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2 Kings 21:23 — Word Study

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WLCוַיִּקְשְׁר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי־ אָמ֖וֹן עָלָ֑יו וַיָּמִ֥יתוּ אֶת־ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּבֵיתֽוֹ׃

BSAThen the servantsʻebed [or slaves, bondmen] of AmonʼÂmôwn conspiredqâshar [plotted, made a secret design] against himʻal and killedmûwth [slew, put to death] the kingmelek [ruler, monarch] in his palacebayith [own house, royal residence]

Word
Listen & take away2 Kings 21
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Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
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2 Kings 21:23quick helps
In a sentenceThe servants of Amon plotted against him and killed the king in his palace.
Who is speakingThe servants of Amon, acting on their own accord.
Where we areThe events surrounding the assassination of King Amon.
The hard wordקָשַׁר
Take awayBetrayal and violence occur within the royal household.
7 commentators on this verse Gill, Trapp, Ellicott, AdamClarke & more — read them › clause verbקָשַׁר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — 2 Kings 21:23

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Assassination of King Amongenerated

22He abandoned the LORD, the God of his fathers, and did not walk in the way of the LORD.
23Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his palace.
24But the people of the land killed all those who had conspired against King Amon, and they made his son Josiah king in his place.
25As for the rest of the acts of Amon, along with his accomplishments, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Judah?

2 Kings 21:23 describes the conspiracy against King Amon, who had strayed from the ways of the LORD. His servants turned against him, leading to his assassination in the palace. This act of betrayal highlights the instability within the monarchy and foreshadows the rise of his son, Josiah, as the new king, as mentioned in the following verses.


Cross References

ReferenceText (BSB)
12 Kings 12:20And the servants of Joash rose up and formed a conspiracy and killed him at Beth-millo, on the road down to Silla.
22 Kings 14:19And conspirators plotted against Amaziah in Jerusalem, and he fled to Lachish. But men were sent after him to Lachish, and they killed him there.
32 Kings 15:25–30Then his officer, Pekah son of Remaliah, conspired against him along with Argob, Arieh, and fifty men of Gilead. And at the citadel of the king’s palace in Samaria, Pekah struck down and killed Pekahiah and reigned in his place.
41 Kings 15:27Then Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar conspired against Nadab, and Baasha struck him down at Gibbethon of the Philistines while Nadab and all Israel were besieging the city.
51 Kings 16:9However, while Elah was in Tirzah getting drunk in the house of Arza the steward of his household there, Elah’s servant Zimri, the commander of half his chariots, conspired against him.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to

And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.2 Kings 12:20 2 Kings 14:19 2 Kings 15:25–30 1 Kings 15:27 1 Kings 16:9 2 Chronicles 33:24–25

The Key Word קָשַׁר, qashargenerated

The verb קָשַׁר (qashar) means to conspire or bind together. It is often used in contexts of forming alliances or plots, as seen here in the conspiracy against Amon. The parsing indicates that it is a sequential imperfect verb in the third person masculine plural, showing that the servants acted collectively in their scheme.

This word carries the connotation of secrecy and intent, as it describes a deliberate action taken by a group. The use of this verb emphasizes the treachery involved in the act, as these servants chose to bind themselves together in a plot against their king.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb וַיִּקְשְׁר֥וּ (vai.yik.she.Ru), and they conspired, governs the sentence, with a sequence of actions following it. The structure shows that the servants acted first in conspiracy and then in execution, revealing a clear cause-and-effect relationship.

The sentence is built around the actions of the servants, with two main verbs: וַיִּקְשְׁר֥וּ and וַיָּמִ֥יתוּ (and they killed), which are both in the sequential imperfect tense, indicating ongoing actions in the past.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates קָשַׁר as συνεστράφησαν (sunestraphēsan), meaning 'they were conspired together.' This choice highlights the collective nature of the conspiracy, suggesting a more formal alliance among the servants.

This translation reflects a narrowing of focus on the act of conspiracy itself, emphasizing the unity of the conspirators in their plot against Amon.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

2 Kings 21:23 tells us that the servants of Amon plotted against him and killed him in his palace. This act of betrayal shows the tension and instability in Amon's reign, leading to further conflict as the people reacted to his death.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does it mean that the servants conspired against Amon?

