2 Kings 14:19

2Ki 14:19 Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem: and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish, and slew him there.

Ver. 19. Now they made a conspiracy.] The people generally did, because he had, by challenging Jehoash, subjected them to so much misery, and did, after that overthrow, spend his time idly and basely, serving false gods, &c. That he repented, is very uncertain, and upon weak grounds concluded.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ki 14:19-20. They made a conspiracy against him — That is, the people, and princes, and chief men among them did this; possibly those whose sons he had delivered up as hostages to Jehoash. It is likely this conspiracy was formed with the connivance, if not approbation, of the people, because the design was carried on openly, steadily, and irresistibly, as the following words show. “What provoked the people of Jerusalem, more than any other part of the nation, against their king, was the seeing their city spoiled of its best ornaments, exposed to reproach on account of the great breach made in their wall, and several of their children carried away as hostages for their good behaviour; all which they imputed to their king’s mal- administrations,” and hence they entered into this conspiracy against him. And he fled to Lachish — A strong city in Judah, toward the country of the Philistines. How long he continued concealed or sheltered there we are not told. Some commentators have conjectured, “that he lived in a state of exile in that city for twelve years, not bearing to continue in Jerusalem after the defeat which Jehoash had given him. But our learned Usher has placed this conspiracy in the last year of Amaziah’s reign; and Capellus supposes that it was set on foot by the great men of Jerusalem, on the specious pretence of being guardians to the young prince, and taking better care of him than his father was likely to do.” — Dodd. They — His rebellious subjects; sent after him to Lachish — Sent, some think, secret murderers, but, more probably, bands of soldiers, for this rebellion was carried on with a strong hand and open force. And they brought him on horses — Or, with horses, namely, in a chariot; and he was buried at Jerusalem — For the rage of the rebels was not extended beyond his death, nor did they deny him a burial with his ancestors.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14:19-20 Like his father Joash (12:20-21), Amaziah was killed by assassins. The Chronicler blames his spiritual infidelity for the conspiracy against him (2 Chr 25:27). • Lachish, southwest of Jerusalem, was the site of an important victory by King Sennacherib of Assyria during his invasion of Judah in 701 BC (2 Kgs 18:14). It was also seized during Nebuchadnezzar II’s advance against Jerusalem in 588 BC (Jer 34:7).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Which city Rehoboam built in Judah for a fortress, 2 Chron. 11:9.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

HE IS SLAIN BY A CONSPIRACY. (Kg2 14:17-20)

they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem--Amaziah's apostasy (Ch2 25:27) was followed by a general maladministration, especially the disastrous issue of the war with Israel. The ruinous condition of Jerusalem, the plunder of the temple, and the loss of their children who were taken as hostages [Kg2 14:13-14], lost him the respect and attachment not of the grandees only, but of his subjects generally, who were in rebellion. The king fled in terror to Lachish, a frontier town of the Philistines, where, however, he was traced and murdered. His friends had his corpse brought without any pomp or ceremony, in a chariot to Jerusalem, where he was interred among his royal ancestors.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 19. They made a conspiracy against him] His defeat by Jehoash, and the consequent pillaging of the temple, and emptying the royal exchequer, and the dismantling of Jerusalem, had made him exceedingly unpopular; so that probably the whole of the last fifteen years of his life were a series of troubles and distresses.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(19) Now . . . but.—And . . . and.

They made a conspiracy.—The fact that no individual conspirators are mentioned appears to indicate that Amazialύ’s death was the result of a general disaffection; and this inference is strengthened by the other details of the record. Thenius supppses that he had incensed the army in particular by some special act. Probably his foolish and ill-fated enterprise against Israel had something to do with it.

Lachish.—Now Um Lâkis. Of old it was a strong fortress. (Comp. 2Ch_11:9; 2Ki_18:14; 2Ki_19:8.) Amaziah’s flight thither seems to indicate either a popular rising in Jerusalem, or a military revolt.

They sent after him to Lachish.—This, too, may point to a military outbreak.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

19. Now [R.V. And] they made a conspiracy] This was evidently the work of his own subjects. The Chronicler’s statement is that the conspiracy was commenced ‘after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the Lord’. But this we see was immediately after the conquest of the Edomites, when the king ‘brought the gods of the children of Seir’ into the land. There must then have been a feeling of hostility to Amaziah among the right-minded of his own people, even before the battle of Beth-shemesh. We cannot tell whether the conspiracy came to a head in a short time, or only gained strength when the forces of Judah had been so thoroughly overcome by the northern army. But everything points to a desire on the part of the people of Judah to put down Amaziah on the first possible opportunity.

