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Athaliah

Pronounced ath-uh-LY-uh

girl

✓ In the King James Bible — Yes — Athaliah appears in the King James Bible, including 2 Kings 11:1.

Meaning: "The LORD is exalted; Afflicted by the LORD"
Origin: Hebrew

Athaliah means "the LORD is exalted" in Hebrew — an ironic name for one of Scripture's most ruthless villains. She was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, wife of King Jehoram of Judah, and the only woman to rule as sole monarch over Judah. When Athaliah's son King Ahaziah was killed, she seized the throne by ordering the massacre of the entire royal family — her own grandchildren. This horrific act nearly destroyed the Davidic line through which the Messiah was promised to come. But God preserved one infant: Joash, hidden by his aunt Jehosheba in the temple for six years while Athaliah reigned. When the priest Jehoiada finally revealed young Joash and crowned him king, Athaliah tore her clothes and cried "Treason! Treason!" — unable to see that her own reign was the true treason against God's covenant. Athaliah's story demonstrates that evil can temporarily seize power, but God's purposes cannot be permanently thwarted. One hidden child in the temple was enough to preserve God's promise.

Spiritual meaning

Athaliah's story proves that no human scheme can overthrow God's promises. She murdered an entire royal family, yet God preserved one child to fulfill His covenant — demonstrating that divine purposes are indestructible.

Related verses (KJV)

"And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal."
2 Kings 11:1 (KJV) →
"But Jehosheba, the daughter of king Joram, sister of Ahaziah, took Joash the son of Ahaziah, and stole him from among the king's sons which were slain; and they hid him."
2 Kings 11:2 (KJV) →

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