King James Version

What Does 2 Kings 11:2 Mean?

“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.”

Context

And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. seed: Heb. seed of the kingdom

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.

And he was with her hid in the house of the LORD six years. And Athaliah did reign over the land.

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.

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Commentary

Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers

(2) **But Jehosheba . . . sister of Ahaziah.**—By a different mother (see Josephus). Athaliah would not have allowed her daughter to marry the high priest of Jehovah. (Comp. 2Kings 11:3 with 2Chronicles 22:11.) This marriage with a sister of the king shows what almost royal dignity belonged to the high priest’s office. **The king’s sons which were slain.**—Rather, *which were to be put to death*. At the time when the order for slaying the princes had been given, Jehosheba (or Jehoshabeath; Chronicles) concealed the infant Joash. The fact of his infancy caused him to be overlooked. [The Hebrew text here reads by mistake a word meaning deaths (Jeremiah 16:4). Chronicles supports the Hebrew margin.] **And they hid him.**—This clause is out of its place here. The Hebrew is, *him and his nurse in the chamber of the beds; and they hid him from Athaliah, and he was not put to death.* Clearly the word, “and she put,” supplied in Chronicles, has fallen out before this. The Targum and Syriac read, “and she hid him and his nurse,” &c. **In the bedchamber.**—*In the chamber of beds, i.e.*, the room in the palace where the mattresses and the coverlets were kept, according to a custom still prevalent in the East. This chamber being unoccupied was the nearest hiding-place at first. The babe was afterwards secretly conveyed within the Temple precincts.

Charles John Ellicott (1819–1905). Public Domain.

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of 2 Kings. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

2 Kings 11:2 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.