2 Chronicles 24:23

23 When autumn came that year, the Syrian army attacked Judah and Jerusalem, killed all the leaders, and took large amounts of loot back to Damascus.

2 Chronicles 24:23 Meaning and Commentary

2 Chronicles 24:23

And it came to pass at the end of the year
After the death of Zechariah; so soon had his prophecy its accomplishment:

that the host of Syria came up against him;
against Joash, king of Judah, under Hazael king of Syria, or however sent by him; for some think this is a different expedition from that in ( 2 Kings 12:17 ) though others take it to be the same:

and they came to Judah and Jerusalem;
not only came into the land of Judah, but as far as Jerusalem, the forces of Joash not being able to stop them:

and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people;
the idolatrous princes of Judah, ( 2 Chronicles 24:17 ) , which is very remarkable that they should be distinguished from the people in their destruction, who had been the chief cause of the wrath of God coming upon them:

and sent all the spoil of them unto the king of Damascus;
all the riches that were taken from them were sent to the king of Syria at Damascus; this looks as if Hazael was not with this army.

2 Chronicles 24:23 In-Context

21 King Joash joined in a conspiracy against Zechariah, and on the king's orders the people stoned Zechariah in the Temple courtyard.

22 The king forgot about the loyal service that Zechariah's father Jehoiada had given him, and he had Zechariah killed. As Zechariah was dying, he called out, "May the Lord see what you are doing and punish you!"

23 When autumn came that year, the Syrian army attacked Judah and Jerusalem, killed all the leaders, and took large amounts of loot back to Damascus.

24 The Syrian army was small, but the Lord let them defeat a much larger Judean army because the people had abandoned him, the Lord God of their ancestors. In this way King Joash was punished.

25 He was severely wounded, and when the enemy withdrew, two of his officials plotted against him and killed him in his bed to avenge the murder of the son of Jehoiada the priest. He was buried in David's City, but not in the royal tombs