Melachim II 11

11:1

וַֽעֲתַלְיָה אֵם אֲחַזְיָהוּ (וראתה) [רָאֲתָה] כִּי מֵת בְּנָהּ וַתָּקׇם וַתְּאַבֵּד אֵת כׇּל־זֶרַע הַמַּמְלָכָֽה׃

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

11:2

וַתִּקַּח יְהוֹשֶׁבַע בַּת־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ־יוֹרָם אֲחוֹת אֲחַזְיָהוּ אֶת־יוֹאָשׁ בֶּן־אֲחַזְיָה וַתִּגְנֹב אֹתוֹ מִתּוֹךְ בְּנֵֽי־הַמֶּלֶךְ (הממותתים) [הַמּוּמָתִים] אֹתוֹ וְאֶת־מֵינִקְתּוֹ בַּחֲדַר הַמִּטּוֹת וַיַּסְתִּרוּ אֹתוֹ מִפְּנֵי עֲתַלְיָהוּ וְלֹא הוּמָֽת׃

But Yehosheva, the daughter of king Yoram, sister of Aĥazyahu, took Yo᾽ash the son of Aĥazya, and stole him from among the king’s sons who were slain, and put him and his nurse in the bed chamber, and they hid him from ῾Atalyahu, so that he was not slain.

Rashi

בחדר המטות. בעליית בית קדשי הקדשים, כמה שהוא אומר (לקמן פסוק ג): ויהי אתה בית ה' מתחבא וגו'. עליו אמר דוד (תהלים כז ה): כי יצפנני בסכה יסתירני בסתר אהלו. וקורא אותה חדר המטות, על שם (שיר השירים א יג): בין שדי ילין, וזהו שיסד רבי אליעזר: נפץ חדר המטות, חורבן ביתך יכפר עליהם:

Into the bed-chamber‘room. In the attic of the Holy of Holies,¹In II Divrei Hayomim 22:11 it indicates that Yehosheva was the wife of Yehoyada the chief kohein, and she therefore had access to the chambers in the Beis Hamikdosh. as it states, “And he remained with her in the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy, hiding, etc.”²Below v. 3. Concerning him Dovid said, “For He will hide me in His Tabernacle … He will conceal me in the shelter of His Tent.”³Tehillim 27:5. He calls it the “bed-chamber” in accordance with, “Between my breasts He lodges.”⁴Shir Hashirim 1:13.⁵The Holy Presence rested between the two staves of the Ark within the Holy of Holies. The staves protruded into the curtain like a woman’s breasts. See Rashi I Melochim 8:8 and Maseches Yoma 54a. This is what Rabbi Eliezer⁶Rashi is referring to Rabbi Elazar Hakalir, the author of this poetic liturgy. instituted, [May He remember for atonement] “the destruction of the bed-chamber,” [i.e.,] “May the destruction of Your Beis [Hamikdosh] atone for them.”

11:3

וַיְהִי אִתָּהּ בֵּית יְהֹוָה מִתְחַבֵּא שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים וַעֲתַלְיָה מֹלֶכֶת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ {פ}

And he was with her hid in the house of the Lord six years. And ῾Atalya did reign over the land.

11:4

וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִית שָׁלַח יְהוֹיָדָע וַיִּקַּח ׀ אֶת־שָׂרֵי (המאיות) [הַמֵּאוֹת] לַכָּרִי וְלָרָצִים וַיָּבֵא אֹתָם אֵלָיו בֵּית יְהֹוָה וַיִּכְרֹת לָהֶם בְּרִית וַיַּשְׁבַּע אֹתָם בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה וַיַּרְא אֹתָם אֶת־בֶּן־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

And in the seventh year Yehoyada sent and fetched the rulers over hundreds of the Kari, with the runners, and brought them to him into the house of the Lord, and made a covenant with them, and laid an oath on them in the house of the Lord, and showed them the king’s son.

