Jehoash, being saved by Jehosheba his aunt from Athaliah's massacre of the royal family, is hid six years in the house of God, 1-3. Jehoiada, giving order to the captains, in the seventh year anoints him king, 4-12. Athaliah is slain, 13-16. Jehoiada restores the worship of God, 17-21.
1 And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family. 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 who were slain. And they hid him, even him and his nurse, in the bed-chamber from Athaliah so that he was not slain. 3 And he was hid with her in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.
4 And in the seventh year Jehoiada sent and took the rulers over hundreds, with the captains and the guard, and brought them to him into the house of the LORD. Then he made a covenant with them and took an oath of them in the house of the LORD and showed them the king's son. 5 And he commanded them, saying, "This is the thing that you shall do: a third part of you who 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. Thus you shall keep the watch of the house so that it is not broken down. 7 And two parts of all you who go forth on the sabbath, even they shall keep the watch of the house of the LORD around the king. 8 And you shall surround the king, each with his weapons in his hand. And he who comes within the ranges, let him be slain. And be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in."
9 And the captains over the hundreds did according to all things that Jehoiada the priest commanded. And they each took his men who were to come in on the sabbath, with those who should go out on the sabbath, and came to Jehoiada the priest. 10 And to the captains over hundreds the priest gave king David's spears and shields that were in the temple of the LORD. 11 And the guard stood, each with his weapons in his hand, around 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, 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 to them, "Bring her forth outside the ranges and kill with the sword him who follows her." For the priest had said, "Do not let her be slain in the house of the LORD." 16 And they laid hands on her. And she went by the way by which the horses came into the king's house and there she was 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 broke it down. His altars and his images they broke wholly in pieces 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, the captains, the guard, and all the people of the land, and they brought the king down 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 Jehoash was seven years old when he began to reign.
Matthew Henry Commentary - 2nd Kings, Chapter 11[➚]