2 Kings 19 18

2 Kings 19:18 kjv

And have cast their gods into the fire: for they were no gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone: therefore they have destroyed them.

2 Kings 19:18 nkjv

and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands?wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them.

2 Kings 19:18 niv

They have thrown their gods into the fire and destroyed them, for they were not gods but only wood and stone, fashioned by human hands.

2 Kings 19:18 esv

and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods, but the work of men's hands, wood and stone. Therefore they were destroyed.

2 Kings 19:18 nlt

And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all ? only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands.

2 Kings 19 verses

2 Kings 19 18 Meaning

2 Kings 19:18 declares why the gods of other nations were powerless against Assyria, explaining that these deities were merely man-made idols of wood and stone, not true gods. This stands in stark contrast to the living God whom Judah worshipped and to whom King Hezekiah had prayed. The verse emphasizes the non-existence and utter futility of false gods when confronted by human power, let alone divine power.

2 Kings 19 18 Context

This verse is part of King Hezekiah's fervent prayer in response to the blasphemous threats of Sennacherib, King of Assyria (2 Ki 19:1-19). Sennacherib, through his envoy Rabshakeh, had taunted Hezekiah and Jerusalem, asserting that Judah's God was no different from the gods of the nations Assyria had already conquered and destroyed (2 Ki 18:33-35, 19:10-13). In this context, Hezekiah brings the matter before the Lord, spreading Sennacherib's letter out in the temple. Verse 18 clarifies why Assyria had been successful against those nations: not because their gods were strong, but because those gods were entirely powerless, being mere human creations. This statement sets up a critical distinction between the impotent idols of the pagan nations and the living, omnipotent God of Israel, upon whom Hezekiah is now utterly dependent for Judah's deliverance.

2 Kings 19 18 Word analysis

• כִּי־הִשְׁלִ֥יכוּ (ki-hishliku): "For they have cast/thrown".

  • כִּי (ki): Conjunction, "for" or "because," introducing a reason.
  • הִשְׁלִ֞יכוּ (hishliku): Hiphil perfect 3rd plural of שָׁלַךְ (shalakh), "to throw, cast." Denotes a decisive, destructive action.

• אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם (et-elohêhem): "their gods".

  • אֶת־ (et-): Direct object marker.
  • אֱלֹהֵיהֶם (elohêhem): Plural noun אֱלֹהִים (elohim), "gods," with 3rd plural possessive suffix "their." Refers to pagan deities, owned and worshipped by the nations.

• בָּאֵ֑שׁ (ba'esh): "into the fire".

  • בָּ (ba-): Preposition בְּ (be-) meaning "in" or "into," indicating destruction by fire.
  • אֵשׁ (esh): "fire." Signifies thorough destruction and absolute vanquishment in the ancient context.

• כִּֽי־לֹא־אֱלֹהִ֣ים הֵ֑מָּה (ki lo elohim hemmâ): "because they were not gods".

  • כִּי (ki): "because," stating the fundamental reason.
  • לֹא (lo): Strong negation, "not."
  • אֱלֹהִים (elohim): "gods." Explicitly states their lack of divine nature.
  • הֵמָּה (hemma): Emphatic personal pronoun "they (are)." A crucial theological assertion denying any genuine divinity.

• כִּ֣י אִם־מַעֲשֵׂ֔ה (ki im ma'aseh): "but only the work/handiwork of".

  • כִּי אִם־ (ki im-): Strong adversative, "but only," creating a sharp contrast.
  • מַעֲשֵׂה (ma'aseh): "work, deed, product, handiwork." Emphasizes artificial origin, not divine.

• יְדֵ֥י אָדָ֖ם (y'dey 'adam): "of human hands".

  • יְדֵי (y'dey): Construct plural of יָד (yad), "hand."
  • אָדָם (adam): "man, human being." Highlights the finite, mortal origin, lacking divine inspiration.

• עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן׃ (etz va'aven): "wood and stone."

  • עֵץ (etz): "wood, tree."
  • וָ (va-): Conjunction "and."
  • אָבֶן (aven): "stone." Specific, common, inert materials for idols, symbolizing their lifelessness and vulnerability.

Words-group analysis

• כִּי־הִשְׁלִ֥יכוּ אֶת־אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֖ם בָּאֵ֑שׁ: This phrase demonstrates the conqueror's ability to utterly destroy the symbols of the vanquished, reflecting the idols' impotence. Biblically, it highlights their inherent worthlessness when faced with even human might.
• כִּֽי־לֹא־אֱלֹהִ֣ים הֵ֑מָּה: This is the theological core. It posits an absolute distinction: these idols possessed no true divine nature or power. This directly refutes the pagan belief in localized or ethnic deities with genuine power.
• כִּ֣י אִם־מַעֲשֵׂ֔ה יְדֵ֥י אָדָ֖ם עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן׃: This detailed description demystifies the idols, presenting them as crude human fabrications. It strips them of all awe and underscores their artificial, fragile, and utterly dependent nature, emphasizing human inability to create divinity and contrasting it with God as the sole Creator.

2 Kings 19 18 Bonus section

In ancient Near Eastern religions, images were often believed to become indwelt by a deity through specific rituals, acting as focal points for divine presence. This verse, through its precise description of "human hands, wood and stone," utterly rejects such a concept, asserting that idols are and remain mere inanimate objects. The act of burning them, mentioned here, symbolically and practically signifies complete obliteration and a profound denial of their being, purpose, or any continued existence. This biblical viewpoint firmly separates the one true, unseen, and incomparable God from the physical, created entities worshipped by other cultures, establishing the radical uniqueness of Israel's God.

2 Kings 19 18 Commentary

2 Kings 19:18 is a pivotal theological statement within Hezekiah's prayer, directly countering the Assyrian blasphemy. It reframes Assyria's conquests: nations were subdued not because their gods were outmatched, but because they had no gods at all. These were inert idols, mere artifacts of human craft – wood and stone, easily destructible. This declaration emphatically denies any true divine essence or power to pagan deities. This polemic highlights the absurdity of worshiping lifeless objects and sharply distinguishes the impotent idols from the living, acting God of Israel. Hezekiah's prayer, therefore, appeals not to one god among many, but to the sole, supreme sovereign God, thereby setting the stage for Jerusalem's unique deliverance by divine power, in stark contrast to the fate of nations relying on their false deities.