Rashi

לכרי. שרי המאות לגבורים, ושרי מאות לרצים ולשון כרי שלא אמר לכרים, שם דבר של קבוצת הגבורים, ברני"ר בלע"ז:

The mighty warriors. The officers of the hundreds of the mighty warriors and the officers of the hundreds of the runners. The expression כָּרִי is used, and not כָּרִים,⁷Which is the plural of כָּרִי. because [כָּרִי] is a noun, [meaning] a company of mighty warriors, barned, in O.F.

ויכרות להם ברית. שיהיו בעזרתו, להמליך את בן המלך:

He made a covenant with them. That they will help him in crowning the king’s son.

11:5

וַיְצַוֵּם לֵאמֹר זֶה הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר תַּעֲשׂוּן הַשְּׁלִשִׁית מִכֶּם בָּאֵי הַשַּׁבָּת וְשֹׁמְרֵי מִשְׁמֶרֶת בֵּית הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

And he commanded them, saying, This is the thing that you shall do; the third part of you that come in on the sabbath shall be keepers of the watch of the king’s house;

Rashi

השלשית מכם באי השבת. המשמרות היו מתחדשות ובאות בשבת, משמרות כהונה ולויה, אחת נכנסת ואחת יוצאת, וצוה את המשמר הנכנס להתחלק לשלשה חלקים, השלישית בבית המלך, לשמור שלא יעמוד איש על המלך להרגו והשלישית בשער סור. הוא שער המזרחי שבעזרה שער הסירה:

One third of you of those who come on Shabbos. The watches would be renewed on Shabbos,⁸See Mishnayos Maseches Taanis 2:6,7. There were twenty-four families of kohanim and Leviyim that served in rotation in the Beis Hamikdosh. They changed places on Shabbos. the watches of the kohanim and Leviyim. one would enter and one would leave. He ordered the watch that was entering, to divide into three parts, one third in the king’s palace, to guard that no one rise up against the king to assassinate him.⁹I.e., Yoash.

11:6

וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית בְּשַׁעַר סוּר וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית בַּשַּׁעַר אַחַר הָרָצִים וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת הַבַּיִת מַסָּֽח׃

and a third part shall be at the gate of Sur; and a third part at the gate behind the runners: so shall you keep the watch of the house, as a defence.

Rashi

והשלשית בשער אחר הרצים. אף הוא משערי העזרה ויונתן תרגם: בתרעא דבתרוהי תרעא רהטיא. ושער הרצים, דרך שם באין מבית המלך לבית המקדש, כמה שנאמר בסוף הענין, ואותו שער העזרה שנאמר אחריו שער הרצים, קראו בדברי הימים (ב כג ד): שער הספים:

one third in the Sur Gate, the eastern gate of the Temple court, the Hasirah Gate. [6.] And one third [will be] at the gate behind the runners. That too was one of the gates of the Temple court. [Targum] Yonoson rendered, “בְּתַרְעָא דְּבַתְרוֹהִי תַּרְעָא רָהֲטַיָּא, [=the gate which was behind the Gate of the Runners].” Through the Gate of the Runners one would go from the royal palace to the Beis Hamikdosh, as it is stated at the end of this matter. And that gate of the Temple court, about which it is stated at the gate behind the runners,¹⁰See below, v. 6. was called in Divrei Hayomim, “the Gate of the Sippim.”¹¹II Divrei Hayomim 23:4.

ושמרתם את משמרת הבית מסח. שמירה זו צום על החלק הראשון שאמר עליו ושמרו את משמרת בית המלך:

And you shall keep the watch of the palace without taking your mind off it. This watch he commanded the first group, concerning whom he said, “will keep watch of the king’s palace.”¹²See above, v. 5.

מסח. שמרוהו מאד, שלא תסיחו דעתכם, לשון נואש (שמואל א כז א), שלא יהא יאוש בדבר, ומ"ם של מסח, מן היסוד:

Without taking your mind off it. Guard it very diligently, that you do not take your mind off it, an expression of “despair [=ננוֹאָשׁ],”¹³I Shmuel 27:1. that there should be no despair in this matter. The ‘מ’ of מַסָּח is part of the root.¹⁴I.e., The ‘מ’ is not a prefix meaning “from.”

