Topical Bible: Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Amon

◄ Kings: Who Reigned Over Judah: Amon ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Amon, the son of Manasseh and the grandson of Hezekiah, was the fifteenth king of the Kingdom of Judah. His reign is recorded in the biblical books of 2 Kings 21:19-26 and 2 Chronicles 33:21-25. Amon ascended to the throne at the age of 22 and reigned for a brief period of two years, from approximately 642 to 640 BC.

Background and Reign

Amon was born into the royal lineage of David, inheriting the throne from his father, Manasseh, who had a notably long reign of 55 years. Manasseh's reign was marked by significant idolatry and apostasy, although he repented later in life. Amon, however, did not follow in his father's footsteps of repentance. Instead, he continued and even intensified the idolatrous practices that had characterized the earlier part of Manasseh's reign.

The biblical account in 2 Kings 21:20-22 states: "And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, as his father Manasseh had done. He walked in all the ways of his father, and he served the idols that his father had served and worshiped them. He abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD."

Amon's reign was marked by a continuation of the pagan practices that had been introduced by his father. He reinstated the worship of idols and the high places, which were centers of idolatrous worship, and he neglected the worship of Yahweh, the God of Israel. This apostasy led to moral and spiritual decline in the kingdom.

Assassination and Legacy

Amon's reign came to an abrupt end when he was assassinated by his own officials in his palace. The reasons for the conspiracy against him are not detailed in the biblical text, but it is clear that his rule was unpopular among certain factions within the kingdom. Following his assassination, the people of the land executed the conspirators and placed Amon's son, Josiah, on the throne.

2 Chronicles 33:24-25 records: "Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed him in his palace. But the people of the land struck down all who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place."

Amon's brief and tumultuous reign is often overshadowed by the significant reforms of his son, Josiah, who became one of Judah's most righteous kings. Josiah's reign marked a return to the worship of Yahweh and a significant religious reformation, contrasting sharply with the idolatry of his father and grandfather.

Theological Implications

Amon's reign serves as a cautionary tale about the consequences of abandoning the covenant with God. His failure to heed the lessons of his father's repentance and his persistence in idolatry led to his downfall. The narrative of Amon underscores the biblical theme of divine retribution and the importance of faithfulness to God's commandments. His account is a reminder of the impact of leadership on the spiritual direction of a nation and the enduring mercy of God, who raised up Josiah to restore the kingdom to righteousness.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Kings 21:19-26
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.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

2 Chronicles 33:21-25
Amon was two and twenty years old when he began to reign, and reigned two years in Jerusalem.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Antiquities of the Jews
... Became More Wicked Than All The Kings That Had ... How Jotham, The Son Of Uzziah Reigned
Over The Tribe Of ... CHAPTER 3. How Manasseh Reigned After Hezekiah; And How ...
//christianbookshelf.org/josephus/the antiquities of the jews/

Palestine under Pagan Kings.
... crumbled buildings, and strewn all over with pieces ... The Assyrian kings of western
Asia, also invaded ... Sennacherib, the monarch who reigned seven hundred years ...
/.../headley/half hours in bible lands volume 2/palestine under pagan kings.htm

Concerning Jehoshaphat the King of Jerusalem and How Ahab Made an ...
... by his grandfather Abijah, when Jeroboam reigned over the ten ... hundred thousand of
the tribe of Judah, of whom ... from Jerusalem to Samaria, the two kings went out ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 15 concerning jehoshaphat the.htm

Questions.
... 14. Who reigned over the rest of Israel? 15. ... 29. Who reigned after Hezekiah? 30. ... 7.
What prophecy did Josiah exactly fulfil?"1 Kings, xiii.2.31, 32,. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/yonge/the chosen people/questions.htm

Appendices
... and not rather one of the unknown kings of the ... Assyrians 732 Hezekiah 727 Invasion
of Judah by Sennacherib ... 2. My father reigned over Moab thirty years, and I ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/appendices.htm

Egypt
... followed by six dynasties of kings, who reigned in all ... But the kings who belonged
to it, Shabaka and ... strength, and was claiming the empire over western Asia ...
/.../sayce/early israel and the surrounding nations/chapter v egypt.htm

Sargon of Assyria (722-705 BC )
... his undertaking by all the petty kings and great ... to call either Moab, Edom, or Judah
to account ... his brother, Khallushu, after having reigned over Elam eighteen ...
/.../chapter iiisargon of assyria 722-705.htm

Sennacherib (705-681 BC )
... of which Marduk-zakir-shumu perished, after having reigned for only ... 2 Kings 20:12 ...
Tyre still maintained her supremacy over Southern Phoenicia, and her rulers ...
/.../chapter isennacherib 705-681 b c.htm

Refutation of the Jews
... (36) Then, again, what king that ever was reigned and took ... error of idols to nothing
and won over everybody to ... ceased at the same time, because kings were to ...
/.../athanasius/on the incarnation of the word/chapter 6 refutation of the.htm

How the Bishop is to Treat the Innocent, the Guilty, and the ...
... it is written thus in the fourth book of Kings and the ... old when he began to reign,
and he reigned fifty and ... he was bound and shackled with iron all over in the ...
/.../various/constitutions of the holy apostles/sec iii how the bishop is.htm