I've always considered Jezebel the most wicked woman in the Bible. Athaliah comes a very close second and I think she would have outdone Jezebel if she had lived longer.
Verses: 2 Kings 8:18, 26, 2 Kings 11:1-20, 2 Chronicles 22:1-12, 2 Chronicles 23:12-21
Background – parents, husband, children, siblings
The family tree of Athaliah got a little confusing, but this visual is helpful:
She was married to Jehoram (also known as Joram), the son of Jehoshaphat, who was the king of Judah. Her father was Ahab, the king of Israel. She had a brother (or at least half brother) named Ahaziah who was king of Israel and she had a son with the same name who was king of Judah! Here's another chart, as you can see there is more than one king that shared a name with another.
One of the most interesting things in the family tree is that her husband was a descendant of David, which made her children of the line of David as well. Matthew's account of the genealogy of Christ includes Joram but skips three generations.
"And Joram (Jehoram) begat Ozias; called Uzziah and Azariah. He was not the immediate son of Joram; there were three kings between them, Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah, which are here omitted; either because of the curse denounced on Ahab's family, into which Joram married, whose idolatry was punished to the third or fourth generation; or because these were princes of no good character; or because their names were not in the Jewish registers." (John Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible)
"The reason why these, rather than other names, are omitted, must be sought in religious considerations - either in the connection of those kings with the house of Ahab (as Lightfoot, Ebrard, and Alford view it); in their slender right to be regarded as true links in the theocratic chain (as Lange takes it); or in some similar disqualification." (A Commentary on the Old and New Testaments by Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset and David Brown {JFB})
God made two promises regarding these families:
To David, 2 Samuel 7:16, "And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever."
To Ahab, 2 Kings 21:21-22, "Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin."
What is she
most known for? Victories?
Defeats? How can I be
like her? How can I
avoid being like her?
Athaliah was the one who linked the evil house of Ahab to the house of David. Her marriage to Jehoram brought Baal worship to the nation of Judah, just as Jezebel's marriage to Ahab had introduced Baal worship to the nation of Israel.
We are briefly introduced to Athaliah in 2 Kings chapter 8. She reappears in 2 Kings chapter 11. A very significant event occurred between these chapters - Jezebel was killed, her wicked life finally coming to its expected end.
The Expositor's Bible Commentary sums up Athaliah perfectly:
"Athaliah, who, as queen-mother, was more powerful than the queen-consort (malekkah), was the true daughter of Jezebel. She exhibits:
the same undaunted fierceness,
the same idolatrous fanaticism,
the same swift resolution,
the same cruel and unscrupulous wickedness.
It continues:
It might have been supposed that the miserable disease of her husband Jehoram, followed so speedily by the murder, after one year’s reign, of her son Ahaziah, might have exercised over her character the softening influence of misfortune. On the contrary, she only saw in these events a short path to the consummation of her ambition.
Under Jehoram she had been queen: under Ahaziah she had exercised still more powerful influence as Gebirah, and had asserted her sway alike over her husband and over her son, whose counselor she was to do wickedly. It was far from her intention tamely to sink from her commanding position into the abject nullity of an aged and despised dowager in a dull provincial seraglio." A seraglio or serail is the sequestered living quarters used by wives and concubines - Athaliah had no intention of disappearing.
2 Kings 11:1 says, "She arose and destroyed all the seed royal." It's interesting that she did this, especially since she seemed to have great power over her sons. 2 Chronicles 24:7 says, "For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim."
"Athaliah, as wife of Joram and mother of Ahaziah, had guided both the internal and the external policy of the Jewish kingdom; she had procured the establishment of the worship of Baal in Judah and had maintained a close alliance with the sister kingdom of Israel. The revolution effected by Jehu touched her nearly. It struck away from her the support of her relatives; it isolated her religious system, severing the communication with Phoenicia; and the death of Ahaziah deprived her of her legal status in Judah, which was that of queen-mother, and transferred that position to the chief wife of her deceased son. Athaliah, instead of yielding to the storm, or merely standing on the defensive, resolved to become the assailant, and strike before any plans could be formed against her. In the absence of her son, hers was probably the chief authority at Jerusalem. She used it to command the immediate destruction of all the family of David, already thinned by previous massacres, and then seized the throne." (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
For six years Athaliah ruled in Jerusalem. "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." (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
Did she reach a place when she needed to reset? If so, did she? For good or evil?
Athaliah was the one who linked the evil house of Ahab to the house of David. Her marriage to Jehoram brought Baal worship to the nation of Judah, just as Jezebel's marriage to Ahab had introduced Baal worship to the nation of Israel.
We are briefly introduced to Athaliah in 2 Kings chapter 8. She reappears in 2 Kings chapter 11. A very significant event occurred between these chapters - Jezebel was killed, her wicked life finally coming to its expected end.
The Expositor's Bible Commentary sums up Athaliah perfectly:
"Athaliah, who, as queen-mother, was more powerful than the queen-consort (malekkah), was the true daughter of Jezebel. She exhibits:
the same undaunted fierceness,
the same idolatrous fanaticism,
the same swift resolution,
the same cruel and unscrupulous wickedness.
