and by order of the king
King Joash, who had been saved and raised by Jehoiada, turns against Jehoiada's son, Zechariah. This betrayal underscores the king's departure from the covenant faithfulness he once upheld. The king's order to kill Zechariah signifies the misuse of royal authority to suppress divine truth, a pattern seen in other biblical accounts such as King Ahab's treatment of Elijah (1 Kings 19:2).

they stoned him
Stoning was a method of execution prescribed in the Mosaic Law for certain offenses (Leviticus 20:2, Deuteronomy 17:5). It was a communal act, symbolizing the collective judgment of the community. In this context, it represents the people's complicity in rejecting God's prophet. The act of stoning Zechariah is a grave sin, as it violates the sanctity of God's messengers and the justice system intended to uphold righteousness.

in the courtyard of the house of the LORD
The location of Zechariah's execution is significant. The courtyard of the temple was a place of worship and sacrifice, symbolizing God's presence among His people. Executing a prophet in this sacred space is a profound desecration, highlighting the extent of Judah's apostasy. This act foreshadows the later rejection and crucifixion of Jesus Christ, who also faced opposition from religious leaders and was condemned unjustly (John 19:6, Matthew 27:22-23). The temple setting underscores the irony of rejecting God's word in the very place meant to honor Him.

• The leaders and people deliberately plotted together—this was no impulsive act.

• Their conspiracy followed Zechariah’s Spirit-empowered rebuke: “Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commands of the LORD...? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has also forsaken you’ ” (2 Chronicles 24:20).

• Scripture often records similar hostilities toward faithful messengers (2 Chronicles 36:15-16; Nehemiah 9:26; Acts 7:52).

• Jesus later places Zechariah at the head of a long line of martyred prophets (Matthew 23:35), showing the ongoing pattern of human resistance to God’s truth.

• King Joash personally authorized the execution, proving how far his heart had drifted after Jehoiada’s death (2 Chronicles 24:17-18, 22).

• In doing so, Joash repaid the godly priest’s family—who had once saved his own life—with bloodshed (2 Chronicles 24:15-16).

• The king’s command illustrates that earthly authority, when misused, can stand in direct opposition to God’s authority (Acts 5:29).

• Joash’s decision foreshadows other rulers who would sanction the killing of the righteous, culminating in Pilate’s consent to crucify Christ (Mark 15:15).

• Stoning was the typical penalty for blasphemy or serious covenant violation (Leviticus 24:16; Deuteronomy 17:5-7), yet here it is wrongly applied to God’s own prophet.

• Execution inside the temple courts defiled the sacred precincts, vividly displaying Judah’s spiritual corruption (2 Kings 21:16).

• Luke notes Zechariah was killed “between the altar and the sanctuary” (Luke 11:51), underscoring the atrocity of shedding innocent blood at the very place designated for atonement.

• The act fulfills the tragic principle that rejecting God’s Word leads to escalating violence (Psalm 106:37-38; James 4:1-2).

• The temple symbolized God’s dwelling among His people (2 Chronicles 7:1-3). Killing a prophet there was direct rebellion against the One who had chosen that house for His Name (1 Kings 9:3).

• The location highlights Israel’s breaking of the covenant that had made them a “kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6).

• Jeremiah later warns that trusting in the mere presence of the temple while disregarding God’s commands is futile (Jeremiah 7:4-14).

• The violation of sacred space anticipates the need for a new, undefiled temple—fulfilled in Christ’s body and ultimately in the church (John 2:19-21; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17).

2 Chronicles 24:21 records a shocking reversal: the people of Judah, led by King Joash, plot against and stone Zechariah—God’s faithful prophet—right in the temple courtyard. Their conspiracy, the king’s command, the brutal method, and the sacred location together reveal a wholesale rejection of God’s Word and presence. The incident warns that forgetting the Lord leads to persecuting His messengers and invites divine judgment, while pointing forward to the ultimate Prophet, Jesus, whose own innocent blood would be shed to bring true cleansing and restore worship in Spirit and truth.

And stoned him.--The legal penalty of idolatry (Leviticus 20:2; Deuteronomy 17:2-5).

At the commandment of the king.--Probably Zechariah's words had been represented to Joash as treasonable. The Syrian invasion may have been already threatening, when his prophecy was uttered; and in that case it would be easy to allege against the prophet that his "wish was father to his thought." (Comp. the similar case of Jeremiah, Jeremiah 32:1-5; and 1Kings 21:8-13.) . . .