Lives of Scripture

Azariah son of Obed was one of five commanders of hundreds whom the priest Jehoiada drew into a covenant to end the reign of Athaliah, the queen mother who had seized Judah's throne after murdering nearly the entire royal line following her son Ahaziah's death (2 Chronicles 22:10-23:1). Alongside Azariah son of Jeroham, Ishmael son of Jehohanan, Maaseiah son of Adaiah, and Elishaphat son of Zichri, Azariah son of Obed "went throughout Judah and gathered the Levites from all the cities of Judah, and the heads of the fathers' households of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem" (23:2) -- rallying support for the coup at real personal risk, since Athaliah still held power and had already shown she would kill to keep it. Jehoiada then presented the surviving heir, seven-year-old Joash, whom his aunt Jehoshabeath had hidden in the temple for years, and the captains carried out Jehoiada's plan exactly: stationing guards, arming the Levites with weapons that had belonged to David, and surrounding the boy-king as he was crowned and anointed in the temple courts (23:3-11). When Athaliah rushed in crying "Treason! Treason!" she was seized and put to death outside the palace, and the covenant line of David -- nearly extinguished -- continued through the child these captains had risked themselves to protect.