The Meaning of 2 Kings 13:7 Explained

2 Kings 13:7

KJV: Neither did he leave of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.

YLT: for he left not to Jehoahaz of the people except fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen, for the king of Aram hath destroyed them, and maketh them as dust for threshing.

Darby: For he had left of the people to Jehoahaz but fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria had destroyed them, and had made them like the dust by threshing.

ASV: For he left not to Jehoahaz of the people save fifty horsemen, and ten chariots, and ten thousand footmen; for the king of Syria destroyed them, and made them like the dust in threshing.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Neither did he leave  of the people  to Jehoahaz  but fifty  horsemen,  and ten  chariots,  and ten  thousand  footmen;  for the king  of Syria  had destroyed  them, and had made  them like the dust  by threshing. 

What does 2 Kings 13:7 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 13:1-9 - Inglorious Ends
As long as we are with the Lord, He is with us. Then our enemies are His enemies, and He shows Himself strong on the behalf of those whose heart is perfect toward Him. See 2 Chronicles 15:2. So Joash found it in the earlier part of his reign. We need to ponder the blessings set out in Psalms 81:14-16, as guaranteed to the life which is at one with God. But directly Joash listened to the princes and forsook the house of God and gave license to the Asherim and idols, God was turned against the people and became their enemy. See 2 Chronicles 24:23-25. The reign that commenced in sunshine was sadly overcast, and the king perished by the hands of conspirators and never came to the sepulcher of the kings.
Then disaster after disaster befell the nation. They had to learn that they had been chosen for a special service in the world and could not be as others. Yet amid these dark days, what gleams of light there were! The Lord hearkened, 2 Kings 13:4; He gave Israel a savior, 2 Kings 13:5; He was gracious and had compassion and would not cast them from His presence, 2 Kings 13:23. Even when the Lord chastens us sore, He does not give us over unto death, Psalms 118:18. There is a "needs-be," but there is also a "thus-far-and-no-farther." [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 13

1  Jehoahaz's wicked reign
3  Jehoahaz, oppressed by Hazael, is relieved by prayer
8  Joash succeeds him
10  His wicked reign
12  Jeroboam succeeds him
14  Elisha dying, prophesies to Joash three victories over the Syrians
20  The Moabites invading the land, Elisha's bones raise a dead man
22  Joash gets three victories over Ben-hadad

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 13:7 mean?

For not He left of Jehoahaz of the army but only fifty horsemen and ten chariots and ten thousand foot soldiers had destroyed them the king of Syria and made them like the dust at threshing
כִּ֣י לֹא֩ הִשְׁאִ֨יר לִיהוֹאָחָ֜ז עָ֗ם כִּ֣י אִם־ חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים פָּֽרָשִׁים֙ וַעֲשָׂ֣רָה רֶ֔כֶב וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת אֲלָפִ֖ים רַגְלִ֑י אִבְּדָם֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֲרָ֔ם וַיְשִׂמֵ֥ם כֶּֽעָפָ֖ר לָדֻֽשׁ

הִשְׁאִ֨יר  He  left 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַר  
Sense: to remain, be left over, be left behind.
לִיהוֹאָחָ֜ז  of  Jehoahaz 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹואָחָז  
Sense: a king of Judah and son of Josiah.
עָ֗ם  of  the  army 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אִם־  only 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אִם  
Sense: if.
חֲמִשִּׁ֤ים  fifty 
Parse: Number, common plural
Root: חֲמִשִּׁים 
Sense: fifty.
פָּֽרָשִׁים֙  horsemen 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: פָּרָשׁ 
Sense: horse, steed, warhorse.
וַעֲשָׂ֣רָה  and  ten 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
רֶ֔כֶב  chariots 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת  and  ten 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Number, masculine singular construct
Root: עֶשֶׂר 
Sense: ten.
אֲלָפִ֖ים  thousand 
Parse: Number, masculine plural
Root: אֶלֶף 
Sense: a thousand.
רַגְלִ֑י  foot  soldiers 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רַגְלִי  
Sense: on foot.
אִבְּדָם֙  had  destroyed  them 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
מֶ֣לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֲרָ֔ם  of  Syria 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲרָם 
Sense: Aram or Syria the nation.
וַיְשִׂמֵ֥ם  and  made  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: שׂוּמָה 
Sense: to put, place, set, appoint, make.
כֶּֽעָפָ֖ר  like  the  dust 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עָפָר  
Sense: dry earth, dust, powder, ashes, earth, ground, mortar, rubbish.
לָדֻֽשׁ  at  threshing 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: דּוּשׁ  
Sense: to tread out, thresh.