The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 23:2 Explained

2 Chronicles 23:2

KJV: And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief of the fathers of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

YLT: And they go round about in Judah, and gather the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and heads of the fathers of Israel, and come in unto Jerusalem,

Darby: And they went about in Judah and gathered together the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the chief fathers of Israel; and they came to Jerusalem.

ASV: And they went about in Judah, and gathered the Levites out of all the cities of Judah, and the heads of fathers houses of Israel, and they came to Jerusalem.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And they went about  in Judah,  and gathered  the Levites  out of all the cities  of Judah,  and the chief  of the fathers  of Israel,  and they came  to Jerusalem. 

What does 2 Chronicles 23:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 23

1  Jehoiada, having set things in order, makes joash king
12  Athaliah is slain
16  Jehoiada restores the worship of God

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

And they went throughout Judah and gathered - the Levites from all the cities of Judah and chief the fathers of Israel and they came to Jerusalem
וַיָּסֹ֙בּוּ֙ בִּֽיהוּדָ֔ה וַיִּקְבְּצ֤וּ אֶת־ הַלְוִיִּם֙ מִכָּל־ עָרֵ֣י יְהוּדָ֔ה וְרָאשֵׁ֥י הָאָב֖וֹת לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ אֶל־ יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם

וַיָּסֹ֙בּוּ֙  And  they  went  throughout 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: סָבַב  
Sense: to turn, turn about or around or aside or back or towards, go about or arou nd, surround, encircle, change direction.
בִּֽיהוּדָ֔ה  Judah 
Parse: Preposition-b, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וַיִּקְבְּצ֤וּ  and  gathered 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: קָבַץ  
Sense: to gather, assemble.
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.
הַלְוִיִּם֙  the  Levites 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, masculine plural
Root: לֵוִי  
Sense: the descendants of Levi, the 3rd son of Jacob by Leah.
מִכָּל־  from  all 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
עָרֵ֣י  the  cities 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
יְהוּדָ֔ה  of  Judah 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יְהוּדָה  
Sense: the son of Jacob by Leah.
וְרָאשֵׁ֥י  and  chief 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
הָאָב֖וֹת  the  fathers 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  of  Israel 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִשְׂרָאֵל  
Sense: the second name for Jacob given to him by God after his wrestling with the angel at Peniel.
וַיָּבֹ֖אוּ  and  they  came 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine plural
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם  Jerusalem 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יְרוּשָׁלַםִ  
Sense: the chief city of Palestine and capital of the united kingdom and the nation of Judah after the split.