The Meaning of 2 Kings 11:18 Explained

2 Kings 11:18

KJV: And all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of the LORD.

YLT: And all the people of the land go in to the house of Baal, and break it down, its altars and its images they have thoroughly broken, and Mattan priest of Baal they have slain before the altars; and the priest setteth inspectors over the house of Jehovah,

Darby: Then all the people of the land went into the house of Baal, and broke it down: his altars and his images they broke in pieces completely, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of Jehovah.

ASV: And all the people of the land went to the house of Baal, and brake it down; his altars and his images brake they in pieces thoroughly, and slew Mattan the priest of Baal before the altars. And the priest appointed officers over the house of Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And all the people  of the land  went  into the house  of Baal,  and brake it down;  his altars  and his images  brake they in pieces  thoroughly,  and slew  Mattan  the priest  of Baal  before  the altars.  And the priest  appointed  officers  {08676;06486> over the house  of the LORD. 

What does 2 Kings 11:18 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 11:13-20 - Covenanting To Be The Lord's People
The death of Athaliah led the way to a thorough change throughout the kingdom. There was a double covenant, first, between the Lord on the one hand and the king and the people on the other, and second, between the king and the people; then the demolition of the Baal-house, which had sadly profaned the Holy City; and finally regulations for the proper performance of diving worship. These led the way to the public enthronement of the boy-king. The joy and quiet which ensued always follow the casting out of evil. Adjust a nation or an individual to the claims of God, and at once peace and joy succeed. The Lord Jesus, who is now hidden, shall one day be manifested, as we have seen. Those that hate Him shall be put to shame. Then shall come salvation and the kingdom of God. Every evil that exalts itself against Him shall be cast out, and the nations shall rejoice and be quiet because they have discovered their rightful ruler. Notice the alliance between the young king and the aged priest. It was necessary, under the old Covenant, that the functions of king and priest should be fulfilled by different individuals. The civil and religious elements demanded separate expression, but in Jesus they perfectly blend. He is "a priest upon His throne," Zechariah 6:13. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 11

1  Jehoash, being saved by Jehosheba his aunt from Athaliah's massacre,
3  is hidden six years in the house of God
13  Jehoiada, giving order to the captains, in the seventh year anoints him king
17  Jehoiada restores the worship of God

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 11:18 mean?

And went all the people of the land to the temple of Baal and tore it down - - its altars and images they broke in pieces thoroughly and Mattan the priest of Baal killed before the altars And appointed the priest officers over the house of Yahweh
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ כָל־ עַם֩ הָאָ֨רֶץ בֵּית־ הַבַּ֜עַל וַֽיִּתְּצֻ֗הוּ אֶת־ [מזבחתו] (מִזְבְּחֹתָ֤יו) וְאֶת־ צְלָמָיו֙ שִׁבְּר֣וּ הֵיטֵ֔ב וְאֵ֗ת מַתָּן֙ כֹּהֵ֣ן הַבַּ֔עַל הָרְג֖וּ לִפְנֵ֣י הַֽמִּזְבְּח֑וֹת וַיָּ֧שֶׂם הַכֹּהֵ֛ן פְּקֻדּ֖וֹת עַל־ בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה

וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ  And  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עַם֩  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָ֨רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
בֵּית־  to  the  temple 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַבַּ֜עַל  of  Baal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
וַֽיִּתְּצֻ֗הוּ  and  tore  it  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: נָתַץ  
Sense: to pull down, break down, cast down, throw down, beat down, destroy, overthrow, break out (teeth).
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.
[מזבחתו]  - 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
(מִזְבְּחֹתָ֤יו)  its  altars 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
צְלָמָיו֙  images 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צֶלֶם 
Sense: image.
שִׁבְּר֣וּ  they  broke  in  pieces 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
הֵיטֵ֔ב  thoroughly 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive absolute
Root: יָטַב  
Sense: to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad.
מַתָּן֙  Mattan 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מַתָּן  
Sense: a priest of Baal in Jerusalem in the time of Athaliah.
כֹּהֵ֣ן  the  priest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
הַבַּ֔עַל  of  Baal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
הָרְג֖וּ  killed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: הָרַג  
Sense: to kill, slay, murder, destroy, murderer, slayer, out of hand.
לִפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
הַֽמִּזְבְּח֑וֹת  the  altars 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
וַיָּ֧שֶׂם  And  appointed 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
הַכֹּהֵ֛ן  the  priest 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
פְּקֻדּ֖וֹת  officers 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: פְּקֻדָּה  
Sense: oversight, care, custody, mustering, visitation, store.
עַל־  over 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
בֵּ֥ית  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.