What Does 2 Chronicles 13:20 Mean in the King James?

Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died.

2 Chronicles 13:20 · KJV

The analysis reads the King James wording.

King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.

THE KEY

The Hebrew verb for “struck” shares its root with “plague,” giving the LORD’s blow the force of a bodily affliction that ends in death.

THE MEANING

You meet a stark limit: strength does not return, and the LORD’s strike ends in death. Jeroboam is named as the one struck, so the verse holds divine judgment in bodily, mortal terms.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

The belief that a ruler’s strength makes him beyond the reach of death.

THE ROOT

וַיִּגְּפֵהוּ

wayyiggefehu

GROWS FROM

נ־ג־ף

n-g-p

Strike, smite, inflict a blow.

“struck” in this verse is wayyiggefehu. The root names the direct blow here, and its derived noun also names a plague. The word family links sudden impact with affliction, giving the LORD’s action the bodily force the sentence states.

ALSO GROWS

maggephah: Plague, pestilence.

מַגֵּפָה

This related noun carries the same root from a single blow into an affliction that strikes more broadly.

niggaph: Be struck, be defeated.

נִגַּף

This passive form shows the other side of the blow: the one who is struck bears its consequence.

THE PATTERN

Divine judgment is described as a concrete blow, with bodily death or the threat of a deadly strike close to view.

And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.

1 Samuel 25:38 · KJVThe Hebrew verb translated “smote” is the same root used for the LORD’s strike here, and Nabal’s death follows.

For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

Exodus 12:23 · KJVThe same Hebrew root for striking appears twice: the blow against Egypt and the blow held back from the marked houses.

And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

Acts 12:23 · KJVThe strike is again narrated through bodily consequence: Herod is eaten by worms and dies.

THE THREAD

And it came to pass about ten days after, that the LORD smote Nabal, that he died.

1 Samuel 25:38 · KJV

“Smote” here and “struck” in 2 Chronicles come from the same Hebrew root, ⁨נ־ג־ף⁩ (n-g-p), meaning to strike or smite. In both verses the blow is attributed to the LORD, and death follows.

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