The Meaning of 2 Kings 21:7 Explained

2 Kings 21:7

KJV: And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:

YLT: And he setteth the graven image of the shrine that he made in the house of which Jehovah said unto David and unto Solomon his son, 'In this house, and in Jerusalem, that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I put My name -- to the age;

Darby: And he set the graven image of the Asherah that he had made, in the house of which Jehovah had said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever;

ASV: And he set the graven image of Asherah, that he had made, in the house of which Jehovah said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And he set  a graven image  of the grove  that he had made  in the house,  of which the LORD  said  to David,  and to Solomon  his son,  In this house,  and in Jerusalem,  which I have chosen  out of all tribes  of Israel,  will I put  my name  for ever: 

What does 2 Kings 21:7 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 21:1-15 - An Evil Leader's Terrible Influence
It seems incredible that the good Hezekiah should have had such a son; but the young prince was evidently under the power of that reactionary party which, during Hezekiah's reign, had been kept in check only by the strong influence of Isaiah. Hence, on becoming king, Manasseh reintroduced the worst forms of idolatry which had disgraced the nations of Canaan and were rife in neighboring countries. It was the height of presumptuous impiety to place an Asherah, such as Ahab made, 1 Kings 16:32, in the very precincts of the Temple, and to patronize the Chaldean astrologers who poured into the country from Babylon. See Ezekiel 8:1-18.
Vigorous protests were raised against these shameful abominations by Hosea, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Isaiah; but in vain. Nothing could stay the mad fanaticism of the people for licentious rites, and their doom became inevitable. The gentle voice of love was of none avail, and the brazen clangor of Babylonian captivity must speak in tones that could not be silenced. For Manasseh's end consult 2 Chronicles 33:1-25. Surely none need despair, since he found mercy. But alas! nothing can restore the years that the locust hath eaten. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 21

1  Manasseh's reign
3  His great idolatry
10  His wickedness causes prophecies against Judah
17  Amon succeeds him
19  Amon's wicked reign
23  He being slain by his servants, and those murderers slain by the people,
26  Josiah is made king

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 21:7 mean?

And he even set - a carved image of Asherah that He had made in the house of which had said Yahweh to David and to Solomon his son in house this and in Jerusalem which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel I will put My name forever
וַיָּ֕שֶׂם אֶת־ פֶּ֥סֶל הָאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֑ה בַּבַּ֗יִת אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־ דָּוִד֙ וְאֶל־ שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה בְנ֔וֹ בַּבַּ֨יִת הַזֶּ֜ה וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֗ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֙רְתִּי֙ מִכֹּל֙ שִׁבְטֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אָשִׂ֥ים שְׁמִ֖י לְעוֹלָֽם

וַיָּ֕שֶׂם  And  he  even  set 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
פֶּ֥סֶל  a  carved  image 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
הָאֲשֵׁרָ֖ה  of  Asherah 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲשֵׁרָה  
Sense: a Babylonian (Astarte)-Canaanite goddess (of fortune and happiness), the supposed consort of Baal, her images.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
עָשָׂ֑ה  He  had  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
בַּבַּ֗יִת  in  the  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  of  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
אָמַ֤ר  had  said 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
דָּוִד֙  David 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּוִד  
Sense: youngest son of Jesse and second king of Israel.
וְאֶל־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
שְׁלֹמֹ֣ה  Solomon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁלֹמֹה  
Sense: son of David by Bathsheba and 3rd king of Israel; author of Proverbs and Song of Songs.
בְנ֔וֹ  his  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
בַּבַּ֨יִת  in  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַזֶּ֜ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וּבִירוּשָׁלִַ֗ם  and  in  Jerusalem 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
בָּחַ֙רְתִּי֙  I  have  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
מִכֹּל֙  out  of  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
שִׁבְטֵ֣י  the  tribes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
אָשִׂ֥ים  I  will  put 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, first person common singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
שְׁמִ֖י  My  name 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, first person common singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.
לְעוֹלָֽם  forever 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עֹולָם  
Sense: long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world.