2 Kings 23:27 kjv
And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there.
2 Kings 23:27 nkjv
And the LORD said, "I will also remove Judah from My sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the house of which I said, 'My name shall be there.' "
2 Kings 23:27 niv
So the LORD said, "I will remove Judah also from my presence as I removed Israel, and I will reject Jerusalem, the city I chose, and this temple, about which I said, 'My Name shall be there.'"
2 Kings 23:27 esv
And the LORD said, "I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and I will cast off this city that I have chosen, Jerusalem, and the house of which I said, My name shall be there."
2 Kings 23:27 nlt
For the LORD said, "I will also banish Judah from my presence just as I have banished Israel. And I will reject my chosen city of Jerusalem and the Temple where my name was to be honored."
2 Kings 23 27 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Judgment/Exile for Judah/Jerusalem | ||
| 2 Ki 21:11 | "Because Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations... doing more evil than the Amorites..." | Manasseh's sin as the root cause |
| Jer 15:4 | "And I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth because of Manasseh..." | Reiterates Manasseh's sin as the cause |
| Jer 7:14-15 | "Then I will do to the house that bears my Name... just as I did to Shiloh... cast you out of my sight..." | Foretells temple's destruction like Shiloh |
| Lam 2:7 | "The Lord has spurned his altar, cast off his sanctuary..." | Lament over Jerusalem's destruction |
| Ps 78:60-61 | "He forsook his dwelling at Shiloh, the tent where he dwelt among mankind, and delivered his might to captivity..." | Historical precedent of abandoning sanctuary |
| Ezra 9:7 | "From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt, and for our iniquities..." | Acknowledgment of corporate sin leading to exile |
| Deut 28:63 | "Just as the Lord delighted in making you prosperous... so will he delight in bringing ruin upon you..." | Fulfillment of covenant curses for disobedience |
| Comparison to Israel (Northern Kingdom) | ||
| 2 Ki 17:18 | "So the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them from his presence..." | God removing Israel from His presence |
| 2 Ki 17:23 | "until the Lord removed Israel from his presence, as he had foretold..." | Emphasizes the foretold nature of exile |
| Jer 3:8 | "And I saw that for all the adulteries of faithless Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce." | Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness |
| Hos 1:9 | "For you are not My people, and I am not your God." | God's rejection of rebellious Israel |
| God's Choice of Jerusalem/Temple - Now Revoked | ||
| Deut 12:5 | "but to the place that the Lord your God will choose, out of all your tribes, to put his name and make his habitation there..." | God choosing a place for His name |
| 1 Ki 8:29 | "that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there'..." | Solomon's prayer confirming God's presence |
| 2 Chr 7:16 | "For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever..." | God's promise about His chosen house (conditional) |
| Ps 132:13-14 | "For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for his dwelling place: 'This is my resting place forever...'" | God's choice of Zion (conditional on faithfulness) |
| Acts 7:48 | "Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands..." | Stephen's understanding of God's dwelling |
| Divine Justice & Unchangeable Decree | ||
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that he should lie, or a son of man, that he should change his mind." | God's unchangeableness |
| Isa 55:11 | "so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty..." | The power and certainty of God's word |
| Ezek 18:4 | "Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die." | Principle of individual responsibility, but corporate judgment for corporate sin |
| Rom 1:18 | "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men..." | God's wrath against sin |
| Heb 12:29 | "for our God is a consuming fire." | God's holiness and destructive power against sin |
2 Kings 23 verses
2 Kings 23 27 Meaning
2 Kings 23:27 conveys God's irreversible decree to remove Judah from His presence and cast off Jerusalem and its Temple, mirroring the fate of the northern kingdom of Israel. This pronouncement highlights divine judgment due to persistent apostasy and the accumulated sins, especially those of King Manasseh, which had gone beyond a point of national return despite Josiah's righteous reforms. God's choice of Jerusalem and the Temple for His name was not unconditional when faced with profound unfaithfulness.
2 Kings 23 27 Context
The immediate context of 2 Kings 23:27 follows King Josiah's widespread and thorough religious reforms (2 Kings 23:1-26), where he purged Judah and Jerusalem of all forms of idolatry, restoring true worship of Yahweh according to the rediscovered Law. Despite Josiah being a righteous king, unparalleled in his devotion, this verse reveals that his efforts were not enough to avert the divinely determined judgment for the deeply entrenched and long-standing apostasy of the nation. Specifically, the text points back to the reign of Josiah's grandfather, Manasseh (2 Kings 21), whose severe and prolonged idolatry, child sacrifice, and bloodshed had filled Judah with wickedness, triggering God's definitive decree of judgment (2 Kings 21:10-15; Jer 15:4). Therefore, even though Josiah diligently implemented reforms, the cup of iniquity was already full, leading to the coming Babylonian exile and the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, events detailed in subsequent chapters.
