What Does 2 Kings 12:6 Mean in the King James?
But it was so, that in the three and twentieth year of king Jehoash the priests had not repaired the breaches of the house.
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 calls the work “strengthening”: a breach is answered by making firm the place where the house has given way.
THE MEANING
This verse meets you wherever a house meant to be whole still has breaches: those entrusted with its care have not made the weak places firm. Responsibility for repair does not itself close the gap; the strengthening remains undone.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie this verse exposes is that assigning someone to repair a breach means the repair is already happening.
THE ROOT
חִזְּקוּ
ḥizzəqû
GROWS FROM
חזק
ḥ-z-q
Be strong, become firm; in a causative form, strengthen or make firm.
The verb translated “repaired” is literally a form of “strengthen,” giving the work the force of making a weak place firm. This root can also describe becoming strong or holding fast: the house is restored as its failing places regain the capacity to stand.
ALSO GROWS
ḥāzaq: Be strong; become firm.
חָזַק
The breach is the place where the house lacks firmness; this branch names the strength the repair restores.
ḥizzēq: Strengthen; make firm.
חִזֵּק
This is the verb form behind “repaired” in the verse, showing that repair here is an act of reinforcing what has weakened.
heḥĕzîq: Hold fast; grasp; maintain.
הֶחֱזִיק
The root also reaches toward holding something securely, connecting repair with restoring the house’s ability to hold together.
THE PATTERN
A dwelling’s integrity is restored as its breaches are actively repaired and its parts are joined together.
And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in.So built we the wall; and all the wall was joined together unto the half thereof: for the people had a mind to work.In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:THE THREAD
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.Isaiah uses the same root, חזק (ḥ-z-q), for strengthening weak hands. The repair of the house and the strengthening of weak hands share one verb: both name what makes a weakened place firm again.
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