Useful Bible Studies > 2 Kings Commentary > chapter 15
Shallum murdered King Zechariah in public. That is extraordinary. Some of Israel’s previous kings had died on previous occasions when people attacked them in private. However, nobody previously had dared to carry out such an act in public – this was probably at a great public event. Shallum did not even try to hide his evil act.
Even more extraordinary is the fact that the people seemed to approve. Nobody arrested Shallum at this time – rather, the people allowed Shallum to establish his own rule as the new king. For the next month, this wicked murderer ruled over Samaria, the capital city of northern and central Israel.
It seems likely that, after just six months’ rule, King Zechariah had become extremely unpopular. His father Jeroboam had been a very successful king, who brought wealth and power to Israel’s people. Probably, Zechariah had not ruled well and the people hated him.
The murder of Zechariah brought a sudden end to the rule of Jehu’s family. That royal family had ruled northern and central Israel for about 100 years. Four kings had come from that family, after Jehu himself. That was what God had promised to Jehu in 2 Kings 10:30. However, neither Jehu nor his family were ever truly loyal to God. They all followed the wrong religion that Israel’s first king Jeroboam had established. God had warned clearly in a message to the prophet (holy man) Hosea that his judgment was against them (Hosea 1:4-5). However, Jehu’s family still did not turn back to God.
Next part: Menahem murders Shallum (2 Kings 15:13-15)
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