Queen living at the time of Divided Monarchy
Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, became queen of Judah and ruled for six years before being overthrown (2Ki.8.26; 11:1-3, 13-14, 20; 2Ch.22.2, 10-12; 23:12-13, 21; 24:7).
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Athaliah was the queen of Judah and the only woman to rule as a monarch in the kingdom's history. She was the daughter of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel of Israel and married Jehoram, king of Judah. After the death of her son Ahaziah, Athaliah seized power and ordered the execution of all potential heirs to the throne, except for the infant Joash, who was hidden away by his aunt Jehosheba. Athaliah ruled Judah for six years, promoting the worship of Baal. In the seventh year, the priest Jehoiada orchestrated a coup, crowned Joash as king, and had Athaliah put to death. During her reign, Athaliah had used resources from the temple of the Lord to support the temple of Baal. Her story illustrates the negative influence of the house of Ahab on the kingdom of Judah and the consequences of forsaking the worship of the true God.
Part of: Kings, prophets and the house of David
Athaliah, a daughter of Ahab (and in the usual reading of Jezebel), married Jehoram of Judah, then after her son Ahaziah's death killed the royal heirs and ruled Judah six years, importing Baalism. The infant Joash was hidden in the temple.
Sources: 2 Kgs 8:18 · 2 Kgs 11:1-3
The priest Jehoiada hid Joash for six years, then led a coup in the seventh year with temple guards, had Athaliah put to death and crowned the boy. He remained Joash's guide until his death; Joash's later apostasy is reported.
Sources: 2 Kgs 11:4-16 · 2 Kgs 12:2 · 2 Chr 24:17-22
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Whom God afflicts. (1.) The daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and the wife of Jehoram, king of Judah (2 Kings 8:18), who “walked in the ways of the house of Ahab” (2 Chr. 21:6), called “daughter” of Omri (2 Kings 8:26). On the death of her husband and of her son Ahaziah, she resolved to seat herself on the vacant throne. She slew all Ahaziah’s children except Joash, the youngest (2 Kings 11:1, 2). After a reign of six years she was put to death in an insurrection (2 Kings 11:20; 2 Chr. 21:6; 22:10-12; 23:15), stirred up among the people in connection with Josiah’s being crowned as king. (2.) Ezra 8:7. (3.) 1 Chr. 8:26.
(afflicted of the Lord) daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, married Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah and introduced into that kingdom the worship of Baal. (B.C. 891.) After the great revolution by which Jehu seated himself on the throne of Samaria she killed all the members of the royal family of Judah who had escaped his sword. (2 Kings 11:1) From the slaughter one infant, named Joash, the youngest son of Ahaziah, was rescued by his aunt Jehosheba wife of Jehoiada, (2 Chronicles 23:11) the high priest. (2 Chronicles 24:6) The child was brought up under Jehoiada’s care, and concealed in the temple for six years, during which period Athaliah reigned over Judah. At length Jehoiada thought it time to produce the lawful king to the people, trusting to their zeal for the worship of God and their loyalty to the house of David. His plan was successful, and Athaliah was put to death.
ATHALI'AH (afflicted by Jehovah), granddaughter of Omri, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, wife of Jehoram, king of Judah, and mother of Ahaziah. 2 Kgs 11:1 ff. She introduced Baal-worship into Judah. Her character was extremely bad. She advised her own son in his wickedness, and after Jehu had slain him (see Ahaziah) she resolved to destroy the children of her husband by his former wives, and then take the throne of Judah, But Jehosheba, a half-sister of Ahaziah, secured Joash, one of the children and heir, and secreted him and his nurse for six years. In the seventh year, everything being prepared for the purpose, Joash, the young prince, was brought out and placed on the throne. Attracted by the crowd of people who had assembled to witness the ceremony, and unsuspicious of the cause, Athaliah hastened to the temple. When the populace had assembled, and when she saw the young king on the throne, and heard the shouts of the people, and found that all her ambitious designs were likely to be defeated, she rent her clothes and cried out, "Treason! Treason!" hoping probably to rally a party in favor of her interests. But she was too late. The priest commanded her to be removed from the temple, and she was taken without the walls of the city and put to death. 2 Kgs 11:16. See Jehoiada and Joash. (2). A Benjamite. 1 Chr 8:26. (3). One whose son, Jeshaiah, returned with Ezra in the second caravan from Babylon. Ezr 8:7.
ATHALI'AH (afflicted by Jehovah), granddaughter of Omri, daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, wife of Jehoram, king of Judah, and mother of Ahaziah. 2 Kgs 11:1 ff. She introduced Baal-worship into Judah. Her character was extremely bad. She advised her own son in his wickedness, and after Jehu had slain him (see Ahaziah) she resolved to destroy the children of her husband by his former wives, and then take the throne of Judah, But Jehosheba, a half-sister of Ahaziah, secured Joash, one of the children and heir, and secreted him and his nurse for six years. In the seventh year, everything being prepared for the purpose, Joash, the young prince, was brought out and placed on the throne. Attracted by the crowd of people who had assembled to witness the ceremony, and unsuspicious of the cause, Athaliah hastened to the temple. When the populace had assembled, and when she saw the young king on the throne, and heard the shouts of the people, and found that all her ambitious designs were likely to be defeated, she rent her clothes and cried out, "Treason! Treason!" hoping probably to rally a party in favor of her interests. But she was too late. The priest commanded her to be removed from the temple, and she was taken without the walls of the city and put to death. 2 Kgs 11:16. See Jehoiada and Joash. (2). A Benjamite. 1 Chr 8:26. (3). One whose son, Jeshaiah, returned with Ezra in the second caravan from Babylon. Ezr 8:7.
Easton (1897), Smith (1863), Hitchcock (1869), Hastings (1898) and Schaff are in the public domain. Parsed text: neuu-org/bible-dictionary-dataset (CC BY 4.0). Headwords and whitespace normalised for this site.
15 verses in 2 books · English text: BSB (change it from the menu at the top) · Strong’s H6271
Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His motherʼs name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri king of Israel.
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs.
But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, the sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah, and he was not killed.
And Joash remained hidden with his nurse in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
When Athaliah heard the noise from the guards and the people, she went out to the people in the house of the LORD.
And she looked out and saw the king standing by the pillar, according to the custom. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason! Treason!”
and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace.
Ahaziah was twenty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem one year. His motherʼs name was Athaliah, the granddaughter of Omri.
When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to annihilate all the royal heirs of the house of Judah.
But Jehoshabeath daughter of King Jehoram took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the sons of the king who were being murdered, and she put him and his nurse in a bedroom. Because Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram and the wife of Jehoiada the priest, was Ahaziahʼs sister, she hid Joash from Athaliah so that she could not kill him.
And Joash remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land.
When Athaliah heard the noise of the people running and cheering the king, she went out to them in the house of the LORD.
And she looked out and saw the king standing by his pillar at the entrance. The officers and trumpeters were beside the king, and all the people of the land were rejoicing and blowing trumpets, while the singers with musical instruments were leading the praises. Then Athaliah tore her clothes and screamed, “Treason, treason!”
and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword.
For the sons of that wicked woman Athaliah had broken into the house of God and had even used the sacred objects of the house of the LORD for the Baals.
Names, family links and references: STEPBible TIPNR (Tyndale House Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). Short descriptions were drafted with AI assistance by STEPBible. Family links follow STEPBible’s scholarly decisions where genealogies are ambiguous.