2 Kings 21:12
in 2 Kings 21this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity upon Jerusalem and Judah that the news will reverberate in the ears of all who hear it.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
therefore thus saith Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I bring such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
KJV
Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.
⋯
This verse in 2 Kings 21
Commentary
6 notes on this verseBoth his ears shall tingle - תצלנה titstsalnah; something expressive of the sound in what we call, from the same sensation, the tingling of the ears. This is the consequence of having the ears suddenly pierced with a loud and shrill noise; the ears seem to ring for some time after. The prophets spoke to them vehemently, so that the sound seemed to be continued even when they had left off speaking. This was a faithful and solemn testimony.
This site's exposition
by his servants the prophets
on 2 Kings 21:10-12
The Lord speaks through his prophets, whom Jewish chronology names as Joel, Nahum and Habakkuk for this period, and the charge against Manasseh says he has done wickedly above the Amorites and made Judah sin with his idols, echoing the language the book has already repeated of the northern kings who made Israel to sin. Verse 12 pronounces the ears tingle formula, which falls only three times in Scripture: over Eli's house at 1 Samuel 3:11, over Manasseh's Jerusalem here, and over the temple's ruin at Jeremiah 19:3. Each occurrence announces judgment on a house that had carried the Lord's own name.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
A commentator
John ChrysostomHOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 22.6 · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
For so Manasses had perpetrated innumerable pollutions, having both stretched out his hands against the saints, and brought abominations into the temple, and filled the city with murders, and wrought many other things beyond excuse; yet nevertheless after so long and so great wickedness, he washed away from himself all these things. How and in what manner? By repentance, and consideration. For there is not, yea, there is not any sin, that doth not yield and give way to the power of repentance, or rather to the grace of Christ. Since if we would but only change, we have Him to assist us. And if thou art desirous to become good, there is none to hinder us; or rather there is one to hinder us, the devil, yet hath he no power, so long as thou choosest what is best, and so attractest God to thine aid.
A commentator
Apostolic ConstitutionsCONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2.22 · Written before 380.
proposed
For it is written thus in the fourth book of Kings and the second book of Chronicles, or of Days: "Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign; he reigned fifty-five years in Jerusalem. His mother's name was Hephzibah. He did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, following the abominable practices of the nations that the Lord drove out before the people of Israel.
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
), that is, their hearts to tremble. It should make a great noise in the world and occasion many speculations. It should be copied out (as the sins of Jerusalem had been) from Samaria and the house of Ahab,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
Therefore thus saith the Lord God of Israel,.... Who, though kind and gracious to Israel as their covenant God, is yet just and righteous, as well as he is a sovereign Being and Lord of all: behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle; it will make such a noise in the world, and be so horrible and terrible; and if, he report of it would be so dreadful as to make a man's ears tingle, and his heart tremble, what must it be to endure it!
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
Will ring. An expression of cymbals, 1 See Rashi in I Shmuel:11. tintiner, in O. F.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
And the plumb line. That is the string to which the builders of a wall tie a lead weight to make the wall straight. 2 I.e., so that the following rows of bricks or stones will all be directly above one another.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 5 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לָכֵ֗ן | lakhen | <to> therefore | H3651 → | 771 times |
| כֹּֽה־ | koh- | thus | H3541 → | 577 times |
| אָמַ֤ר | ʾamar | he says | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֣י | ʾelohei | [the] God of | H430 → | 2601 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| הִנְנִי֙ | hini | here I | H2005 → | 316 times |
| מֵבִ֣יא | mevi' | [am] about to bring | H935 → | 2568 times |
| רָעָ֔ה | raah | calamity | H7451 → | 662 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם | yerushalim | Jerusalem | H3389 → | 643 times |
| וִֽיהוּדָ֑ה | vihudah | and Judah | H3063 → | 819 times |
| אֲשֶׁר֙ | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | every | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שֹׁ֣מְעָ֔הּ | shomeah | [one who] hears of it | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| תִּצַּ֖לְנָה | titzalnah | they will tingle | H6750 → | |
| שְׁתֵּ֥י | shetei | [the] two | H8147 → | 768 times |
| אָזְנָֽיו׃ | ʾazenav | ears his | H241 → | 187 times |
לָכֵ֗ן<to> therefore
lakhenH3651 →771 times
כֹּֽה־thus
koh-H3541 →577 times
אָמַ֤רhe says
ʾamarH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֣י[the] God of
ʾeloheiH430 →2601 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
הִנְנִי֙here I
hiniH2005 →316 times
מֵבִ֣יא[am] about to bring
mevi'H935 →2568 times
רָעָ֔הcalamity
raahH7451 →662 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖םJerusalem
yerushalimH3389 →643 times
וִֽיהוּדָ֑הand Judah
vihudahH3063 →819 times
אֲשֶׁר֙which
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
כָּל־every
kol-H3605 →5413 times
שֹׁ֣מְעָ֔הּ[one who] hears of it
shomeahH8085 →1159 times
תִּצַּ֖לְנָהthey will tingle
titzalnahH6750 →
שְׁתֵּ֥י[the] two
sheteiH8147 →768 times
אָזְנָֽיו׃ears his
ʾazenavH241 →187 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Micah 3:12Therefore, because of you, Zion will be plowed like a field, Jerusalem will become a heap of rubble, and the temple mount a wooded ridge.
it leads to
- Jeremiah 26:18
“Micah the Moreshite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah and told all the people of Judah that this is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Zion will be plowed like a…
- Psalms 79:1
The nations, O God, have invaded Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple and reduced Jerusalem to rubble.
- Jeremiah 26:18
Through
1 Samuel 3:11Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle.
it leads to
- Habakkuk 1:5
“Look at the nations and observe—be utterly astounded! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe even if someone told you.
- Acts 13:41
‘Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish! For I am doing a work in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.’”
- Jeremiah 19:3
saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster…
- Habakkuk 1:5
Through
Jeremiah 19:3saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah and residents of Jerusalem. This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster…
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 3:11
Then the LORD said to Samuel, “I am about to do something in Israel at which the ears of all who hear it will tingle.
- Jeremiah 17:20
Say to them, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O kings of Judah, all people of Judah and Jerusalem who enter through these gates.
- 1 Samuel 3:11
Through
Daniel 9:12You have carried out the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us a great disaster. For under all of heaven, nothing has ever been done like what has been…
it leads to
- Ezekiel 5:9
Because of all your abominations, I will do to you what I have never done before and will never do again.
- Ezekiel 5:9
About 2 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPatriarchsJudahJacob's fourth son who pledges himself for Benjamin; the tribe that carries the scepter to Shiloh (49:10) and the line to Christ (…
- PlaceJerusalemJerusalemThe city David took from the Jebusites and made his capital, where Solomon built the temple, where Christ was crucified and rose,…
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Apostolic Constitutions, CONSTITUTIONS OF THE HOLY APOSTLES 2.22; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 22.6; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.