It indicates a betrayal, where those closest to Amon turned against him, leading to his assassination.

Why was Amon killed?

Amon was killed due to his abandonment of the LORD, which alienated him from his subjects and led to unrest.

What happened after Amon's death?

After Amon's assassination, his son Josiah was made king, which marked a significant change in leadership.

How does this event fit into the larger narrative of the kings of Judah?

It reflects the political instability and moral decline during this period, as many kings turned away from God.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. What can we learn about loyalty and betrayal from the actions of Amon's servants?
  2. How does Amon's reign and its end reflect the spiritual state of Judah at that time?
  3. What are the consequences of turning away from God's ways, as seen in Amon's life?
  4. How does the rise of Josiah contrast with the reign of Amon?

Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on 2 Kings 21:23 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the servants of Amon conspired against him,.... Some of his domestic servants, and perhaps his courtiers, not on account of his idolatry, but for some ill usage of them: and slew the king in his

Read John Gill on 2 Kings 21 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

2 Kings 21:23 And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.Ver. 23. And the servants of Amon conspired.] Probably these had corrupted him as another Joash.

Read John Trapp on 2 Kings 21 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(23) The servants of Amon—i.e., according to the common use of the phrase, his courtiers or palace officials. Nothing further is known of the circumstances of the murder. For a conjecture, see 2 Chronicles 33:25.

Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Kings 21 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 23. The servants of Amon conspired] What their reason was for slaying their king we cannot tell. It does not seem to have been a popular act, for the people of the land rose up and slew the regicides. We hear enough of this man when we hear that he was as bad as his father was in the beginning of his reign, but did not copy his father's repentance.

Read AdamClarke on 2 Kings 21 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

23. the servants of Amon conspired against him] The servants must be the court officers who were close about the king. The place where he was killed, ‘his own house’, shews this, and the present destruction of Amon’s murderers by ‘the people of the land’ proves that it was no popular movement against the king, but only some private intrigue. The people also shewed their attachment to the house of David by immediately placing Amon’s son, Josiah, on the throne. and slew the king] R.V. put the king to death. The change is made to shew that the word is not the same as that translated ‘slew’ in the next verse.

Read Cambridge on 2 Kings 21 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

This conspiracy may have been due to the popular reaction against the extreme idolatry which the young king had established.

Read Albert Barnes on 2 Kings 21 →
Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

23. The servants of Amon — Probably his court-attendants. For what reason they conspired against him is at present only a matter of conjecture.

Read Daniel Denison Whedon on 2 Kings 21 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his palace.

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house.

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then the servants of Amon conspired against him and killed the king in his palace.

NETBNew English Translation2006

Amon’s servants conspired against him and killed the king in his palace.

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house.

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house.

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.

GNVGeneva Bible1599

And the seruantes of Amon conspired against him, and slewe the King in his owne house.

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and slew the king in his own house.

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the servants of Amon conspire against him, and put the king to death in his own house,

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the servants of Amon conspire against him, and put the king to death in his own house,

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the servants of Amon conspired against him, and put the king to death in his own house.

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

The servants of Amon conspired against him and put the king to death in his own house.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And his servants plotted against him, and slew the king in his own house.

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Amon's officials plotted against him and murdered him in his royal palace.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And the servants of Amon made a secret design against him, and put the king to death in his house.

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיִּקְשְׁר֥וּthey.conspirednoun phrase · subjectעַבְדֵֽיthe.servantsאָמ֖וֹןof.Amonprepositional phrase · prepositionalעָלָ֑יonוhimוַandclauseverbיָּמִ֥יתוּthey.killednoun phrase · objectאֶת(et)noun phraseהַtheמֶּ֖לֶךְkingprepositional phrase · prepositionalבְּinnoun phraseבֵיתֽhis.ownוֹhouse

