The Meaning of 2 Kings 11:1 Explained

2 Kings 11:1

KJV: And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

YLT: And Athaliah is mother of Ahaziah, and she hath seen that her son is dead, and she riseth, and destroyeth all the seed of the kingdom;

Darby: And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she rose up and destroyed all the royal seed.

ASV: Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And when Athaliah  the mother  of Ahaziah  saw  that her son  was dead,  she arose  and destroyed  all the seed  royal. 

What does 2 Kings 11:1 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 11:1-12 - Crowning The Boy-King
Athaliah well deserves the title given her in 2 Chronicles 24:7. She usurped the throne, and played in Judah the part of her mother Jezebel. Joram was a wicked man and a bad king, but he recognized the value of piety, and chose the good priest Jehoiada as the husband of his daughter. The husband neutralized the evil influences of his wife's upbringing and led her into a noble and useful career, the chief episode of which was the rescue of the youngest son of Ahaziah. His nurse and he were hidden in a room where the mattresses were kept in case of a sudden influx of priests at festal times. Is not this hidden king a type of the hiding of the true Prince in the recesses of our hearts, while some Athaliah occupies too large a share of government? There is no alternative but that the evil self-life, our Athaliah, should be stoned.
It was a glad moment when the hidden prince was produced. Many loyal hearts had renounced all hope of again seeing a scion of David's line. But God kept His promise. The Word of God was a befitting gift to place in the hands of the young prince, 2 Kings 11:12. Compare Deuteronomy 17:18-19. But what a revelation will it be when Jesus assumes the government of the earth, and its kingdoms become the kingdom of God and His Christ! He is now hidden, but He shall be manifested, Colossians 3:4. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 11

1  Jehoash, being saved by Jehosheba his aunt from Athaliah's massacre,
3  is hidden six years in the house of God
13  Jehoiada, giving order to the captains, in the seventh year anoints him king
17  Jehoiada restores the worship of God

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 11:1 mean?

And when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah - saw that was dead her son and she arose and destroyed - all the heirs royal
וַֽעֲתַלְיָה֙ אֵ֣ם אֲחַזְיָ֔הוּ [וראתה] (רָאֲתָ֖ה) כִּ֣י מֵ֣ת בְּנָ֑הּ וַתָּ֙קָם֙ וַתְּאַבֵּ֔ד אֵ֖ת כָּל־ זֶ֥רַע הַמַּמְלָכָֽה

וַֽעֲתַלְיָה֙  And  when  Athaliah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲתַלְיָה 
Sense: son of Jeroham of the tribe of Benjamin.
אֵ֣ם  the  mother 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֵם  
Sense: mother.
אֲחַזְיָ֔הוּ  of  Ahaziah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחַזְיָה 
Sense: ruler of Israel, son of Ahab.
[וראתה]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person feminine singular
(רָאֲתָ֖ה)  saw 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
כִּ֣י  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
מֵ֣ת  was  dead 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
בְּנָ֑הּ  her  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
וַתָּ֙קָם֙  and  she  arose 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
וַתְּאַבֵּ֔ד  and  destroyed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person feminine singular
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
אֵ֖ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
זֶ֥רַע  the  heirs 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
הַמַּמְלָכָֽה  royal 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: מַמְלָכָה  
Sense: kingdom, dominion, reign, sovereignty.