And Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him, and smote him before the people, and slew him, and reigned in his stead.
Shallum the son of Jabesh conspired against him - one of his generals.
And smote him before the people. He must have been aware of a deep and widespread disaffection before he ventured to perform the daring part of a regicide. In the fate of Zachariah was fulfilled the prophecy addressed to Jehu (2 Kings 10:30; also Hosea 1:4), that his family would possess the throne of Israel for four generations; and accordingly Jehoahaz, Joash, Jehoram, and Zachariah were his successors-but there his dynasty terminated; and perhaps it was the public knowledge of this prediction that prompted the murderous design of Shallum (Hosea 1:4; Amos 7:9).