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| 1 Now, when, Athaliah, mother of Ahaziah, saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal. |
Athaliah – Daughter of Jezebel. R3446:6, R4776:3
Seed royal – She caused all her grandsons to be put to death. R3446:6, R4777:1
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| 2 But Jehosheba daughter of King Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons that were being slain–him and his nurse, into the bedchamber,–so she hid him from the face of Athaliah, that he was not slain. |
Jehosheba – Daughter of Athaliah, but wife of the High Priest and under his influence. R3446:6
In the bed chamber – A room used for the storage of sleeping mats. R4777:1
Because of Baal worship the rooms of the priests, in connection with the temple of Jehovah, were generally neglected and were a safe place to rear the young king. R2366:3
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| 3 And he was with her, in the house of Yahweh, hiding himself, six years,–while, Athaliah, was reigning over the land. |
Athaliah did reign – As Queen Dowager, she was the highest authority in the kingdom. R4776:3
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| 4 But, in the seventh year, Jehoiada sent and took the captains over hundreds, of the Carian body-guard, and of the runners, and brought them unto him, in the house of Yahweh,–and, when he had solemnised a Covenant with them, and put them on oath, in the house of Yahweh, then shewed he them the king's son; |
Jehoida sent – With great wisdom he called together the chiefs of the nation at a festival time, when their coming would not be thought strange. R4777:4
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| 5 and commanded them, saying–This, is the thing which ye must do,–A third part of you, will be coming in on the sabbath, and keeping the watch of the house of the king; |
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| 6 and, a third, in the side-gate; and, a third, in the gate behind the runners,–so shall ye keep the watch of the house, by turns. |
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| 7 And, two parts of you, are all that are going out on the sabbath,–so shall ye keep the watch of the house of Yahweh, as touching the king. |
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| 8 Thus shall ye encompass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand, and, he that cometh within the ranks, let him be slain,–so be ye with the king, when he cometh out and when he goeth in. |
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| 9 And the captains of hundreds did according to all that Jehoiada the priest commanded, and they took every man his men who were coming in on the sabbath, with them who were going out on the sabbath,–and came unto Jehoiada the priest. |
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| 10 And the priest gave unto the captains of hundreds the spears and the shields which belonged to King David,–which were in the house of Yahweh. |
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| 11 And the runners stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, from the right corner of the house, as far as the left corner of the house, by the altar and the house,–near the king, round about. |
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| 12 Then brought he forth the king's son, and set upon him the crown, and the testimony, and they made him king, and anointed him,–and clapped their hands, and said–May the king live! |
The testimony – On top of the crown was laid the testimony, the parchment scroll of the Ten Commandments, indicating that the divine law was superior to the crown. R4777:5
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| 13 And, when Athaliah heard the noise of the runners, the people, then came she in unto the people, in the house of Yahweh, |
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| 14 and looked, and lo! the king, standing by the pillar, as the custom was, and the captains and the trumpeters, by the king, and, all the people of the land, rejoicing, and blowing with trumpets,–so Athaliah rent her garments, and cried out–Conspiracy! conspiracy! |
Treason, Treason – Injustice sometimes becomes entrenched and fortified in human minds, so that an attempt to establish righteousness is considered treason. R4777:5
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| 15 And Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of hundreds–officers of the force, and said unto them–Take her forth into the inside of the ranks, and, he that cometh in after her, [ye are] to slay with the sword. For the priest said, Let her not be slain, in the house of Yahweh. |
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| 16 So they made way for her, and she entered the road by which the horses approached the house of the king, and was slain there. |
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| 17 And Jehoiada solemnised a covenant between Yahweh, and the king, and the people, that they should become a people unto Yahweh,–also between the king and the people. |
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| 18 And all the people of the land entered the house of Baal, and brake it down, his altars and his images, brake they in pieces, utterly, and, Mattan the priest of Baal, they slew before the altars,–and the priest appointed officers over the house of Yahweh. |
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| 19 And he took the captains of hundreds and the Carian bodyguard, and the runners, and all the people of the land, and they brought down the king out of the house of Yahweh, and they came, by way of the gate of the runners, into the house of the king,–and he took his seat on the throne of the kings; |
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| 20 and all the people of the land rejoiced, and, the city, had rest,–when they had put, Athaliah, to death with the sword, in the house of the king. |
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| 21 Seven years old, was Jehoash, when he began to reign. |
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