2 Kings 21:13I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria, and the plummet of the house of Ahab; and I will wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down.
The setting
Jerusalem, ~650 BC. God uses construction metaphors - measuring lines and plumb lines were used to build, now they mark destruction...
The emotion here: using familiar metaphors to make the unthinkable comprehensible
The original word
qav (קָו) — measuring line, the string used by builders to ensure straight walls
Why it matters
Samaria had been destroyed by Assyria in 722 BC, becoming the standard reference for total obliteration
Read with care
What most readers miss in 2 Kings 21:13
The dish metaphor is domestic - God will clean Jerusalem like a woman washing dishes, thoroughly and completely
Common misconceptionPeople see this as random divine wrath, but it's precise judgment - the same measuring tools used to build will measure its destruction.
The thread continues
Verses that echo 2 Kings 21:13
Bible Genome reading
2 Kings 21:13 — Bible Genome reading
Emotional genome
2 Kings 21:13 comes from the book of 2 Kings, written during the Divided Kingdom period. These words are attributed to God. The dominant emotion in this verse is angry, with a comfort power of 10% and a tone that is commanding. It belongs to the prophecy genre of biblical literature. Key themes include divine judgment, thorough destruction, measuring tools. Notable phrases: line of Samaria; plummet of the house of Ahab; wipe Jerusalem as a man wipes a dish. This verse contains a promise of God. This verse contains prophecy.
Emotionally similar
Verses that meet the same angry
“Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'”
— Joel 3:10
“You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel!”
— Matthew 23:24
“Listen to this word, you cows of Bashan, who are on the mountain of Samaria, who oppress the poor, who crush the needy, who tell their husba…”
— Amos 4:1
“I hate, I despise your feasts, and I can't stand your solemn assemblies.”
— Amos 5:21
“Your eyes shall not pity; life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.”
— Deuteronomy 19:21
Your reflection
What does 2 Kings 21:13 mean to you, today?
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