2 Chronicles 22 10

2 Chronicles 22:10 kjv

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 22:10 nkjv

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

2 Chronicles 22:10 niv

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family of the house of Judah.

2 Chronicles 22:10 esv

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

2 Chronicles 22:10 nlt

When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of Judah's royal family.

2 Chronicles 22 verses

2 Chronicles 22 10 Meaning

When Athaliah, the mother of the recently deceased King Ahaziah, learned of her son's death, she immediately moved to consolidate her power by orchestrating the complete eradication of all other members of the royal family in the house of Judah. This ruthless act was intended to remove any potential claimant to the throne, ensuring her unchallenged dominion and representing a direct and heinous attempt to nullify God's promised Davidic lineage.

2 Chronicles 22 10 Context

This verse immediately follows the death of King Ahaziah of Judah, Athaliah's son, who was killed as part of Jehu's widespread purge of the Omride dynasty in Israel. Ahaziah himself had "walked in the ways of the house of Ahab," heavily influenced by his mother and his grandfather Ahab. Upon hearing of her son's demise and recognizing the complete vacuum of power, Athaliah, a deeply wicked and ambitious woman (daughter of King Ahab of Israel and Jezebel), seized the opportunity to establish absolute rule. Her act of destroying "all the royal offspring" was an extreme measure to eliminate any legitimate heir from the Davidic line, thereby usurping the throne for herself and severely threatening the covenant God made with David to ensure a perpetual lineage. This ruthless action highlights the pervasive influence of the Omride depravity even within the royal house of Judah and sets the stage for God's miraculous intervention to preserve the single heir, Joash.

2 Chronicles 22 10 Word analysis

• Now when: A transitional phrase, indicating a direct, immediate consequence of the preceding events.
• Athaliah (עֲתַלְיָהוּ - `'Athalyahû`): Meaning "Yahweh is exalted" or "Yahweh has restrained." Daughter of Ahab, the infamously wicked king of Israel, and Jezebel. She represents the zenith of evil influence infiltrating the Davidic line through marriage. Her very name, ironically, uses the divine name "Yahweh" but her actions are directly contrary to God's will.
• the mother of Ahaziah: Establishes her immediate relationship to the recently deceased king, which serves as the trigger for her extreme actions. Her connection to Ahaziah, who was himself deeply wicked, further underscores her corrupting influence.
• saw that her son was dead: The catalyst. Her primary reaction isn't grief but a calculated recognition of a power vacuum and an opportunity for seizing total control.
• she arose (וַתָּקָם֙ - `wattāqām`): From the root `qum`, meaning "to stand up, arise." Denotes immediate, decisive, and forceful action, not merely a passive reaction. It suggests her determination to take charge.
• and destroyed (וַתַּשְׁמֵ֖ד - `wattašmêd`): From the root `šāmad`, meaning "to lay waste, annihilate, exterminate, wipe out completely." This is a verb indicating total, merciless, and systematic obliteration. It signifies an act of mass murder with extreme intent.
• all the royal offspring (כֹּל זֶ֥רַע הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה - `kol zera` hammaimlākhāh`): Literally "all the seed of the kingdom/royalty." This phrase explicitly refers to all potential male heirs and royal descendants, aiming for a complete dynastic purge. It signifies the absolute ambition to eliminate any claim other than her own.
• of the house of Judah (בֵּ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה - `bêṯ Yəhûḏāh`): Specifically points to the royal line descending from David, emphasizing that her action was a direct assault on God's covenant and His chosen dynasty for Israel. This was not merely political murder, but an attempt to erase the promised lineage.

• Words-Group analysis:
• "Athaliah... saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed": This sequence of events reveals her character: her reaction to loss is not sorrow but an immediate, cold-blooded seizure of power through murderous means.
• "destroyed all the royal offspring of the house of Judah": This phrase highlights the severity and breadth of her atrocity, directly targeting God's covenanted lineage for utter annihilation, aiming to sever the very "seed" that would bring forth the promised Messiah.

2 Chronicles 22 10 Bonus section

• The Chronicler's narrative strategy: The book of Chronicles strongly emphasizes the Davidic covenant and the continuous nature of God's blessing upon those who follow Him. This dark episode of Athaliah's massacre serves as a profound test of this theme, only to be dramatically resolved by the miraculous preservation of Joash in the following verses (2 Chr 22:11-12), reaffirming God's absolute faithfulness despite human sin.
• Pervasive Omride influence: Athaliah's actions clearly mirror the ruthless political strategies and widespread idolatry of her parents, Ahab and Jezebel, illustrating how ungodly alliances can bring corrupting spiritual and physical destruction into otherwise covenantal lines.
• Theological Significance of "seed": The Hebrew word `zera` ("seed") connects Athaliah's act to the foundational promise of Genesis 3:15, where the "seed of the woman" would crush the serpent. Her attempt to destroy the "seed of the kingdom" is thus not just a political purge but a quasi-demonic assault on the lineage through which the ultimate Deliverer would come.

2 Chronicles 22 10 Commentary

2 Chronicles 22:10 portrays Athaliah's ruthless grab for power following her son Ahaziah's death. This moment represents a dark nadir for the Davidic dynasty, as an insider, through an act of unprecedented infanticide, sought to eradicate the entire royal lineage. Her actions were driven by unbridled ambition, reminiscent of her mother Jezebel, and directly threatened God's eternal covenant with David—that his house and kingdom would never cease. Yet, this verse, while depicting ultimate human depravity, concurrently sets the stage for a miraculous demonstration of divine faithfulness. Against all odds, one infant, Joash, would be miraculously preserved, proving that no human scheme, however cruel or cunning, can ultimately thwart God's sovereign plans and His unfailing promises. This episode is a stark reminder of human wickedness contrasted with divine providence.