2 Chronicles 34 25

2 Chronicles 34:25 kjv

Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be poured out upon this place, and shall not be quenched.

2 Chronicles 34:25 nkjv

because they have forsaken Me and burned incense to other gods, that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. Therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place, and not be quenched.' " '

2 Chronicles 34:25 niv

Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods and aroused my anger by all that their hands have made, my anger will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.'

2 Chronicles 34:25 esv

Because they have forsaken me and have made offerings to other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands, therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched.

2 Chronicles 34:25 nlt

For my people have abandoned me and offered sacrifices to pagan gods, and I am very angry with them for everything they have done. My anger will be poured out on this place, and it will not be quenched.'

2 Chronicles 34 verses

2 Chronicles 34 25 Meaning

This verse declares the divine judgment prophesied by Huldah, explaining its cause and severity. Because the people of Judah abandoned God and offered worship to other deities, deliberately provoking Him through their self-made idols, God's intense wrath will be undeniably and irreversibly poured out upon their land. This signifies a coming national disaster of destruction and devastation that cannot be stopped.

2 Chronicles 34 25 Context

2 Chronicles 34 opens with the righteous reign of young King Josiah. Around his eighteenth year, Josiah embarks on extensive religious reforms, purging Judah and Jerusalem of idolatry. During the temple's renovation, the Book of the Law (likely Deuteronomy) is discovered. Upon hearing its words read, Josiah is humbled and rips his clothes, recognizing the severe consequences the nation faces due to its long history of covenant disobedience, which the book so vividly describes. Deeply disturbed, he sends his officials to inquire of the Lord. The prophetess Huldah delivers God's answer, which forms the direct context for verse 25. Her prophecy confirms that destruction is indeed coming upon Jerusalem and its inhabitants because they have persistently abandoned the Lord and embraced idolatry. However, because Josiah's heart was tender and he humbled himself before God upon hearing the words, the judgment would not occur during his lifetime, granting him peace. Verse 25 explains the exact reasons for this inevitable divine punishment.

2 Chronicles 34 25 Word analysis

• Because they have forsaken me (כִּי עָזְבוּנִי, ki azavuni):
  • Because: Establishes the direct cause-and-effect relationship between the people's actions and God's response.
  • forsaken me (azavuni from עָזַב, azav): This verb means to abandon, leave, or neglect. It implies a deliberate and complete turning away from God, not merely a passive drifting. It suggests breaking a covenant or a sacred relationship, highlighting their infidelity to the God who delivered them from Egypt and made a covenant with them.
• and burned incense (וַיְקַטְּרוּ, vayeqatteru from קִטֵּר, qitter):
  • This action is a primary form of worship in the ancient Near East, whether in offerings or direct spiritual veneration. Directing this act to "other gods" is a fundamental rejection of YHWH's exclusive claim to worship and an open act of spiritual adultery.
• to other gods (לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, le'elohim acherim):
  • other gods (elohim acherim): These are false gods, alien deities that contradict the unique monotheism of Israel's covenant with YHWH. The worship of "other gods" directly violates the First Commandment (Exod 20:3), establishing the root of Israel's covenant breaking.
• that they might provoke me to anger (לְהַכְעִיסֵנִי, le'hakhi'iseni from כָּעַס, ka'as):
  • provoke me to anger: This indicates that the people's actions were not accidental or unwitting but an active and defiant incitement of God's righteous displeasure. God's anger is not capricious but a just response to their deliberate rebellion and insult to His holiness and authority.
• with all the works of their hands (בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם, bechol ma'aseh yedeihem):
  • works of their hands (ma'aseh yedeihem): This is a polemic against idolatry. It directly refers to the idols that people crafted with their own hands, highlighting their created, impotent nature in stark contrast to the living, uncreated God. Worshiping objects fashioned by human hands is deemed foolish and insulting to the Creator.
• therefore my wrath (וְתִּתַּךְ חֲמָתִי, vetittakh chemati):
  • therefore: Signals the direct consequence of their actions.
  • my wrath (chemati from חֵמָה, chemah): Refers to God's burning anger or fury. This is a holy and just indignation against sin, not an uncontrolled outburst. It is the righteous aspect of God's character reacting to unrighteousness and betrayal.
• will be poured out (תִּתַּךְ, tittakh from נָתַךְ, natakh):
  • This verb means to pour out abundantly, to cause to flow down in quantity. It signifies an overwhelming, complete, and unsparing judgment, like a torrent or a flood, leaving no area unaffected.
• on this place (עַל הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה, al hammaqom hazzeh):
  • this place: Refers to Jerusalem and the land of Judah, which served as the center of their worship, but also where the idolatry and sin were rampant. It specifies the geographic target of the coming judgment.
• and will not be quenched (וְלֹא תִכְבֶּה, velotikbeh from כָּבָה, kavah):
  • not be quenched: Signifies that the judgment will be irreversible, unstoppable, and exhaustive. Like a fire that consumes everything and cannot be put out until it has completed its work, God's wrath will continue until its destructive purpose is fully accomplished, leading to devastation and exile.

