2 Kings 21 14

2 Kings 21:14 kjv

And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

2 Kings 21:14 nkjv

So I will forsake the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become victims of plunder to all their enemies,

2 Kings 21:14 niv

I will forsake the remnant of my inheritance and give them into the hands of enemies. They will be looted and plundered by all their enemies;

2 Kings 21:14 esv

And I will forsake the remnant of my heritage and give them into the hand of their enemies, and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies,

2 Kings 21:14 nlt

Then I will reject even the remnant of my own people who are left, and I will hand them over as plunder for their enemies.

2 Kings 21 verses

2 Kings 21 14 Meaning

The verse proclaims God's decisive judgment against the kingdom of Judah. Due to the extreme wickedness and idolatry, particularly under King Manasseh, the Lord declares that He will completely abandon His chosen people, whom He refers to as the "remnant of My inheritance." This means that even those who might typically be spared will be given over to their adversaries. The consequence is severe: they will become spoils of war and plunder for all their enemies, signifying complete defeat, humiliation, and loss of everything.

2 Kings 21 14 Context

The context of 2 Kings 21:14 is dire. King Manasseh's reign (697/696–642/641 BCE) is depicted as the antithesis of his father Hezekiah's reforms. Manasseh deliberately undid all of Hezekiah's good work, rebuilding the high places, erecting altars to Baal and to the host of heaven within the sacred temple courts (2 Kgs 21:3-5), practicing child sacrifice (2 Kgs 21:6), consulting mediums and spiritists, and filling Jerusalem with innocent blood (2 Kgs 21:16). His sins exceeded even those of the Canaanite nations whom the Lord had driven out before Israel (2 Kgs 21:11), and he led Judah into such depravity that they "did more evil than the nations whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel" (2 Kgs 21:9).The preceding verses (2 Kgs 21:10-13) articulate the Lord's response: He would stretch out over Jerusalem "the measuring line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab." This ominous statement means Judah would suffer the same fate as the idolatrous Northern Kingdom of Israel. Verse 14 specifically describes what that fate entails for the "remnant of My inheritance"—namely, total abandonment and desolation at the hands of their enemies. Historically, this prophecy foretold the Babylonian Captivity (586 BCE), where Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed, and Judah's population exiled. This marked a profound reversal of the covenant blessings and the Davidic promise of a perpetual dynasty and kingdom if Judah strayed from God's laws.

