2 Kings 19:34

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Highlights

1 first appearance in the Hebrew Bible

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וְגַנּוֹתִ֛י

gânan

H1598

“and · to defend”

Conjunction + Verb, Qal, Sequential Perfect, 1st Person, Common, Singular

Appears 8× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears here

Full BDB Definition

Origin: a primitive root

TWOT: 367

to defend, cover, surround - (Qal) to defend - (Hiphil) to defend

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

9: words
8: distinct lemmas
Historical: section

Notable vocabulary

The rarest word here is וְגַנּוֹתִ֛י to defend H1598 — appearing just 8 times in the whole Hebrew Bible.

First appearance in Scripture

This word makes its first canonical appearance in the Hebrew Bible here:

וְגַנּוֹתִ֛י to defend H1598

Shared distinctive vocabulary

וְגַנּוֹתִ֛י to defend H1598 occurs in 7 verses of the Hebrew Bible. Also found in:

Grammatical profile

2 verbs
3 nouns
1 pronoun
3 prepositions

Verb forms

וְגַנּוֹתִ֛י Qal · Sequential Perfect
לְהֽוֹשִׁיעָ֑הּ Hiphil · Infinitive Construct

Repetition

A word recurs within this verse — often emphatic in Hebrew:

לְמַֽעֲנִ֔י for the sake of H4616 ×2

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 19 words from the Hebrew and 20 from the Septuagint (LXX English) — closely comparable.

A rough comparison of the two English renderings, which tokenize alike — not a word-level alignment.

Word counts can differ between the Hebrew and the Greek without any difference in meaning — e.g. the Hebrew direct-object marker אֵת has no separate Greek word, and Greek often adds the article ὁ.

In the original languages it is 9 Hebrew tokens and 14 Greek tokens — but the two are counted differently (Hebrew bundles its prefixes and suffixes into one token; the Greek is in lemma form), so that isn’t a like-for-like length.

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to 2 Kings 19:34 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

1 Kings 11:12–13 Notwithstanding in your days I will not do it, for David your father's sake: but I will tear it out of the hand of your son.
2 Kings 20:6 I will add to your days fifteen years; and I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
1 Kings 15:4 Nevertheless for David's sake did Yahweh his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish Jerusalem;
Isaiah 31:5 As birds hovering, so will Yahweh of Hosts protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver [it], he will pass over and preserve [it].
Jeremiah 33:26 then will I also cast away the seed of Jacob, and of David my servant, so that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: for I will cause their captivity to return, and will have mercy on them.
Isaiah 38:6 I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city.
Jeremiah 23:5–6 Behold, the days come, says Yahweh, that I will raise to David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.
Jeremiah 33:21 then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers.

Deuteronomy 32:27 Were it not that I feared the provocation of the enemy, Lest their adversaries should judge wrongly, Lest they should say, Our hand is exalted, Yahweh has not done all this.
Isaiah 9:7 Of the increase of his government and of peace there shall be no end, on the throne of David, and on his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from henceforth even forever. The zeal of Yahweh of Hosts will perform this.
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake; and I will not remember your sins.
Isaiah 48:11 For my own sake, for my own sake, will I do it; for how should [my name] be profaned? and my glory I will not give to another.
Ephesians 1:6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed favor on us in the Beloved,
Psalms 46:5–6 God is in her midst. She shall not be moved. God will help her at dawn.
Psalms 48:2–8 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion, on the north sides, The city of the great King.
Isaiah 48:9 For my name's sake will I defer my anger, and for my praise will I refrain for you, that I not cut you off.

Ezekiel 36:22 Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I don't do [this] for your sake, house of Israel, but for my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations, where you went.
Ephesians 1:14 who is a pledge of our inheritance, to the redemption of God's own possession, to the praise of his glory.

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrew and Greek witnesses Masoretic Hebrew ↔ Greek Septuagint

The same verse in the two great witnesses to the Old Testament, shown verse-for-verse.

These are two independent witnesses, not word-aligned to each other, and the Septuagint is shown in lemma (dictionary) form.

Hebrew 2 Kings 19:34 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

וְגַנּוֹתִ֛י אֶל הָעִ֥יר הַזֹּ֖את לְהֽוֹשִׁיעָ֑הּ לְמַֽעֲנִ֔י וּלְמַ֖עַן דָּוִ֥ד עַבְדִּֽי

For I will defend this city to save it, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX 2 Kings 19:34 Septuagint · lemma form

καί ὑπερἀσπίζω ὑπέρ ὁ πόλις οὗτος διά ἐγώ καί διά δαυίδ ὁ δοῦλος ἐγώ

And I will defend this city as with a shield, for my own sake, and for my servant David's sake.

LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) · Public Domain

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (CC BY 4.0). Greek: Septuagint (public domain); English from LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) (Public Domain). How the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew →

Targum (Aramaic paraphrase)

The Targum is the ancient Jewish Aramaic paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures — an interpretive translation, not the Hebrew text itself. Onkelos (literal) and Pseudo-Jonathan (expansive) render the Torah, and Jonathan the Prophets. Coverage is partial: where no permissively-licensed English translation exists for a verse, only the Aramaic is shown. This is verse-level text, not a word-by-word alignment to the Hebrew.

Targum Jonathan Prophets (Joshua–Malachi)

וְאַגַן עַל קַרְתָּא הָדָא לְמִפְרְקָהּ בְּדִיל מֵימְרִי וּבְדִיל דָוִד עַבְדִי:

(no public-domain English translation for this verse)

Targum Jonathan — Aramaic: “Mikraot Gedolot” (public domain). English: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “London "Chaldee Paraphrase," 1871” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Commentary

Notes on 2 Kings 19:34 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Trapp's Complete Commentary

John Trapp

2Ki 19:34 For I will defend this city, to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.

Ver. 34. For I will defend this city.] I will cover it as with a shield, - so the word signifieth see 2Ki 19:32, - I will fence and protect it. The like God hath done for Geneva, a small city besieged with enemies, and barred out from aid of friends. It had long since been undone, saith one, but because it had so many enemies to undo it; rather because it had so gracious and powerful a God to defend this city, to save it.

For mine own sake.] That my power and care of my people may appear to all.

And for my servant David’s sake.] To whom I passed my word, and wilt keep it. Here A Lapide hath a good note out of Glycas, and commendeth it; Optime Glycas, Haec verba, inquit, ita divinitus prolata sunt, &c. {a} These words are thus uttered by God, lest Hezekiah should think that his prayer was heard for his own righteousness’ sake.

{a} innal., par. 2, citat, in Glossa.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(34) For I will defend.—And I will cover (with a shield). (Comp. Isa_31:5; Isa_38:6; 2Ki_20:6.)

For my servant David’s sake.—See 1Ki_11:12-13, and the promise in 2 Samuel 7.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

34. for mine own sake] God’s mercy and love to Israel were manifested that in them He might have witness to all the world. Hence the Psalmist often celebrates these qualities, and adds that they were shewn by Jehovah ‘for His name’s sake’. Cf. Psa_106:8, ‘He saved them for His name’s sake, that He might make His mighty power to be known’. So God speaks (Isa_43:25) by the prophet: ‘I am He that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake’. See also Isa_48:11.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible

For mine own sake - God’s honor was concerned to defend His own city against one who denied His power in direct terms, as did Sennacherib 2Ki 18:35; 2Ki 19:10-12. His faithfulness was also concerned to keep the promise made to David Psa 132:12-18.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Own sake, who have chosen this city for my sanctuary. (Menochius) --- David. Here again we behold the influence of the saints with God. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Matthew Poole's English Annotations

For my promise and covenant’s sake, made with David concerning the stability and eternity of his kingdom. See 1Ki 11:12,13.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Pulpit Commentary

For I will defend this city, to save it not merely with a view of saving it, but in such sort as effectually to save itfor mine own sakei.e. , because my own honor is concerned in its preservation, especially after the taunts of Sennacherib (2Ki_18:32-35 2Ki_19:10-13) and for my servant David"s sake. Not so much on account of the promises made to David, as on account of the love which God bore towards him for his faithfulness and earnest devotion.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

2 Kings, in the Historical, opens this verse with 9 words (8 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is gânan (“to defend”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

How does “to defend” (gânan) shape what this verse is saying?
This is the first place “to defend” appears in Scripture (first appears here). What does its debut here establish?
How does 2 Kings 20:6, which shares the word «to defend», read alongside this verse?
What does the repetition of “for the sake of” (2× in this one verse) do in this verse?
The translations on this page render this verse differently — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment. What might account for the different wordings?
«וְגַנּוֹתִ֛י» is a Qal Sequential Perfect verb. How does that grammatical form shape the action described?
Compare how Trapp's Complete Commentary and Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers read this verse. Where do they agree or differ?

Things to notice

1 word makes its first canonical appearance in Scripture here.
This verse counts 9 Hebrew ↔ 14 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 7 words in this verse.
“for the sake of” occurs 2× in this single verse.
8 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 9 words in this verse.