Who was Athaliah in the Bible?

Athaliah was the daughter of the wicked Israelite King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. She married into the royal line of Judah and later seized the throne herself, becoming the only queen to rule Judah alone (2 Kings 11:1-3).

Why is Athaliah considered an evil queen?

Athaliah is infamous for attempting to destroy the entire royal line of Judah by killing her own grandsons to secure her power. Her violent coup and promotion of Baal worship followed the idolatrous pattern of her parents, Ahab and Jezebel (2 Chronicles 22:10-12).

How did Athaliah's reign end?

Athaliah's reign ended when her grandson Joash, who had been hidden from her, was revealed as the rightful king. She was captured and executed outside the temple, restoring the Davidic line to the throne (2 Kings 11:13-16, 20).

Athaliah

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyFemaleQueenDaughter

Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, became queen of Judah and ruled for six years before being overthrown (2 Ki 8:26; 11:1-3, 13-14, 20; 2 Chr 22:2, 10-12; 23:12-13, 21; 24:7).

Athaliah

Biography

Athaliah was a princess of the northern kingdom of Israel, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, who became queen of Judah through her marriage to King Jehoram (2 Ki 8:26). Her influence on Jehoram and her son Ahaziah perpetuated the wicked legacy of the house of Omri in the southern kingdom. When Ahaziah was killed by Jehu during his purge of Ahab's dynasty (2 Ki 9:27), Athaliah seized power by ordering the massacre of the entire royal family of Judah, including her own grandchildren (2 Ki 11:1). One infant, Joash, was secretly hidden by his aunt Jehosheba in the temple and survived. Athaliah ruled Judah for six years (c. 841-835 BC). She was ultimately overthrown in a coup led by the high priest Jehoiada, who presented Joash as king; upon hearing the coronation, Athaliah cried treason, but was dragged from the temple and executed (2 Ki 11:13-16).

Significance

Athaliah stands as the most dramatic threat to the Davidic covenant in the entire Old Testament. God had promised David an unending dynasty (2 Sam 7:16), and Athaliah's massacre of the royal seed came within a hair's breadth of extinguishing that line entirely. Her six-year reign represents a moment of supreme covenantal crisis, the survival of Joash in the temple is thus not merely a political detail but a theological miracle, God's hidden preservation of the messianic lineage against seemingly overwhelming odds. Athaliah also exemplifies the catastrophic consequences of covenantal compromise: Judah's alliance with Israel's idolatrous Omride dynasty through her marriage nearly destroyed the promise. She stands as a sobering warning against yoking God's people to wickedness for political advantage.

Verse Appearances (15)

2Kgs

2Kgs 8:26 2Kgs 11:1 2Kgs 11:2 2Kgs 11:3 2Kgs 11:13 2Kgs 11:14 2Kgs 11:20

2Chr

2Chr 22:2 2Chr 22:10 2Chr 22:11 2Chr 22:12 2Chr 23:12 2Chr 23:13 2Chr 23:21 2Chr 24:7

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

View all sources & licensing →

See our editorial standards →

Content compiled from public domain scholarship, academic sources, and verified references. Editorial standards · View all sources