2 Kings 24 4

2 Kings 24:4 kjv

And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

2 Kings 24:4 nkjv

and also because of the innocent blood that he had shed; for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, which the LORD would not pardon.

2 Kings 24:4 niv

including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was not willing to forgive.

2 Kings 24:4 esv

and also for the innocent blood that he had shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD would not pardon.

2 Kings 24:4 nlt

who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The LORD would not forgive this.

2 Kings 24 verses

2 Kings 24 4 Meaning

2 Kings 24:4 explains that the Babylonian exile and the calamities upon Judah were consequences not only of Jehoiakim's immediate sins but, crucially, of the "innocent blood" that King Manasseh had extensively shed in Jerusalem. The verse emphasizes that this particular sin had accumulated such corporate guilt that the Lord had irrevocably determined not to pardon the nation for it, thus necessitating divine judgment through foreign conquest and exile.

2 Kings 24 4 Context

The immediate context of 2 Kings 24:4 is the unraveling of Judah's sovereignty in the late 7th and early 6th centuries BCE, leading to the Babylonian exile. Chapter 24 describes Jehoiakim's rebellion against Babylon, leading to various invasions and his death, followed by his son Jehoiachin's brief reign and subsequent surrender and deportation. This verse explains why these events, the ultimate judgment of exile, were coming upon Judah.

Historically, this verse harks back to the exceedingly wicked reign of King Manasseh (697-642 BCE), some five to six decades earlier (detailed in 2 Ki 21 and 2 Chr 33). Manasseh engaged in widespread idolatry, even placing idols in the Temple, and notably, "shed very much innocent blood" (2 Ki 21:16). While his grandson, King Josiah, enacted profound religious reforms (2 Ki 22-23) that delayed judgment, the deep stain of Manasseh's specific sin of innocent bloodshed persisted in the eyes of divine justice. The cumulative national guilt for this particular atrocity had reached a point of no return, where divine patience had run out, and judgment was now unavoidable for the nation, regardless of Josiah's personal piety or temporary reforms.

2 Kings 24 4 Word analysis

• And also for: (Heb. וְגַם, wěḡam) Indicates an additional reason, alongside Jehoiakim's immediate transgressions mentioned in verse 3. It highlights that the current national calamity has multiple, cumulative causes, rooted deeply in past offenses.
• the innocent blood: (Heb. דָּם נָקִיא, dam naqi)
  • דָּם (dam): "Blood." Often carries the connotation of life, vitality, or the seat of life. When spilled, it signifies violence and death.
  • נָקִיא (naqi): "Innocent, blameless, pure, guiltless." Implies absence of wrongdoing or deserving of punishment.
  • Significance: Not just any blood, but the blood of the righteous, the unoffending, those who had done nothing to deserve death. This often referred to prophets or devout Yahwists who resisted Manasseh's idolatry and persecution. The shedding of dam naqi is considered an abominable defilement of the land (Num 35:33) and a high crime against God and humanity, striking at the heart of justice and life itself.
• that he shed: Refers to King Manasseh. His reign was notoriously violent, targeting those who remained faithful to Yahweh or opposed his rampant syncretism and idolatry. This was not accidental but systemic, possibly state-sponsored persecution.
• for he filled: (Heb. כִּי־מָלֵא, ki male) "For he truly filled," emphasizing the extensive and pervasive nature of the bloodshed. It speaks of a vast quantity, signifying a saturation of the land and capital with this horrific sin, leaving no part untouched.
• Jerusalem: The capital city, symbolic of the heart of Judah and its religious center. To fill Jerusalem with innocent blood meant the defilement had penetrated the very core of the covenant community, implying national culpability.
• with innocent blood: Reiterates the specific nature of the pervasive violence.
• which the Lord would not pardon: (Heb. אֲשֶׁר לֹא־אָבָה יְהוָה לִסְלֹחַ, asher lo-avah Yahweh lislōakh)
  • לֹא־אָבָה (lo-avah): "Was unwilling," "did not wish," "refused." It expresses a strong, deliberate, and final determination.
  • יְהוָה (Yahweh): The personal covenant name of God, emphasizing His holy character, justice, and faithfulness to His covenant, even in judgment.
  • לִסְלֹחַ (lislōakh): "To forgive," "to pardon." It refers to the removal of guilt or punishment.
  • Significance: This phrase is critical. It does not mean God is incapable of forgiving (He is, 2 Chr 33:12-13 shows Manasseh himself found personal forgiveness). Rather, it signifies that the corporate national guilt accumulated by this particular sin had crossed a line of divine forbearance. The debt of justice for shedding so much innocent blood was so profound and widespread that God's justice demanded national reckoning and would not allow the nation to escape the deserved consequences of exile and destruction, even after genuine reforms by Josiah. The judgment for this specific sin had become irreversible for the nation.

2 Kings 24 4 Bonus section

The "innocent blood" shed by Manasseh likely refers not just to random killings but to a deliberate persecution of those who upheld Yahweh's covenant in a time of pervasive idolatry and pagan practices. This suggests that among those murdered were prophets (possibly Isaiah, according to tradition), priests who resisted apostasy, or simply faithful citizens. The nature of this specific sin—shedding the blood of God's faithful servants—made it particularly heinous, viewed as a direct affront to God's chosen people and His honor. The concept here resonates with the New Testament theme in Matthew 23:35-36 and Luke 11:50-51, where Jesus pronounces judgment upon His generation for the cumulative "righteous blood" shed from Abel to His time. This indicates a consistent biblical principle: severe and systemic injustice, especially the shedding of innocent blood, brings inevitable, far-reaching divine consequences, potentially generational and corporate in nature, beyond individual pardon for national guilt.

2 Kings 24 4 Commentary

2 Kings 24:4 stands as a profound theological statement, explaining the inevitable doom of Judah. It asserts that despite Josiah's remarkable reforms which temporarily delayed divine wrath (2 Ki 22:20), the egregious sin of Manasseh in shedding widespread "innocent blood" had accumulated an unpardonable corporate guilt upon the nation. This refers to the systematic persecution and murder of the righteous—likely faithful prophets and covenant adherents—during Manasseh's long reign. Such an atrocity was not a fleeting transgression but a deep-seated stain that thoroughly defiled Jerusalem and the land (Num 35:33).

The phrase "which the Lord would not pardon" indicates a point of no return for the nation. It highlights that God's long-suffering and patience eventually reach a limit, beyond which certain national sins trigger irreversible judgment, distinct from individual repentance. While Manasseh personally found repentance (2 Chr 33:12-13), the nation as a corporate entity still bore the judicial consequences of such an enormous and unatoned-for crime against the very foundation of divine justice and the sanctity of human life. This unpardoned "bloodguilt" meant that divine judgment was now an unalterable decree, a decisive reason for the fall of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah. It serves as a stark warning about the long-term, compounding nature of national sin and the ultimate certainty of God's justice.