2 Kings 19:35

Authorized King James Version

And it came to pass that night, that the angel of the LORD went out, and smote in the camp of the Assyrians an hundred fourscore and five thousand: and when they arose early in the morning, behold, they were all dead corpses.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וַיְהִי֮
to exist, i.e., be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)
#2
בַּלַּ֣יְלָה
And it came to pass that night
properly, a twist (away of the light), i.e., night; figuratively, adversity
#3
הַהוּא֒
he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demo
#4
וַיֵּצֵ֣א׀
went out
to go (causatively, bring) out, in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively, direct and proxim
#5
מַלְאַ֣ךְ
that the angel
a messenger; specifically, of god, i.e., an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher)
#6
יְהוָ֗ה
of the LORD
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
#7
וַיַּךְ֙
and smote
to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)
#8
בְּמַֽחֲנֵ֣ה
in the camp
an encampment (of travellers or troops); hence, an army, whether literal (of soldiers) or figurative (of dancers, angels, cattle, locusts, stars; or e
#9
אַשּׁ֔וּר
of the Assyrians
ashshur, the second son of shem; also his descendants and the country occupied by them (i.e., assyria), its region and its empire
#10
מֵאָ֛ה
an hundred
a hundred; also as a multiplicative and a fraction
#11
שְׁמוֹנִ֥ים
fourscore
eighty, also eightieth
#12
וַֽחֲמִשָּׁ֖ה
and five
five
#13
אָ֑לֶף
thousand
hence (the ox's head being the first letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral) a thousand
#14
וַיַּשְׁכִּ֣ימוּ
and when they arose early
literally, to load up (on the back of man or beast), i.e., to start early in the morning
#15
בַבֹּ֔קֶר
in the morning
properly, dawn (as the break of day); generally, morning
#16
וְהִנֵּ֥ה
lo!
#17
כֻלָּ֖ם
properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)
#18
פְּגָרִ֥ים
corpses
a carcase (as limp), whether of man or beast; figuratively, an idolatrous image
#19
מֵתִֽים׃
behold they were all dead
to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine sovereignty contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

This passage must be understood within the political and social structures of the biblical period. The author writes to address believers seeking to understand God's will and purposes, making the emphasis on salvation particularly relevant. Historical documents from this period show cultural practices and social structures that would have been familiar to the original readers, illuminating the verse's original impact.

Questions for Reflection

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