2 Kings 14:27 kjv
And the LORD said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
2 Kings 14:27 nkjv
And the LORD did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven; but He saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
2 Kings 14:27 niv
And since the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam son of Jehoash.
2 Kings 14:27 esv
But the LORD had not said that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven, so he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.
2 Kings 14:27 nlt
And because the LORD had not said he would blot out the name of Israel completely, he used Jeroboam II, the son of Jehoash, to save them.
2 Kings 14 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 12:2-3 | "I will make you into a great nation... I will bless those who bless you." | God's covenant with Abraham, forming Israel. |
| Ex 32:10 | "Now therefore let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them..." | God's threat to blot out Israel's name. |
| Ex 32:13 | "Remember Abraham... and Isaac, and Israel..." | Moses appeals to God's covenant faithfulness. |
| Deut 4:31 | "For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not abandon or destroy you," | God's covenant mercy assures against complete destruction. |
| Deut 9:14 | "Let me alone, that I may destroy them and blot out their name..." | Similar threat to blot out, God restrains. |
| Lev 26:44-45 | "Even then, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them... to destroy them." | God promises not to utterly destroy His people. |
| 2 Sam 7:16 | "Your house and your kingdom shall endure forever before me;" | God's eternal covenant promise to David and his line. |
| Ps 69:28 | "Let them be blotted out of the book of the living;" | Contrast of what can be blotted out (wicked) vs. Israel (not here). |
| Ps 78:38-39 | "Yet He, being compassionate, atoned for their iniquity... many times He restrained His anger." | God's frequent patience and mercy. |
| Ps 103:8-10 | "The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love." | God's character of compassion and restraint. |
| Isa 6:13 | "A tenth will remain in it, and it will again be laid waste... but a holy seed will be its stump." | Concept of a preserving remnant. |
| Jer 30:10-11 | "For I am with you to save you,' declares the LORD... I will make a full end of all the nations... but I will not make a full end of you." | God assures the ultimate preservation of Israel. |
| Jer 31:35-37 | "If these ordinances vanish... then the offspring of Israel also will cease from being a nation." | God's eternal covenant with Israel tied to cosmic order. |
| Ezek 20:5-9 | God choosing Israel despite rebellion. | God's grace in calling and preserving His people. |
| Lam 3:22-23 | "The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end;" | God's unfailing compassion. |
| Hos 1:10 | "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be like the sand of the sea," | Prophetic hope for Israel's future increase and restoration. |
| Zech 8:8 | "I will bring them back, and they will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem," | Future restoration of Israel. |
| Rom 9:27 | "Though the number of the sons of Israel be as the sand of the sea, only a remnant will be saved." | Echoes the theme of divine preservation for salvation. |
| Rom 11:1 | "Has God rejected His people? By no means!" | Paul confirms God has not cast off Israel entirely. |
| Rom 11:28-29 | "As regards the election, they are beloved for the sake of their forefathers. For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." | God's enduring covenant and call to Israel. |
| 1 Cor 10:1-5 | Israel's rebellion and God's displeasure. | Warns of consequences but implicitly shows God's continued involvement. |
2 Kings 14 verses
2 Kings 14 27 Meaning
Despite Israel's spiritual failings and the persistent threat of divine judgment, the LORD did not declare a complete annihilation of their identity or presence. Instead, out of His sovereign mercy and covenant faithfulness, He intervened to deliver them, using King Jeroboam II—an otherwise unrighteous ruler—as the instrument to grant relief and preserve the nation. This verse highlights God's steadfast patience and His commitment to His chosen people, even when they did not deserve it, ensuring their continued existence "under heaven."
2 Kings 14 27 Context
This verse is situated during the lengthy and remarkably prosperous reign of Jeroboam II, king of Israel (793-753 BC). It immediately follows a brief assessment of his kingship, noting that he did what was evil in the LORD's sight and did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam I (establishing calf worship in Dan and Bethel). Historically, this period marked a resurgence of Israelite power and territorial expansion, regaining lands previously lost to Aram. The verse underscores that this surprising national resurgence and preservation were not due to Jeroboam II's righteousness but entirely to the LORD's initiative. The surrounding narrative shows a consistent pattern of God's patience and provision for His people despite their persistent idolatry, setting the stage for later prophets like Amos and Hosea, who would powerfully declare God's imminent judgment due to unrepentant sin, while still affirming ultimate preservation.