and he fled to Lachish] Lachish was considerably south of Jerusalem, and Amaziah probably thought that from it he could more easily escape to Edom, or elsewhere, out of harm’s way. The place must have been of the nature of a fortress. For when the Israelites entered Canaan it had a king of its own, who joined in the league for the chastisement of the Gibeonites. The king is described as belonging to the Amorites who dwell in the mountains, so that it must have been in a hilly country (Jos_10:6). We may note also that this city was made one of his fortresses by Rehoboam after the revolt of the ten tribes (2Ch_11:9). Hence Amaziah after he escaped thither may have remained in security and held this place against the conspirators for a considerable time, living indeed, but hardly to be said to be reigning.

they sent after him] But we may conclude that his pursuers were not allowed to seize him without some resistance, which may have lasted a considerable time.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

He built Elath,.... A port which belonged to Edom, Deu 2:8 which very probably David took from them when he made them tributary, and which they retook when they revolted, and Amaziah got again when he defeated them; and this his son rebuilt and fortified:

and restored it to Judah; annexed it to the kingdom of Judah, as in the days of David and Solomon:

after that the king slept with his fathers; after the death of his father Amaziah.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Lachis, in the tribe of Dan. Some say that the kings resided there twelve years, in a kind of exile. (Malvenda) --- But the conspiracy only took place in the last year of his reign. (Usher, the year of the world 3194.) --- Some powerful men rose up against him, and the people were displeased with his conduct. (Menochius) --- But the majority did not approve of his death, so that they granted him the funeral honours, and appointed his son to succeed. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

They, i.e. the people, or the princes and chief men among them, possibly those whose sons he had delivered up as hostages to Jehoash, with the connivance, if not approbation, of the people; as appears, because the design was carried on openly, and steadily, and irresistibly, as the following words show.

Lachish; a strong city in Judah, towards the Philistines; of which see Jos 10:31; 15:39; 2Ki 19:8.

They sent after him; either secret murderers; or rather, bands of soldiers; for this rebellion was carried on by strong hand and open force. Compare 2Ki 12:20; 15:10,15.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

19. A conspiracy against him — His turning after the gods of Edom, (see 2Ch_25:27,) his defeat by Jehoash, the hostages taken of him, and the spoliation of the temple, all served to make the last half of his reign unpopular. The discontent of the kingdom culminated in conspiracy. So he perished like his father. 2Ki_12:20.

Lachish — Probably the modern Um Lakis, about thirty-five miles southwest of Jerusalem. See on Jos_10:3. It is chiefly noted in connexion with the siege of Sennacherib. See on 2Ki_18:14; 2Ki_19:8.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Now they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. The author of Chronicles connects this conspiracy with the idolatry of which Amaziah was guilty; (2Ch_25:27) but, though his subjects may have been offended by his religions changes, and have become alienated from him in consequence, the actual conspiracy can scarcely have been prompted by an act which was fifteen, or at any rate thirteen, years old. It is more likely to have sprung out of dissatisfaction with Amaziah"s military inaction from and after his defeat by Joash. While Jeroboam H. was carrying all before him in the north, recovering his border, pushing it as far as Hamath, and even exercising a suzerainty over Damascus (vers. 25, 28), Amaziah remained passive, cowed by his one defeat, and took no advantage of the state of weakness to which he had reduced Edom, but sat with folded hands, doing nothing. The conspirators who removed Amaziah, and placed his son Azariah, or Uzziah, upon the throne, may be credited with the wish and intention to bring the period of inaction to an end, and to effect in the south what Jeroboam was effecting in the north. It is true that Azariah was but sixteen years of age; (ver. 21 2Ch_26:1) but he may have given indications of his ambition and capacity. Sixteen, moreover, is the time of manhood in the East, and the conspirators had probably waited until Azariah was sixteen in order that his competency to reign should not be disputed. As soon as he was on the throne he initiated the warlike policy which they desired (see ver. 22). And he fled to Lachish. Lachish, one of the south-western Judaean towns, (Jos_15:39) was at all times a fortress of importance. It resisted Joshua (10:3, 31), and was taken by storm. It was fortified by Jeroboam against the Egyptians. (2Ch_11:9) It was besieged and taken by Sennacherib. (2Ki_18:14; Layard, "Nineveh and Babylon," pp. 149-152) The position is marked by the modern Um-Lakis, on "a low round swell or knoll," between Gaza and Beit-Jibrin, about thirteen miles from Gaza and nearly thirty-five from Jerusalem. But they sent after him to Lackish, and slew him there. So the author of Chronicles (2Ch_25:27) and Josephus ("Ant. Jud:," 9:9. but details are wanting.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

They conspired a revolt against him, etc. Because they heard what the prophet said, “that God has made a plan to destroy you.”

And he fled to Lakish. He was there for the entire fifteen years.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.