2 Kings 11:1 kjv
And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
2 Kings 11:1 nkjv
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal heirs.
2 Kings 11:1 niv
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.
2 Kings 11:1 esv
Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal family.
2 Kings 11:1 nlt
When Athaliah, the mother of King Ahaziah of Judah, learned that her son was dead, she began to destroy the rest of the royal family.
2 Kings 11 1 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sam 7:12-16 | When your days are fulfilled... I will raise up your offspring after you... I will establish his kingdom. I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever... | Davidic covenant promise. |
| Pss 89:3-4, 29 | “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever and build up your throne for all generations.’...” | God's eternal promise to David's line. |
| 1 Ki 11:36 | "so that David my servant may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name." | Guarantee of Davidic remnant. |
| 2 Ki 9:27-28 | When Ahaziah king of Judah saw this, he fled by the way of the garden house... Ahaziah died there. | Context: Ahaziah's death. |
| 2 Chr 22:10-12 | 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... But Jehosheba... took Joash... | Parallel account in Chronicles, preserving Joash. |
| Exo 1:15-16 | Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives… “When you assist the Hebrew women... if it is a son, you shall kill him.” | Parallel to attempts to eliminate male heirs. |
| Mt 2:16 | Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem… | Parallel: Attempt to kill Messianic line. |
| Rev 12:4-5 | The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she bore her child he might devour it... She gave birth to a male child... which is to rule all the nations... | Symbolic representation of Satan's war against the Christ child. |
| Gen 3:15 | I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head... | First prophecy of Messianic 'seed' under attack. |
| 1 Ki 21:7 | Jezebel his wife said to him, “Do you now govern Israel? Arise, eat bread... I will give you the vineyard of Naboth...” | Athaliah's mother Jezebel's ruthless tactics. |
| Jer 44:28 | ...and those who escape the sword shall return from the land of Egypt to the land of Judah, a small number. | Concept of divine preservation/remnant. |
| Isa 1:9 | If the Lord of hosts had not left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom, and become like Gomorrah. | God preserves a remnant. |
| Rom 11:5 | So too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. | God's faithfulness in preserving a remnant. |
| Ezra 9:8 | But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the Lord our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold... | Preservation of a remnant after destruction. |
| Hab 1:4 | So the law is paralyzed, and justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; so justice goes forth perverted. | Widespread lawlessness and corruption. |
| Prov 28:15 | Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. | Description of a ruthless ruler. |
| Dan 7:25 | He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law... | Antagonism towards God's people/purposes. |
| Job 24:19 | Drought and heat consume the snow waters; so does Sheol those who have sinned. | Wicked meet destruction. |
| Isa 47:8 | Now therefore hear this, you who are given to pleasures, who dwell securely... and say, ‘I am, and there is no one besides me.’ | Self-exaltation of a wicked ruler. |
| Zec 13:8 | In the whole land, declares the Lord, two thirds shall be cut off and perish, and one third shall be left alive. | Prophetic cleansing and remnant. |
2 Kings 11 verses
2 Kings 11 1 Meaning
2 Kings 11:1 records the immediate and brutal reaction of Athaliah, queen mother of Judah, upon learning of her son King Ahaziah's death. Driven by ambition and a desire to seize and consolidate power, she launched a merciless purge, ordering the systematic execution of all members of the royal Davidic family. This act was a direct and devastating assault on God's covenant promise to David that his line would always endure on the throne of Judah.
2 Kings 11 1 Context
Chapter 11 of 2 Kings opens immediately after the death of Ahaziah, king of Judah, who was killed by Jehu during his purge of the house of Ahab in Israel (2 Ki 9:27-28; 2 Chr 22:7-9). Ahaziah was the son of Athaliah and King Jehoram of Judah. Athaliah was herself the daughter of the notoriously wicked King Ahab of Israel and his Phoenician queen, Jezebel (2 Ki 8:26, 18). Having inherited her parents' ruthlessness and pagan devotion to Baal, Athaliah wielded considerable influence during the reigns of her husband Jehoram and her son Ahaziah, promoting Baal worship in Judah. With Ahaziah's death, the Davidic line appeared vulnerable. This verse marks a desperate and brutal attempt by Athaliah to seize full power, eliminating any potential claim to the throne by remaining members of the royal family and establishing herself as the monarch, a usurpation that broke the covenant lineage established by God through David.