11:7

וּשְׁתֵּי הַיָּדוֹת בָּכֶם כֹּל יֹצְאֵי הַשַּׁבָּת וְשָׁמְרוּ אֶת־מִשְׁמֶרֶת בֵּית־יְהֹוָה אֶל־הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃

And the two divisions of all you that go out on the sabbath, they shall keep the watch of the house of the Lord about the king.

Rashi

ושתי הידות בכם. שאמרתי שיהא בשער סור ובשער הרצים, ועמהם כל יוצאי השבת, כל אנשי משמר היוצא:

The two groups of you. Who I said should be in the Sur Gate and in the Gate of the Runners, and with them all those who leave on Shabbos, [i.e.,] all the men of the departing watch.

ושמרו את משמרת בית ה' אל המלך. שלא יבואהו נזק מתוך בית ה', ולא הוצרך לכל זאת אלא שבת ראשונה, עד שהומתה עתליה, וברחו עוזריה מן העיר:

Will guard Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy for the king. That no harm befall him from within the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy. He did not require all this except for the first Shabbos, until Atalyoh was killed and her allies fled from the city.

11:8

וְהִקַּפְתֶּם עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ סָבִיב אִישׁ וְכֵלָיו בְּיָדוֹ וְהַבָּא אֶל־הַשְּׂדֵרוֹת יוּמָת וִֽהְיוּ אֶת־הַמֶּלֶךְ בְּצֵאתוֹ וּבְבֹאֽוֹ׃

And you shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand: and he that comes within the ranks, let him be slain: and be with the king as he goes out and as he comes in.

Rashi

והבא אל השדרות. איש נכרי שיבא לתוך המחוז הקרוי שדרות, והוא מקום מבוא המלך מביתו לבית ה' ולא ידעתי מהו לשון שדרות. ויונתן תרגם: סודריא:

And whoever breaks the ranks. A stranger who comes within the boundary called “שדרות,”¹⁵Any stranger entering this area was suspected of being Atalyoh’s ally who was seeking to assassinate the king.—Metzudas Dovid which is the place of the king’s entry from his palace to the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy. I do not know the origin of the word “שְׂדֵרוֹת,” but [Targum] Yonoson rendered it “סוּדְרִיָא.”¹⁶Targum substitutes a ‘ש’ for the ‘ס’. It was sort of a passage from the palace to the Beis Hamikdosh.

11:9

וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּ שָׂרֵי (המאיות) [הַמֵּאוֹת] כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־צִוָּה יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן וַיִּקְחוּ אִישׁ אֶת־אֲנָשָׁיו בָּאֵי הַשַּׁבָּת עִם יֹצְאֵי הַשַּׁבָּת וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵֽן׃

And the captains over the hundreds did according to all that Yehoyada the priest commanded: and they took every man his men that were to come in on the sabbath, with them that should go out on the sabbath, and came to Yehoyada the priest.

11:10

וַיִּתֵּן הַכֹּהֵן לְשָׂרֵי (המאיות) [הַמֵּאוֹת] אֶֽת־הַחֲנִית וְאֶת־הַשְּׁלָטִים אֲשֶׁר לַמֶּלֶךְ דָּוִד אֲשֶׁר בְּבֵית יְהֹוָֽה׃

And to the captains over hundreds did the priest give king David’s spear and shields, that were in the temple of the Lord.

11:11

וַיַּעַמְדוּ הָרָצִים אִישׁ ׀ וְכֵלָיו בְּיָדוֹ מִכֶּתֶף הַבַּיִת הַיְמָנִית עַד־כֶּתֶף הַבַּיִת הַשְּׂמָאלִית לַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְלַבָּיִת עַל־הַמֶּלֶךְ סָבִֽיב׃

And the guard stood, every man with his weapons in his hand, round about the king, from the right side of the house to the left side of the house, by the altar and within.

11:12

וַיּוֹצִא אֶת־בֶּן־הַמֶּלֶךְ וַיִּתֵּן עָלָיו אֶת־הַנֵּזֶר וְאֶת־הָעֵדוּת וַיַּמְלִכוּ אֹתוֹ וַיִּמְשָׁחֻהוּ וַיַּכּוּ־כָף וַיֹּאמְרוּ יְחִי הַמֶּֽלֶךְ׃ {ס}

And he brought out the king’s son, and put the crown upon him, and gave him the testimony; and they made him king, and anointed him; and they clapped their hands, and said, Long live the king.

