The Meaning of 2 Kings 7:2 Explained

2 Kings 7:2

KJV: Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if the LORD would make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

YLT: And the captain whom the king hath, by whose hand he hath been supported, answereth the man of God and saith, 'Lo, Jehovah is making windows in the heavens -- shall this thing be?' and he saith, 'Lo, thou art seeing it with thine eyes, and thereof thou dost not eat.'

Darby: And the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God and said, Behold, if Jehovah should make windows in the heavens, would this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

ASV: Then the captain on whose hand the king leaned answered the man of God, and said, Behold, if Jehovah should make windows in heaven, might this thing be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but shalt not eat thereof.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then a lord  on whose hand  the king  leaned  answered  the man  of God,  and said,  Behold, [if] the LORD  would make  windows  in heaven,  might this thing  be? And he said,  Behold, thou shalt see  [it] with thine eyes,  but shalt not eat  thereof. 

What does 2 Kings 7:2 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 7:1-11 - "windows In Heaven"
There is a sore famine just now over the whole world-a famine of God's Word. For some years the Church has felt its growing severity, but there are two classes within her borders: they who believe that God can open the windows of heaven, and pour down such a blessing that there will not be room to receive it, Malachi 3:10; and those who, like the unbelieving courtier, jeer at the hope of the saints. Let us answer the skeptic's "Can God?" by the positive achievements of faith.
When God sends blessings to His people, He rarely takes methods that we might expect. Rather, He chooses the weak and foolish things, yea, those that are not, to confound those that are, so as to prevent flesh from glorying in His presence. Whenever, in the first glint of the morning light, you discover the divine answer to your prayers, in all its plenteous abundance, do not keep the good news to yourself lest punishment overtake you, but be sure to bear the glad tidings to others. When it is a day of good tidings, be sure to act upon them, in faith and patience, counting it a sin to hold your peace. [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 7:2 mean?

So answered an officer whose the king leaned on whose hand - the man of God and said Look Yahweh [if] would make windows in heaven could be thing this and he said in fact you shall see [it] with your eyes but of it Not you shall eat -
וַיַּ֣עַן הַשָּׁלִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־ לַמֶּלֶךְ֩ נִשְׁעָ֨ן עַל־ יָד֜וֹ אֶת־ אִ֣ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ הִנֵּ֣ה יְהוָ֗ה עֹשֶׂ֤ה אֲרֻבּוֹת֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם ؟ הֲיִהְיֶ֖ה הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֑ה וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִנְּכָ֤ה רֹאֶה֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ וּמִשָּׁ֖ם לֹ֥א תֹאכֵֽל ס

וַיַּ֣עַן  So  answered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: לְעַנּׄות 
Sense: to answer, respond, testify, speak, shout.
הַשָּׁלִ֡ישׁ  an  officer 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: שָׁלִישׁ 
Sense: third part.
אֲשֶׁר־  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לַמֶּלֶךְ֩  the  king 
Parse: Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֶלֶךְ 
Sense: king.
נִשְׁעָ֨ן  leaned 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁעַן  
Sense: to lean on, trust in, support.
יָד֜וֹ  whose  hand 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָד  
Sense: hand.
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.
אִ֣ישׁ  the  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
הָאֱלֹהִים֮  of  God 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וַיֹּאמַר֒  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנֵּ֣ה  Look 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
יְהוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עֹשֶׂ֤ה  [if]  would  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
אֲרֻבּוֹת֙  windows 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural
Root: אֲרֻבָּה  
Sense: lattice, window, sluice.
בַּשָּׁמַ֔יִם  in  heaven 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
؟ הֲיִהְיֶ֖ה  could  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
הַדָּבָ֣ר  thing 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַזֶּ֑ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  and  he  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הִנְּכָ֤ה  in  fact 
Parse: Interjection, second person masculine singular
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
רֹאֶה֙  you  shall  see  [it] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ  with  your  eyes 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
וּמִשָּׁ֖ם  but  of  it 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m, Adverb
Root: שָׁם  
Sense: there, thither.
תֹאכֵֽל  you  shall  eat 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation