2 Kings 11:17 kjv
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.
2 Kings 11:17 nkjv
Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD, the king, and the people, that they should be the LORD's people, and also between the king and the people.
2 Kings 11:17 niv
Jehoiada then made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.
2 Kings 11:17 esv
And Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and people, that they should be the LORD's people, and also between the king and the people.
2 Kings 11:17 nlt
Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD and the king and the people that they would be the LORD's people. He also made a covenant between the king and the people.
2 Kings 11 17 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 19:5-6 | "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey... you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." | Israel's original call to be God's covenant people. |
| Ex 24:7-8 | "...they answered, 'All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.' And Moses took the blood..." | Formal sealing of the covenant between God and His people at Sinai. |
| Deut 17:18-20 | "And when he sits on the throne... he shall write for himself... to observe all the words of this law..." | Defines the king's responsibility to remain under God's law. |
| 2 Sam 5:3 | "So all the elders of Israel came to the king at Hebron... King David made a covenant with them..." | Example of a covenant between a king and his people. |
| 2 Sam 7:16 | "And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before Me. Your throne shall be established forever." | The Davidic covenant, ensuring an everlasting kingly line. |
| 1 Kgs 8:23 | "...no God like You in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to Your servants..." | God's faithfulness to His covenant promises. |
| 2 Chr 23:3 | "...all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God..." | Parallel account in Chronicles, emphasizing the covenant. |
| Neh 9:38 | "Because of all this, we make a firm covenant and write it..." | Post-exilic renewal of the covenant, reaffirming allegiance to God. |
| Neh 10:28-29 | "...all who have separated themselves... and enter into a curse and an oath to walk in God’s Law..." | Commitment to the Law during covenant renewal. |
| Jer 3:14-15 | "'Return, faithless Israel,' declares the LORD... 'and I will give you shepherds after My own heart...'" | Call for Israel to return to their covenant relationship with God. |
| Jer 30:22 | "'And you shall be My people, and I will be your God.'" | Prophetic affirmation of God's desired relationship with His people. |
| Jer 31:31-34 | "Behold, the days are coming... when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel..." | Prophecy of the New Covenant, replacing the old due to human unfaithfulness. |
| Hos 1:10 | "...In the place where it was said to them, 'You are not My people,' it shall be said to them, 'Children of the living God.'" | Restoration of Israel's identity as God's people after apostasy. |
| Matt 26:28 | "for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." | Jesus establishing the New Covenant through His blood. |
| Lk 22:20 | "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood." | The New Covenant established by Christ's sacrifice. |
| Rom 9:4 | "...theirs is the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law..." | Reminds of Israel's historical covenantal blessings. |
| Rom 11:26-27 | "...so all Israel will be saved... as it is written, 'The Deliverer will come from Zion... and He will banish ungodliness from Jacob'; 'and this will be My covenant with them...'" | Future restoration of Israel under the New Covenant. |
| Heb 7:22 | "...Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant." | Christ's role as surety of a superior covenant. |
| Heb 8:6-13 | "...But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant He mediates is better..." | Describes the New Covenant mediated by Christ. |
| Heb 12:24 | "...and to Jesus, the Mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel." | Christ as the ultimate mediator of the new and living covenant. |
| 1 Pet 2:9-10 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession... once were not a people, but now are God's people..." | New Testament believers are God's spiritual people, fulfilling ancient covenant promises. |
2 Kings 11 verses
2 Kings 11 17 Meaning
2 Kings 11:17 describes a foundational act orchestrated by Jehoiada the high priest after the overthrow of Athaliah and the re-establishment of Joash's legitimate reign. It details the formation of two distinct yet interconnected covenants. The first covenant was a solemn agreement between the LORD, the newly crowned King Joash, and the people of Judah, formally committing the nation to Yahweh, thereby re-identifying them as "the LORD's people." This restored their national identity to its divine foundation, counteracting the preceding idolatry and usurpation. The second covenant was a secular yet equally crucial agreement made directly between King Joash and the people, designed to establish mutual loyalty, rights, and responsibilities, thus cementing proper governance and social order under the legitimate monarchy.
2 Kings 11 17 Context
This verse is situated at a pivotal moment in the history of the Kingdom of Judah, following years of severe apostasy and the near-destruction of the Davidic line. Immediately preceding 2 Kings 11:17, Athaliah, the Baal-worshipping queen mother, has been justly executed after her six-year usurpation of the throne (2 Ki 11:1-16). Jehoiada the high priest had meticulously prepared for this uprising, preserving Joash, the last surviving heir of David, and orchestrating the public coronation. With the illegitimate monarch deposed, the critical next step, detailed in this verse, was to formally realign the nation with Yahweh and re-establish proper governance under a legitimate king. The events immediately following this verse include the destruction of the house of Baal and its altars, along with the killing of Mattan, the priest of Baal, signifying a comprehensive purging of idolatry and a spiritual reformation (2 Ki 11:18). This act of covenant-making was thus the spiritual and political cornerstone for the renewed reign of Joash, designed to correct the deep-seated spiritual and royal deviations that had taken hold.
