The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 18:23 Explained

2 Chronicles 18:23

KJV: Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of the LORD from me to speak unto thee?

YLT: And Zedekiah son of Chenaanah cometh nigh, and smiteth Micaiah on the cheek, and saith, 'Where is this -- the way the Spirit of Jehovah passed over from me to speak with thee?'

Darby: Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah went near, and smote Micah upon the cheek, and said, Which way now went the Spirit of Jehovah from me to speak to thee?

ASV: Then Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah came near, and smote Micaiah upon the cheek, and said, Which way went the Spirit of Jehovah from me to speak unto thee?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then Zedekiah  the son  of Chenaanah  came near,  and smote  Micaiah  upon the cheek,  and said,  Which  way  went  the Spirit  of the LORD  from me to speak  unto thee? 

What does 2 Chronicles 18:23 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 18

1  Jehoshaphat, joined in affinity with Ahab, is persuaded to go against Ramoth Gilead
4  Ahab, seduced by false prophets, according to the word of Micaiah, is slain there

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 18:23 mean?

And went near Zedekiah son of Chenaanah and struck - Micaiah on the cheek and said that which way did go the spirit from Yahweh from me to speak to you
וַיִּגַּשׁ֙ צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ בֶֽן־ כְּנַעֲנָ֔ה וַיַּ֥ךְ אֶת־ מִיכָ֖יְהוּ עַל־ הַלֶּ֑חִי וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֵ֣י זֶ֤ה הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙ עָבַ֧ר רֽוּחַ־ יְהוָ֛ה מֵאִתִּ֖י לְדַבֵּ֥ר אֹתָֽךְ

וַיִּגַּשׁ֙  And  went  near 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָגַשׁ  
Sense: to draw near, approach.
צִדְקִיָּ֣הוּ  Zedekiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: צִדְקִיָּה 
Sense: the last king of Judah renamed from ‘Mattaniah’ by Nebuchadnezzar; son of Josiah by wife Hamutal; placed on the throne by Nebuchadnezzar when he carried his nephew Jehoiakim in captivity.
בֶֽן־  son 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
כְּנַעֲנָ֔ה  of  Chenaanah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: כְּנַעֲנָה  
Sense: father of Zedekiah the false prophet of Ahab.
וַיַּ֥ךְ  and  struck 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
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.
מִיכָ֖יְהוּ  Micaiah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִיכָיְהוּ  
Sense: an Ephraimite during the period of the judges.
הַלֶּ֑חִי  the  cheek 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: לְחִי  
Sense: jaw, cheek.
וַיֹּ֗אמֶר  and  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
אֵ֣י  that 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: אֵי  
Sense: where?, whence?.
הַדֶּ֙רֶךְ֙  way 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
עָבַ֧ר  did  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
רֽוּחַ־  the  spirit  from 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: רוּחַ  
Sense: wind, breath, mind, spirit.
יְהוָ֛ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מֵאִתִּ֖י  from  me 
Parse: Preposition-m, Direct object marker, first person common singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לְדַבֵּ֥ר  to  speak 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֹתָֽךְ  to  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֵת 
Sense: with, near, together with.