The Meaning of 2 Kings 10:21 Explained

2 Kings 10:21

KJV: And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to another.

YLT: And Jehu sendeth into all Israel, and all the servants of Baal come in, and there hath not been left a man who hath not come in; and they come in to the house of Baal, and the house of Baal is full -- mouth to mouth.

Darby: And Jehu sent into all Israel; and all the servants of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not: and they entered into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was full from one end to the other.

ASV: And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the house of Baal was filled from one end to another.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jehu  sent  through all Israel:  and all the worshippers  of Baal  came,  so that there was not a man  left  that came  not. And they came  into the house  of Baal;  and the house  of Baal  was full  from one end  to another. 

What does 2 Kings 10:21 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 10:12-24 - Wiping Out Baal-Worship
For the well-being of the race it is sometimes necessary to cut off evil-doers, lest they spread such a contagion of evil as to involve the whole body politic. The actual brethren of Ahaziah were slain by the Arabians, 2 Chronicles 22:1. Jehu's work seems to have been complemented by an invasion of the Bedouins: the men mentioned here were probably, as the margin suggests, cousins or acquaintances. "Brethren" is a wide word, covering many degrees of blood-relationship.
Jehonadab was head of a remarkable tribe, and himself a man of unusual strength of character. The influence of his example and precepts left its mark on following generations, 1 Chronicles 2:55; Jeremiah 35:1-19. Jehu evidently respected Jehonadab's good opinion, and was careful to advertise his own zeal for Jehovah. But the really good man has no need to parade his excellencies; and certainly Jehu could not count that his manner of going to work would be acceptable to the Most High. He might have achieved the same results by less objectionable methods. We must, of course, remember that this Baal-worship was very licentious, and that every Israelite who entered that temple did so in direct defiance of repeated warnings from Elijah and others. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 10

1  Jehu, by his letters, causes seventy of Ahab's sons to be beheaded
8  He excuses the fact by the prophecy of Elijah
12  At the shearing house he slays forty-two of Ahaziah's brothers
15  He takes Jehonadab into his company
18  By subtilty he destroys all the worshippers of Baal
29  Jehu follows Jeroboam's sins
32  Hazael oppresses Israel
34  Jehoahaz succeeds Jehu

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 10:21 mean?

And sent Jehu throughout all Israel and came all the worshipers of Baal so that not there was left a man who not Did come so they came into the temple of Baal and was full the temple of Baal from one end to the other
וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח יֵהוּא֙ בְּכָל־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ כָּל־ עֹבְדֵ֣י הַבַּ֔עַל וְלֹֽא־ נִשְׁאַ֥ר אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹֽא־ בָ֑א וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙ בֵּ֣ית הַבַּ֔עַל וַיִּמָּלֵ֥א בֵית־ הַבַּ֖עַל פֶּ֥ה לָפֶֽה

וַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח  And  sent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁלַח  
Sense: to send, send away, let go, stretch out.
יֵהוּא֙  Jehu 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יֵהוּא  
Sense: the king of the northern kingdom Israel who overthrew the dynasty of Omri.
בְּכָל־  throughout  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל  Israel 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙  and  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עֹבְדֵ֣י  the  worshipers 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
הַבַּ֔עַל  of  Baal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
וְלֹֽא־  so  that  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נִשְׁאַ֥ר  there  was  left 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
אִ֖ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
בָ֑א  Did  come 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
וַיָּבֹ֙אוּ֙  so  they  came  into 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בֵּ֣ית  the  temple 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַבַּ֔עַל  of  Baal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
וַיִּמָּלֵ֥א  and  was  full 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מָלֵא 
Sense: to fill, be full.
בֵית־  the  temple 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַבַּ֖עַל  of  Baal 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּעַל  
Sense: supreme male divinity of the Phoenicians or Canaanites.
פֶּ֥ה  from  one  end 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.
לָפֶֽה  to  the  other 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּה  
Sense: mouth.