2 Kings 15:7
“So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Azariah died, was buried in the royal necropolis in Jerusalem, and was succeeded by his son Jotham.
Context
'Sleeping with his fathers' is a dignity afforded to legitimate kings; burial in the city of David signified membership in the Davidic line and honored ancestry. Jotham had already been governing, so the transition was seamless.
What Does 2 Kings 15:7 Mean?
The long reign ends in the ancient way. Azariah joins his fathers in death, and they lay him to rest in the city of David, among the tombs of his line. He had ruled fifty-two years, a long life, a long reign. And in that moment, his son Jotham, who had already been judging the people on his behalf, formally takes the throne. There is no crisis, no struggle for succession. The machinery of the kingdom, grounded in the covenant with David, continues its quiet work.
Even a king marked by suffering and judgment receives the honor of his fathers' tomb. This is a quiet affirmation of God's faithfulness to the line of David. The king dies; the son reigns. The city of God endures. We see in these simple words the arc of human mortality and divine constancy.
In the Original Language
shacab (Hebrew, 'to sleep'), a euphemism for death emphasizing rest and the hope of resurrection; used specifically for kings lying down in the grave.
Application
Even for a life marked by great length and partial achievement, death comes. Yet those who walk in faithfulness rest in the confidence that their work is taken up by others and that they are gathered to their people.