KJV ORIGINAL
And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
You counted all the houses in Jerusalem, and you tore down houses to strengthen the city wall.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
This verse describes how the people of Jerusalem desperately tried to defend their city by counting their resources and even destroying their own homes to build stronger walls.
📚 Historical Context
This refers to Jerusalem's preparation for siege, likely during King Hezekiah's time when the Assyrians threatened the city around 701 BC. The people were taking inventory of their buildings and demolishing some houses to use the stones and materials to reinforce the city walls. This was a common ancient military practice when facing invasion.
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