The Meaning of 2 Kings 7:17 Explained

2 Kings 7:17

KJV: And the king appointed the lord on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trode upon him in the gate, and he died, as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

YLT: And the king hath appointed the captain, by whose hand he is supported, over the gate, and the people tread him down in the gate, and he dieth, as the man of God spake, which he spake in the coming down of the king unto him,

Darby: And the king had appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate; and the people trampled upon him in the gate, and he died, according to what the man of God had said, what he had said when the king came down to him.

ASV: And the king appointed the captain on whose hand he leaned to have the charge of the gate: and the people trod upon him in the gate, and he died as the man of God had said, who spake when the king came down to him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the king  appointed  the lord  on whose hand  he leaned  to have the charge of the gate:  and the people  trode  upon him in the gate,  and he died,  as the man  of God  had said,  who spake  when the king  came down  to him. 

What does 2 Kings 7:17 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 7:12-20 - The Prophet's Word Fulfilled
The lepers were first in the deserted camp. The abundance was awaiting the starving populace, but only a few outcasts tasted it. So Christ's wealth and unsearchable riches are for all, but often the outcasts gathered by the Salvation Army know more about them than the children of the church. The cottager who early opens his window for his sick child, knows more of the summer morning, than does the millionaire who sleeps within curtained windows. But be sure you tell out what you know, else you sin against God and man. There is enough for all. To scatter is to increase.
Though this plenty had been predicted, it seemed too good to be believed. Send out your scouts, O Church of God! As the result of our Lord's victory at Calvary, the roads-north, south, east, and west-have been trodden by your fleeing foes, and are strewn, with spoil. But beware lest, in the day of the Lord's deliverance, you see with your eyes but are unable, through unbelief, to partake, Luke 13:28. Man's unbelief cannot hinder God's purpose, but it excludes the unbeliever, who perishes amid abundance. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 7

1  Elisha prophesies incredible plenty in Samaria
3  four lepers, venturing on the host of the Syrians, bring tidings of their flight
12  The king, finding by spies the news to be true, spoils the tents of the Syrians
17  The lord who would not believe the prophecy of plenty is trampled in the press

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 7:17 mean?

Now the king had appointed - the officer whose he leaned on whose hand have charge of the gate but trampled him the people in the gate and he died just as had said the man of God who spoke when came down the king to him
וְהַמֶּלֶךְ֩ הִפְקִ֨יד אֶת־ הַשָּׁלִ֜ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ נִשְׁעָ֤ן עַל־ יָדוֹ֙ עַל־ הַשַּׁ֔עַר וַיִּרְמְסֻ֧הוּ הָעָ֛ם בַּשַּׁ֖עַר וַיָּמֹ֑ת כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר דִּבֶּר֙ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר דִּבֶּ֔ר בְּרֶ֥דֶת הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ אֵלָֽיו

וְהַמֶּלֶךְ֩  Now  the  king 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
הִפְקִ֨יד  had  appointed 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: פָּקַד 
Sense: to attend to, muster, number, reckon, visit, punish, appoint, look after, care for.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַשָּׁלִ֜ישׁ  the  officer 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלִישׁ 
Sense: third part.
אֲשֶׁר־  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נִשְׁעָ֤ן  he  leaned 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁעַן  
Sense: to lean on, trust in, support.
יָדוֹ֙  whose  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
עַל־  have  charge 
Parse: Preposition
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.
הַשַּׁ֔עַר  of  the  gate 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
וַיִּרְמְסֻ֧הוּ  but  trampled  him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural, third person masculine singular
Root: רָמַס  
Sense: to trample.
הָעָ֛ם  the  people 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
בַּשַּׁ֖עַר  in  the  gate 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שַׁעַר  
Sense: gate.
וַיָּמֹ֑ת  and  he  died 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּת  
Sense: to die, kill, have one executed.
כַּאֲשֶׁ֤ר  just  as 
Parse: Preposition-k, Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
דִּבֶּר֙  had  said 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אִ֣ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָאֱלֹהִ֔ים  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
דִּבֶּ֔ר  spoke 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
בְּרֶ֥דֶת  when  came  down 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָרַד  
Sense: to go down, descend, decline, march down, sink down.
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ  the  king 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
אֵלָֽיו  to  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).