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So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had slain Athaliah with the sword at the king’s house.
2 Kings 11:20 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV 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.
  • BSB and all the people of the land rejoiced. And the city was quiet, because Athaliah had been put to the sword at the royal palace.
  • NKJV So all the people of the land rejoiced; and the city was quiet, for they had slain Athaliah with the sword in the king’s house.
  • NASB So all the people of the land rejoiced and the city was peaceful. For they had put Athaliah to death with the sword at the king’s house.
  • NLT So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was peaceful because Athaliah had been killed at the king’s palace.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

The people rejoice and the city is at peace after Athaliah's execution. Order is restored to Judah.

Overview

With the usurper dead and the true king enthroned, the people celebrate and Jerusalem is quiet. The contrast with Athaliah's bloody reign highlights the blessing of righteous rule. This restored peace under the Davidic king foreshadows the deeper peace Christ brings as the true and rightful King.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 4

  • Prov 11:10When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices. When the wicked perish, there is shouting.
  • Prov 29:2When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
  • 2 Kgs 11:14and she looked, and behold, the king stood by the pillar, as the tradition was, with the captains and the trumpets by the king; and all the people of the land rejoiced, and blew trumpets. Then Athaliah tore her clothes, and cried, “Treason! Treason!”
  • 2 Chr 23:21So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. They had slain Athaliah with the sword.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (2)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 2 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 2 Kings 11:20YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 2 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.

How 2 Kings 11:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.