The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 34:27 Explained

2 Chronicles 34:27

KJV: Because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before me; I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD.

YLT: Because thy heart is tender, and thou art humbled before God in thy hearing His words concerning this place, and concerning its inhabitants, and art humbled before Me, and dost rend thy garments, and weep before Me: even I also have heard -- the affirmation of Jehovah.

Darby: Because thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before me, and didst rend thy garments and weep before me, I also have heard thee, saith Jehovah.

ASV: because thy heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and hast humbled thyself before me, and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee, saith Jehovah.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Because thine heart  was tender,  and thou didst humble  thyself before  God,  when thou heardest  his words  against this place,  and against the inhabitants  thereof, and humbledst  thyself before  me, and didst rend  thy clothes,  and weep  before  me; I have even heard  [thee] also, saith  the LORD. 

What does 2 Chronicles 34:27 Mean?

Context Summary

2 Chronicles 34:22-33 - Renewing The Covenant
The tender heart is a humble one, 2 Chronicles 34:27. To admit that God is right and we are wrong, and to take home his rebuke, is an admirable position. The penitential tear is like the baptism of dew on foliage parched by the scorching heat. But the tender heart does not confine itself to emotion, it acts. The king gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem, went up to the house of the Lord, and caused all the people to stand to the covenant he proposed. He made all that were found, even in Israel, though they were outside his jurisdiction, to serve the Lord their God. Evidently Josiah was one of those men who have a compelling force because they appeal to the conscience in the heart of all men, and are themselves in close touch with God. Why not surrender yourself wholly to God! There are temples which need repairing, priests and people who require direction and leadership, nations which must be brought back to the God of their fathers. Only be tender, humble, and trustful. The world has yet to learn what God can do by those wholly devoted to Him. [source]

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 34

1  Josiah's good reign
3  He destroys idolatry
8  He takes order for the repair of the temple
14  Hilkiah, having found a book of the law,
21  Josiah sends to Huldah to enquire of the Lord
23  Huldah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, but respite thereof in Josiah's time
29  Josiah, causing it to be read in a solemn assembly, renews the covenant with God

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 34:27 mean?

because was tender your heart and you humbled yourself before God when you heard - His words against place this and against its inhabitants and you humbled yourself before Me and you tore your clothes and wept before Me and also I have heard [you] says Yahweh
יַ֠עַן רַךְ־ לְבָ֨בְךָ֜ וַתִּכָּנַ֣ע ׀ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י אֱלֹהִ֗ים בְּשָׁמְעֲךָ֤ אֶת־ דְּבָרָיו֙ עַל־ הַמָּק֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ וְעַל־ יֹ֣שְׁבָ֔יו וַתִּכָּנַ֣ע לְפָנַ֔י וַתִּקְרַ֥ע בְּגָדֶ֖יךָ וַתֵּ֣בְךְּ לְפָנָ֑י וְגַם־ אֲנִ֥י שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי נְאֻם־ יְהוָֽה

יַ֠עַן  because 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יַעַן  
Sense: because, therefore, because that, on account of prep.
רַךְ־  was  tender 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: רָכַךְ  
Sense: to be tender, be soft, be weak.
לְבָ֨בְךָ֜  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
וַתִּכָּנַ֣ע ׀  and  you  humbled  yourself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּנַע  
Sense: to be humble, be humbled, be subdued, be brought down, be low, be under, be brought into subjection.
מִלִּפְנֵ֣י  before 
Parse: Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
אֱלֹהִ֗ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
בְּשָׁמְעֲךָ֤  when  you  heard 
Parse: Preposition-b, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
דְּבָרָיו֙  His  words 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
עַל־  against 
Parse: Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הַמָּק֤וֹם  place 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מָקֹום  
Sense: standing place, place.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
וְעַל־  and  against 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יֹ֣שְׁבָ֔יו  its  inhabitants 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
וַתִּכָּנַ֣ע  and  you  humbled  yourself 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּנַע  
Sense: to be humble, be humbled, be subdued, be brought down, be low, be under, be brought into subjection.
לְפָנַ֔י  before  Me 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וַתִּקְרַ֥ע  and  you  tore 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: קָרַע  
Sense: to tear, tear in pieces.
בְּגָדֶ֖יךָ  your  clothes 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: בֶּגֶד 
Sense: treachery, deceit.
וַתֵּ֣בְךְּ  and  wept 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּכָה  
Sense: to weep, bewail, cry, shed tears.
לְפָנָ֑י  before  Me 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
וְגַם־  and  also 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
שָׁמַ֖עְתִּי  have  heard  [you] 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
נְאֻם־  says 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נְאֻם  
Sense: (Qal) utterance, declaration (of prophet).
יְהוָֽה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.