Who was Jehozabad in the Bible?

Jehozabad, son of Shomer, was a servant of King Joash of Judah who conspired with others to assassinate the king. This act of treason is recorded as a consequence of Joash's unfaithfulness and the murder of the prophet Zechariah (2 Chronicles 24:25-26).

Why did Jehozabad kill King Joash?

Jehozabad and his co-conspirators killed King Joash to avenge the death of Zechariah, a prophet whom Joash had ordered stoned. The assassination was a divine judgment for Joash's abandonment of God after the death of Jehoiada the priest (2 Chronicles 24:17-25).

What is the significance of Jehozabad's story?

Jehozabad's story serves as a sobering lesson on the consequences of leadership turning away from God. It highlights that even a king who starts well, like Joash, faces judgment for covenant unfaithfulness, often through the actions of those closest to him.

Jehozabad

Old TestamentDivided MonarchyMaleKingSon

Jehozabad, the son of Shomer, was one of the servants who conspired against and killed King Joash of Judah.

Jehozabad

Biography

Jehozabad son of Shomer (or Shimrith in 2 Chronicles 24:26) was a royal servant of King Joash of Judah who, along with Jozacar son of Shimeath, conspired to assassinate the king. The murder took place at Beth-millo, as recorded in 2 Kings 12:21. The assassination is widely understood as retribution for Joash's order to stone the prophet Zechariah son of Jehoiada, the very high priest's son who had pronounced judgment on Joash for abandoning the LORD. Jehozabad was himself subsequently executed by Joash's son Amaziah, who nevertheless spared the conspirators' children in accordance with Mosaic law (2 Kings 14:5–6). His Moabite descent (his mother was Shimrith the Moabitess) is noted in Chronicles.

Significance

Jehozabad's act, however treacherous, was set within a narrative of divine retribution for the silencing of a prophet. The broader account in 2 Chronicles 24 frames Joash's murder as the consequence of his rejection of Zechariah's prophetic warning: 'Because you have forsaken the LORD, he has forsaken you' (2 Chronicles 24:20). Jehozabad thus functions in the narrative as an unwitting instrument of judgment, illustrating the scriptural principle that those who persecute God's messengers will not escape accountability. His foreign parentage may subtly highlight the irony of a foreign servant executing divine justice on a king of David's line who had forgotten his covenant obligations.

Authority Records

Wikidata

FatherShomer

Verse Appearances (2)

2Kgs

2Kgs 12:21

2Chr

2Chr 24:26

References

Orr, J. (ed.) (1915) The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia. Chicago: Howard-Severance Company. [Public Domain]
Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Individualised Proper Names with all References (TIPNR). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
Wikidata contributors (n.d.) Wikidata. Available at: https://www.wikidata.org. [CC0]
Church of England (1769) The Holy Bible, Authorized (King James) Version. [Public Domain]

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