The Meaning of 2 Kings 3:3 Explained

2 Kings 3:3

KJV: Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, which made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

YLT: only to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat that he caused Israel to sin he hath cleaved, he hath not turned aside from it.

Darby: Only, he clave to the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin: he did not depart therefrom.

ASV: Nevertheless he cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, wherewith he made Israel to sin; he departed not therefrom.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Nevertheless he cleaved  unto the sins  of Jeroboam  the son  of Nebat,  which made Israel  to sin;  he departed  not therefrom. 

What does 2 Kings 3:3 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 3:1-12 - An Unwise Alliance
Jehoram's reign over the ten tribes was marked by some measures of reform. He discountenanced Baal worship; though, in defiance of the Second Commandment, he clave to Jeroboam's calves. Therefore Jehoshaphat was ill-advised to enter into alliance with him. The servant of Jehovah had no right to say to such a man, "I am as thou art," etc. He had said this before, and narrowly escaped with his life. It was very bad, therefore, to repeat a policy which was already discredited. See 1 Kings 22:4.
How often we rush into alliances and undertake engagements without prayer for guidance, and begin to seek God only when faced with disappointment! In the day of sore trouble, when it seemed likely that kings and troops would perish in the waterless desert, Judah sought divine help. But it was foolish and wrong to charge the Lord with their disasters, as in 2 Kings 3:10. When the curtains of the night are drawn, sailors steer by the stars; and often it is the pressure of dark trials that drives men to seek the advice and help of the servants of God. They know where to find such helpers, when they want them, though in their prosperity they ignore and deride. He who is willing to pour water, as a servant, will not be inflated with pride when three kings visit him. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 3

1  Jehoram's reign
4  Mesha rebels
6  Jehoram, with Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom, being distressed for want of water,
13  by Elisha obtains water, and promise of victory
21  The Moabites, deceived by the colour of the water, coming to spoil, are overcome
26  The king of Moab sacrifices his son, and raises the siege

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 3:3 mean?

Nevertheless in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat who sin had made Israel he persisted not he did depart from them -
רַ֠ק בְּחַטֹּ֞אות יָרָבְעָ֧ם בֶּֽן־ נְבָ֛ט אֲשֶׁר־ הֶחֱטִ֥יא אֶת־ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל דָּבֵ֑ק לֹא־ סָ֖ר מִמֶּֽנָּה ס

רַ֠ק  Nevertheless 
Parse: Adverb
Root: רַק  
Sense: only, altogether, surely.
בְּחַטֹּ֞אות  in  the  sins 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: חַטָּאָה 
Sense: sin, sinful.
יָרָבְעָ֧ם  of  Jeroboam 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרָבְעָם  
Sense: the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel when the kingdom split at the death of Solomon and the 0 tribes split off from Judah and Benjamin and the kingdom under Solomon’s son Rehoboam; idolatry was introduced at the beginning of his reign.
בֶּֽן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
נְבָ֛ט  of  Nebat 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: נְבָט  
Sense: an Ephraimite of Zereda, father of king Jeroboam I of the northern kingdom of Israel.
הֶחֱטִ֥יא  sin 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
אֶת־  had  made 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל  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.
דָּבֵ֑ק  he  persisted 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַק  
Sense: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.
סָ֖ר  he  did  depart 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: סוּר 
Sense: to turn aside, depart.
מִמֶּֽנָּה  from  them 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation