King Amon was the king of Judah from 642 to 640 BC. He was the son and successor of King Manasseh. Amon’s reign is described in 2 Kings 21:19-26 and 2 Chronicles 33:21-25.
Amon was 22 years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem for only 2 years. The Bible says Amon “did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done” (2 Kings 21:20). He followed the same idolatrous practices as his father, worshipping false gods and erecting altars to them. However, unlike his father, Amon did not repent and turn to the Lord later in life.
After just 2 years as king, Amon was assassinated by his own officials in a conspiracy. The Bible says Amon’s servants conspired against him and killed him in his palace (2 Kings 21:23). His son Josiah then became king at the age of 8.
There are a few key things the Bible reveals about King Amon:
- He was an evil king who did not follow God
- He reigned in Judah for only 2 years
- He was assassinated by his own officials at age 24
- His reign was wicked like his father Manasseh’s, but without the eventual repentance
- His son Josiah became king at age 8 after his death
Although Amon’s reign was brief, it was significant in several ways. His assassination put an abrupt end to Manasseh’s long but repentant reign. It also cut short Amon’s wicked leadership over Judah. Josiah’s subsequent reign was righteous, but the damage from Manasseh and Amon’s idolatry was irreversible. Within a few decades, Judah would be conquered and taken into captivity by Babylon.
Amon’s Family Background
Amon was part of an unrighteous royal family in Judah. He was the son of King Manasseh, one of the most wicked kings in Judah’s history. Manasseh reigned for 55 years and led the nation into terrible idolatrous practices. He sacrificed his sons, practiced sorcery and divination, and erected pagan altars even in the temple of God (2 Kings 21:6, 2 Chronicles 33:6).
Later in life though, Manasseh humbled himself and repented after being taken captive to Babylon (2 Chronicles 33:11-13). But his long reign of wickedness had set Judah on a course towards destruction. The damage was irreversible.
Amon’s mother was Meshullemeth, the daughter of Haruz from Jotbah (2 Kings 21:19). There are no other biblical details about his family background.
Despite his unrighteous heritage, Amon had the opportunity to turn Judah back to God. But he continued the idolatry his father started, failing to heed the lessons from Manasseh’s life. Amon did evil in God’s sight without ever repenting.
Amon’s Reign in Judah
Amon began to reign at age 22 after his father Manasseh’s death. His reign is described in 2 Kings 21:19-26 and 2 Chronicles 33:21-25. The summary of his reign includes:
- He reigned for 2 years in Jerusalem
- He did evil as his father Manasseh had done
- He worshipped and served idols and false gods
- He forsook God and did not walk in God’s ways
- He was assassinated by his own officials at age 24
- He was buried in the garden of Uzza with his father
- The people of the land killed his assassins and made his son Josiah king
Sadly, there are no positive reports about Amon’s reign. He continued in the sins of his father without repenting. The chronicler emphasizes Amon did not humble himself as Manasseh did (2 Chronicles 33:23). His short reign seemed poised to plunge Judah further into idolatry and unrighteousness.
Politically, Amon lacked the strength to hold his government together. Being assassinated by his own officials after only 2 years showed the weakness of his leadership. Thankfully, his premature death thwarted his wicked plans.
Amon’s reign reveals what happens when a leader fails to heed history and repent. Despite experiencing his father’s repentance, Amon clung to sin. As a result, he destroyed himself and plunged his kingdom towards ruin.
Amon’s Death and Burial
After reigning just 2 years, Amon was assassinated in a conspiracy at age 24. Here are the biblical details about his death:
- Amon’s own officials conspired against him and assassinated him in his palace (2 Kings 21:23)
- The conspiracy may have been motivated by anger against Amon’s idolatry
- His assassination abruptly halted his wicked reign over Judah
- The officials who assassinated Amon were later executed by the people of the land (2 Kings 21:24)
- Amon was buried in the garden of Uzza with his father Manasseh (2 Kings 21:26)
The Bible does not record exactly how the officials killed Amon. But the conspiracy and assassination ended his short but ungodly rule. His own officials were so outraged by Amon’s leadership that they were driven to murder him in his own palace.
Amon’s burial beside his father Manasseh in the garden of Uzza closed out his legacy. While Manasseh was the most wicked king in Judah’s history, he had eventually humbled himself and sought the Lord late in life. Amon had no such redemption. His name was only remembered for wickedness.
Amon’s Significance and Legacy
Although Amon only ruled Judah for 2 years, his reign had lasting significance:
- Dashed hopes from Manasseh’s repentance – Manasseh’s idolatry was reversed during his reign when he humbled himself before God. But immediately after, Amon restored the same idolatry without repentance.
- Plunged Judah further into sin – Amon continued leading Judah away from God into idolatrous practices. The chronicler emphasizes Amon did not humble himself as his father had (2 Chronicles 33:23).
- Showed weakness of leadership – Being assassinated just 2 years into his reign exposed the weakness of Amon as a leader. He could not control his own officials or rule effectively.
- Halted by premature death – Amon’s assassination prevented him from further plunging Judah into sin. His early death afforded some mercy despite his wickedness.
- Allowed righteous reign of Josiah – Josiah’s 31-year reign of righteousness was made possible by God cutting short Amon’s unrighteous rule.
Perhaps the most significant aspect of Amon’s legacy was how brief it was. His wicked reign was limited to just 2 years before being assassinated. This permitted his righteous son Josiah to begin ruling Judah at a young age. Josiah went on to become one of Judah’s greatest reforming kings.
If Amon had not been assassinated so soon, he likely would have led Judah into even greater idolatry and unrighteousness. But God in His mercy limited Amon’s reign and raised up Josiah to lead Judah back to Himself, at least temporarily.
Lessons from Amon’s Life
Although brief, King Amon’s life provides some important lessons:
- Failing to learn from history’s mistakes: Amon failed to heed the lessons from his father Manasseh’s mistakes and repentance. He followed the same sins Manasseh committed in idolatry and occult practices.
- Hardness of heart: Unlike Manasseh, Amon stubbornly refused to humble himself before God. He seemed to harden his heart despite experiencing his father’s repentance.
- Reaping unrighteousness: Amon reaped what he sowed in unrighteousness. His idolatry and lack of godly leadership led directly to his assassination and being cut off after just 2 years of ruling.
- Intervention of mercy: God in His mercy cut short Amon’s wicked reign, which permitted the righteous reign of Josiah to follow. God intervened to protect Judah from further harm.
- Legacy matters: Amon only ruled briefly, but his legacy continued to damage Judah for years to come. The effects of unrighteous kings can last for generations.
The reign of King Amon warns against the seductive draw of sin, the fruits of unrighteous leadership, and the consequences of hardening one’s heart against God. Yet in His mercy, God intervened to halt Amon’s wicked rule and set Judah back on a better path under Josiah.
Josiah’s Righteous Reign After Amon
One of Amon’s few positive legacies was his son Josiah succeeding him as king at a young age. Josiah went on to become one of Judah’s greatest reforming kings.
Josiah began to reign at age 8 after Amon’s assassination (2 Kings 22:1). He reigned for 31 years and “did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.” (2 Kings 22:2) Josiah cleansed Judah of idolatry, repaired the temple, and led the people back to worshiping God.
During renovations of the temple, the Book of the Law was discovered (2 Kings 22:8). When Josiah read God’s word, he humbled himself and repented before God (2 Kings 22:11-13). Josiah then led Judah to renew their covenant with God, destroying all traces of idolatry in the land (2 Kings 23). He led one of the greatest revivals in Judah’s history.
If Amon had not been assassinated so young, Josiah likely would never have become king. Judah’s revival under Josiah was only possible because of God’s intervention to cut short Amon’s wicked rule. Josiah was one of the few bright spots amidst a dark time in Judah’s history.
Verses Describe Amon’s Reign
Here are key Bible verses that describe the reign of King Amon of Judah:
Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Meshullemeth the daughter of Haruz of Jotbah. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done. He walked in all the way in which his father walked and served the idols that his father served and worshiped them. He abandoned the Lord, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the Lord.” (2 Kings 21:19-22)
“And the servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his house. But the people of the land struck down all those who had conspired against King Amon. And the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his place.” (2 Kings 21:23-24)
“Amon was twenty-two years old when he began to reign, and he reigned two years in Jerusalem. And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done. Amon sacrificed to all the images that Manasseh his father had made, and served them. And he did not humble himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had humbled himself, but this Amon incurred guilt more and more.” (2 Chronicles 33:21-23)
Amon’s Importance Despite His Wicked Reign
Although King Amon of Judah was an evil ruler who reigned just 2 years, his life still holds important lessons. A few reasons Amon remains significant include:
- His wickedness highlights the failure to repent, in contrast to his father Manasseh
- His assassination reminds how unrighteous leadership is unstable and impermanent
- His early death shows God’s mercy in intervening to limit evil rulers
- His son Josiah’s revival illustrates the goodness God can bring from evil rulers
- He serves as a warning about hardening one’s heart against God and reaping unrighteousness
The Bible preserves the record of Amon’s reign despite its brevity and wickedness. By learning from Amon’s mistakes, we can avoid repeating the same sins and failure to repent. And we can praise God for His mercy in restraining evil through assassination and positioning Josiah to lead Judah’s revival.
Though easy to overlook compared to righteous kings like Josiah, Amon’s short reign in Judah offers enduring warnings and lessons for those who study God’s Word.
Summary of King Amon’s Reign
In summary, here are the key facts about King Amon’s reign:
- Son of the wicked King Manasseh of Judah
- Became king at age 22
- Reigned for 2 years in Jerusalem, 640-642 BC
- Continued the idolatry and occult practices of his father Manasseh
- Refused to humble himself and repent as his father did
- Assassinated by his own officials at age 24
- Assassins were executed by the people
- Succeeded by his son Josiah at age 8
- Buried in the garden of Uzza with his father
- Legacy of wickedness without repenting, in contrast to Manasseh’s late repentance
King Amon failed to turn Judah back to righteousness, continuing the sins of Manasseh. His arrogant unrepentance led to assassination just 2 years into his reign. Yet in God’s mercy, Amon’s premature death allowed the godly Josiah to bring revival to Judah.
