The Meaning of 2 Kings 21:13 Explained

2 Kings 21:13

KJV: And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab: and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it, and turning it upside down.

YLT: And I have stretched out over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and wiped Jerusalem as one wipeth the dish -- he hath wiped, and hath turned it on its face.

Darby: And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipeth a pan, wiping it and turning it upside down.

ASV: And I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipeth a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And I will stretch  over Jerusalem  the line  of Samaria,  and the plummet  of the house  of Ahab:  and I will wipe  Jerusalem  as [a man] wipeth  a dish,  wiping  [it], and turning  [it] upside down. 

What does 2 Kings 21:13 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, 1 Kings 16:32, 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 2 Chronicles 33:1-25. 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 21:13 mean?

And I will stretch over Jerusalem - the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab and I will wipe - Jerusalem as [one] wipes a dish wiping [it] and turning [it] upside down
וְנָטִ֣יתִי עַל־ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם אֵ֚ת קָ֣ו שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן וְאֶת־ מִשְׁקֹ֖לֶת בֵּ֣ית אַחְאָ֑ב וּמָחִ֨יתִי אֶת־ יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־ יִמְחֶ֤ה הַצַּלַּ֙חַת֙ מָחָ֔ה וְהָפַ֖ךְ פָּנֶֽיהָ

וְנָטִ֣יתִי  And  I  will  stretch 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
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.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֗ם  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.
אֵ֚ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
קָ֣ו  the  measuring  line 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָו 
Sense: cord, line, measuring-line.
שֹֽׁמְר֔וֹן  of  Samaria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שֹׁמְרֹון  
Sense: the region of northern Palestine associated with the northern kingdom of the 0 tribes of Israel which split from the kingdom after the death of Solomon during the reign of his son Rehoboam and were ruled by Jeroboam.
מִשְׁקֹ֖לֶת  the  plummet 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מִשְׁקֶלֶת  
Sense: level, levelling tool or instrument, plummet.
בֵּ֣ית  of  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
אַחְאָ֑ב  of  Ahab 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַחְאָב 
Sense: king of Israel, son of Omri, husband of Jezebel.
וּמָחִ֨יתִי  and  I  will  wipe 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, first person common singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
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.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם  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.
יִמְחֶ֤ה  [one]  wipes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
הַצַּלַּ֙חַת֙  a  dish 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: צַלַּחַת 
Sense: dish, bowl.
מָחָ֔ה  wiping  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָחָא 
Sense: to wipe, wipe out.
וְהָפַ֖ךְ  and  turning  [it] 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: הָפַךְ  
Sense: to turn, overthrow, overturn.
פָּנֶֽיהָ  upside  down 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person feminine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.