep watch of the king’s palace.”¹²See above, v. 5. Without taking your mind off it. Guard it very diligently, that you do not take your mind off it, an expression of “despair [=ננוֹאָשׁ],”¹³I Shmuel 27:1. that there should be no despair in this matter. The ‘מ’ of מַסָּח is part of the root.¹⁴I.e., The ‘מ’ is not a prefix meaning “from.”</html>

Verse 7

<html>The two groups of you. Who I said should be in the Sur Gate and in the Gate of the Runners, and with them all those who leave on Shabbos, [i.e.,] all the men of the departing watch. Will guard Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy for the king. That no harm befall him from within the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy. He did not require all this except for the first Shabbos, until Atalyoh was killed and her allies fled from the city.</html>

Verse 8

<html>And whoever breaks the ranks. A stranger who comes within the boundary called “שדרות,”¹⁵Any stranger entering this area was suspected of being Atalyoh’s ally who was seeking to assassinate the king.—Metzudas Dovid which is the place of the king’s entry from his palace to the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy. I do not know the origin of the word “שְׂדֵרוֹת,” but [Targum] Yonoson rendered it “סוּדְרִיָא.”¹⁶Targum substitutes a ‘ש’ for the ‘ס’. It was sort of a passage from the palace to the Beis Hamikdosh.</html>

Verse 12

<html>[Placed] the crown on him and [gave him] the Testimony. The Torah Scroll, as it is written, “And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life.”¹⁷Devorim 17:19. Adonoy king must always have a Torah Scroll with him at all times. Therefore, the Torah Scroll acts as a testimony of royalty. Alternatively, the Torah Scroll is referred to as “testimony.” See Shemos 25:16 and Rashi there.—Metzudas Dovid¹⁸Alternatively, עֵדוּת refers to the royal robes.—Radak And our Rabbis stated that the crown itself was the “testimony,” for it would fit anyone who is fit for the throne, but it would not fit anyone unfit for the throne.¹⁹See Maseches Avodah Zarah 44a, and Rashi there.</html>

Verse 14

<html>On the pedestal. That is the king’s platform in the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy.²⁰Alternatively, עַמּוּד merely refers to a location in that area that was set aside for the king. “A revolt! A revolt!” Revolt. There is a revolt here.</html>

Verse 15

<html>“Remove her.” Out of the Beis Hamikdosh to the ranks [=שְׂדֵרוֹת] [i.e.,] and bring her by way of the שְׂדֵרוֹת to the king’s palace, but do not allow her to leave through the exit of the Temple court through the city, where she might find allies who will join her. And anyone who follows her. To help her. Kill with the sword. To slay with a sword.</html>

Verse 16

<html>They made a place for her. A place,²¹See Devorim 23:13 where the word “יַד” means “a place.” aisances, in O.F.</html>

Verse 17

<html>Between Adonoy and between the king and the people. That the king and the people will follow Adonoy,²²And that they uproot all the idolatry that had become pervasive at the time. and afterwards [he enacted a covenant] between the king and the people that they should be subservient to the king.²³And in return the king will wage wars for the people.—Metzudas Dovid</html>

Verse 18

<html>Assignments. Appointed to watch at the location of their watch according to their charge, because Atalyohu had abolished the order of the watches in the Beis [Hamikdosh].²⁴See II Divrei Hayomim 24:7.</html>

Verse 19

<html>They came by way of the Gate of the Runners. To the king’s palace.²⁵Literally the verse reads “by way of the Gate of the Runners of the king’s palace.” However, Rashi in v. 5 above explained that the Gate of the Runners was one of the gates of the Temple’s court. Therefore Rashi renders the verse as, “by way of the Gate of the Runners to the king’s palace.” Alternatively, the Gate of the Runners was one of the gates of the king’s palace.—Targum </html>

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Table of Contents

2 Kings 11

2 Kings 11

Notes

Cross Reference

Commentary

Rashi

Verse 2

Verse 4

Verse 5

Verse 6

Verse 7

Verse 8

Verse 12

Verse 14

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 17

Verse 18

Verse 19