The Meaning of 2 Kings 17:4 Explained

2 Kings 17:4

KJV: And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

YLT: And the king of Asshur findeth in Hoshea a conspiracy, in that he hath sent messengers unto So king of Egypt, and hath not caused a present to go up to the king of Asshur, as year by year, and the king of Asshur restraineth him, and bindeth him in a house of restraint.

Darby: But the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and sent up no present to the king of Assyria as he had done from year to year. And the king of Assyria shut him up and bound him in prison.

ASV: And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea; for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and offered no tribute to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the king  of Assyria  found  conspiracy  in Hoshea:  for he had sent  messengers  to So  king  of Egypt,  and brought  no present  to the king  of Assyria,  as [he had done] year  by year:  therefore the king  of Assyria  shut him up,  and bound  him in prison. 

What does 2 Kings 17:4 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 17:1-12 - The Cause Of Israel's Weakness
This chapter reads like a page from the books of the great white throne. Hoshea, the last king of Israel, did not follow in all the evil deeds of his eighteen predecessors, but the degeneracy of the nation was too far advanced for anything to arrest its collapse. The dry-rot had eaten its way through the specious covering. Worldly policy was the immediate cause of the nation's downfall. Had they obeyed God simply and absolutely, they could have trusted Him to maintain their independence. But they chose to enter into alliances, now with Syria, and then with Egypt, and so became entangled in the wars of their allies. See Hosea 7:11; Hosea 9:3; Hosea 9:6; Hosea 12:1, etc.
Let us read carefully the bill of divorce which the Heavenly Husband gave to the recreant people whom he put away. It is a pathetic document from 2 Kings 17:7 onward; but none can say that Jehovah had not good and sufficient cause for acting as he did. The wonder is that He bore so long with the apostate race. Read Hosea 1:1-11; Hosea 2:1-23; Hosea 3:1-5 to learn how the divine heart was rent when the hour of separation came: but let us not forget the assurances of Romans 11:1-36, that the true Israel shall ultimately be saved. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 17

1  Hoshea the Last King of Israel
3  Being subdued by Shalmaneser, he conspires against him with So, king of Egypt
5  Samaria for sinning is led into captivity
24  The strange nations transplanted into Samaria make a mixture of religions

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 17:4 mean?

And uncovered the king of Assyria by Hoshea a conspiracy for he had sent messengers to so king of Egypt and no brought tribute to the king of Assyria as [he had done] year by year therefore shut him up the king of Assyria and bound him in prison in prison
וַיִּמְצָא֩ מֶֽלֶךְ־ אַשּׁ֨וּר בְּהוֹשֵׁ֜עַ קֶ֗שֶׁר אֲשֶׁ֨ר שָׁלַ֤ח מַלְאָכִים֙ אֶל־ ס֣וֹא מֶֽלֶךְ־ מִצְרַ֔יִם וְלֹא־ הֶעֱלָ֥ה מִנְחָ֛ה לְמֶ֥לֶךְ אַשּׁ֖וּר כְּשָׁנָ֣ה בְשָׁנָ֑ה וַֽיַּעַצְרֵ֙הוּ֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אַשּׁ֔וּר וַיַּאַסְרֵ֖הוּ בֵּ֥ית כֶּֽלֶא

וַיִּמְצָא֩  And  uncovered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָצָא  
Sense: to find, attain to.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁ֨וּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
בְּהוֹשֵׁ֜עַ  by  Hoshea 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: הֹושֵׁעַ  
Sense: family name of Joshua, the son of Nun.
קֶ֗שֶׁר  a  conspiracy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: קֶשֶׁר  
Sense: conspiracy, treason, (unlawful) alliance.
שָׁלַ֤ח  he  had  sent 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
מַלְאָכִים֙  messengers 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: מַלְאָךְ  
Sense: messenger, representative.
ס֣וֹא  so 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: סׄוא  
Sense: a king of Egypt (perhaps only the vizier of the king).
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִצְרַ֔יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
וְלֹא־  and  no 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
הֶעֱלָ֥ה  brought 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
מִנְחָ֛ה  tribute 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִנְחָה  
Sense: gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering.
לְמֶ֥לֶךְ  to  the  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אַשּׁ֖וּר  of  Assyria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַשּׁוּר  
Sense: the second son of Shem, eponymous ancestor of the Assyrians.
כְּשָׁנָ֣ה  as  [he  had  done]  year 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
בְשָׁנָ֑ה  by  year 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular
Root: שָׁנָה  
Sense: year.
וַֽיַּעַצְרֵ֙הוּ֙  therefore  shut  him  up 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: עָצַר  
Sense: to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular 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.
וַיַּאַסְרֵ֖הוּ  and  bound  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: אָסַר  
Sense: to tie, bind, imprison.
בֵּ֥ית  in  prison 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
כֶּֽלֶא  in  prison 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּלֶא  
Sense: imprisonment, confinement, restraint.