2 Kings 21:13 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 21:13 mean?

2 Kings 21:13 uses the image of measuring tools and cleaning a dish to describe how God will judge Jerusalem, treating it as He did Samaria and the house of Ahab. The verse says God will wipe Jerusalem clean, turning it upside down, showing a complete removal or reversal.

In this verse, God is speaking through a prophet to warn the people of Jerusalem. The situation is that Jerusalem, under King Manasseh, has become deeply corrupt, much like Samaria and the house of Ahab before it. The verse uses strong visual language to make clear that God’s judgment will be thorough and inescapable, just as one would carefully clean and overturn a dish to remove every trace of food.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 21:13

• The word "line" (קַו, qav) refers to a measuring cord, often used by builders to ensure straightness or to mark out destruction. Here, it signals that Jerusalem will be measured for judgment just as Samaria was.
• "Plummet" (מִשְׁקֹלֶת, mishqolet) is a tool for measuring vertical alignment, reinforcing the idea of precise and deliberate judgment.
• The verb "wipe" (מָחָה, machah) is repeated several times in this verse, emphasizing the thoroughness of the action—God will not just punish, but completely remove the current state of Jerusalem, like wiping a dish clean.

Why 2 Kings 21:13 matters

• This verse clears up that God’s judgment on Jerusalem is not random or partial; it is as precise and total as a builder’s measurement or a dish being wiped and turned upside down.
• The comparison to Samaria and the house of Ahab shows that Jerusalem is not exempt from consequences, even though it is the city of the temple.
• The vivid imagery helps readers grasp the seriousness of the coming judgment and connects it to earlier biblical events, showing a pattern in how God deals with persistent wrongdoing.