2 Kings 11 1 Word analysis
- When Athaliah: 'Athalyah (עֲתַלְיָה֙), meaning "Yahweh is exalted" or "Yahweh has afflicted," ironically named for one who deeply opposed God's ways. Her name signals her identity, linking her to Ahab and Jezebel's infamous lineage. This sets the stage for a period of extreme wickedness in Judah.
- the mother of Ahaziah: This defines her close relationship to the recently deceased king, which positioned her strategically to observe the shift in power dynamics and act swiftly. Her ambition now had a direct opportunity.
- saw that her son was dead: This phrase establishes the catalyst for her extreme action. The demise of her son meant the end of her influence through him; thus, direct control was her new goal.
- she arose: wattaqom (וַתָּקֹ֧ם). This verb denotes an immediate, decisive, and forceful initiation of action. It conveys her swift and purposeful movement into a new role and an immediate, drastic response.
- and destroyed: wattəʾabbēd (וַתְּאַבֵּד֙). The Hebrew verb is in the Piel stem, signifying an intensive or causative action. It means "caused to perish" or "utterly destroyed." It highlights the complete and comprehensive nature of her murderous act. This was not a partial or haphazard killing but a systematic eradication.
- all the royal family: zeraʿ hammamlāḵāh (זֶ֥רַע הַמַּמְלָכָ֖ה), literally "the seed of the kingdom." The word "seed" (
zeraʿ) is highly significant biblically, referring to offspring, descendants, and continuity of lineage, particularly important in the context of the Davidic covenant (2 Sam 7). This signifies an attack not just on individuals, but on the very succession and future of the divinely promised royal line. Athaliah sought to eliminate every possible heir who could challenge her claim to the throne.
2 Kings 11 1 Bonus section
- Athaliah as a Usurper: Athaliah is unique in Israelite history as the only non-Davidic ruler to sit on the throne of Judah. Her reign was a direct affront to the divinely established Davidic dynasty.
- Satanic Intent: From a theological perspective, Athaliah's actions can be seen as an immediate fulfillment of the enmity described in Gen 3:15 between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. It was a clear, yet failed, attempt to cut off the lineage through which the promised Messiah would come. This is further echoed in New Testament events like Herod's massacre of the innocents (Mt 2:16) and symbolically in Revelation 12.
- Contrast with Joash: The verse's ferocity is immediately contrasted by 2 Kings 11:2-3, which shows the divine protection over the lone survivor, the infant Joash. This highlights God's providence even in the face of extreme human wickedness.
2 Kings 11 1 Commentary
2 Kings 11:1 encapsulates a pivotal and dark moment in Judah's history, highlighting the depths of human depravity fueled by power lust and pagan influence. Athaliah, the daughter of Jezebel and Ahab, exemplifies the fruit of apostasy, mirroring her mother's ruthlessness. Her actions are not merely a power grab but a calculated attempt to completely extinguish the Davidic line, which stood as God's enduring promise to Israel. In her twisted ambition, she seeks to cut off the "seed of the kingdom," directly challenging God's covenant with David (2 Sam 7). This horrific purge, aimed at absolute annihilation of potential heirs, represents a significant crisis point, showcasing the ongoing spiritual warfare between the forces of good and evil for the very survival of the lineage through whom the Messiah would come. Despite the human cruelty, the following verses implicitly underscore God's sovereign power and faithfulness to His promises, as a remnant (Joash) is miraculously preserved, unbeknownst to Athaliah. This incident serves as a stark reminder of the lengths to which evil will go to thwart God's plans, and concurrently, the certainty of God's preservation of His covenant promises against all odds.