The Meaning of 2 Kings 12:18 Explained

2 Kings 12:18

KJV: And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.

YLT: and Jehoash king of Judah taketh all the sanctified things that Jehoshaphat, and Jehoram, and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had sanctified, and his own sanctified things, and all the gold that is found in the treasures of the house of Jehovah and of the house of the king, and sendeth to Hazael king of Aram, and he goeth up from off Jerusalem.

Darby: And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold found in the treasures of the house of Jehovah and in the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria; and he went away from Jerusalem.

ASV: And Jehoash king of Judah took all the hallowed things that Jehoshaphat and Jehoram and Ahaziah, his fathers, kings of Judah, had dedicated, and his own hallowed things, and all the gold that was found in the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and of the king's house, and sent it to Hazael king of Syria: and he went away from Jerusalem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jehoash  king  of Judah  took  all the hallowed things  that Jehoshaphat,  and Jehoram,  and Ahaziah,  his fathers,  kings  of Judah,  had dedicated,  and his own hallowed things,  and all the gold  [that was] found  in the treasures  of the house  of the LORD,  and in the king's  house,  and sent  [it] to Hazael  king  of Syria:  and he went away  from Jerusalem. 

What does 2 Kings 12:18 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 12:17-21 - Inglorious Ends
As long as we are with the Lord, He is with us. Then our enemies are His enemies, and He shows Himself strong on the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. See 2 Chronicles 15:2. So Joash found it in the earlier part of his reign. We need to ponder the blessings set out in Psalms 81:14-16, as guaranteed to the life which is at one with God. But directly Joash listened to the princes and forsook the house of God and gave license to the Asherim and idols, God was turned against the people and became their enemy. See 2 Chronicles 24:23-25. The reign that commenced in sunshine was sadly overcast, and the king perished by the hands of conspirators and never came to the sepulcher of the kings.
Then disaster after disaster befell the nation. They had to learn that they had been chosen for a special service in the world and could not be as others. Yet amid these dark days, what gleams of light there were! The Lord hearkened, 2 Kings 13:4; He gave Israel a savior, 2 Kings 13:5; He was gracious and had compassion and would not cast them from His presence, 2 Kings 13:23. Even when the Lord chastens us sore, He does not give us over unto death, Psalms 118:18. There is a "needs-be," but there is also a "thus-far-and-no-farther." [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 12

1  Jehoash reigns well all the days of Jehoiada
4  He gives order for the repair of the temple
17  Hazael is diverted from Jerusalem by a present of the hallowed treasures
19  Jehoash being slain, Amaziah succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 12:18 mean?

And took Jehoash king of Judah - all the sacred things that had dedicated Jehoshaphat and Joram and Ahaziah his fathers kings of Judah and his own sacred things and the gold found in the treasuries of the house of Yahweh and in house of the king and sent [them] to Hazael king of Syria And he went away from Jerusalem
וַיִּקַּ֞ח יְהוֹאָ֣שׁ מֶֽלֶךְ־ יְהוּדָ֗ה אֵ֣ת כָּל־ הַקֳּדָשִׁ֡ים אֲשֶׁר־ הִקְדִּ֣ישׁוּ יְהוֹשָׁפָ֣ט וִיהוֹרָם֩ וַאֲחַזְיָ֨הוּ אֲבֹתָ֜יו מַלְכֵ֤י יְהוּדָה֙ וְאֶת־ קֳדָשָׁ֔יו וְאֵ֣ת הַזָּהָ֗ב הַנִּמְצָ֛א בְּאֹצְר֥וֹת בֵּית־ יְהוָ֖ה וּבֵ֣ית הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח לַֽחֲזָאֵל֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם וַיַּ֖עַל מֵעַ֥ל יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם

וַיִּקַּ֞ח  And  took 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָקַח 
Sense: to take, get, fetch, lay hold of, seize, receive, acquire, buy, bring, marry, take a wife, snatch, take away.
יְהוֹאָ֣שׁ  Jehoash 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹואָשׁ  
Sense: son of king Ahaziah and the 8th king of Judah.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָ֗ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
אֵ֣ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַקֳּדָשִׁ֡ים  the  sacred  things 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
הִקְדִּ֣ישׁוּ  had  dedicated 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: קָדַשׁ  
Sense: to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate.
יְהוֹשָׁפָ֣ט  Jehoshaphat 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושָׁפָט 
Sense: son of king Asa and himself king of Judah for 25 years; one of the best, most pious, and prosperous kings of Judah.
וִיהוֹרָם֩  and  Joram 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹורָם 
Sense: son of king Jehoshaphat of Judah and himself king of Judah for 8 years; his wife was the wicked Athaliah who was probably the instigator for his returning the nation of Judah to the worship of Baal.
וַאֲחַזְיָ֨הוּ  and  Ahaziah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחַזְיָה 
Sense: ruler of Israel, son of Ahab.
אֲבֹתָ֜יו  his  fathers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
מַלְכֵ֤י  kings 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָה֙  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
קֳדָשָׁ֔יו  his  own  sacred  things 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
הַזָּהָ֗ב  the  gold 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: זָהָב  
Sense: gold.
הַנִּמְצָ֛א  found 
Parse: Article, Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
בְּאֹצְר֥וֹת  in  the  treasuries 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֹוצָר  
Sense: treasure, storehouse.
בֵּית־  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָ֖ה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
וּבֵ֣ית  and  in  house 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח  and  sent  [them] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
לַֽחֲזָאֵל֙  to  Hazael 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: חֲזָאֵל 
Sense: a king of Syria; sent by his master, Ben-hadad, to the prophet Elisha, to seek a remedy for Ben-hadad’s leprosy; apparently later killed Ben-hadad, assumed the throne, and soon became engaged in a war with the kings of Judah and Israel for the possession of the city of Ramoth-gilead.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲרָ֔ם  of  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
וַיַּ֖עַל  And  he  went  away 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם  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.