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And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
2 Kings 23:37 · King James Version
Parallel translations
  • WEB He did that which was evil in Yahweh’s sight, according to all that his fathers had done.
  • BSB And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, just as his fathers had done.
  • NKJV And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
  • NASB He did evil in the sight of the Lord, in accordance with all that his forefathers had done.
  • NLT He did what was evil in the Lord’s sight, just as his ancestors had done.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Quick answer

Jehoiakim does evil in the Lord's sight as his fathers had done. He continues the pattern of covenant unfaithfulness.

Overview

Like his brother before him, Jehoiakim abandons the ways of his godly father Josiah and follows the sins of earlier kings. His evil reign, marked by injustice and bloodshed (Jer. 22), hastens the judgment God had decreed. The verse reinforces that Judah's leaders persistently rejected the Lord.

Cross-references & the web

Cross-references · 9

  • Jer 36:23–26And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.
  • Jer 26:20–23And there was also a man that prophesied in the name of the LORD, Urijah the son of Shemaiah of Kirjathjearim, who prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:
  • 2 Chr 33:22–23But he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, as did Manasseh his father: for Amon sacrificed unto all the carved images which Manasseh his father had made, and served them;
  • 2 Kgs 23:32And he did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his fathers had done.
  • Ezek 19:5–9Now when she saw that she had waited, and her hope was lost, then she took another of her whelps, and made him a young lion.
  • Jer 36:31And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not.
  • 2 Chr 28:22–25And in the time of his distress did he trespass yet more against the LORD: this is that king Ahaz.
  • Jer 22:13–17Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;
  • 2 Chr 33:4–10Also he built altars in the house of the LORD, whereof the LORD had said, In Jerusalem shall my name be for ever.

Themes, concepts, people & topics

Topics (1)

Resources, by level

Commentaries & study tools

  • VideoBibleProject — 2 Kings videosBibleProject · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.

  • VideoWatch teaching on 2 Kings 23:37YouTube · Lay · Free

    Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.

  • CommentaryEnduring Word — verse-by-verseDavid Guzik · Lay · Free · evangelical

    Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.

  • CommentaryClassic commentaries for this verseBibleHub (20+ works) · Pastoral · Free

    Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.

  • CommentaryMatthew Henry on 2 KingsMatthew Henry · Pastoral · Free · evangelical

    The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).

  • ReferenceInterlinear, lexicon & Strong'sBlue Letter Bible · Seminary · Free

    Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.

Christ at the center

Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.

How 2 Kings 23:37 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.

Original language

Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.