2 Kings 21 14 Word analysis

• and I will cast off (וְנָטַשְׁתִּי, v'natash'ti):
  • Hebrew verb: נָטַשׁ (natash). This word means to let go, abandon, leave, neglect, forsake. It implies a complete and decisive detachment.
  • Significance: This is an active, volitional act by God, not merely a passive allowing. He is purposefully removing His hand of protection and favor. It reflects His holiness and justice that cannot tolerate sustained, egregious covenant-breaking. This is the opposite of His usual commitment to His people, highlighting the severity of Judah's apostasy.
• the remnant (שְׁאָר, she'ar):
  • Hebrew noun: שְׁאָר (she'ar). Refers to what remains or is left over.
  • Significance: In biblical prophecy, "remnant" often carries a positive connotation, referring to a portion that God preserves for His purposes (e.g., Isa 10:20-22). Here, the term takes on a grim sense: even that preserved part, the core of God's covenant people, will not be exempt from this judgment. It signifies the unparalleled extent of Manasseh's sin that even the remnant—who might be considered righteous or faithful—will be swept up in the disaster, or perhaps, it indicates that Judah had fallen so low that there was no longer a distinguishable faithful remnant among the masses worthy of preservation from the impending catastrophe. The judgment is so pervasive that it touches even the remaining group.
• of My inheritance (נַחֲלָתִי, nachalati):
  • Hebrew noun: נַחֲלָה (nachalah). Means inheritance, possession, heritage. Used to refer to the land of Canaan (God's gift to Israel), but also metaphorically to Israel itself as God's peculiar possession (e.g., Deut 4:20; 1 Kgs 8:51, 53).
  • Significance: This emphasizes the covenantal relationship that is being abrogated. Judah was God's chosen inheritance, His special possession among all nations. By "casting off" His inheritance, God is symbolically disowning them from their privileged status and relationship, a consequence of their persistent rebellion against the very covenant that established them as His own. It underscores the pain of the divine decision, as it involves forsaking what He once cherished.
• and give them into the hand (וּנְתַתִּים בְּיַד, u'n'tat'tim b'yad):
  • "Give into the hand" is a common biblical idiom meaning to deliver into the power, control, or authority of another.
  • Significance: God Himself is the active agent delivering His people to their foes. It is not an arbitrary act of fate or a result of geopolitical weakness, but a direct divine judgment, demonstrating God's sovereignty over nations and their destinies. He controls who defeats whom.
• of their enemies (אֹיְבֵיהֶם, oy'veyhem):
  • Hebrew noun: אוֹיֵב (oyev). Means adversary, foe.
  • Significance: The consequence of forsaking God is exposure to the very forces God formerly protected them from. Their enemies, previously held at bay by divine protection, now become the instruments of divine discipline. This reverses the covenant promise that God would cause them to defeat their enemies (e.g., Deut 28:7).
• and they shall become a spoil (וְהָיוּ לְשָׁלָל, v'hayu l'shalal):
  • Hebrew noun: שָׁלָל (shalal). Refers to booty, plunder, spoil taken in war (e.g., from enemies defeated by God's people).
  • Significance: Instead of Israel taking spoil from their enemies as victors, they will become the spoil. This marks a humiliating reversal of fortunes and status, demonstrating utter defeat and loss of protection. It emphasizes the complete despoiling of their wealth, property, and even people.
• and a plunder (וָבַז, va'vaz):
  • Hebrew noun: בִּזָּה (bizzah). Also means plunder, spoil, or booty. Often used in parallel with shalal to emphasize comprehensive pillaging and pillage of property and goods.
  • Significance: This reiterates and intensifies the previous phrase, emphasizing the completeness of their vulnerability and the extent of their loss. It conveys a picture of systematic ransacking and humiliation. The juxtaposition of "spoil" and "plunder" often means a complete stripping away of resources and possessions, and often the enslavement or subjugation of the people themselves.

2 Kings 21 14 Bonus section

The severe language in this verse (cast off, spoil, plunder) strongly counters any nationalistic belief in Judah that their status as God's chosen people or the presence of the Temple in Jerusalem guaranteed immunity from divine judgment. This belief was challenged by true prophets, especially Jeremiah, who warned against misplaced trust in the Temple ("This is the temple of the Lord!" Jer 7:4). The statement here implies that the depth of Judah's sin under Manasseh meant even the concept of a preserved "remnant" was subject to this impending cataclysm, at least initially. While a spiritual remnant would ultimately return after exile, this immediate prophecy emphasized widespread suffering. It teaches a vital lesson that God's patience is not limitless, and even His chosen people can be subjected to the severest forms of discipline if they abandon His ways and persist in profound idolatry.

2 Kings 21 14 Commentary

2 Kings 21:14 stands as a profound statement of divine judgment, reflecting God's unwavering righteousness in the face of unparalleled apostasy. King Manasseh's reign pushed Judah's sin to a point of no return, surpassing even the previous inhabitants of Canaan in wickedness and defiling God's holy city and temple with idolatry, child sacrifice, and bloodshed. This verse is the pronouncement of God's active decision to withdraw His protective hand, fulfilling past warnings given in the Law (e.g., Deuteronomy 28) and by earlier prophets.

The Lord's declaration to "cast off" His "inheritance"—His chosen people, Judah—is particularly chilling because it signifies a profound breakdown of the covenant relationship due to the people's persistent rebellion. This act reveals that God's commitment to His people, while covenantal, is not unconditional in the face of flagrant disobedience and rejection of His laws. It underscores that covenant blessings are intrinsically linked to covenant obligations. By delivering them "into the hand of their enemies" to "become a spoil and a plunder," God sovereignly uses Gentile nations as instruments of His righteous judgment. This humiliation serves not only as punishment but also as a demonstration of God's control over the rise and fall of nations. The fulfillment of this prophecy would be the devastating Babylonian exile, during which Judah experienced the very desolation warned about in this verse. It testifies that divine justice ultimately prevails when God's holiness is so thoroughly offended.