in a body, to avenge the death of their king, who might be beloved on account of his idolatry, so depraved was the nation; or it may be only to avenge his death because he was their king, whose life these men ought not to have taken away: and the rather this may be thought to be the reason by what follows: and the people of the land made Josiah his son king in his stead; who had been prophesied of by name above three hundred years before, see Kg1 13:2 .