The Meaning of 2 Kings 12:4 Explained

2 Kings 12:4

KJV: And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the dedicated things that is brought into the house of the LORD, even the money of every one that passeth the account, the money that every man is set at, and all the money that cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of the LORD,

YLT: And Jehoash saith unto the priests, 'All the money of the sanctified things that is brought in to the house of Jehovah, the money of him who is passing over, each the money of his valuation, all the money that it goeth up on the heart of a man to bring in to the house of Jehovah,

Darby: And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the hallowed things that is brought into the house of Jehovah, the money of every one that passes the account, the money at which every man is valued, and all the money that comes into any man's heart to bring into the house of Jehovah,

ASV: And Jehoash said to the priests, All the money of the hallowed things that is brought into the house of Jehovah, in current money, the money of the persons for whom each man is rated, and all the money that it cometh into any man's heart to bring into the house of Jehovah,

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jehoash  said  to the priests,  All the money  of the dedicated things  that is brought  into the house  of the LORD,  [even] the money  of every one  that passeth  [the account], the money  that every man  is set at,  [and] all the money  that cometh  into any man's  heart  to bring  into the house  of the LORD, 

What does 2 Kings 12:4 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 12:1-16 - Money For The Lord's House
So long as the good priest lived, the young king did well. How much we owe to the presence of wise, strong men to advise and assist us! But neither king nor priest dared to go to the furthest limit of reform, 2 Kings 12:3. This failure bore disastrous fruit in after-years. It is a mistake to cut off weeds on the surface; they will sprout again and give trouble. If thy right hand cause thee to offend, cut it off.
The Temple had suffered terribly under Athaliah, 2 Chronicles 24:7. The king might well take an interest in its reconstruction, because of the shelter it had afforded him from his enemies. The first attempt to raise a renovation fund was a failure. It was in the wrong hands. The priests appear to have appropriated for their own use offerings intended for Temple repair. A change was therefore required, and their receipts were limited to the sin-offerings. As soon as a clear chance was given to the people, their free-will gifts totaled a large amount, which justified the resumption of the work. Certainly the promptness and integrity of the men who did the work put to shame the lethargy and peculation of the priests. Trust the people! This is not the last time that the heart of the masses was more to be trusted than the priestly caste. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 12

1  Jehoash reigns well all the days of Jehoiada
4  He gives order for the repair of the temple
17  Hazael is diverted from Jerusalem by a present of the hallowed treasures
19  Jehoash being slain, Amaziah succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 12:4 mean?

And said Jehoash to the priests all the money of the dedicated gifts that are brought into the house of Yahweh money census of each man money of each man assessment [and] all the money that purposes in his heart a man to bring into the house of Yahweh
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוֹאָ֜שׁ אֶל־ הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים כֹּל֩ כֶּ֨סֶף הַקֳּדָשִׁ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־ יוּבָ֤א בֵית־ יְהוָה֙ כֶּ֣סֶף עוֹבֵ֔ר אִ֕ישׁ כֶּ֥סֶף נַפְשׁ֖וֹת עֶרְכּ֑וֹ כָּל־ כֶּ֗סֶף אֲשֶׁ֤ר יַֽעֲלֶה֙ עַ֣ל לֶב־ אִ֔ישׁ לְהָבִ֖יא בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר  And  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
יְהוֹאָ֜שׁ  Jehoash 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹואָשׁ  
Sense: son of king Ahaziah and the 8th king of Judah.
הַכֹּהֲנִ֗ים  the  priests 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
כֶּ֨סֶף  the  money 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
הַקֳּדָשִׁ֜ים  of  the  dedicated  gifts 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: קֹדֶשׁ  
Sense: apartness, holiness, sacredness, separateness.
אֲשֶׁר־  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יוּבָ֤א  are  brought 
Parse: Verb, Hofal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בֵית־  into  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
כֶּ֣סֶף  money 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
עוֹבֵ֔ר  census 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
אִ֕ישׁ  of  each  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
כֶּ֥סֶף  money 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
נַפְשׁ֖וֹת  of  each  man 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
עֶרְכּ֑וֹ  assessment 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: עֵרֶךְ  
Sense: order, row, estimate, things that are set in order, layer, pile.
כָּל־  [and]  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
כֶּ֗סֶף  the  money 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֶּסֶף  
Sense: silver, money.
אֲשֶׁ֤ר  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יַֽעֲלֶה֙  purposes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָלַק 
Sense: to go up, ascend, climb.
לֶב־  his  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
אִ֔ישׁ  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
לְהָבִ֖יא  to  bring 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בֵּ֥ית  into  the  house 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
יְהוָֽה  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.