The Meaning of 2 Kings 21:12 Explained

2 Kings 21:12

KJV: Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

YLT: therefore thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Lo, I am bringing in evil on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever heareth of it, tingle do his two ears.

Darby: therefore thus saith Jehovah the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

ASV: therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Therefore thus saith  the LORD  God  of Israel,  Behold, I [am] bringing  [such] evil  upon Jerusalem  and Judah,  that whosoever heareth  of it, both  his ears  shall tingle. 

What does 2 Kings 21:12 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 21:1-15 - An Evil Leader's Terrible Influence
It seems incredible that the good Hezekiah should have had such a son; but the young prince was evidently under the power of that reactionary party which, during Hezekiah's reign, had been kept in check only by the strong influence of Isaiah. Hence, on becoming king, Manasseh reintroduced the worst forms of idolatry which had disgraced the nations of Canaan and were rife in neighboring countries. It was the height of presumptuous impiety to place an Asherah, such as Ahab made, 2 Chronicles 33:1-258 in the very precincts of the Temple, and to patronize the Chaldean astrologers who poured into the country from Babylon. See Ezekiel 8:1-18.
Vigorous protests were raised against these shameful abominations by Hosea, Joel, Nahum, Habakkuk, and Isaiah; but in vain. Nothing could stay the mad fanaticism of the people for licentious rites, and their doom became inevitable. The gentle voice of love was of none avail, and the brazen clangor of Babylonian captivity must speak in tones that could not be silenced. For Manasseh's end consult 1713608013_43. Surely none need despair, since he found mercy. But alas! nothing can restore the years that the locust hath eaten. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 21

1  Manasseh's reign
3  His great idolatry
10  His wickedness causes prophecies against Judah
17  Amon succeeds him
19  Amon's wicked reign
23  He being slain by his servants, and those murderers slain by the people,
26  Josiah is made king

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 21:12 mean?

therefore thus says Yahweh God of Israel behold [I] am bringing [such] calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah that whoever - hears of it will tingle the two of his ears
לָכֵ֗ן כֹּֽה־ אָמַ֤ר יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל הִנְנִי֙ מֵבִ֣יא רָעָ֔ה עַל־ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם וִֽיהוּדָ֑ה אֲשֶׁר֙ כָּל־ [שמעיו] (שֹׁ֣מְעָ֔הּ) תִּצַּ֖לְנָה שְׁתֵּ֥י אָזְנָֽיו

כֹּֽה־  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
אָמַ֤ר  says 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
הִנְנִי֙  behold  [I] 
Parse: Interjection, first person common singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
מֵבִ֣יא  am  bringing 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
רָעָ֔ה  [such]  calamity 
Parse: Adjective, feminine singular
Root: רַע 
Sense: bad, evil.
עַל־  upon 
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.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם  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.
וִֽיהוּדָ֑ה  and  Judah 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
אֲשֶׁר֙  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
כָּל־  whoever 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
[שמעיו]  - 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
(שֹׁ֣מְעָ֔הּ)  hears  of  it 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
תִּצַּ֖לְנָה  will  tingle 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person feminine plural
Root: צָלַל  
Sense: to tingle, quiver.
שְׁתֵּ֥י  the  two 
Parse: Number, fdc
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.
אָזְנָֽיו  of  his  ears 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.