Word Analysis
- And the Lord said: Signifies a direct divine utterance and an immutable decree. It highlights God's sovereignty and His definitive pronouncements, which are not subject to change.
- 'I will remove Judah also from my presence':
- remove (sûr - verb in Hebrew): Means "to turn aside, take away, depart." Here, it's a deliberate act of God to move Judah away from His protective oversight and covenant relationship, akin to withdrawal of favor.
- Judah also: The "also" is critical, linking Judah's fate directly to that of the northern kingdom, Israel, emphasizing a consistent divine judgment against prolonged national rebellion, regardless of chosen status.
- from my presence (min panai - Hebrew): Literally "from my face" or "from before me." It denotes the removal of God's intimate dwelling, protective oversight, and special favor from His people, signifying abandonment. This doesn't mean God ceases to exist, but rather His active, beneficent presence with the nation is withdrawn.
- 'as I have removed Israel': This direct comparison stresses God's impartiality in judgment. The Northern Kingdom of Israel (Samaria) had already been conquered and exiled by Assyria (2 Kings 17), having been "removed from His presence" due to their persistent idolatry. Judah faces the same, undeniable consequence.
- 'and I will cast off this city Jerusalem':
- cast off (hishlîk - Hebrew verb, hiphil form of shālak): A very strong verb meaning "to throw, cast away, fling." It conveys a definitive, forceful, and total rejection, much more severe than mere "removal." It implies God's utter discarding of something He previously held dear.
- this city Jerusalem: God's chosen city (Ps 132:13-14), where He established His name and temple, is now explicitly the object of His wrath. The city that was meant to be the light to the nations would now suffer devastation.
- 'which I have chosen': This phrase underscores the gravity of the judgment. God's act is not against an arbitrary place, but against the very city He specifically selected to host His presence and fulfill His redemptive purposes (Deut 12:5; 1 Ki 8:29). This choice implied privilege and covenant, but not impunity.
- 'and the house of which I said, "My name shall be there"':
- the house: Refers to the Temple built by Solomon in Jerusalem, specifically dedicated to Yahweh.
- "My name shall be there": Indicates the Temple as the designated place for God's presence, authority, and identity to be manifested among His people (Deut 12:5, 1 Ki 8:29, 2 Chr 7:16). This was not about God's omnipresence being confined, but His specific, localized covenant presence being made available. To "cast off" this house implies the withdrawal of that special manifest presence and a nullification of its spiritual significance as a dwelling for His name.
2 Kings 23 27 Commentary
2 Kings 23:27 serves as a poignant theological climax, revealing that even a reform as profound and righteous as Josiah's cannot undo a national judgment decreed due to generations of systemic rebellion, particularly the overwhelming sins of Manasseh. It demonstrates the cumulative nature of sin's consequences for a nation; once the tipping point of divine forbearance is reached, a decreed judgment becomes irreversible, at least corporately. God’s commitment to His word means His warnings of judgment for disobedience are as sure as His promises of blessing for obedience. The rejection of Judah, Jerusalem, and the Temple, though they were "chosen" places and people, powerfully underscores that privilege does not guarantee perpetual immunity from the consequences of profound and prolonged unfaithfulness. God is just, and His holy character demands that unrepentant rebellion be met with decisive judgment, even on that which He holds most dear. This serves as a solemn reminder that continued apostasy severs even the most sacred relationships with God.
Bonus SectionThis verse illustrates a significant theological tension: while individual repentance can certainly mitigate personal judgment (as seen in God extending peace to Josiah, 2 Ki 22:18-20), national or corporate sin can reach a point of no return for that specific generation's corporate destiny. This concept emphasizes the profound generational impact of leadership's choices (like Manasseh's reign) and the corporate responsibility of the nation before God. The declaration "I will remove Judah also from my presence" foreshadows the Babylonian exile, revealing God's absolute sovereignty over nations and His willingness to use foreign powers as instruments of His justice. It highlights that the covenant between God and Israel, though eternal in its promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, included stipulations regarding national land and blessings that were conditional upon obedience (Lev 26; Deut 28). The rejection of the "chosen" city and Temple signifies that God values His holiness and the integrity of His justice above merely maintaining outward forms of worship when the heart of the people is far from Him.