2 Chronicles 28:8 kjv
And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand, women, sons, and daughters, and took also away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
2 Chronicles 28:8 nkjv
And the children of Israel carried away captive of their brethren two hundred thousand women, sons, and daughters; and they also took away much spoil from them, and brought the spoil to Samaria.
2 Chronicles 28:8 niv
The men of Israel took captive from their fellow Israelites who were from Judah two hundred thousand wives, sons and daughters. They also took a great deal of plunder, which they carried back to Samaria.
2 Chronicles 28:8 esv
The men of Israel took captive 200,000 of their relatives, women, sons, and daughters. They also took much spoil from them and brought the spoil to Samaria.
2 Chronicles 28:8 nlt
The armies of Israel captured 200,000 women and children from Judah and seized tremendous amounts of plunder, which they took back to Samaria.
2 Chronicles 28 8 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 25:39-40 | "If one of your brethren becomes poor...you shall not make him serve as a slave." | Law against enslaving fellow Israelites. |
| Deut 15:12 | "If your brother, a Hebrew man...is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you shall let him go free..." | Limitation on servitude for fellow Hebrews. |
| Jer 34:13-16 | Jeremiah rebukes Zedekiah for re-enslaving freed Hebrew servants, violating the covenant. | Consequences of violating law on Hebrew servitude. |
| 2 Chron 28:5 | "Therefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria...and into the hand of the king of Israel, who inflicted a great slaughter on him." | God's judgment on Judah led to this defeat. |
| 2 Chron 28:9 | "But a prophet of the LORD was there, whose name was Oded; and he went out to meet the army that came to Samaria and said to them: 'Indeed, because the LORD God of your fathers was wroth with Judah...'" | Prophet Oded rebukes Israel for overstepping. |
| 2 Chron 28:13-15 | The chiefs of Ephraim prevent the captives from entering Samaria, care for them, and return them. | Israelite leaders' righteous response to God's word. |
| Isa 10:5-7 | "Woe to Assyria, the rod of My anger...But he does not mean so, Nor does his heart think so; But it is in his heart to destroy..." | God uses nations as a rod of discipline, yet judges their sinful intent. |
| Ezek 25:12-14 | God's judgment against Edom for taking revenge on Judah. | Retribution for unjust actions against God's people. |
| Amos 1:9-10 | "Thus says the LORD: 'For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four, I will not revoke the punishment, because they delivered up whole captives to Edom And did not remember the covenant of brotherhood.'" | Punishment for breaking brotherly covenants/inhumane acts. |
| Psa 133:1 | "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" | Ideal state of unity contrasting Israel/Judah conflict. |
| 1 Kgs 12:16-20 | Account of the division of the kingdom, leading to continuous conflict between Israel and Judah. | Historical context of northern-southern kingdom division. |
| Deut 20:10-14 | Instructions for dealing with enemies outside Israel, including taking spoil and captives (not for fellow Israelites). | Law for war against foreign nations (not kinsmen). |
| 1 Kgs 14:15-16 | God threatens to scatter Israel "beyond the River" because they provoked Him to anger. | Prophecy of Northern Kingdom's future captivity. |
| Hos 10:6 | "The calves of Beth-Aven will also be carried to Assyria as tribute to King Jareb..." | Northern Kingdom's own future fate of being plundered/captured. |
| Neh 5:1-9 | Nehemiah confronts wealthy Jews who were enslaving poorer Jews, demanding their release and return of land. | Condemnation of fellow countrymen's oppression. |
| Matt 18:32-35 | Parable of the unforgiving servant, emphasizing forgiveness and mercy towards fellow believers/debtors. | Call for compassion and not taking harsh action against brethren. |
| Gal 6:10 | "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith." | Imperative to prioritize good treatment for fellow believers. |
| 1 Cor 6:6-8 | Paul condemns believers suing other believers, stressing that injustice against fellow Christians is a shame. | Inappropriateness of harming/exploiting spiritual brethren. |
| James 2:13 | "For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment." | The principle of showing mercy. |
| Zech 14:1-2 | Prophecy of Jerusalem being plundered and women raped in a future battle, depicting extreme warfare. | Desolation and inhumane acts typical of ancient warfare. |
| Psa 68:18 | "You have ascended on high, You have led captivity captive; You have received gifts among men, Even from the rebellious, That the LORD God might dwell there." | Leading captives: can also refer to divine triumph. |
| Isa 61:1 | "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me...To proclaim liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to those who are bound." | God's desire for liberation, contrasting with this captivity. |
2 Chronicles 28 verses
2 Chronicles 28 8 Meaning
This verse details the immediate consequences of King Ahaz's widespread apostasy and idolatry in Judah, as God allowed Pekah, the king of Israel (the Northern Kingdom), to severely defeat Judah. Specifically, the Northern Kingdom's army took an enormous number of Judahite people, including women, sons, and daughters—numbering two hundred thousand—as captives. Additionally, they seized much valuable plunder and brought all these spoils back to Samaria, their capital city. The significance of calling the Judahites "their brethren" highlights the deep violation of the Mosaic Law forbidding Israelites from enslaving fellow Israelites, marking this act by Israel as exceeding divine allowance and betraying familial bonds within God's chosen people.