2 Kings 11 17 Word analysis
And Jehoiada: The Hebrew connective "waw" (וַ) signifies a consequential action, directly linking to the previous events of Athaliah's overthrow. Jehoiada (יְהוֹיָדָע, Yehoyadaʿ), meaning "Yahweh knows" or "Yahweh has known," is identified as the high priest and the pivotal figure who took decisive action to restore God's covenant order. His authority stemmed from his priestly office and his direct role in safeguarding the Davidic line.
made a covenant: The phrase "made a covenant" translates the Hebrew verb כָּרַת (karath), which literally means "to cut," and combined with בְּרִית (berit), "covenant," it forms the common idiom "to cut a covenant." This refers to the ancient Near Eastern practice of formally establishing a treaty or agreement, often accompanied by the cutting of an animal and passing between the divided parts, symbolizing the solemnity and consequences of breaking the agreement (as seen in Gen 15). Here, it signifies the formal and binding establishment of new relational agreements.
between the LORD: יְהוָה (YHWH), the sacred covenant name of God, underscores His supreme involvement as the divine party to the primary agreement. This vertical relationship highlights God's sovereignty and Israel's renewed commitment to Him.
and the king: הַמֶּלֶךְ (ham-melek), referring to Joash (Jehoash), the young, rightful king of Judah. His inclusion as a party signifies that earthly rulership is established and maintained under divine authority, not autonomous.
and the people: הָעָם (ha-ʿam), refers to the populace of Judah, emphasizing their corporate responsibility and participation in the covenant. This includes all strata of society, signifying a national recommitment.
that they should be: לִהְיוֹת (lihyōt), an infinitive clause expressing purpose or result, clearly states the intent of the first covenant.
the LORD's people: לְעַם לַיהוָה (le-ʿam la-YHWH) – a profound statement signifying a restored identity. It directly echoes passages like Exodus 19:5-6 and Deuteronomy 7:6, where Israel is divinely chosen as God's special, set-apart people. This was a direct reversal of the nation's spiritual apostasy under Athaliah.
and also between the king and the people: This clause introduces the second covenant, which is a distinct, horizontal agreement. While rooted in the first, it governs the direct political relationship: the people's loyalty to the legitimate king and the king's just rule over the people, typically entailing adherence to the Torah (e.g., Deut 17).
"Covenant between the LORD and the king and the people": This describes the vertical dimension of the national restoration. It’s a tripartite covenant, effectively placing the king and the people in submission and allegiance to Yahweh, thereby re-establishing a proper theocratic framework. This reflects the deep spiritual aspect of national identity.
"that they should be the LORD's people": This phrase defines the essence and purpose of the first covenant, reaffirming Judah's foundational identity as distinct and devoted to Yahweh alone, rejecting the idolatrous practices that had threatened to define them.
"and also between the king and the people": This represents the horizontal, political aspect. It secured mutual loyalty and order within the human sphere of government, ensuring the people's support for Joash's reign and likely implying his responsibility to rule according to God's laws for the benefit of the people. This established legitimate authority and rejected tyrannical rule.
2 Kings 11 17 Bonus section
- Jehoiada's Authority: Jehoiada's exceptional leadership here exemplifies a high priest stepping into a role beyond mere ritual, acting as a spiritual and political leader in a crisis. His actions, like crowning a king and making national covenants, indicate an authority greater than normally accorded to a priest, suggesting divine empowerment for a critical time.
- Polemics against Athaliah and Baalism: This covenant-making was a direct, polemical act against Athaliah's usurpation and, by extension, against Baal worship. It ritually and officially re-declared Yahweh as the sole God of Judah and reaffirmed the divinely ordained Davidic kingship, directly contrasting the paganism and illegitimate rule that had preceded it.
- Significance of the "Two Covenants": Scholars often highlight that the first, "vertical" covenant (LORD-King-People) is a theological foundation, grounding the nation's existence in its relationship with God. The second, "horizontal" covenant (King-People) is the socio-political expression of this foundation, ensuring stable human governance aligned with divine principles. This structure reveals a comprehensive re-ordering of Judah's life.
- The Law as Basis: Though not explicitly stated in this verse, these covenants were implicitly based on the Mosaic Law, which outlined the duties of both king and people towards God and each other (e.g., Deut 17 for kingship, and various laws for the people). Jehoiada likely played a role in guiding them towards recommitment to the Torah.
2 Kings 11 17 Commentary
2 Kings 11:17 marks a pivotal spiritual and political reformation for Judah under the leadership of Jehoiada the high priest. It highlights a meticulous act of restoration, solidifying the re-establishment of the Davidic monarchy through Joash and, crucially, reaffirming Judah's national identity as solely devoted to Yahweh. The two distinct covenants made—one vertical, between God, the king, and the people, and the other horizontal, between the king and the people—underscore a profound theological understanding: earthly governance and societal order are inherently bound by, and subordinate to, a prior covenant with God. This act served as a formal repudiation of the apostasy of Athaliah’s reign and Baal worship, resetting the nation's spiritual compass back to the LORD. It showcased the essential role of righteous leadership, particularly Jehoiada’s unique blend of spiritual and temporal authority, in guiding a people back to covenant faithfulness. While significant, the subsequent history of Joash's reign (especially after Jehoiada’s death) shows that such covenant renewals, though powerful, require ongoing faithfulness and depend on continuous godly leadership and obedience from all parties.