• "Because they have forsaken me and burned incense to other gods": This phrase encapsulates the essence of covenant unfaithfulness. It highlights not just a passive disregard for God but an active, deliberate transfer of worship and allegiance from the true God to false ones, leading to spiritual apostasy and idolatry.
• "that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands": This phrase clarifies that the idol worship was not an innocent mistake but an intentional act of defiance, leading to divine provocation. The term "works of their hands" specifically underlines the futility and insult of worshiping human-made creations over the divine Creator.
• "therefore my wrath will be poured out on this place and will not be quenched": This declares the certainty and severity of God's judgment. The "pouring out" implies overwhelming abundance, while "not be quenched" signifies the irreversible and complete nature of the impending disaster, a complete desolation and removal from the land.

2 Chronicles 34 25 Bonus section

• This verse stands as a strong polemic against the polytheism and idol worship prevalent in the ancient Near East, emphatically asserting the sole authority and righteous jealousy of YHWH.
• The imagery of wrath "poured out" and "not quenched" is common biblical language for overwhelming, inevitable, and consuming divine judgment, often connected to the consuming fire of God's holiness. This foreshadows the eventual destruction of Jerusalem and the Babylonian exile.
• Despite the severity of the judgment described, the biblical narrative often holds a future hope for remnant and restoration beyond the immediate scope of such warnings, based on God's enduring covenant promises and mercy (e.g., 2 Chr 36:20-23, Jer 29:10-14). However, for the generation committing these sins, the consequences are clearly outlined as inescapable.

2 Chronicles 34 25 Commentary

Huldah's prophecy in 2 Chronicles 34:25 delivers God's irrevocable sentence of judgment upon Judah. This verse precisely articulates the underlying reasons for divine wrath: the nation's consistent and deliberate abandonment of YHWH—the one true God—in favor of worshipping foreign deities. The act of "burning incense to other gods" signifies a fundamental betrayal of the covenant relationship and a gross insult to God's unique sovereignty. Furthermore, these acts were not born of ignorance but were explicitly intended to "provoke Him to anger," through the futile and idolatrous "works of their hands"—objects made by human artifice, highlighting the absurdity and spiritual blindness of the people. Therefore, the consequence is justly pronounced: God's "wrath" (His holy indignation against sin) "will be poured out" fully and decisively, like an uncontainable fire, "on this place"—Jerusalem and Judah. The declaration that it "will not be quenched" emphasizes the absolute certainty, comprehensiveness, and irreversible nature of the coming judgment, signifying a national catastrophe of exile and desolation from which there will be no escape in their current state. While King Josiah's personal repentance bought him peace, it could not avert the national outpouring of judgment brought about by generations of systemic idolatry and covenant breaking. This prophecy underscores God's holiness, His faithfulness to His covenant warnings, and the dire consequences of rebellion against Him.