2 Kings 14 27 Word analysis
- And the LORD (וַיהוָה - waiYHVH): Introduces God's sovereign action. YHWH refers to the covenant God of Israel, emphasizing His personal involvement, faithfulness, and self-existent nature in carrying out His divine plan for His people.
- did not say (לֹא אָמַר - lōʾ ʾāmar): This negation highlights God's specific choice and restraint. It signifies that despite the people's deserving full destruction due to their continued apostasy, God held back from uttering an irrevocable decree of utter annihilation.
- He would blot out (לְמָחוֹת - ləmāḥôt): Derived from the verb מָחָה (māḥāh), meaning "to wipe away," "efface," "erase." In biblical usage, particularly when referring to a "name" or "memory," it implies complete eradication, as if one never existed, an absolute end to identity and inheritance. This contrasts starkly with preservation.
- the name of Israel (ʾēt shēm Yiśrāʾēl): Represents not just individual people, but the nation's identity, covenant status, unique calling, heritage, and existence as God's chosen people. To blot out the "name" signifies the total annihilation of their identity and future as a distinct people.
- from under heaven (mittachat haššāmayim): An emphatic phrase indicating a complete and universal disappearance from the face of the earth. No trace, no remnant, no recognition of their existence anywhere. It denotes total obliteration.
- but He saved them (וַיּוֹשִׁיעֵם - wayyōšîʿēm): From the verb יָשַׁע (yāshaʿ), meaning "to save," "deliver," "grant victory." This active verb emphasizes God's direct intervention and mercy, a divine act of deliverance and preservation that stands in direct opposition to the idea of being blotted out.
- by the hand of (בְּיַד - bəyad): A common biblical idiom meaning "through the agency of," "by means of." It underscores that God used an instrument, in this case, a human king, to achieve His divine purpose. The salvation came from God, but through this agent.
- Jeroboam the son of Joash: Refers to Jeroboam II, king of Israel (Northern Kingdom). He was a wicked king according to the narrative ("he did not depart from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat"). The significance lies in God using an ungodly ruler as an instrument of His preservation and blessing, demonstrating God's sovereign ability to work through anyone to accomplish His will, even when the human agent's heart is not devoted to Him.
2 Kings 14 27 Bonus section
- This verse illustrates a fundamental tension in God's character revealed in the Old Testament: divine justice and divine mercy. While justice demanded judgment for Israel's pervasive sin, mercy triumphed to ensure the preservation of the covenant people through whom the Messiah would come.
- The prosperity and military success of Jeroboam II's reign, recounted in the preceding verses, were often perceived by the people as a sign of divine favor on them. However, 2 Kings 14:27 clarifies that it was purely a unilateral act of God's grace and strategic patience, not a reward for Israel's faithfulness or Jeroboam's piety.
- The context of God's patience here subtly connects to prophetic ministries of the time, such as Jonah, whose book relates God's mercy extending even to Israel's pagan enemies, underscoring a divine disposition of compassion beyond strict justice. It implies that God saw the affliction of Israel (v. 26) and acted in compassion, temporarily holding back final judgment.
- The continued existence of "the name of Israel" points towards God's long-term plan for the nation, which ultimately finds its climax and fulfillment in Christ, ensuring that God's covenant purposes would endure through His chosen line.
2 Kings 14 27 Commentary
2 Kings 14:27 provides a profound theological statement on God's unwavering faithfulness and mercy despite His people's persistent sin. It is a powerful affirmation that God's covenant with Israel transcended their continuous idolatry and deserved judgment. While Israel justly faced divine discipline, God chose not to unleash the ultimate covenant curse of complete erasure, a curse they seemed to invite repeatedly. The mention that God "did not say that He would blot out the name of Israel" indicates a divine choice to uphold His promise to the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob) and later to David, even when the current generation was unfaithful. This patience is further emphasized by the fact that He accomplished this salvation not through a righteous king, but through Jeroboam II, who followed in the footsteps of his wicked predecessors. This highlights God's absolute sovereignty and His ability to use even compromised instruments to fulfill His overarching divine purposes and preserve His covenant line, demonstrating that His saving acts are purely from His grace, independent of human merit.