It continues:
It might have been supposed that the miserable disease of her husband Jehoram, followed so speedily by the murder, after one year’s reign, of her son Ahaziah, might have exercised over her character the softening influence of misfortune. On the contrary, she only saw in these events a short path to the consummation of her ambition.
Under Jehoram she had been queen: under Ahaziah she had exercised still more powerful influence as Gebirah, and had asserted her sway alike over her husband and over her son, whose counselor she was to do wickedly. It was far from her intention tamely to sink from her commanding position into the abject nullity of an aged and despised dowager in a dull provincial seraglio." A seraglio or serail is the sequestered living quarters used by wives and concubines - Athaliah had no intention of disappearing.
2 Kings 11:1 says, "She arose and destroyed all the seed royal." It's interesting that she did this, especially since she seemed to have great power over her sons. 2 Chronicles 24:7 says, "For the sons of Athaliah, that wicked woman, had broken up the house of God; and also all the dedicated things of the house of the LORD did they bestow upon Baalim."
"Athaliah, as wife of Joram and mother of Ahaziah, had guided both the internal and the external policy of the Jewish kingdom; she had procured the establishment of the worship of Baal in Judah and had maintained a close alliance with the sister kingdom of Israel. The revolution effected by Jehu touched her nearly. It struck away from her the support of her relatives; it isolated her religious system, severing the communication with Phoenicia; and the death of Ahaziah deprived her of her legal status in Judah, which was that of queen-mother, and transferred that position to the chief wife of her deceased son. Athaliah, instead of yielding to the storm, or merely standing on the defensive, resolved to become the assailant, and strike before any plans could be formed against her. In the absence of her son, hers was probably the chief authority at Jerusalem. She used it to command the immediate destruction of all the family of David, already thinned by previous massacres, and then seized the throne." (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
For six years Athaliah ruled in Jerusalem. "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." (Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible)
Did she reach a place when she needed to reset? If so, did she? For good or evil?
Athaliah was just like her mother. Although there was no direct prophesy concerning her death, she must have known her deeds would not go unpunished. She was married to Jehoram when Jezebel was killed. She was the daughter of Ahab and God would not allow her to continue indefinitely.
I'll be studying Jehosheba next week, so I don't want to go too deeply in to who she was, but this brave woman saved one child from Athaliah's massacre. 2 Kings 11:4 tells that in the seventh year of Athaliah's reign, Jehosheba's husband, the high priest, brought forth this young child and anointed him king of Judah.
2 Kings 11:13-14 says, "And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason."
Matthew Henry's commentary says, "We may suppose it was designed when they had finished the solemnity of the king's inauguration, to pay a visit to Athaliah, and call her to an account for her murders, usurpation, and tyranny; but, like her mother Jezebel, she saved them the labor, went out to meet them, and hastened her own destruction. Seeing what was done she cried out for help. She saw the king's place by the pillar possessed by one to whom the princes and people did homage and had reason to conclude her power at an end, which she knew was usurped; this made her rend her clothes, like one distracted, and cry, “Treason! treason! Come and help against the traitors.” Josephus adds that she cried to have him killed that possessed the king's place. What was now doing was the highest justice, yet it was branded as the highest crime; she herself was the greatest traitor, and yet was first and loudest in crying Treason! treason!"
2 Kings 11:15-16 tells of Athaliah's end, "But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain." Verse 20 says, "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."
The final summary of Athaliah is simple, "There the sword of vengeance fell. Athaliah disappears from history, and with her the dark race of Jezebel." (Expositor's Bible Commentary)
I'll be studying Jehosheba next week, so I don't want to go too deeply in to who she was, but this brave woman saved one child from Athaliah's massacre. 2 Kings 11:4 tells that in the seventh year of Athaliah's reign, Jehosheba's husband, the high priest, brought forth this young child and anointed him king of Judah.
2 Kings 11:13-14 says, "And when Athaliah heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the temple of the LORD. And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, as the manner was, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew with trumpets: and Athaliah rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason."
Matthew Henry's commentary says, "We may suppose it was designed when they had finished the solemnity of the king's inauguration, to pay a visit to Athaliah, and call her to an account for her murders, usurpation, and tyranny; but, like her mother Jezebel, she saved them the labor, went out to meet them, and hastened her own destruction. Seeing what was done she cried out for help. She saw the king's place by the pillar possessed by one to whom the princes and people did homage and had reason to conclude her power at an end, which she knew was usurped; this made her rend her clothes, like one distracted, and cry, “Treason! treason! Come and help against the traitors.” Josephus adds that she cried to have him killed that possessed the king's place. What was now doing was the highest justice, yet it was branded as the highest crime; she herself was the greatest traitor, and yet was first and loudest in crying Treason! treason!"
2 Kings 11:15-16 tells of Athaliah's end, "But Jehoiada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host, and said unto them, Have her forth without the ranges: and him that followeth her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the LORD. And they laid hands on her; and she went by the way by the which the horses came into the king's house: and there was she slain." Verse 20 says, "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."
The final summary of Athaliah is simple, "There the sword of vengeance fell. Athaliah disappears from history, and with her the dark race of Jezebel." (Expositor's Bible Commentary)
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