Who was King Amon and how long did he reign over Judah?

Amon was a king of Judah and the son of Manasseh. He began to reign when he was twenty‑two years old. His reign was very short, only two years in Jerusalem. The passage stresses not his achievements, but his character and choices. It says he did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as his father Manasseh had done earlier in his life. Amon followed the same path of idolatry, serving and worshiping the same idols. His brief time on the throne ends suddenly when his own servants conspire against him and kill him in his house.

In what way did Amon follow the example of his father Manasseh?

Amon followed his father Manasseh in the worst way. The passage says he did evil in the Lord’s sight as Manasseh did. It explains that he walked in all the way that his father walked in. That means he copied his father’s earlier sins, not his later humility. He served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. Instead of holding to the covenant God made with his ancestors, Amon left the Lord, the God of his fathers, and refused to walk in the Lord’s way.

What does it mean that Amon forsook the Lord God of his fathers?

When the passage says Amon forsook the Lord God of his fathers, it means he turned away from the God who had cared for Israel and Judah from the time of David and Solomon. He did not keep to the worship and obedience that the Lord had commanded. Instead, he gave himself to idols and their worship. The words also show that Amon knew, or should have known, the history and covenant of his people but chose a different path. To forsake the Lord here is to leave His ways and not walk in them.

Why did Amon’s servants conspire against him and kill him in his own house?

The text simply states that the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his own house. It does not give a detailed reason for their plot. It notes that these were his own servants, people who should have protected him. Some later comments suggest they may have acted out of personal offense or dissatisfaction, but that is not clearly spelled out. What the passage makes plain is the shock of it: the king is slain in his own home by those close to him, and his reign ends abruptly after two years.

How did the people of the land respond to the killing of King Amon?

After Amon was killed by his servants, the passage says the people of the land took action. They killed all who had conspired against King Amon. In doing this, they showed they would not accept the servants’ violent act against their king. Then the people of the land made Josiah, Amon’s son, king in his place. So they both punished the killers and secured the royal line by placing the rightful heir on the throne. The focus is on their role in judging the conspirators and in setting up Josiah as king.

Who was Josiah in this passage, and how did he become king?

Josiah in this passage is Amon’s son. We are not told his age here, but we are told how he came to the throne. After Amon was killed by his own servants, the people of the land stepped in. They killed those who had taken part in the plot and then made Josiah king in his father’s place. So Josiah did not take power by force. He was set up as king by the people after they had removed the conspirators who had murdered Amon.

What does this passage show about the people’s view of Amon’s murder?

The way the people act shows they did not support the killing of Amon. They gathered, or were represented, as “the people of the land” and put to death all those who had conspired against the king. This shows they saw the servants’ act as wrong, even though Amon himself was an evil king. They also quickly installed Josiah, Amon’s son, as king. By doing both, they cleared themselves of sharing in the conspiracy and upheld the proper royal line, even after a sinful king had been removed.

What is the garden of Uzza, and what happens there in this account?

The garden of Uzza is mentioned here as the place of Amon’s tomb. The passage earlier says that Manasseh was buried in the garden of his own house, in the garden of Uzza, and now Amon is buried in his own sepulchre there. The text does not explain exactly where this garden was or why it had that name. What is clear is that it became the burial place for these kings of Judah, and Amon was laid there after his short and troubled reign, while his son Josiah began to rule in his place.

2Kgs.21.19

2 Kings 21:19

KJV

¶ Amon was twenty and two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah.

Cross References

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