דברי הימים ב, פרק כ״א, פסוק י״ט

The final days of the king are defined by a relentless and agonizing decline, ending in both physical ruin and public disgrace. His severe illness dragged on for a prolonged period, though its exact progression is understood in different ways. The sickness may have lasted an entire year without a single moment of relief [מצודת דוד], progressively worsened from one year to the next [ביאור שטיינזלץ], or simply spilled over into a second year [רלב״ג]. Ultimately, the fatal climax of the disease arrived after exactly two years [רד״ק]. This precise timing was not random; it was the exact fulfillment of a deadline a prophet had previously foretold [רש״י].

At its peak, the disease became unimaginably severe, possibly taking the form of a cancer [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The intense pain and physical toll reached a gruesome point where his bowels completely ruptured and spilled out [מצודת דוד], leading directly to his death.

Following his passing, the nation actively refused to observe the standard royal mourning customs. Traditionally, an honorary ceremony was held in which the deceased king's bed and personal belongings were burned [מצודת דוד]. The people chose not to light this fire, deliberately withholding any honor from him [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This public denial of respect aligned perfectly with the will of God. Due to the nature of his disease, the king's body emitted a terrible odor, making a fire a practical necessity just to mask the smell. Yet, because God did not desire for the king to receive any glory, the ceremony was entirely withheld, and the disgraced ruler was even denied burial in the tombs of the kings [רש״י].