And I will forsake the remnant of mine inheritance, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies; and they shall become a prey and a spoil to all their enemies;

2 KINGS 21:14KJV
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2 Kings 21:14 (KJV)

What does 2 Kings 21:14 mean?

2 Kings 21:14 means that God is declaring He will abandon the remaining people of Israel, allowing them to fall into the hands of their enemies, who will treat them as easy targets to be plundered and taken advantage of. This is a warning of coming judgment and loss because of the people's unfaithfulness.

In this verse, God is speaking through a prophet about what will happen to the people of Judah during the reign of King Manasseh, who led the nation into deep idolatry and evil practices. The verse uses strong language to show that the people, once considered God's special possession, will now be left unprotected and vulnerable to those who wish them harm.

The Hebrew behind 2 Kings 21:14

  • "forsake" (נָטַשׁ, natash): This word means to abandon or leave behind. It emphasizes the seriousness of God withdrawing His protection and presence from His people.
  • "remnant" (שְׁאֵרִית, she'erit): This refers to the small group left after many have been lost or taken away. Here, it highlights that even the survivors will not escape judgment.
  • "prey" (מַרְאֵה, mavreh) and "spoil" (מַשָּׁא, mashsha): These words describe what happens to defeated people in war—they become things to be taken and used by their enemies. The verse paints a picture of total vulnerability.

Why 2 Kings 21:14 matters

  • This verse clarifies that God's judgment is not just a warning but a promise of real consequences when His people persist in turning away from Him.
  • The emphasis on the "remnant" shows that even those who thought they might be spared because they survived earlier troubles are still at risk if the nation as a whole does not change.
  • 2 Kings 21:14 connects directly to the wider story of Judah's decline, showing how the nation's repeated disobedience leads to a point where God's patience runs out and He allows disaster to come.

Where else these words appear

“spoil” Hebrew H4933 · used in 6 verses

  • Isaiah 42:22 But this is a people robbed and spoiled; they are all of them snared in holes, and they are hid in prison houses: they are for a prey, and none delivereth; for a spoil, and none saith, Restore.
  • Isaiah 42:24 Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.
  • Habakkuk 2:7 Shall they not rise up suddenly that shall bite thee, and awake that shall vex thee, and thou shalt be for booties unto them?

“prey” Hebrew H957 · used in 25 verses

  • Numbers 14:3 And wherefore hath the LORD brought us unto this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be a prey? were it not better for us to return into Egypt?
  • Jeremiah 15:13 Thy substance and thy treasures will I give to the spoil without price, and that for all thy sins, even in all thy borders.
  • Ezekiel 29:19 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will give the land of Egypt unto Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall take her multitude, and take her spoil, and take her prey; and it shall be the wages for his army.

“forsake” Hebrew H5203 · used in 39 verses

  • Genesis 31:28 And hast not suffered me to kiss my sons and my daughters? thou hast now done foolishly in so doing.
  • 1 Samuel 30:16 And when he had brought him down, behold, they were spread abroad upon all the earth, eating and drinking, and dancing, because of all the great spoil that they had taken out of the land of the Philistines, and out of the land of Judah.
  • Isaiah 21:15 For they fled from the swords, from the drawn sword, and from the bent bow, and from the grievousness of war.

“remnant” Hebrew H7611 · used in 66 verses

  • Genesis 45:7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.
  • Jeremiah 23:3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
  • Ezekiel 11:13 And it came to pass, when I prophesied, that Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then fell I down upon my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou make a full end of the remnant of Israel?