The Meaning of 2 Kings 14:13 Explained

2 Kings 14:13

KJV: And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Bethshemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

YLT: And Amaziah king of Judah, son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, caught hath Jehoash king of Israel in Beth-Shemesh, and they come in to Jerusalem, and he bursteth through the wall of Jerusalem, at the gate of Ephraim unto the gate of the corner, four hundred cubits,

Darby: And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim to the corner-gate, four hundred cubits.

ASV: And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And Jehoash  king  of Israel  took  Amaziah  king  of Judah,  the son  of Jehoash  the son  of Ahaziah,  at Bethshemesh,  and came  to Jerusalem,  and brake down  the wall  of Jerusalem  from the gate  of Ephraim  unto the corner  gate,  four  hundred  cubits. 

What does 2 Kings 14:13 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 14:1-14 - The Penalty Of Pride
There were good traits in Amaziah's character, such as humanity to the children of his father's murderers, and his willingness to forfeit the aid of the army of Israel, because of the prophet's remonstrance. See 2 Chronicles 25:1-28. But he fell a victim to Edom's idols, though he conquered Edom that worshiped them; and from that moment God's Spirit and guidance seemed to desert him. He was puffed up with pride and vainglory, challenged the king of Israel to battle, and brought disaster on his people and himself.
But what a profound lesson is presented by his life! Do we never become elated with success, so that our heart is lifted up? Do we not fling ourselves in an hour of self-confidence from the Temple terrace, and find that no hand of might and love is stretched out to intercept our fall and make us alight uninjured on the ground? Let those who are successful and prosperous remember the Giver of every good and perfect gift and walk humbly with God. When we are evidently summoned to a supreme conflict with our foes, no weapon formed against us prospers: but if we are foolhardy, we are left to the results of our folly. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 14

1  Amaziah's good reign
5  His justice on the murderers of his father
7  His victory over Edom
8  Amaziah, provoking Jehoash, is overcome
15  Jeroboam succeeds Jehoash
17  Amaziah slain by a conspiracy
21  Azariah succeeds him
23  Jeroboam's wicked reign
28  Zachariah succeeds him

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 14:13 mean?

And Amaziah king of Judah the son of Jehoash of Ahaziah captured Jehoash of Israel at Beth Shemesh - and he went to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem from the Gate of Ephraim to Gate the Corner four hundred cubits
וְאֵת֩ אֲמַצְיָ֨הוּ מֶֽלֶךְ־ יְהוּדָ֜ה בֶּן־ יְהוֹאָ֣שׁ אֲחַזְיָ֗הוּ תָּפַ֛שׂ יְהוֹאָ֥שׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בְּבֵ֣ית שָׁ֑מֶשׁ [ויבאו] (וַיָּבֹא֙) יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם וַיִּפְרֹץ֩ בְּחוֹמַ֨ת יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם בְּשַׁ֤עַר אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙ עַד־ שַׁ֣עַר הַפִּנָּ֔ה אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת אַמָּֽה

אֲמַצְיָ֨הוּ  Amaziah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲמַצְיָה 
Sense: a king of Judah, son Joash, father of Azariah.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
יְהוּדָ֜ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
בֶּן־  the  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
יְהוֹאָ֣שׁ  of  Jehoash 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹואָשׁ  
Sense: son of king Ahaziah and the 8th king of Judah.
אֲחַזְיָ֗הוּ  of  Ahaziah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֲחַזְיָה 
Sense: ruler of Israel, son of Ahab.
תָּפַ֛שׂ  captured 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: תָּפַשׂ  
Sense: to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield.
יְהוֹאָ֥שׁ  Jehoash 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהֹואָשׁ  
Sense: son of king Ahaziah and the 8th king of Judah.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  of  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.
בְּבֵ֣ית  at 
Parse: Preposition
שָׁ֑מֶשׁ  Beth  Shemesh 
Parse: Preposition, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: a town in southwest Judah.
[ויבאו]  - 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
(וַיָּבֹא֙)  and  he  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
יְר֣וּשָׁלִַ֔ם  to  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
וַיִּפְרֹץ֩  and  broke  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּרַץ  
Sense: to break through or down or over, burst, breach.
בְּחוֹמַ֨ת  the  wall 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: חֹומָה  
Sense: wall.
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֜ם  of  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.
בְּשַׁ֤עַר  from  the  Gate 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
אֶפְרַ֙יִם֙  of  Ephraim 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֶפְרַיִם  
Sense: second son of Joseph, blessed by him and given preference over first son, Manasseh.
שַׁ֣עַר  Gate 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
הַפִּנָּ֔ה  the  Corner 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: פִּנָּה  
Sense: corner.
אַרְבַּ֥ע  four 
Parse: Number, feminine singular construct
Root: אַרְבַּע  
Sense: four.
מֵא֖וֹת  hundred 
Parse: Number, feminine plural
Root: מֵאָה 
Sense: hundred.
אַמָּֽה  cubits 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַמָּה 
Sense: cubit—a measure of distance (the forearm), roughly 8 in (.