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text reads: וַיִּקְשְׁר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי־ אָמ֖וֹן עָלָ֑יו וַיָּמִ֥יתוּ אֶת־ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּבֵיתֽוֹ׃. The Septuagint matches seven of the eight words, indicating a strong agreement between the texts, although the word order differs.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיִּקְשְׁר֥וּ עַבְדֵֽי־ אָמ֖וֹן עָלָ֑יו וַיָּמִ֥יתוּ אֶת־ הַמֶּ֖לֶךְ בְּבֵיתֽוֹ׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיִּקְשְׁר֥וּσυνεστράφησανעַבְדֵֽי־παῖδεςאָמ֖וֹןαμωνעָלָ֑יוαὐτὸνוַיָּמִ֥יתוּἐθανάτωσανהַמֶּ֖לֶךְβασιλέαבְּבֵיתֽוֹ׃αὐτοῦ

7 of the 8 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

2 Kings 21:23קָשַׁרand they coand they conspiקָשַׁרעֶ֫בֶד[the] serva[the] servants עֶ֫בֶדאָמוֹןAmonAmonאָמוֹןעַלon himon himעַלמוּתand they kiand they killedמוּתאֵתthe object the object markאֵתמֶ֫לֶךְthe kingthe kingמֶ֫לֶךְבֵּיתin own housin own house hiבֵּיתבָּנָהto buildto buildבָּנָהעָבַדto serveto serveעָבַדאוֹתsign: mirasign: miraculouאוֹתמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְאָמוֹןartisanartisanאָמוֹןעַלheightheightעַלקֶ֫שֶׁרconspiracyconspiracyקֶ֫שֶׁרזִמְרִיZimriZimriזִמְרִיאָמָהmaidservanmaidservantאָמָהשִׁפְחָהmaidservanmaidservantשִׁפְחָהיֹאשִׁיָּ֫הוּJosiahJosiahיֹאשִׁיָּ֫הוּקָשַׁרto conspirto conspireקָשַׁרכִּפֶּרto atoneto atoneכִּפֶּרכִּסֵּאthronethroneכִּסֵּארָצַחto murderto murderרָצַחקָבַרto buryto buryקָבַרמִגְרָשׁpasturepastureמִגְרָשׁנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּרNebuchadneNebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in 2 Kings 21:23

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and they conspired [the] servants of Amon on him and they killed the object marker the king in own house his
וַיִּקְשְׁר֥וּvai.yik.she.Ru and they conspired H7194 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
44× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this verb means to tie or bind something, like when God bound Isaac in Genesis 22:9. It can also mean to conspire or make an alliance, as in 2 Samuel 15:31. The KJV translates it as bind or conspire.
Amplified meaning
plotted, made a secret design
Tyndale gloss
to conspire
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

קָשַׁר (qashar) is a Hebrew verb meaning to bind or tie together, both physically and mentally, as in forming a league or conspiring. The entries describe its various uses, including binding fast or being bound up, and it appears in different grammatical forms. Notably, it is used in the context of relationships, such as the life of Jonathan being bound to David's.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

קָשַׁר vb. bind, league together, conspire

Qal

bind

league together, conspire

Niph. the life of Jonathan was bound up with the life of D.

Pi.

bind on (as ornament)

bind fast

Pu. = Qal 1 c.

Hithp. conspire

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H7194 קָשַׁר bind, league together, conspire .. bind

. league together, conspire

. the life of Jonathan was bound up with the life of D.

. . bind on (as ornament)

. bind fast

. = Qal 1 c.

. conspire

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

7194 qashar kaw-shar'

a primitive root: to tie, physically (gird, confine, compact)

or mentally (in love, league):--bind (up), (make a)

conspire(-acy, -ator), join together, knit, stronger, work

(treason).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

קָשַׁר (qa.shar) — to conspire.

