The Meaning of 2 Kings 18:21 Explained

2 Kings 18:21

KJV: Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

YLT: Now, lo, thou hast trusted for thee on the staff of this broken reed, on Egypt; which a man leaneth on, and it hath gone into his hand, and pierced it! -- so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all those trusting on him.

Darby: Now behold, thou reliest upon the staff of that broken reed, upon Egypt, on which if a man lean, it goes into his hand and pierces it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that rely upon him.

ASV: Now, behold, thou trustest upon the staff of this bruised reed, even upon Egypt; whereon if a man lean, it will go into his hand, and pierce it: so is Pharaoh king of Egypt unto all that trust on him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now, behold, thou trustest  upon the staff  of this bruised  reed,  [even] upon Egypt,  on which if a man  lean,  it will go  into his hand,  and pierce  it: so [is] Pharaoh  king  of Egypt  unto all that trust  on him. 

What does 2 Kings 18:21 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 18:13-25 - Threatened By Worldly Might
It is an interesting fact that this siege of Lachish is mentioned on the Assyrian monuments, and Sennacherib is depicted as giving orders for its destruction. Also the names and Jewish physiognomy of these ambassadors are clearly recognizable. It was a mistake to bribe the foe; the bribes only excited his cupidity. You may as well come to blows with Apollyon as soon as he straddles across your path; sooner or later the conflict will have to come to a head. Three years afterward, Rabshakeh appeared before the gates of Jerusalem.
It has been suggested that this bold blasphemer was an apostate Jew. He drew a false inference from the recent destructions of altars, etc., which had been reported to him. His taunts were barbed with biting satire. He spoke contemptuously of the little army that was absolutely unable to cope with the disciplined troops of Assyria. It seemed a most unequal conflict which could end only in one way. But he failed to take into account the covenant mercy of God and the heavenly forces which were allied with Hezekiah. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 18

1  Hezekiah's good reign
4  He destroys idolatry, and prospers
9  The inhabitants of Samaria are carried captive for their sins
13  Sennacherib invading Judah, is pacified by a tribute
17  Rabshakeh, by blasphemous persuasions, solicits the people to revolt

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 18:21 mean?

Now look You are trusting to in the staff of reed broken this on Egypt on which if leans a man on and it will go into his hand and pierce it so [is] Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who trust in him
עַתָּ֡ה הִנֵּ֣ה בָטַ֣חְתָּ לְּךָ֡ עַל־ מִשְׁעֶנֶת֩ הַקָּנֶ֨ה הָרָצ֤וּץ הַזֶּה֙ עַל־ מִצְרַ֔יִם אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִסָּמֵ֥ךְ אִישׁ֙ עָלָ֔יו וּבָ֥א בְכַפּ֖וֹ וּנְקָבָ֑הּ כֵּ֚ן פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־ מִצְרַ֔יִם לְכָֽל־ הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים עָלָֽיו

עַתָּ֡ה  Now 
Parse: Adverb
Root: עַתָּה  
Sense: now.
הִנֵּ֣ה  look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
בָטַ֣חְתָּ  You  are  trusting 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
מִשְׁעֶנֶת֩  the  staff 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: מַשְׁעֵנָה 
Sense: support (of every kind), staff.
הַקָּנֶ֨ה  of  reed 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: קָנֶה  
Sense: reed, stalk, bone, balances.
הָרָצ֤וּץ  broken 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, masculine singular
Root: רָצַץ  
Sense: to crush, oppress.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
מִצְרַ֔יִם  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  on  which 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
יִסָּמֵ֥ךְ  if  leans 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סָמַךְ  
Sense: to lean, lay, rest, support, put, uphold, lean upon.
אִישׁ֙  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וּבָ֥א  and  it  will  go 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
בְכַפּ֖וֹ  into  his  hand 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
וּנְקָבָ֑הּ  and  pierce  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: נָקַב 
Sense: to pierce, perforate, bore, appoint.
כֵּ֚ן  so 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֵּן 
Sense: so, therefore, thus.
פַּרְעֹ֣ה  [is]  Pharaoh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: פַּרְעֹה  
Sense: the common title of the king of Egypt.
מֶֽלֶךְ־  king 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
מִצְרַ֔יִם  of  Egypt 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִצְרַיִם  
Sense: a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows adj Egyptians = “double straits”.
לְכָֽל־  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַבֹּטְחִ֖ים  who  trust 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: בָּטוּחַ 
Sense: to trust.
עָלָֽיו  in  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
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.