In brief
Jehoiada is high priest in Jerusalem in the days of Queen Athaliah. Married to Jehoshabeath, daughter of King Jehoram, he hides the infant Joash with her in the house of God for six years. In the seventh year, he takes courage, rallies the commanders of hundreds and the Levites, has the boy crowned and Athaliah put to death outside the temple. He renews the covenant between the Lord, the king and the people and restores worship. As long as he lives, Joash does what is right. He dies at one hundred and thirty and is buried with the kings.
What does the name Jehoiada mean?
Jehoiada (or Yehoyada) is generally linked to a Hebrew expression meaning the Lord knows. The Bible does not explain his name. Another Jehoiada, father of Benaiah, commander of the army under David and then Solomon, bears the same name (1 Kings 2:25); the two should not be confused.
The story of Jehoiada
A child hidden in the house of God
2 Chronicles 22:10-12Athaliah destroys the whole royal family of Judah. Jehoshabeath, daughter of King Jehoram and wife of the priest Jehoiada, takes the infant Joash and his nurse away from the massacre. He remained hidden with them in the house of God for six years, while Athaliah ruled the land. For six years the couple quietly protects David's last heir, in the very heart of the temple.
The courage of the seventh year
2 Chronicles 23:1-3In the seventh year, Jehoiada took courage and made a covenant with the commanders of hundreds. They travel through Judah, gather the Levites and family heads to Jerusalem, and the whole assembly makes a covenant with the king in the house of God. Jehoiada grounds his action in the promise: the king's son shall reign, as the Lord promised concerning the sons of David.
The crowning of Joash
2 Kings 11:9-12The commanders of hundreds carry out all of Jehoiada's orders. The priest hands them King David's spears and shields kept in the temple, stations the armed guards around the king, then brings the king's son forward. He puts the crown and the testimony on him; they make him king and anoint him, and the people clap their hands and shout, Long live the king!
The end of Athaliah
2 Kings 11:13-16Athaliah hears the noise, comes to the temple and cries, Treason! Treason! Jehoiada orders the commanders to take her out between the ranks and to kill anyone who follows her, for the priest had said she must not be put to death in the house of the Lord. They make way for her, and she is killed at the palace, at the entrance of the horses. Judgment is carried out, but the sanctuary is kept undefiled.
The covenant renewed and worship restored
2 Chronicles 23:16-21Jehoiada makes a covenant between himself, the people and the king that they should be the Lord's people. The people tear down the temple of Baal and kill its priest Mattan. Jehoiada assigns the duties of the temple to the priests and Levites according to David's instructions, posts the gatekeepers, then seats the king on the throne. All the people of the land rejoice, and the city is quiet.
The chest to repair the temple
2 Kings 12:7-11When the priests are slow to repair the house of the Lord, Jehoiada takes a chest, bores a hole in its lid and sets it beside the altar. The doorkeepers put in all the money brought; the king's secretary and the high priest count it and hand it to the workmen. The aged priest remains in practical service to the house of God.
A death honored among kings
2 Chronicles 24:15-16Jehoiada died, old and full of days, at the age of one hundred and thirty. He was buried in the City of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, both toward God and toward his house. A priest buried with kings is a rare honor, and it tells of the place God and the people recognized for his faithfulness.
Test your knowledge
What Jehoiada teaches us
- There is a time to wait in silence and a time to act with courage: Jehoiada knew how to discern the seventh year.
- Guarding God's promise may cost you years of hidden patience; what you keep faithfully will bear fruit.
- A true servant of God does not seek power for himself: Jehoiada hands the throne to the rightful heir and the worship to the Levites.
- Your influence on the young is decisive; train them to love God himself, not just to follow you.
- Faithfulness to the end receives an honor that God himself acknowledges: Scripture says Jehoiada had done good in Israel.
Key verses
Jehoiada bases the coup on God's word: the king's son shall reign, as the Lord promised for the sons of David. His courage is born of the promise.
Jehoiada makes a double covenant: between the Lord, the king and the people, then between the king and the people. Political restoration begins with a return to God.
Buried with the kings because he had done good in Israel, toward God and toward his house. This is the summary Scripture keeps of his whole life.
Sermons about Jehoiada
- Return to Your Father with a Son's LanguageJoash served God as long as Jehoiada the priest was forming him, then drifted after his death: we are shaped by whatever takes authority over our lives.
- Psalm 78: Teach Your Children to Trust in GodJehoiada was Joash's counselor and teacher; after his death, the king listened to other voices and had Zechariah killed, the son of the man who had taught and protected him.
Frequently asked questions
Who was Jehoiada in the Bible?
Jehoiada is the high priest who, with his wife Jehoshabeath, hid the infant Joash in the temple for six years, then had him crowned at seven and Queen Athaliah put to death (2 Kings 11; 2 Chronicles 23). He renewed the covenant with the Lord, restored worship and guided the king until his own death at one hundred and thirty.
Why was Jehoiada buried with the kings?
2 Chronicles 24:16 gives the reason: he had done good in Israel, both toward God and toward his house. He had saved the line of David, overthrown Athaliah's idolatry, restored the temple service and guided Joash. This honor, normally reserved for kings, recognizes a whole life of faithfulness.
Where can I find the story of Jehoiada in the Bible?
His work is told in 2 Kings 11 and 12 (the crowning of Joash, the fall of Athaliah, the chest to repair the temple) and, in parallel, in 2 Chronicles 22:10 to 24:16, which names his wife Jehoshabeath, details the restoration of worship and reports his honored death. His son Zechariah appears in 2 Chronicles 24:20-22.