1) to bind, tie, bind together, league together, conspire

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to bind, confine

1a2) to league together, conspire

1b) (Niphal) to be bound, be bound up

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to bind on

1c2) to bind fast

1c3) to bind, tie

1c4) to bind to oneself

1d) (Pual) robust, vigorous (participle)

1e) (Hithpael) to conspire

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vqw3mp
and they conspired [the] servants of Amon on him and they killed the object marker the king in own house his
עַבְדֵֽי־'av.dei- [the] servants of H5650 Noun common · masculine plural construct
801× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a servant or slave, often in the context of serving God or a human master. It can also describe a prophet or Levite. The KJV translates it as bondage, bondman, or servant.
Amplified meaning
or slaves, bondmen
Tyndale gloss
servant/slave
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עֶ֫בֶד (*ebed*) means 'slave' or 'servant' and encompasses various roles, including household servants, subjects, and worshippers of God. It can also refer to Israel as a collective servant of God and is used in polite address among equals. The word is derived from a root meaning 'to work' or 'to serve'.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עֶ֫בֶד 799 n.m. slave, servant

slave, servant of household

Subjects, of chief

Servants, worshippers of God

Servant of י׳, in a special sense

Israel as a people is servant of י׳

In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I

Phrases

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5650 עֶ֫בֶד slave, servant . slave, servant of household

. Subjects, of chief

. Servants, worshippers of God

. Servant of י׳, in a special sense

. Israel as a people is servant of י׳

. In polite address of equals or superiors the Hebrews used עַבְדְּךָ thy servant = 1 pers. sing., I

. Phrases

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5650 `ebed eh'-bed

from 5647; a servant:--X bondage, bondman, (bond-)servant,

(man-)servant.

see HEBREW for 05647

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עֶ֫בֶד (e.ved) — servant/slave.

1) slave, servant

1a) slave, servant, man-servant

1b) subjects

1c) servants, worshippers (of God)

1d) servant (in special sense as prophets, Levites etc)

1e) servant (of Israel)

1f) servant (as form of address between equals)

Aramaic equivalent: a.vad (עֲבַד "servant/slave" H5649)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural construct
HNcmpc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and they conspired [the] servants of Amon on him and they killed the object marker the king in own house his
אָמ֖וֹן'a.Mon Amon H526 Noun proper masculine
17× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Amon was a king of Judah, son of Manasseh, who ruled for two years. The name Amon also refers to other Israelites, including a governor of Samaria and a descendant of a servant of Solomon. Amon means skilled workman or master workman.
Tyndale gloss
Amon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמוֹן (Amown) refers to Amon, a name associated with several figures in the Old Testament, including a king of Judah and a governor of Samaria. The name is linked to the meaning "skilled workman" or "master workman." Amon is first mentioned in 1 Kings 22:26 and is noted as the son of Manasseh and father of Josiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמוֹן n.pr.m. (master-workman)

king of Judah

captain of a city

one of the line of Solomon’s servants

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H526 אָמוֹן

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

526 'Amown aw-mone'

the same as 525; Amon, the name of three Israelites:--Amon.

see HEBREW for 0525

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמוֹן (a.mon) — Amon.

A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 1Ki.22.26

§ Amon = "skilled workman" or "master workman"

1) a king of Judah, son of Manasseh

2) a governor of Samaria

3) a descendant of a servant of Solomon

אָמוֹן (a.mon) — Amon.

A king of the tribe of Judah living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at 2Ki.21.18;

son of: Manasseh (H4519H) and Meshullemeth (H4922); married to Jedidah (H3040);

father of: Josiah (H2977); also called Amos at Mat.1.10;

§ Amon = "skilled workman" or "master workman"

1) a king of Judah, son of Manasseh

2) a governor of Samaria

3) a descendant of a servant of Solomon

אָמוֹן (a.mon) — Amon.

A man living at the time of Exile and Return, first mentioned at Ezr.2.57; also called Amon at Neh.7.59;

Another name of a.mi (אָמִי "Ami" H0532)

§ Amon = "skilled workman" or "master workman"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper masculine
HNpm
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

a'-mon ('amon): A name identical with that of the Egyptian local deity of Thebes (No); compare Jer 46:25. The foreign name given to a Hebrew prince is remarkable, as is also the fact that it is one of the two or three royal names of Judah not compounded with the name of Yahweh. See MANASSEH. It seems to reflect the sentiment which his fanatical father sought to make prevail that Yahweh had no longer any more claim to identification with the realm than had other deities.

(1) A king of Judah, son and successor of Manasseh; reigned two years and was assassinated in his own palace by the officials of his household. The story of his reign is told briefly in 2Ki 21:19-26, and still more briefly, though in identical terms, so far as they go, in

Amon

Builder. (1.) The governor of Samaria in the time of Ahab. The prophet Micaiah was committed to his custody (1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chr. 18:25).

(2.) The son of Manasseh, and fourteenth king of Judah. He restored idolatry, and set up the images which his father had cast down. Zephaniah (1:4; 3:4, 11) refers to the moral depravity prevailing in this king’s reign.

He was assassinated (2 Kings 21:18-26: 2 Chr. 33:20-25) by his own servants, who conspired against him.

(3.) An Egyptian god, usually depicted with a human body and the head of a ram, referred to in Jer. 46:25, where the word “multitudes” in the Authorized…

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(builder). One of Ahab’s governors. (1 Kings 22:26; 2 Chronicles 18:25) King of Judah, son and successor of Manasseh, reigned two years, from B.C. 642 to 640. Amon devoted himself wholly to the service of false gods, but was killed in a conspiracy, and was succeeded by his son Josiah.

American Tract Society Bible Dictionary

The fourteenth king of Judah, son of Manasseh, began to reign B. C. 639, at the age of twenty-two, and reigned only two years at Jerusalem. He did evil in the sight of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done, by forsaking Jehovah and worshipping idols. His servants conspired against him, and slew him in his own house; but the people killed all the conspirators, and established his son Josiah on the throne. He was buried in the garden of Uzzah, 2Ki 21:18-26 2Ch 33:21-25.

and they conspired [the] servants of Amon on him and they killed the object marker the king in own house his
עָלָ֑יו'a.Lav on him H5921 Preposition · suffix
5,774× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means on or above something, like a physical object or a situation. It can also imply a sense of responsibility or accountability, as in being on behalf of someone.
Tyndale gloss
upon
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

base

עַל, עָ֑ל

subst. height

As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed

of clothing, etc., which any one wears

With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

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Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears

. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it

. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him

. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him

. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him

. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)

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Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5921 `al al

properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the

singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a

particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always

in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great

variety of applications (as follow):--above, according

to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because

of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both

and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in

(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,

through(-out), to, touching, X with.

see HEBREW for 05920

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עַל (al) — upon.

prep

1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against

1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards

1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)

1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)

1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)

1e) over (of suspension or extension)

1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)

1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)

1h) to (as a dative)

[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.

conj

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | Suff — Preposition · suffix
HR/Sp3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they conspired [the] servants of Amon on him and they killed the object marker the king in own house his
וַיָּמִ֥יתוּvai.ya.Mi.tu and they killed H4191 Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
840× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to die, either literally or as a punishment, and is used in books like Genesis and Exodus. It can also mean to perish or be killed. This concept is seen in the story of Adam and Eve, where death enters the world as a result of sin.
Amplified meaning
slew, put to death
Tyndale gloss
to die
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מוּת (mūth) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to die' or 'to kill.' It encompasses a range of meanings from dying naturally to being executed as a penalty. The word can refer to both humans and animals, and it includes various forms such as causing death or being killed. There is a distinction in usage based on the subject, whether it is a person or God inflicting death.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מוּת vb. die

Qal

die, of natural or other causes

die as a penalty = be put to death

Po‛lel. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

Hiph.

abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

subj. God, by inflicting penalty

of animals killing men

bring to a premature death

Hoph. be killed, put to death

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4191 מוּת die .. die, of natural or other causes

. die as a penalty = be put to death

. kill, put to death, despatch (intens.)

. . abs., elsewhere c. acc., subj. man

. subj. God, by inflicting penalty

. of animals killing men

. bring to a premature death

. be killed, put to death

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4191 muwth mooth

a primitive root: to die (literally or figuratively);

causatively, to kill:--X at all, X crying, (be) dead (body,

man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to,

be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), X must needs,

slay, X surely, X very suddenly, X in (no) wise.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מוּת (mut) — to die.

