I. Athaliah and Joash Reign Over Judah (11:1-12:21)

With the death of her son Ahaziah at the hands of Jehu, Athaliah attempted to slay the entire royal family in order to gain power for herself. When the scheme became apparent, however, Ahaziah’s infant son was concealed by his aunt, Jehosheba, and spared from the carnage (11:2-3). Although Athaliah managed to rule Judah for some six years (c. 841-835 b.c.), years in which she sought to reinstitute Baal worship (11:18), she had wrested the throne and disregarded the principle of Davidic succession. While common in the North, such activity was intolerable in the South. Therefore, the fact that she was given no official recognition is reflected in the editor’s refusal to include either the typical introductory or concluding formulas concerning her reign.

At the age of seven, the previously protected Joash ascended to the throne (11:21). Of particular note during his lengthy reign (c. 835-796 b.c.) are the repairing of the temple, which had no doubt been neglected in recent years, and the paying of a treasury-emptying tribute to protect Jerusalem from the approaching Syrians (12:18).