KJV ORIGINAL
And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Shallum, the son of Jabesh, plotted against him and struck him down in front of the people, killing him, and then became king in his place.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse describes how Shallum assassinated the previous king in a public coup and took over the throne.
📚 Historical Context
This verse describes the assassination of King Zechariah of Israel, who had only reigned for six months around 752 BC. This was during a period of extreme political instability in the northern kingdom of Israel, where multiple kings were violently overthrown in rapid succession. The public nature of this assassination shows how chaotic and lawless the kingdom had become.
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