2 Kings 24:4

2 Kings 24:4

And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.

a. NLT: who had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood. The LORD would not forgive this.

b. NIV: including the shedding of innocent blood. For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the LORD was not willing to forgive.

c. YLT:  and also the innocent blood that he hath shed, and he filleth Jerusalem with innocent blood, and Jehovah was not willing to forgive.

d. Amplified Bible: And also for the innocent blood that he shed. For he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon.

e. Septuagint: Moreover he shed innocent blood, and filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, and the Lord would not pardon [it].

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: and also [for] the innocent blood that he had shed;he had fille Jerusalem with innocent blood, and HASHEM did not want to forgive.

1. “And also for the innocent blood that he shed…”

a. for the innocent [5355 * naqiy] [Strong: from 5352; innocent:--blameless, clean, clear, exempted, free, guiltless, innocent, quit.]

b. blood [1818 * dam] [Strong: from 1826 (Compare 119); blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), + innocent.]

c. that he shed [8210 * shaphak] [Strong: a primitive root; to spill forth (blood, a libation, liquid metal; or even a solid, i.e. to mound up); also (figuratively) to expend (life, soul, complaint, money, etc.); intensively, to sprawl out:--cast (up), gush out, pour (out), shed(-der, out), slip.]

2. “…for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood…”

a. for he filled [4390 * male’] [Strong: a primitive root, to fill or (intransitively) be full of, in a wide application (literally and figuratively):--accomplish, confirm, + consecrate, be at an end, be expired, be fenced, fill, fulfil, (be, become, X draw, give in, go) full(-ly, -ly set, tale), (over-)flow, fulness, furnish, gather (selves, together), presume, replenish, satisfy, set, space, take a (hand-)full, + have wholly.]

b. Jerusalem [3389 * Yruwshalaim] [Strong: a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of 3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) 3384 and 7999; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine:--Jerusalem.]

c. innocent [5355 * naqiy] [Strong: from 5352; innocent:--blameless, clean, clear, exempted, free, guiltless, innocent, quit.]

d. blood [1818 * dam] [Strong: from 1826 (Compare 119); blood (as that which when shed causes death) of man or an animal; by analogy, the juice of the grape; figuratively (especially in the plural) bloodshed (i.e. drops of blood):--blood(-y, -guiltiness, (-thirsty), + innocent.]

1). Manasseh practiced child sacrifice including his own son.

a). 2 Kings 21:6  And he made his son pass through the fire, and observed times, and used enchantments, and dealt with familiar spirits and wizards: he wrought much wickedness in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger.

2). As the text declares he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood, murdering innocent children.

a). Psalm 106:36-38  And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them.

106:37 Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils,

106:38 And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood.

3. “…which the LORD would not pardon.”

a. the LORD [3068 * Yhovah] [Strong: from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord.]

b. would [14 * ‘abah] [Strong: a primitive root; to breathe after, i.e. (figuratively) to be acquiescent:--consent, rest content will, be willing.]

c. not pardon [5545 * calach] [Strong: a primitive root; to forgive:--forgive, pardon, spare.]

1). Although God is a God of mercy and forgiveness there are lines that if crossed bring certain judgment. The part that jumps out at me is that God would not pardon the shedding of innocent blood. I am reminded of Numbers 35:33 that says, “and the land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it.” What is so ominous about this part of Judah’s history is that Manasseh repented and reversed his ungodly behavior.

a). 2 Chronicles 33:11-19 Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon.

33:12 And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers,

33:13 And prayed unto him: and he was intreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.

33:14 Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.

33:15 And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.

33:16 And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel.

33:17 Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto the Lordtheir God only.

33:18 Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh, and his prayer unto his God, and the words of the seers that spake to him in the name of the Lord God of Israel, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel.

33:19 His prayer also, and how God was intreated of him, and all his sins, and his trespass, and the places wherein he built high places, and set up groves and graven images, before he was humbled: behold, they are written among the sayings of the seers.

2). Even after this the shedding of blood was not pardoned. Even after Josiah took the throne and reversed further still the ungodliness of Judah, still the innocent blood was not pardoned. Although Scripture has glorious parting words to say about Josiah in 2 Kings 23:25, the words are seemingly dulled by the dark warning that follows in verses 26 and 27, that judgment was still coming because of Manasseh’s sins.

a). 2 Kings 23:25-27, And like unto him there was no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

23:26 Notwithstanding the LORD turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath, wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah, because of all the provocations that Manasseh had provoked him withal.

23:27 And the LORD said, I will remove Judah also out of my sight, as I have removed Israel, and will cast off this city Jerusalem which I have chosen, and the House of which I said, my name shall be there.

3). Another scriptural witness to the ominous truth that God judged Israel because of their shedding of blood mingled with idolatry is found in Ezekiel

a). Ezekiel 36:16-19 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

36:17 Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me, as the uncleanness of a removed woman.

36:18 Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it;

36:19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their ways and according to their doings I judged them.

4). The phrase, “the blood that they had shed upon the land” in verse 18 is the blood of their children that they had offered to idols.

a). Ezekiel 16:35, 36 Wherefore, O harlot, hear the word of the LORD:

16:36 Thus saith the LORD God; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them.