Athaliah exterminated all the royal children. In fact, after her son had been killed by Jehu, she had conceived an extremely perfidious and vicious scheme, saying to herself with anger, “I will reign just the same against the will of God by fighting God’s promises, and I will make the posterity of David’s house perish, as the descendants of my father’s house have perished and have been exterminated.” That scheme resembled the treachery that Satan plotted at the beginning against the chief of our race. However, her scheme was not accomplished, but after seven years the kingdom returned to the family of David, thanks to a righteous man, Jehoiada, the husband of Jehosheba, Joram’s daughter, who had brought up Joash, son of Ahaziah.
[AD 850] Ishodad of Merv on 2 Kings 11:1-3