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

2 KINGS 11:3KJV
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2 Kings 11:3 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 11:3 mean?

2 Kings 11:3 describes how a child was hidden with a woman in the house of the LORD for six years while Athaliah ruled over the land. This verse shows a period of secrecy and protection during a dangerous time when Athaliah was in power.

The setting is the kingdom of Judah after Athaliah seized the throne by killing the royal family. Jehosheba, the woman mentioned earlier in the chapter, hid Joash, the rightful heir, in the temple (the house of the LORD) to protect him from Athaliah. The verse highlights both the threat Athaliah posed and the faithfulness of those who protected Joash until he could be revealed as king.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 11:3

  • "hid" (חָבָא, chava): This word means to conceal or keep something secret. Its use here emphasizes the danger Joash faced and the deliberate effort to keep him safe from Athaliah.
  • "house" (בַּיִת, bayit): This refers specifically to the temple, not just any house. The temple was seen as a place of refuge and safety, which adds significance to Joash being hidden there.
  • "LORD" (יְהוָה, YHWH): The verse specifies that the hiding place was the house of YHWH, underlining the religious and spiritual aspect of Joash's protection.
  • "Athaliah" (עֲתַלְיָה, Athalyah): Naming Athaliah as the ruler stresses the unusual and dangerous situation, as she was not from the line of David and had taken the throne by force.

Why 2 Kings 11:3 matters

  • This verse clarifies that Joash’s survival was not accidental but the result of intentional hiding in a sacred place, showing the seriousness of Athaliah’s threat.
  • The mention of six years highlights the long period of waiting and the patience required before Joash could be revealed as king.
  • It sets up the dramatic reversal in the following verses, where Joash’s preservation leads to the restoration of the rightful Davidic line to the throne.

Where else these words appear

“Athaliah” Hebrew H6271 · used in 17 verses

  • 2 Kings 8:26 Two and twenty years old was Ahaziah when he began to reign; and he reigned one year in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Athaliah, the daughter of Omri king of Israel.
  • 2 Kings 11:20 And all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was in quiet: and they slew Athaliah with the sword beside the king's house.
  • 2 Chronicles 22:12 And he was with them hid in the house of God six years: and Athaliah reigned over the land.

“hid” Hebrew H2244 · used in 33 verses

  • Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.
  • 1 Samuel 13:6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait,(for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits.
  • 2 Chronicles 22:9 And he sought Ahaziah: and they caught him,(for he was hid in Samaria,) and brought him to Jehu: and when they had slain him, they buried him: Because, said they, he is the son of Jehoshaphat, who sought the LORD with all his heart. So the house of Ahaziah had no power to keep still the kingdom.