2 Kings 11:3

Old Testament Historical ASV (1901)

What does 2 Kings 11:3 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “And he was with her hid in the house of Jehovah six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

And he was with her hid in the house of Jehovah six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.
2 Kings 11:3 — American Standard Version

Context — 2 Kings 11

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
3And he was with her hid in the house of Jehovah six years. And Athaliah reigned over the land.

What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years, etc.] In the temple; not in the holy of holies, as Jarchi, but in a chamber of the priests and Levites, of which there were several in a temple, as Kimchi, and others; and the husband of Jehosheba, being high priest, had one of them for his own use; and here the child was hid six years, so that he was but a year old when he was first taken and preserved, for he was made king when seven years of age, (<121121>2 Kings 11:21), and Athaliah did reign over the land; the only instance we hear of a woman reigning in Israel, and this was not by right, but by usurpation; and so, according to the Jewish canons, a woman might not rule; which…”
Read attributed excerpt →
Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“And Athaliah did reign over the land - In these words the writer dismisses the entire reign of Athaliah, whereof he scorns to speak. We gather incidentally from 2 Kings 12:5-12, compared with 2 Chronicles 24:7, that Athaliah used her power to establish the exclusive worship of BaaI through the kingdom of Judah, and to crush that of Yahweh. She stopped the temple service, gave over the sacred vessels of the sanctuary to the use of the Baal priests, and employed the temple itself as a quarry from which materials might be taken for the construction of a great temple to Baal, which rose in the immediate neighborhood. return to 'Top of Page'”
Read attributed excerpt →
Tyndale Open Study Notes
Tyndale House Publishers · Tyndale Open Study Notes · Modern study notes
“11:3 Jehosheba’s concealment of Joash for six years was punishable by death if discovered. Athaliah ruled over the land from 841 to 835 BC.”
Read attributed excerpt →
Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“am 3120-3126, bc 884-878 And Athaliah: Ch2 22:12; Psa 12:8; Mal 3:15 4 Kings (2 Kings) 11:4”
Read attributed excerpt →

Related study paths

Sources and verification