Meaning of the Name Athaliah
Athaliah is linked to the Hebrew form Atalyah. It is commonly explained as "Yah is exalted" or "Yah has exalted," with the divine element being clear. There are minor discussions over the exact grammatical analysis of the first element, but the main sense is fairly established.
Origin
The name Athaliah is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Athaliah in the Bible?
Athaliah was the queen who ruled over Judah and was connected to the house of Ahab. After her son's death, she tried to wipe out the royal line, but Joash was hidden and later brought to the throne. Her story is told especially in 2 Kings 11 and 2 Chronicles 22-23.
The story of Athaliah in the Bible
Athaliah is portrayed in Scripture as the only woman to rule on the throne of Judah, and she was linked to the northern dynasty of Ahab. She was the wife of King Jehoram of Judah and the mother of King Ahaziah. According to 2 Kings 11:1 and 2 Chronicles 22:10, when her son Ahaziah was killed, Athaliah set out to destroy the entire royal line in order to hold the throne herself. But Ahaziah's infant son Joash was rescued by his aunt and hidden with his nurse in the temple of God for six years while Athaliah ruled the land. In the seventh year the priest Jehoiada organized the guards, proclaimed the young Joash king in the temple, and had him crowned. Hearing the celebration, Athaliah rushed in crying treason, but she was seized, led outside the temple, and executed. As 2 Kings 11:20 relates, the people rejoiced at her death and the city grew quiet. Her story is remembered as one of the moments when the line of David came closest to being cut off.
Is Athaliah mentioned in the Quran?
The name Athaliah does not appear in the Quran; in the Old Testament, in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles, she is the queen who seized the throne of Judah by force.
Verses where Athaliah appears
- 2 Kings 11:1 —
Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the seed royal.
- 2 Chronicles 22:10 —
Now when Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she arose and destroyed all the royal seed of the house of Judah.
- 2 Kings 11:20 —
So all the people of the land rejoiced, and the city was quiet. Athaliah they had slain with the sword at the king’s house.