What Does 2 Chronicles 20:36 Mean in the King James?

And he joined himself with him to make ships to go to Tarshish: and they made the ships in Ezion-geber.

2 Chronicles 20:36 · 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

Joining becomes visible in the shared work and common direction it creates.

THE MEANING

A bond takes shape in what you make together: shared labor gathers separate effort into one undertaking with a destination in view. The joining is not abstract; it becomes ships built for a common purpose.

THE ROOT

וַיְחַבְּרֵהוּ

vayḥabberēhû

GROWS FROM

חָבַר

ḥābar

to join, unite, or associate

“joined himself” in this verse is vayḥabberēhû. The root ⁨חָבַר⁩ also forms ⁨חָבֵר⁩ (ḥāver), a companion, and ⁨חֲבֻרָה⁩ (ḥavurah), a company or association. Here the joining becomes concrete: the partners make ships together and aim them toward a shared destination.

ALSO GROWS

ḥāver: companion, associate

חָבֵר

The relationship formed by joining is carried in the word for a companion.

ḥavurah: company, association

חֲבֻרָה

The joined relationship can become a collective body, as the two parties here become partners in one undertaking.

THE PATTERN

A bond becomes visible in the shared work and direction it creates.

And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do.

Genesis 11:6 · KJVThe people’s unity becomes visible as a common project begins, giving their combined effort collective reach.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.

Ecclesiastes 4:9 · KJVThe bond between two is expressed in labor they undertake together.

For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

1 Corinthians 3:9 · KJVJoining in labor takes form in a shared work of cultivation and building.

THE THREAD

Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, that they were not able to go to Tarshish.

2 Chronicles 20:37 · KJV

The next verse uses the same root, ⁨חָבַר⁩ (ḥābar), for the joining, then names the broken work and ships. The repeated root binds the partnership to what becomes of the undertaking it creates.

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