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His servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and struck Joash at the house of Millo, on the way that goes down to Silla.
2 Kings 12:20 · World English Bible
Parallel translations
  • KJV And his servants arose, and made a conspiracy, and slew Joash in the house of Millo, which goeth down to Silla.
  • BSB And the servants of Joash rose up and formed a conspiracy and killed him at Beth-millo, on the road down to Silla.
  • NKJV And his servants arose and formed a conspiracy, and killed Joash in the house of the Millo, which goes down to Silla.
  • NASB And his servants rose up and formed a conspiracy; and they struck and killed Joash at the house of Millo as he was going down to Silla.
  • NLT Joash’s officers plotted against him and assassinated him at Beth-millo on the road to Silla.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Joash's own servants conspire and assassinate him at the house of Millo. The king who began well meets a violent end.

Overview

A palace conspiracy strikes down Joash, a grim conclusion to a reign that had turned from its early faithfulness. Chronicles links his death to his later apostasy and the murder of Jehoiada's son. His tragic end warns that abandoning the Lord brings consequences, underscoring the need for a King who remains faithful to the end.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 7

  • 2 Chr 24:24–27For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men; and Yahweh delivered a very great army into their hand, because they had forsaken Yahweh, the God of their fathers. So they executed judgment on Joash.
  • 2 Kgs 14:5As soon as the kingdom was established in his hand, he killed his servants who had slain the king his father,
  • 2 Sam 5:9David lived in the stronghold, and called it David’s city. David built around from Millo and inward.
  • Judg 9:6All the men of Shechem assembled themselves together, and all the house of Millo, and went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar that was in Shechem.
  • 1 Kgs 11:27This was the reason why he lifted up his hand against the king: Solomon built Millo, and repaired the breach of his father David’s city.
  • 2 Chr 25:27Now from the time that Amaziah turned away from following Yahweh, they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem. He fled to Lachish, but they sent after him to Lachish, and killed him there.
  • 2 Chr 33:24His servants conspired against him, and put him to death in his own house.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (8)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 2 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 2 Kings 12:20YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 2 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.

How 2 Kings 12:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.