The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 32:4 Explained

2 Chronicles 32:4

KJV: So there was gathered much people together, who stopped all the fountains, and the brook that ran through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?

YLT: and much people are gathered, and they stop all the fountains and the brook that is rushing into the midst of the land, saying, 'Why do the kings of Asshur come, and have found much water?'

Darby: And there was gathered together much people, and they stopped all the fountains, and the torrent that flows through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come and find much water?

ASV: So there was gathered much people together, and they stopped all the fountains, and the brook that flowed through the midst of the land, saying, Why should the kings of Assyria come, and find much water?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So there was gathered  much  people  together,  who stopped  all the fountains,  and the brook  that ran  through the midst  of the land,  saying,  Why should the kings  of Assyria  come,  and find  much  water? 

What does 2 Chronicles 32:4 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Chronicles 32:1-15 - Prepared To Meet The Foe
We might have supposed that Hezekiah's faithfulness in cleansing the Temple and restoring the worship of Jehovah would have secured for him and his people complete immunity from invasion. Surely for such a loyal servant, God would graciously interpose and defend from Sennacherib's encampment on the sacred soil of the south country. We are taught the lesson that faith is not rewarded by the unbroken summer of prosperity, but tried, tested, and matured by the stormy blasts of attack and peril. The great Husbandman mined Hezekiah that he might bring forth more fruit.
These careful preparations made by the king and his people for cutting off the water-supply and equipping the soldiers and fortifications against attack, were perfectly consistent with a true faith. Hezekiah's ultimate confidence was not in these things, but in that Greater One who was undoubtedly with them, 2 Chronicles 32:7. There was considerable subtlety in Sennacherib's messages, but he did not understand how much that one altar meant, and how different Jehovah was from the idols of the nations, 2 Chronicles 32:12; 2 Chronicles 15:1-19. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 32

1  Sennacherib invading Judah, Hezekiah fortifies himself, and encourages his people
9  Hezekiah and Isaiah pray against the blasphemies of Sennarchib
21  An angel destroys the host of the Assyrians
24  Hezekiah praying in his sickness, God gives him a sign of recovery
25  His proud heart is humbled by God
27  His wealth and works
31  His error in the ambassage of Babylon
32  He dying, Manasseh succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 32:4 mean?

Thus gathered together people many and who stopped - all the springs and the brook that ran through the land saying why should come the kings of Assyria and find water much
וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ עַם־ רָ֔ב וַֽיִּסְתְּמוּ֙ אֶת־ כָּל־ הַמַּעְיָנ֔וֹת וְאֶת־ הַנַּ֛חַל הַשּׁוֹטֵ֥ף בְּתוֹךְ־ הָאָ֖רֶץ לֵאמֹ֑ר לָ֤מָּה יָב֙וֹאוּ֙ מַלְכֵ֣י אַשּׁ֔וּר וּמָצְא֖וּ מַ֥יִם ؟ רַבִּֽים

וַיִּקָּבְצ֣וּ  Thus  gathered  together 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
עַם־  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
רָ֔ב  many 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
וַֽיִּסְתְּמוּ֙  and  who  stopped 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָתַם 
Sense: to stop up, shut up, keep close.
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.
הַמַּעְיָנ֔וֹת  the  springs 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַעְיָן  
Sense: spring.
הַנַּ֛חַל  the  brook 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
הַשּׁוֹטֵ֥ף  that  ran 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁטַף  
Sense: to wash, rinse, overflow, engulf, rinse or wash off.
בְּתוֹךְ־  through 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הָאָ֖רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
לָ֤מָּה  why 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: לָמָּה 
Sense: what, how, of what kind.
יָב֙וֹאוּ֙  should  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
מַלְכֵ֣י  the  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁ֔וּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
וּמָצְא֖וּ  and  find 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
מַ֥יִם  water 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַיִם  
Sense: water, waters.
؟ רַבִּֽים  much 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.