דברי הימים ב, פרק כ״ב, פסוק י״א

Amidst a brutal massacre aimed at wiping out the entire royal bloodline, a dramatic rescue preserves a single survivor for the Davidic dynasty. Jehoshabeath, the daughter of King Jehoram—likely born to a different wife and not to Athaliah [ביאור שטיינזלץ]—takes daring action to save her infant nephew, Joash. As the sister of Ahaziah, her deep compassion for her brother's son drives a fierce desire to protect him [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

During the chaos, Jehoshabeath secretly pulls Joash from among the bodies of the murdered royal sons. Because he is a very small child, he manages to remain unnoticed and unharmed among the victims, still requiring the constant care of his wet-nurse. Her ability to find a safe haven for him is closely tied to her marriage to Jehoiada the priest, whom some identify as Johanan the High Priest [מצודת דוד]. This high-ranking priestly connection provides her with the unique opportunity to hide the child within the protected grounds of the Temple [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The infant and his wet-nurse are concealed in a bedroom, a location understood in several different ways. It may refer to the private sleeping quarters of Jehoshabeath and Jehoiada [רד״ק]. Alternatively, it might have been a specific room within the Temple courtyard used as sleeping quarters for the priests [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. A more profound perspective suggests they were hidden in the upper chamber of the Holy of Holies, the most hidden and secure location in the entire Temple, where absolutely no one would dare harm the child [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another unique approach proposes that the room where the other royal children were murdered was originally known as the bedroom, and the Temple hiding place later adopted the same name as a memorial to the tragic event [מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, this elaborate concealment is orchestrated entirely to shield Joash from Athaliah's destructive rage, ensuring he does not meet the same fate as the rest of his family [מצודת דוד].