Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible
2 Kings 21:19-26
The Reign Of Amon, King Of Judah c. 642/1-640/39 BC (2 Kings 21:19).
Amon continued in the way in which he had been brought up and reinstituted the idolatrous practises of the reign of his father prior to his repentance. He neither worshipped YHWH truly nor continued in the ways prescribed by His Law. This may partly have been in order to ingratiate himself with Assyria who would take an immediate interest in the new king. But his activities in general clearly angered the ruling elite in Jerusalem so much so that they conspired against him and assassinated him in his own house. This may have been at the instigation of a reviving Egypt in the face of Assyrian decline. Feelings were now set against Assyria whose king Ashur-bani-pal had lost his enthusiasm for adventuring, replacing it with antiquarian interests, and was beset with problems from elsewhere. But these would be rulers were not popular generally and not acceptable to the people so that the ‘people of the land', the aristocrats of ancient lineage, the landed gentry and the free men of Judah (who probably hated the idea of Egyptian influence as much as they hated Assyrian influence) slew them in their turn and restored the rule of the house of David.
Analysis.
a 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 (2 Kings 21:19).
b And he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH, as did Manasseh his father, and he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them (2 Kings 21:20).
c And he forsook YHWH, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of YHWH, and the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house (2 Kings 21:22).
d But the people of the land slew all those who had conspired against king Amon (2 Kings 21:24 a).
c And the people of the land made Josiah his son king instead of him (2 Kings 21:24 b).
b Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? (2 Kings 21:25).
a And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned instead of him (2 Kings 21:26).
Note that in ‘a' Amon began to reign and in the parallel he was buried, and his son reigned instead of him. In ‘b' he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH, and in the parallel the remainder of his acts are found in the royal annals of Judah. In ‘c' the bureaucrats put Amon to death, and in the parallel the people of the land ensured that his son reigned instead of him. Centrally in ‘d' the people of the land slew the conspirators against Amon.
‘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.'
There is no specific hint of a co-regency in the case of Amon, but he may well have acted when his father was a hostage, although only under Assyrian supervision, especially as he is said to have come to the throne at twenty two years of age, an age which given Manasseh's long reign would be a little surprising if it referred to his sole reign. He may thus have presided at that age under Assyrian supervision when his father was a hostage, first in Egypt and then in Babylon. His sole reign was for little longer than a year. It has been suggested that the queen mother Meshumelleth was of Arabian descent, but this is not at all certain. The name Haruz is attested in Sinai and Hejaz, but it is also found in Phoenicia. Jotbah (Jotbathah) on the other hand is given as two stages from Ezion-geber in Numbers 33:33. Compare Deuteronomy 10:7. This might be seen as confirming the Arabic connection.
‘And he did what was evil in the sight of YHWH, as did Manasseh his father.'
Amon followed in the evil ways of his father, doing what was ‘evil in the eyes of YHWH' in the same way as his father had done, and reversing Manasseh's later policy. This may partly have been due to Assyrian influence.
‘And he walked in all the way that his father walked in, and served the idols that his father served, and worshipped them,'
He behaved as his father had done in his evil days, and served the same idols as his father had done, and worshipped them. His idolatry was too ingrained to be affected by his father's conversion.
‘And he forsook YHWH, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of YHWH.'
But above all he forsook YHWH, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in His ways. The Law of YHWH was thrust to one side. This was his crowning sin.
‘And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house.'
In the author's view, for he gives no other explanation, it was the forsaking of YHWH that was the real and ultimate cause of his courtiers conspiring against him and putting him to death in his own house. That does not mean that that was the courtiers' motive. We are not told what that was. But it does suggest that the author saw it as YHWH's motive for bringing it about.
Amon's return to full idolatry might be seen as suggesting that he wanted to placate his Assyrian masters, while the conspiring of his courtiers might have been because of Egyptian influence in view of Assyria's growing weakness. That it was not a popular uprising comes out in the sequel. It was a court conspiracy.
‘But the people of the land slew all those who had conspired against king Amon, and the people of the land made Josiah his son king instead of him.'
However, the people of the land were not happy with the situation, and they in their turn slew the conspirators so that they could make Amon's son Josiah king instead of him. They no more wanted Egyptian interference than they wanted Assyrian rule.
‘Now the rest of the acts of Amon which he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?'
As usual we are referred for his further acts to the royal annals of Judah.
‘And he was buried in his sepulchre in the garden of Uzza, and Josiah his son reigned instead of him.'
Like his father Amon was buried in his sepulchre (no doubt already prepared) in the garden of Uzza, and he was succeeded by the young Josiah.