But the people of the land slew all them that had conspired against king Amon; and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead.
slew
Genesis 9:5,6 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man…
Numbers 35:31,33 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death…
the people
2 Chronicles 26:1 Then all the people of Judah took Uzziah, who was sixteen years old, and made him king in the room of his father Amaziah.
2 Chronicles 36:1 Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem.
Josiah
2 Chronicles 34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.
killed all those who had conspired against King Amon
King Amon was assassinated by his own servants, as detailed in 2 Chronicles 33:24. The killing of the conspirators by the people suggests a rejection of the coup and a desire to restore order and legitimacy. This act of retribution aligns with the principle of justice found in Genesis 9:6, where the shedding of blood requires accountability. It also reflects the cultural and legal norms of the time, where blood vengeance was a common practice.
and they made his son Josiah king in his place
Josiah, Amon's son, was made king by the people, indicating their support for the Davidic line and legitimate succession. Josiah's reign is significant in biblical history, as he became one of Judah's most righteous kings, initiating major religious reforms and restoring the worship of Yahweh (2 Kings 22-23). His ascension fulfills the promise of a Davidic ruler, as seen in 2 Samuel 7:16, and foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ, the eternal King from David's line. Josiah's reign also connects to prophecies such as those in Jeremiah 31:31-34, which speak of a renewed covenant and spiritual revival.
– The phrase points to the ordinary citizens of Judah—farmers, craftsmen, merchants—who were not part of the royal court. In Scripture this term often highlights a grassroots response, as in 2 Kings 21:24, where the same event is recorded.
– Their unified action shows that moral conviction was still alive among common folk even after two generations of idolatrous kings (Manasseh and Amon).
– God’s law placed responsibility for justice on the whole community (Deuteronomy 19:12; Leviticus 24:14). The people step into that role here, demonstrating that righteousness is not confined to kings and priests.
– Amon’s own servants had assassinated him (2 Kings 21:23). Murdering a God-ordained ruler was a capital offense (Exodus 22:28; Genesis 9:6).
– By eliminating “all those who had conspired,” the populace removes treason from the land, echoing Proverbs 24:21-22, which warns against joining rebels.
– Their swift justice also protects the Davidic line from further coups. God had promised a continual dynasty to David (2 Samuel 7:12-16); the people’s action keeps that covenantal line intact.
– Romans 13:4 later affirms the legitimacy of punishing evil; the principle is already in motion here.
– Josiah, though only eight years old (2 Chronicles 34:1), is installed immediately, preventing a power vacuum.
– This choice honors primogeniture and covenant, contrasting with earlier periods when rival claimants seized the throne (2 Kings 11:1-3).
– God had foretold Josiah by name three hundred years earlier in 1 Kings 13:2. By enthroning him, the people unknowingly align with prophecy and God’s redemptive timetable.
– Josiah will later lead one of Judah’s greatest revivals (2 Kings 23:25), proving that their decision paved the way for national renewal.
2 Chronicles 33:25 records a grassroots uprising that:
• Affirms communal responsibility for justice.
• Removes treason and safeguards the Davidic covenant.
• Sets the stage for God’s foretold, reforming king, Josiah.
The verse underscores how God can work through ordinary people to preserve His promises and advance His redemptive plan.
(25) Slew.--Smote. The verse is identical with 2Kings 21:24, save that it has "smote" plural instead of singular, which latter is more correct. It may be that the facts thus briefly recorded represent a fierce conflict between the party of religious reform and that of religious reaction, in which the latter was for the time worsted and reduced to a state of suspended activity.The chronicler has omitted the remarks usual at the end of a reign. See 2Kings 21:25-26 for a reference to sources, and Anion's burial place ("the garden of Uzza").
Verse 25. - The people of the land. The emphatic expression here used (as also in the parallel), with its repetition in same verse malting it more so, may either betray the unfortunate sympathy that the worse element of the nation felt with the bad king and his evil ways, or it may mean that the healthier element of the people insisted on the right respect being observed to the proper succession. The conduct of Josiah from very tender years, which could not have been entirely his own, but must be credited in part to those who taught and influenced him, throws the balance of probability, perhaps, into this latter and more charitable view. The parallel contains two closing verses (25, 26) additional to what we have, giving the authority as the "book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah," and stating that Amen also "was buried in his sepulchre, in the garden of Uzza."