The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 20:37 Explained

2 Chronicles 20:37

KJV: Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

YLT: and prophesy doth Eliezer son of Dodavah, of Mareshah, against Jehoshaphat, saying, 'For thy joining thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah hath broken up thy works;' and the ships are broken, and have not retained power to go unto Tarshish.

Darby: And Eliezer the son of Dodavah, of Mareshah, prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah has broken thy works. And the ships were broken, and could not go to Tarshish.

ASV: Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, Jehovah hath destroyed thy works. And the ships were broken, so that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Eliezer  the son  of Dodavah  of Mareshah  prophesied  against Jehoshaphat,  saying,  Because thou hast joined  thyself with Ahaziah,  the LORD  hath broken  thy works.  And the ships  were broken,  that they were not able  to go  to Tarshish. 

What does 2 Chronicles 20:37 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 20

1  Jehoshaphat, invaded by Moab, proclaims a fast
5  His prayer
14  The prophecy of Jahaziel
20  Jehoshaphat exhorts the people, and sets singers to praise the Lord
22  The great overthrow of his enemies
26  The people, having blessed God at Berachah, return in triumph
31  Jehoshaphat's reign
35  His convoy of ships, according to the prophecy of Eliezer, unhappily perishes

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 20:37 mean?

But prophesied Eliezer son of Dodavah of Mareshah against Jehoshaphat saying because you have allied yourself with Ahaziah has destroyed Yahweh - your works And were wrecked the ships so that not they were able to go to Tarshish
וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֞א אֱלִיעֶ֤זֶר בֶּן־ דֹּדָוָ֙הוּ֙ מִמָּ֣רֵשָׁ֔ה עַל־ יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט לֵאמֹ֑ר כְּהִֽתְחַבֶּרְךָ֣ עִם־ אֲחַזְיָ֗הוּ פָּרַ֤ץ יְהוָה֙ אֶֽת־ מַעֲשֶׂ֔יךָ וַיִּשָּׁבְר֣וּ אֳנִיּ֔וֹת וְלֹ֥א עָצְר֖וּ לָלֶ֥כֶת אֶל־ תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ

וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֞א  But  prophesied 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָבָא  
Sense: to prophesy.
אֱלִיעֶ֤זֶר  Eliezer 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱלִיעֶזֶר  
Sense: Abraham’s Damascene servant.
בֶּן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
דֹּדָוָ֙הוּ֙  of  Dodavah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: דֹּדָוָהוּ  
Sense: a man of Mareshah in Judah, the father of Eliezer, who denounced Jehoshaphat’s alliance with Ahaziah.
מִמָּ֣רֵשָׁ֔ה  of  Mareshah 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מָרֵשָׁה 
Sense: one of the cities in the lowlands of Judah.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יְהוֹשָׁפָ֖ט  Jehoshaphat 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹושָׁפָט 
Sense: son of king Asa and himself king of Judah for 25 years; one of the best, most pious, and prosperous kings of Judah.
לֵאמֹ֑ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
כְּהִֽתְחַבֶּרְךָ֣  because  you  have  allied  yourself 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: הִתְחַבְּרוּת 
Sense: to unite, join, bind together, be joined, be coupled, be in league, heap up, have fellowship with, be compact, be a charmer.
אֲחַזְיָ֗הוּ  Ahaziah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחַזְיָה 
Sense: ruler of Israel, son of Ahab.
פָּרַ֤ץ  has  destroyed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּרַץ  
Sense: to break through or down or over, burst, breach.
יְהוָה֙  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֶֽת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
מַעֲשֶׂ֔יךָ  your  works 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: מַעֲשֶׂה  
Sense: deed, work.
וַיִּשָּׁבְר֣וּ  And  were  wrecked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
אֳנִיּ֔וֹת  the  ships 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֳנִיָּה  
Sense: ship.
וְלֹ֥א  so  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
עָצְר֖וּ  they  were  able 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: עָצַר  
Sense: to restrain, retain, close up, shut, withhold, refrain, stay, detain.
לָלֶ֥כֶת  to  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
תַּרְשִֽׁישׁ  Tarshish 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: תַּרְשִׁישׁ 
Sense: son of Javan. 2 a Benjamite, son of Bilhan. 3 one of the wise men close to king Ahasuerus of Persia. 4 a city of the Phoenicians in a distant part of the Mediterranean Sea to which the prophet Jonah was trying to flee.