2 Kings 12:21
“For Jozacar the son of Shimeath, and Jehozabad the son of Shomer, his servants, struck him, and he died; and they buried him with his fathers in David’s city; and Amaziah his son reigned in his place.”
What does 2 Kings 12:21 mean?
King Joash, who had started so well under the priest Jehoiada's guidance, eventually turned away from God's path—and this verse tells the tragic end of his story. Two of his own servants, apparently acting out of anger or conspiracy, assassinated him, and he was denied the honor of being buried in the royal tombs, receiving instead a simpler burial with his ancestors in Jerusalem. His son Amaziah took the throne after him, but the rebellion and violence that ended Joash's life showed how far the kingdom had drifted from faithful leadership. It's a sobering reminder that even a king who once did what was right can end badly when he stops following God and loses the people's respect.