1) to die, kill, have one executed

1a)(Qal)

1a1) to die

1a2) to die (as penalty), be put to death

1a3) to die, perish (of a nation)

1a4) to die prematurely (by neglect of wise moral conduct)

1b) (Polel) to kill, put to death, dispatch

1c) (Hiphil) to kill, put to death

1d) (Hophal)

1d1) to be killed, be put to death

1d1a) to die prematurely

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3mp — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine plural
Hc/Vhw3mp
and they conspired [the] servants of Amon on him and they killed the object marker the king in own house his
אֶת־'et- the object marker H853 Particle
10,946× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the original Hebrew, this word points out the object of a verb or preposition, like 'namely' or 'even'. It appears in many books, including Genesis and Exodus. It's not directly translated in English, but helps clarify the meaning of sentences.
Tyndale gloss
[Obj.]
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֵת (eth) is primarily a grammatical marker in Hebrew, indicating the definite direct object of a verb. It is not translated into English and typically precedes nouns that are definite. The word is derived from a demonstrative sense of entity, related to the Hebrew word for 'self.' Its Aramaic equivalent is יָת (yat).

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H853 אֵת the mark of the accusative, prefixed as a rule only to nouns that are definite

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

853 'eth ayth

apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of

entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more

definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or

namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).

see HEBREW for 0226

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֵת (et) — [Obj.].

sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative

Aramaic equivalent: yat (יָת "whom" H3487)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTo — Particle
HTo
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and they conspired [the] servants of Amon on him and they killed the object marker the king in own house his
הַמֶּ֖לֶךְha.Me.lekh the king H4428 Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Amplified meaning
ruler, monarch
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | N-ms — Particle · noun common masculine singular absolute
HTd/Ncmsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

King

Is in Scripture very generally used to denote one invested with authority, whether extensive or limited. There were thirty-one kings in Canaan (Josh. 12:9, 24), whom Joshua subdued. Adonibezek subdued seventy kings (Judg. 1:7). In the New Testament the Roman emperor is spoken of as a king (1 Pet. 2:13, 17); and Herod Antipas, who was only a tetrarch, is also called a king (Matt. 14:9; Mark 6:22).

This title is applied to God (1 Tim. 1:17), and to Christ, the Son of God (1 Tim. 6:15, 16;

Nave's Topical Bible

→ Called KING OF KINGS Ezr 7:12; Eze 26:7; Da 2:37

→ Divinely authorized De 17:15; 1Sa 9:16,17; 16:12; 1Ch 22:10; 2Ch 2:11,12; Pr 8:15; Da 2:21,37; 4:17; 5:20; Ho 8:4; 13:11

→ How chosen

By divine appointment, Saul 1Sa 10:1

and they conspired [the] servants of Amon on him and they killed the object marker the king in own house his
בְּבֵיתֽוֹ׃be.vei.To in own house his H1004 Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
2,049× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
The Hebrew word for house refers to a dwelling place, including a family home, temple, or even the human body. It appears in various contexts, such as the temple in Jerusalem or the household of a family. In the Bible, it is often used to describe a place of worship or a family's living space.
Amplified meaning
own house, royal residence
Tyndale gloss
place
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between

base

בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house

house

place

receptacle

of house as containing a family

household, family (592 t.)

house, including household affairs

lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards

מִבַּיִת

adv. on the inside

prep. within

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

1004 bayith bah'-yith

probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest

variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,

daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as

would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),

inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,

temple, web, + within(-out).

see HEBREW for 01129

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

בֵּית (bet) — place.

nm

place, origin, between

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.

: home/temple/building

nm

1) house

1a) house, dwelling habitation

1b) shelter or abode of animals

1c) human bodies (fig.)

1d) of Sheol

1e) of abode of light and darkness

1f) of land of Ephraim

2) place

3) receptacle

4) home, house as containing a family

5) household, family

5a) those belonging to the same household

5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body

6) household affairs

7) inwards (metaph.)

8) (TWOT) temple

adv

9) on the inside

prep

10) within

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)

בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).

nm

This name is used for a house, habitation

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Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffix
HR/Ncmsc/Sp3ms
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

hiz: Used often in the King James Version with reference to a neuter or inanimate thing, or to a lower animal (Ge 1:11, "after his kind"; Le 1:16, "pluck away his crop"; Ac 12:10, "of his own accord"; 1Co 15:38, "his own body"), etc. the Revised Version (British and American) substitutes "its."

The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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