2 Chronicles 25 27

2 Chronicles 25:27 kjv

Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there.

2 Chronicles 25:27 nkjv

After the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish; but they sent after him to Lachish and killed him there.

2 Chronicles 25:27 niv

From the time that Amaziah turned away from following the LORD, they conspired against him in Jerusalem and he fled to Lachish, but they sent men after him to Lachish and killed him there.

2 Chronicles 25:27 esv

From the time when he turned away from the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But they sent after him to Lachish and put him to death there.

2 Chronicles 25:27 nlt

After Amaziah turned away from the LORD, there was a conspiracy against his life in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But his enemies sent assassins after him, and they killed him there.

2 Chronicles 25 verses

2 Chronicles 25 27 Meaning

2 Chronicles 25:27 recounts the final, tragic end of King Amaziah's life. It states that after he deliberately abandoned his allegiance to the LORD, a conspiracy formed against him in Jerusalem. In an attempt to escape, he fled to Lachish, a fortified city, but his conspirators pursued him there and ultimately took his life. This verse marks the culminating consequence of his spiritual declension detailed earlier in the chapter.

2 Chronicles 25 27 Context

Chapter 25 of 2 Chronicles details the reign of Amaziah, King of Judah. Initially, he showed obedience to the LORD, evidenced by his careful execution of his father's murderers (v. 3-4) and his reliance on divine instruction regarding hiring mercenaries (v. 7-10). He achieved a significant victory over the Edomites in the Valley of Salt (v. 11-12). However, this success proved to be his spiritual undoing. He then committed the grievous sin of bringing back the Edomite idols and bowing down to them (v. 14). A prophet warned him, but Amaziah dismissed the divine counsel, which ultimately hardened God's resolve to destroy him (v. 15-16). In his pride, he then foolishly challenged King Joash of Israel, leading to a devastating defeat where Jerusalem's wall was breached, and the temple treasury was plundered (v. 17-24). The verse 27 directly follows this string of events, presenting Amaziah's assassination as the ultimate consequence of his apostasy and pride, a divine judgment executed through human agents. The Chronicler frequently emphasizes a direct correlation between the spiritual state of Judah's kings and the well-being of the nation.

2 Chronicles 25 27 Word analysis

• From the time: This temporal phrase pinpoints the precise moment a major turning point in Amaziah's reign occurred. It highlights a critical shift in his spiritual condition.
• Amaziah: (Hebrew: אֲמַצְיָה - 'Amatsyah) The name means "strength of Yah" or "Yah has strengthened." This is deeply ironic given his subsequent spiritual weakness and ultimate failure, underscoring that his strength departed when he abandoned the source of true strength.
• turned away: (Hebrew: סוּר - sur) This verb implies a deliberate and intentional act of departure or withdrawal, rather than an accidental straying. It denotes a fundamental change in direction, a rejection of previous loyalty. In a biblical context, it frequently signifies apostasy or a breaking of covenantal fidelity.
• from following the LORD: (Hebrew: מֵאַחֲרֵי יְהוָה - me'akharey YHWH) Literally, "from after Yahweh." This phrase emphasizes abandoning one's devotion, obedience, and allegiance to the covenant God of Israel. It represents a spiritual turning point from adherence to the Mosaic Law and the worship of YHWH, contrasting sharply with what was expected of a king in Judah. His actions of adopting Edomite gods (v. 14) provide concrete evidence of this turning away.
• they conspired against him: (Hebrew: קָשְׁרוּ עָלָיו - qasheru 'alav) "Conspired" suggests a pre-meditated, organized, and often oath-bound plot. This specific Hebrew term is commonly used in accounts of royal assassinations and coups throughout the Books of Kings and Chronicles. The "they" refers to his own servants or high officials, indicating internal unrest and a profound loss of trust or support within his own administration, possibly seeing his failures as divine disapproval or simply seizing an opportunity due to his weakness and humiliation after the war with Israel.
• in Jerusalem: The capital city, the administrative and spiritual center of Judah, becomes the starting point of the rebellion against its king. This signifies the depth of his downfall—the very place of his authority becomes the incubator of his demise.
• and he fled: (Hebrew: יִבְרַח - yivrach) This signifies a desperate attempt to escape danger, implying a loss of power, security, and control. It paints a picture of a once-powerful king reduced to a fugitive.
• to Lachish: (Hebrew: לָכִישָׁה - Lakisha) An ancient, strategically important, and heavily fortified city in the Shephelah region of Judah, southwest of Jerusalem. It was a royal city and an obvious place to seek refuge due to its defenses and distance from the initial conspiracy. However, even this strong city offered no ultimate safety from divine judgment or the determined pursuit of his enemies. Its prominence in other biblical narratives (e.g., Assyrian siege by Sennacherib in 2 Kings 18-19, Lachish letters) highlights its historical significance.
• but they sent after him: This shows the relentless determination and broad support for the conspiracy. Amaziah's escape did not deter his opponents; they were committed to his elimination.
• to Lachish and killed him there: (Hebrew: וַיְמִתֻהוּ שָׁם - vaymītuhu sham) This brings a definitive end to his life and reign. The act of assassination in his own fortified city signifies the completion of the conspiracy and the finality of the judgment against him.

2 Chronicles 25 27 Bonus section

• The parallel account in 2 Kings 14:19-20 briefly states the same event, reinforcing the fact of the conspiracy and assassination, but the Chronicler adds the crucial phrase "From the time Amaziah turned away from following the LORD" which explicitly connects the king's spiritual state to his political fate, a core theological emphasis of the Book of Chronicles.
• This event serves as a classic illustration of the Deuteronomistic theology woven throughout the historical books of the Bible, where obedience brings blessing and disobedience brings curses, applied here directly to the monarchy.
• The succession of assassinations of kings (Joash, Amaziah, and later in the Northern Kingdom) underscores the volatile political landscape in both Israel and Judah when kings departed from God's ways.

2 Chronicles 25 27 Commentary

2 Chronicles 25:27 provides the climactic consequence of King Amaziah's spiritual and political decline. The verse leaves no ambiguity regarding the cause of his downfall: it stemmed directly "from the time Amaziah turned away from following the LORD." The Chronicler, ever focused on the covenant relationship, portrays the conspiracy and assassination not merely as human political machinations, but as divinely ordained judgment. Amaziah's abandonment of YHWH, epitomized by his embrace of Edomite idols after his victory, removed God's protection, allowing internal dissent to flourish and ultimately seal his fate. His flight to Lachish was an attempt to evade earthly justice, yet the reach of God's hand through his conspirators ensured that the consequence of his apostasy was fulfilled precisely where he sought refuge. This served as a stark warning to future kings and generations of Judah: fidelity to the LORD guaranteed stability and blessing, while disloyalty inevitably led to chaos and ruin, often by the hands of one's own people.