Rashi

את הנזר ואת העדות. ספר התורה, כמו שכתוב (דברים יז יט): והיתה עמו וקרא בו כל ימי חייו. ורבותינו אמרו (עבודה זרה מד א): הנזר הוא העדות, שכל הראוי למלכות הולמתו, ושאינו ראוי למלכות אינה הולמתו:

[Placed] the crown on him and [gave him] the Testimony. The Torah Scroll, as it is written, “And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life.”¹⁷Devorim 17:19. Adonoy king must always have a Torah Scroll with him at all times. Therefore, the Torah Scroll acts as a testimony of royalty. Alternatively, the Torah Scroll is referred to as “testimony.” See Shemos 25:16 and Rashi there.—Metzudas Dovid¹⁸Alternatively, עֵדוּת refers to the royal robes.—Radak And our Rabbis stated that the crown itself was the “testimony,” for it would fit anyone who is fit for the throne, but it would not fit anyone unfit for the throne.¹⁹See Maseches Avodah Zarah 44a, and Rashi there.

11:13

וַתִּשְׁמַע עֲתַלְיָה אֶת־קוֹל הָרָצִין הָעָם וַתָּבֹא אֶל־הָעָם בֵּית יְהֹוָֽה׃

And when ῾Atalya heard the noise of the guard and of the people, she came to the people into the house of the Lord.

11:14

וַתֵּרֶא וְהִנֵּה הַמֶּלֶךְ עֹמֵד עַֽל־הָעַמּוּד כַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְהַשָּׂרִים וְהַחֲצֹֽצְרוֹת אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכׇל־עַם הָאָרֶץ שָׂמֵחַ וְתֹקֵעַ בַּחֲצֹֽצְרוֹת וַתִּקְרַע עֲתַלְיָה אֶת־בְּגָדֶיהָ וַתִּקְרָא קֶשֶׁר קָֽשֶׁר׃

And when she looked, behold, the king stood by a pillar, according to the custom, and the princes and the trumpeters by the king, and all the people of the land rejoiced, and sounded trumpets: and ῾Atalya rent her clothes, and cried, Treason, Treason.

Rashi

העמוד. הוא מעמד המלך בבית ה':

On the pedestal. That is the king’s platform in the Beis [Hamikdosh] of Adonoy.²⁰Alternatively, עַמּוּד merely refers to a location in that area that was set aside for the king.

קשר קשר. מרד מרד יש כאן:

“A revolt! A revolt!” Revolt. There is a revolt here.

11:15

וַיְצַו יְהוֹיָדָע הַכֹּהֵן אֶת־שָׂרֵי (המאיות) [הַמֵּאוֹת ׀] פְּקֻדֵי הַחַיִל וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם הוֹצִיאוּ אֹתָהּ אֶל־מִבֵּית לַשְּׂדֵרֹת וְהַבָּא אַחֲרֶיהָ הָמֵת בֶּחָרֶב כִּי אָמַר הַכֹּהֵן אַל־תּוּמַת בֵּית יְהֹוָֽה׃

But Yehoyada the priest commanded the captains of the hundreds, the officers of the host and said to them, Bring her out between the ranks: and him that follows her kill with the sword. For the priest had said, Let her not be slain in the house of the Lord.

Rashi

הוציאו אותה. מבית המקדש לשדרות, והביאו אותה דרך בית השדרות לבית המלך, ואל תניחוה לצאת דרך מוצא העזרה אל העיר, פן תמצא עוזרים ומתחברים אליה:

“Remove her.” Out of the Beis Hamikdosh to the ranks [=שְׂדֵרוֹת] [i.e.,] and bring her by way of the שְׂדֵרוֹת to the king’s palace, but do not allow her to leave through the exit of the Temple court through the city, where she might find allies who will join her.

והבא אחריה. בעזרתה:

And anyone who follows her. To help her.

המת בחרב. להמית בחרב:

Kill with the sword. To slay with a sword.