The Meaning of 2 Kings 24:4 Explained

2 Kings 24:4

KJV: And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

YLT: and also the innocent blood that he hath shed, and he filleth Jerusalem with innocent blood, and Jehovah was not willing to forgive.

Darby: and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and Jehovah would not pardon.

ASV: and also for the innocent blood that he shed; for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood: and Jehovah would not pardon.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And also for the innocent  blood  that he shed:  for he filled  Jerusalem  with innocent  blood;  which the LORD  would  not pardon. 

What does 2 Kings 24:4 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 24:1-9 - The Price Of Innocent Blood
Note the entail of Manasseh's sin. He had lived, had been forgiven, and had died years before, but Judah was irretrievably implicated in his sins. The poison had eaten into the national heart, and for the innocent blood which had been shed like water there had been no amends. Notice the emphatic statement that Nebuchadnezzar and the other enemies who came against the land were deliberately carrying out the divine chastenings. They were, as Isaiah puts it, the rod of God's anger and the staff of His indignation, Isaiah 10:5. How often does God still use evil men as His instruments to chasten us! The best way of escaping them is to commit ourselves to God.
Jehoiakim was blatant in his blasphemy, Jeremiah 36:23. He was a very contemptible prince, and was carried in chains to Babylon, Daniel 1:1-4. Apparently he was temporarily restored to his throne, but in the end he perished ignominiously, Jeremiah 36:30.
What sorrows befell the Holy City! Though God would have gathered her under the wings of his protecting care, she would not, and therefore the times of the Gentiles began, which would now seem to be hastening to their end, Luke 21:24. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 24

1  Jehoiakim, first subdued by Nebuchadnezzar, then rebelling against him,
2  procures his own ruin
5  Jehoiachin succeeds him
7  The king of Egypt is vanquished by the king of Babylon
8  Jehoiachin's evil reign
10  Jerusalem is taken and carried captive into Babylon
17  Zedekiah is made king, and reigns ill, unto the utter destruction of Judah

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 24:4 mean?

and because of blood the innocent that he had shed for he had filled - Jerusalem with blood innocent and not which would Yahweh pardon
וְגַ֤ם דַּֽם־ הַנָּקִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁפָ֔ךְ וַיְמַלֵּ֥א אֶת־ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם דָּ֣ם נָקִ֑י וְלֹֽא־ אָבָ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה לִסְלֹֽחַ

וְגַ֤ם  and  because 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
דַּֽם־  of  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
הַנָּקִי֙  the  innocent 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: נָקִי 
Sense: clean, free from, exempt, clear, innocent.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁפָ֔ךְ  he  had  shed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שֶׂפֶק 
Sense: to pour, pour out, spill.
וַיְמַלֵּ֥א  for  he  had  filled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
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.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם  Jerusalem 
Parse: 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.
דָּ֣ם  with  blood 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּם  
Sense: blood.
נָקִ֑י  innocent 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: נָקִי 
Sense: clean, free from, exempt, clear, innocent.
וְלֹֽא־  and  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אָבָ֥ה  which  would 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָבָה  
Sense: to be willing, consent.
יְהוָ֖ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לִסְלֹֽחַ  pardon 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: סָלַח  
Sense: to forgive, pardon.