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27. After the time. Or, “from the time.” The LXX and the Old Latin versions support the reading, “in the time.” No precise time can be fixed by the Hebrew preposition min, here translated “after,” since it may denote any time after the beginning of the apostasy (see Gen. 4:3; Hosea 6:2; Judges 11:4; Isa. 24:22). Some assume that Amaziah turned away from the Lord (2 Chron 25:14-16) upon the occasion of his worship of the gods captured in the Edomite campaign; that it was at that time he sent his rash challenge to Joash and engaged in the foolhardy war that brought a disastrous defeat to his nation and resulted in his own capture (vs. 17-23); that it was at that time that there was formed against him the conspiracy which placed his 16-year-old son, Uzziah, upon the throne. Hence the brief record would appear to mean that his death followed almost immediately upon the beginning of the conspiracy; yet the time statement in v. 25 and the opening clause of v. 27 have led some to believe that his flight to Lachish, where he was slain, did not take place till 15 years after the death of Joash, hence even more than 15 years after the conspiracy began. However, that the conspiracy began this early cannot be definitely established from available information.