The Meaning of 2 Kings 15:5 Explained

2 Kings 15:5

KJV: And the LORD smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land.

YLT: And Jehovah smiteth the king, and he is a leper unto the day of his death, and he dwelleth in a separate house, and Jotham son of the king is over the house, judging the people of the land.

Darby: And Jehovah smote the king, so that he was a leper to the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land.

ASV: And Jehovah smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a separate house. And Jotham the king's son was over the household, judging the people of the land.

What is the context of 2 Kings 15:5?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  smote  the king,  so that he was a leper  unto the day  of his death,  and dwelt  in a several  house.  And Jotham  the king's  son  [was] over the house,  judging  the people  of the land. 

What does 2 Kings 15:5 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 15:1-12 - "a Leper Until The Day Of His Death"
The reign of Azariah, or Uzziah, in Judah was very splendid. Fifty-two years of almost unbroken prosperity! The story is told in the glowing periods of 2 Chronicles 26:1-23. Here, too, we learn that his sun suffered an eclipse because he persisted in the sacrilegious endeavor to combine the office of king and priest-the exclusive prerogative of Messiah. See Zechariah 6:13. As a leper he was excluded from all contact with his fellows, and dwelled in a separate house, while his son Jotham acted as his viceroy.
For more than thirty years preceding its dissolution, the Northern Kingdom was terribly distracted. Anarchy, idolatry, high-handed crime, and immorality of a flagrant description swept like a hurricane over all classes. Rent by these evils, and with no strong men like Hezekiah and Isaiah then in Judah to place their hands on the helm, the kingdom drifted to destruction. The sacred books give but brief and disjointed accounts of the last times of the kingdom of Israel, because God has no pleasure in the process of decay. He has no pleasure in the death of individuals or in the nation that dieth, but rather that "they should turn unto Him and live." [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 15

1  Azariah's good reign
5  He dying a leper, is succeeded by Jotham
8  Zachariah the last of Jehu's generation, reigning ill, is slain by Shallum
13  Shallum, reigning a month, is slain by Nenahem
16  Menahem strengthens himself by Pul
21  Pekahiah succeeds him
23  Pekahiah is slain by Pekah
27  Pekah is oppressed by Tiglath-pileser, and slain by Hoshea
32  Jotham's good reign
36  Ahaz succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 15:5 mean?

And struck Yahweh - the king so that he was a leper until the day of his death so he dwelt in an house Isolated and Jotham [was] son of the king over the [royal] house judging the people of the land
וַיְנַגַּ֨ע יְהוָ֜ה אֶת־ הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ וַיְהִ֤י מְצֹרָע֙ עַד־ י֣וֹם מֹת֔וֹ וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב בְּבֵ֣ית הַחָפְשִׁ֑ית וְיוֹתָ֤ם בֶּן־ הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ עַל־ הַבַּ֔יִת שֹׁפֵ֖ט עַ֥ם הָאָֽרֶץ

וַיְנַגַּ֨ע  And  struck 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַע  
Sense: to touch, reach, strike.
יְהוָ֜ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
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.
הַמֶּ֗לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
וַיְהִ֤י  so  that  he  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
מְצֹרָע֙  a  leper 
Parse: Verb, Pual, Participle, masculine singular
Root: צָרַע  
Sense: to be diseased of skin, be leprous.
עַד־  until 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
י֣וֹם  the  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
מֹת֔וֹ  of  his  death 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מָוֶת  
Sense: death, dying, Death (personified), realm of the dead.
וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב  so  he  dwelt 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
בְּבֵ֣ית  in  an  house 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַחָפְשִׁ֑ית  Isolated 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: חָפְשׁוּת 
Sense: separateness, freedom.
וְיוֹתָ֤ם  and  Jotham  [was] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄותָם  
Sense: son of king Uzziah of Judah by Jerushah; king of Judah for 6 years and contemporary with Isaiah and king Pekah of Israel.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙  of  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
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.
הַבַּ֔יִת  the  [royal]  house 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
שֹׁפֵ֖ט  judging 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
עַ֥ם  the  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
הָאָֽרֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.