2 Chronicles 28 8 Context
2 Chronicles chapter 28 recounts the disastrous reign of King Ahaz of Judah. He reigned for sixteen years, doing what was evil in the sight of the LORD, surpassing even the abominations of the surrounding pagan nations. Ahaz practiced idolatry, made molten images for Baal, offered sacrifices in pagan shrines, burned his children as sacrifices to Molech in the Valley of Hinnom, and ultimately shut up the doors of the LORD's temple in Jerusalem. Because of Ahaz's profound unfaithfulness and rebellion, God allowed Judah to be weakened and suffer greatly. The surrounding nations, including the Syrians and the Northern Kingdom of Israel (led by King Pekah), were used by God to bring judgment upon Judah. Verse 8 describes a particularly devastating attack by Israel, where Judah was thoroughly defeated, leading to the capture of a vast population and significant plunder. This event precedes Ahaz's desperate plea to Assyria for help, which only brought more trouble.
2 Chronicles 28 8 Word analysis
- For the children of Israel: Refers to the Northern Kingdom, also known as Ephraim, Samaria, or simply "Israel" after the kingdom's division. This distinguishes them from Judah (the Southern Kingdom), emphasizing they are fellow descendants of Jacob.
- carried away captive: (Hebrew: שָׁבוּ, shavu) This verb implies being led into slavery or exile, usually referring to prisoners of war. Its use here highlights the subjugation of Judahites.
- of their brethren: (Hebrew: אֲחֵיהֶם, akheikhem) This term explicitly identifies the captives as fellow Israelites, kinsmen. This is a crucial detail because Mosaic Law strictly forbade enslaving fellow Hebrews permanently (Lev 25:39-46; Deut 15:12). This act was a grave violation of the covenant and the moral fabric of God's people, even in the context of internecine warfare.
- two hundred thousand: A massive number indicating an overwhelming defeat and a significant humanitarian catastrophe. It suggests the capture was not limited to soldiers but included a broad segment of the civilian population.
- women, sons, and daughters: Specifies the types of captives taken, reinforcing the scale of the disaster as it encompassed entire families, not just adult males fit for combat. This shows the widespread devastation impacting future generations.
- and took also away much spoil from them: (Hebrew: שָׁלָל, shalal) Refers to plunder, booty, or spoils of war. Taking spoil was customary in warfare, but seizing such from "brethren" was particularly harsh and often condemned in prophetic writings when accompanied by undue cruelty or excess.
- and brought the spoil to Samaria: Samaria was the capital city of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Bringing the captives and plunder there symbolized the victor's triumph and humiliation of the defeated. It was a common practice for victorious armies to parade their captives and spoils in their capital.
2 Chronicles 28 8 Bonus section
The immediate reversal of this captivity in the subsequent verses (2 Chron 28:12-15), driven by the prophet Oded's courageous word and the unexpected compassionate response of the Ephraimite chiefs, offers a critical counterbalance. This demonstrates that even in a corrupt nation like Israel (which was itself often steeped in idolatry), there were individuals who honored God's law and intervened to mitigate suffering, thereby bringing about a measure of redemptive grace in an otherwise bleak account. This serves as a potent reminder that obedience to God's will and showing compassion, even to former enemies who are kinsmen, can arise in unexpected places, leading to acts of significant kindness that glorify God. This incident, while demonstrating Judah's fall due to Ahaz, also showcases a remarkable instance of spiritual awakening and obedience within the Northern Kingdom that allowed the divine standard of "brotherhood" to prevail over the brutal norms of ancient warfare.
2 Chronicles 28 8 Commentary
2 Chronicles 28:8 marks a low point in the relationship between the divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah, directly resulting from King Ahaz's extreme apostasy which invited divine judgment. While God allowed Israel to defeat Judah, Israel's subsequent action of taking 200,000 "brethren"—women, sons, and daughters—as captives and much spoil violated explicit covenantal laws (Lev 25; Deut 15). The immense scale of the captives underscores the profound suffering inflicted. This act of "taking captivity captive" over fellow Israelites demonstrated a callous disregard for the divine law of kinsmanship, going beyond merely serving as an instrument of divine wrath. The phrase "their brethren" strongly implies God's displeasure with Israel's excess, a point explicitly delivered later by the prophet Oded (2 Chron 28:9-11), who sternly warns them about God's future judgment on their own unrighteousness. Thus, even when used as a rod of correction, a nation can still incur guilt by its own excessive cruelty or failure to adhere to divine principles of justice and mercy towards those who, despite political divisions, remained part of God's wider covenant community.