2 Kings 3 3

2 Kings 3:3 kjv

Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

2 Kings 3:3 nkjv

Nevertheless he persisted in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who had made Israel sin; he did not depart from them.

2 Kings 3:3 niv

Nevertheless he clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit; he did not turn away from them.

2 Kings 3:3 esv

Nevertheless, he clung to the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which he made Israel to sin; he did not depart from it.

2 Kings 3:3 nlt

Nevertheless, he continued in the sins that Jeroboam son of Nebat had committed and led the people of Israel to commit.

2 Kings 3 verses

2 Kings 3 3 Meaning

Despite Jehoram's initial act of removing the Baal pillar, he persistently adhered to the core idolatry introduced by Jeroboam I. This involved the worship of golden calves at Bethel and Dan, which caused the entire kingdom of Israel to deviate from the exclusive worship of Yahweh as commanded. His failure to eradicate this fundamental apostasy meant he continued the legacy of spiritual disobedience in the Northern Kingdom.

2 Kings 3 3 Context

Second Kings Chapter 3 introduces King Jehoram of Israel, son of Ahab. While the preceding verse mentions a relatively positive action by Jehoram—the removal of the Baal pillar, suggesting a break from his father's overt Baal worship—verse 3 immediately highlights his spiritual deficiency. This verse confirms his continued adherence to the deep-rooted apostasy established by Jeroboam I: the worship of golden calves at Bethel and Dan. This religiously and politically motivated idolatry aimed to prevent Northern Kingdom citizens from worshipping Yahweh at Jerusalem as mandated by divine law. The chroniclers consistently portray "the sin of Jeroboam" as the defining and damning transgression of all Israelite kings, signifying an ongoing state of national spiritual compromise that ultimately led to Israel's downfall.

2 Kings 3 3 Word analysis

• Nevertheless (אַךְ, 'ak): An emphatic particle of contrast or limitation. It signals that despite Jehoram's commendable action in the previous verse, a fundamental failure remained. It emphasizes the continuing negative reality.
• he clung (דָּבַק, davak): A Hebrew verb signifying to "stick fast, adhere, cleave, be joined to." This strong verb indicates a firm, persistent, and unyielding attachment. Here, it denotes Jehoram's stubborn unwillingness to separate himself from the established national idolatry, highlighting spiritual inertia.
• to the sin (בְּחַטֹּאת, bechata'ot): "Sin" (חַטָּאת, chata'at) refers to transgression or deviation from God's revealed will. The definite article emphasizes that this was a specific, well-known, and defining transgression in Israel's history.
• of Jeroboam (יָרָבְעָם, Yarov'am): Identifies Jeroboam I, the founder of the Northern Kingdom and its unique form of apostasy involving golden calf worship. His name becomes a recurring, negative motif throughout Kings.
• the son of Nebat (בֶּן־נְבָט, ben-Nevat): A traditional Hebrew way to specify an individual through paternal lineage. In the context of the Kings narrative, this specific identifier for Jeroboam I became a perpetual and polemical label, consistently associating his identity with his role as the architect of Israel's national idolatry.
• which he had made Israel to sin (אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱטִיא אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל, asher hecheti et-Yisra'el): This crucial phrase highlights Jeroboam's culpability not only for his personal sin but also for leading the entire nation astray. The Hiphil verbal form (causative) underscores his active role in causing the people to violate God's covenant, establishing a destructive legacy.
• he did not depart from it (לֹא סָר מִמֶּנָּה, lo sar mimennah): "Depart" (סוּר, sur) means to turn aside, desist, or remove oneself. This phrase is a powerful reiteration and confirmation of Jehoram's ongoing failure to completely forsake Jeroboam's idolatry. It signifies his incomplete reformation and unwillingness to fully break with inherited national sin, illustrating a deep-seated spiritual compromise.

2 Kings 3 3 Bonus section

The phrase "the sin of Jeroboam" is a theological motif unique to the books of Kings, consistently applied to every subsequent king of Israel (the Northern Kingdom) until its ultimate destruction. This repetitive indictment serves a critical narrative and theological purpose, emphasizing that the Northern Kingdom never truly returned to faithful Yahweh worship as long as the calves at Bethel and Dan remained. This highlights a persistent and generational failure to dismantle a politically convenient, yet covenant-breaking, religious system. It shows that compromise with God's commands, especially regarding exclusive worship, became an indelible mark of Israel's spiritual unfaithfulness.

2 Kings 3 3 Commentary

Second Kings 3:3 presents a crucial assessment of King Jehoram of Israel, revealing the recurring spiritual failing that plagued the Northern Kingdom. While Jehoram took a notable step in removing the pillar of Baal—an improvement from his father Ahab's reign—the subsequent "nevertheless" underscores the incomplete nature of his obedience. He stubbornly "clung to the sin of Jeroboam," which refers to the state-sanctioned worship of golden calves. This idolatry, initiated by Jeroboam I, was not merely an isolated transgression but a fundamental reordering of worship, aimed at diverting loyalty from Jerusalem and its true Temple. Jehoram's persistence in this national sin, evident in his refusal to "depart from it," signifies a profound failure to truly align with Yahweh's commands. This verse underscores the biblical principle that partial obedience or reform, while seemingly positive, is ultimately insufficient in God's eyes when core elements of His law and exclusive worship are continually violated, inevitably leading to spiritual decay and divine judgment.