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5 And Jehu ſlept with his fathers, and they buried him in Samaria, and Jehoahaz his ſon reigned in his
d. m_ And + the time that Jehu reigaed over Iſrael in
Samaria, was twenty and eight years.
CHAF XL Athaliah deſtroyeth alt the Royal Fawily : only Fehoaſh eſcapeth : is hid ſox Tears in the Houſe of God, 1 - 3. Tehoiada giving order to the. Captains in the ſeventh Year anointeth him King, 4 —— 12- Athaliah is lain, 13 16. The Covenant us renewed between God, the King, and the People : and Baal's Warſbip is d:ſtroyed : the King is ſet on hu
Throne, 17: Js. - :
N D when * Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah ſaw that her ſon was dead,ſhe aroſe, and deſtroyed all
the + ſeed royal «.
4 i « All of the RoyalFamily,left after thoſe Slaughters, 2 Chron, 21-2, 4. and 22. 1- and 2 Kings 10: 13, 14. eXCept One, as the next Verſe limits and explains it- This the did, partly out of Rage at the Extirpation of her Family - reſolving,that David's Family ſhould not out-live hers ; partly, from Ambition and deſire of Rule ; for which many perſons have deſtroyed their neareſt Relations ;partly, from the Zeal which ſhe had for Idolatry,and the Worſhip of Bas! which the intended to eſtabliſh ; to which ſhe knew the Houſe of David were implacable Enemies. And partly,in her own Defence, that ſhe might ſecure her ſelf fromJehu'sFury.who was commanded by 50d, and reſolved in himfelf, utrerly to deſtroy all the Bran- ches of Ahab's Family. whereof ſhe was one, Chap. 8. 18, 26. For had ſhe not done this,ſhe tuſpe&ed;thar either the King.or People of Judah would have delivered her up to Jebu upon his Demand Poſſibly thoſe whom the ſlew were Joram's Child:en by another Wife : of which, ſee on the next Verſe. And this was the fruit of Jehoſhaphat's Marrying his Son to a Daughrer of rhar Idolatrous and Wicked Houſe of 4hab, even the extirpation of all his Poſte- rity, but one. And this dreadful Judgment God permitred, and inflicted upon him and his, to ſhew how much he abhors all ſuch ſinful and unequal Affinities.
2 But Jehoſheba 6 the daughter of king Jorom c ſiſter of Ahaziah, took Joaſh the fon of Ahaziah c, and ſtole him from among the kings ſons which were ſlain 4; and they e hid him, ever him and his nurſe in the bed-cham- ber f. from Athaliah, ſo chat he was not ſlain.
b Called Fehoſhabeath, 2 Chron- 22.11. 6 To wit, by another Wife, and not by this Athaliah : for it is nor likely Jehoiadah who Married
er, 2 Chron, 22. 11- would have married one of that wicked and cur-
ruled by his Parents. «c Either, 1. His adopted,and Legal Son,who was to ſucceed him,though he was of another Houſe, & of Nathan's Family, as many think - tuch Perſons being ſometimes called the Sons of their Predeceſſors,as we ſhall ſee hereafter. Or rather, 2- His proper and nzrural Son:for not only he,bur the reſt who were (lain, are here called the kings (i.e. Joraw's) ſons. d Either,t. From amidir of the Carcaſſes, where this Infant was laid, and tuppoſed by her to be Killed, though it was not quite dead;either through the Compaſſion, or connivance cf the Inftruments of this Execution ; or by ſome other Artifice which his Nurie uſed. Or, 2. Out of that Apartment of the Palace which was alloted for the Kings Children. e Jeh1ſheba and her Husband Jeho:zadah. f Which was in the houſe of the Lord ; as is affirmed in the next Verſe. So rhat it was one of thoſe Chambers adjouyning, or near to the Temple, which were for the uſes of the Priefs and Levites, and for them only : which made it more proper for this purpole. _
;And he was with her hid in the houſe of theLORD, ſix years g : and Athaliah did reign over the land þ.
g Either, £haliab though they were all Dead ; or if ſhe ſuſpected that this was preſerved, ſhe thought an infant could do her no great harm ; and that ſhe could ſo well aſſure the Kingdom to her ſelf within a few Years, that ſhe need not fear any ſuch weak Competitor ; or ſhe was willing to ſmother up the buſineſs,leſt if ſhe had made a ſtrict and diligent Search for it, the People ſhould thereby learn, that there was yet a Son of Davids Family left ; and ſo be unquiet under her Government, and deſirous of a Change. þ Which ſhe had an opporrunity to do, becauſe ſhe was not only the late Kings Wife, but alſo was probably made Queen-Regent upon Joram's going to Ramoth-Gilead. :
4 And ” in the ſeventh year Jehoiada ſent 3, and fet the rulers over handreds &, with the captains / and the zuard ,and brought them to him into the houſe of the LORD », and made a covenant with them o,and took ah oach of them p in the houſe of the LORD,and ſhew- ed them the kings ſon.
Z If this action of Jehoiadab's ſeem ſtrange and irregular, this was no ordinary caſe, but there were divers peculiar things in it; as that Athaliah was a meer Uſurper, having no pretence of Right to the Crown, and one of that wicked Houle which God had particularly, and by Name, devoted to Deſtruction ; that Jehoiadsh's Wife was nearer Allied,and had more Right to the Crown,than A4thaliah; that the Crown of Judah was by Divine appointment appropriated to the Sons of Dawid ; and therefore the right of the Crown was inhe- tently in him whom Jehviadeb ſer up, which Right her Uſurpation could not exclude ; That Jehoiadah was not a meer private Perſon, but the Husband of the Kings Aunt ; and probably the High-prieſt, to whom it belonged in great part to ſee the Laws of God exe- Cuted : That Jehoiadah did not att alone in the buſineſs, but had the Conſent and Concurrence of the Chief Rulers both Civil and Eccleſiaſtical ; and beſides all this,that it is conceived, That he had a ſpecial Motion of Gods Spirit, or the DireCion and encouragc- ment of the Prophets of that time. So that this ation cannot be
rawn into a Preſident for ſucceeding Times, and for other King- doms. k Of whom tee Exod. 18. 25. . Of theſ: there were five, Which are named, 2 Cyron. :3:1- And theſe were either, r. Civil or Military Officers.Bur then {uch ſmall Officers could not have ſtood.
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