The Meaning of 2 Kings 8:21 Explained

2 Kings 8:21

KJV: So Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him: and he rose by night, and smote the Edomites which compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots: and the people fled into their tents.

YLT: and Joram passeth over to Zair, and all the chariots with him, and he himself hath risen by night, and smiteth Edom, that is coming round about unto him, and the heads of the chariots, and the people fleeth to its tents;

Darby: And Joram went over to Zair, and all the chariots with him; and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites who had surrounded him, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled into their tents.

ASV: Then Joram passed over to Zair, and all his chariots with him: and he rose up by night, and smote the Edomites that compassed him about, and the captains of the chariots; and the people fled to their tents.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

So Joram  went over  to Zair,  and all the chariots  with him: and he rose  by night,  and smote  the Edomites  which compassed him about,  and the captains  of the chariots:  and the people  fled  into their tents. 

What does 2 Kings 8:21 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Kings 8:16-29 - Athaliah's Wicked Husband And Sons
Jehoram's history furnishes a terrible example of how an ill-marriage may mar a man's life. He had a good father, but a bad wife, and the latter more strongly influenced him than the former, 2 Chronicles 21:6. The fuller story of Jehoram's reign, and the apparent extinction of the royal family, is told in 2 Chronicles 22:1-12. But notice especially 2 Kings 8:19. The lamp was kept burning for David's sake, Psalms 132:17. Surely the grace of God can keep that same lamp burning in the hearts of our children. A lamp, as we learned from the Chicago fire, may make a very great conflagration.
Ahaziah followed in the steps of his parents. What could be expected from the training of such a mother! Misled by her, he followed the dreary steps of Ahab. The close intimacy between the two houses led to alliance in war and a common fate. Little did Jehoshaphat realize all the evil that would result from his dealings with Ahab, 1 Kings 22:4. The story told in these pages is sad reading, but through it all God's purpose moves on. See Matthew 1:8. As a water-lily grows from a muddy bottom, so the pure life of Christ came, on the human side, out of this family. God's purpose shall finally emerge from this present strife in a further revelation of the Son of man. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Kings 8

1  The Shunammite, having left her country seven years, to avoid the famine,
5  for Elisha's miracle's sake has her land restored by the king
7  Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad and succeeds him
16  Jehoram's wicked reign in Judah
20  Edom and Libnah revolt
23  Ahaziah succeeds Jehoram
25  Ahaziah's wicked reign
28  He visits Joram, being wounded, at Jezreel

What do the individual words in 2 Kings 8:21 mean?

So went Joram to Zair and all his chariots with him and he rose by night and attacked - Edom who had surrounded him and the captains of the chariots and fled the troops to their tents
וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר יוֹרָם֙ צָעִ֔ירָה וְכָל־ הָרֶ֖כֶב עִמּ֑וֹ וַֽיְהִי־ ה֞וּא קָ֣ם לַ֗יְלָה וַיַּכֶּ֨ה אֶת־ אֱד֜וֹם הַסֹּבֵ֤יב אֵלָיו֙ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרֵ֣י הָרֶ֔כֶב וַיָּ֥נָס הָעָ֖ם לְאֹהָלָֽיו

וַיַּעֲבֹ֤ר  So  went 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
יוֹרָם֙  Joram 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄורָם  
Sense: son of king Jehoshaphat of Judah and himself king of Judah for 8 years; his wife was the wicked Athaliah who was probably the instigator for his returning the nation of Judah to the worship of Baal.
צָעִ֔ירָה  to  Zair 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular, third person feminine singular
Root: צָעִיר  
Sense: a city in Edom.
וְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָרֶ֖כֶב  his  chariots 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
עִמּ֑וֹ  with  him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
קָ֣ם  rose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
לַ֗יְלָה  by  night 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
וַיַּכֶּ֨ה  and  attacked 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
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.
אֱד֜וֹם  Edom 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אֱדֹום 
Sense: Edom.
הַסֹּבֵ֤יב  who  had  surrounded 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
שָׂרֵ֣י  the  captains 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: סָרַר 
Sense: prince, ruler, leader, chief, chieftain, official, captain.
הָרֶ֔כֶב  of  the  chariots 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֶכֶב  
Sense: a team, chariot, chariotry, mill-stone, riders.
וַיָּ֥נָס  and  fled 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נוּס  
Sense: to flee, escape.
הָעָ֖ם  the  troops 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
לְאֹהָלָֽיו  to  their  tents 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹהֶל  
Sense: tent.

What are the major concepts related to 2 Kings 8:21?

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