The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 6:23 Explained

2 Chronicles 6:23

KJV: Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.

YLT: then Thou dost hear from the heavens, and hast done, and hast judged Thy servants, to give back to the wicked, to put his way on his head, and to declare righteous the righteous, to give to him according to his righteousness.

Darby: then hear thou from the heavens, and do, and judge thy servants, requiting the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, giving him according to his righteousness.

ASV: then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, requiting the wicked, to bring his way upon his own head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Then hear  thou from heaven,  and do,  and judge  thy servants,  by requiting  the wicked,  by recompensing  his way  upon his own head;  and by justifying  the righteous,  by giving  him according to his righteousness. 

What does 2 Chronicles 6:23 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 6

1  Solomon, having blessed the people, blessed God
12  Solomon's prayer in the consecration of the temple, upon the bronze platform

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 6:23 mean?

Then You hear from heaven and act and judge - Your servants bringing retribution on the wicked by bringing his way on his own head and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness -
וְאַתָּ֣ה ׀ תִּשְׁמַ֣ע מִן־ הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ וְשָׁפַטְתָּ֣ אֶת־ עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ לְהָשִׁ֣יב לְרָשָׁ֔ע לָתֵ֥ת דַּרְכּ֖וֹ בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וּלְהַצְדִּ֣יק צַדִּ֔יק לָ֥תֶת ל֖וֹ כְּצִדְקָתֽוֹ ס

וְאַתָּ֣ה ׀  Then  You 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Pronoun, second person masculine singular
Root: אַתְּ 
Sense: you (second pers.
תִּשְׁמַ֣ע  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙  and  act 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
וְשָׁפַטְתָּ֣  and  judge 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
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.
עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ  Your  servants 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עֶבֶד  
Sense: slave, servant.
לְהָשִׁ֣יב  bringing  retribution  on 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לְרָשָׁ֔ע  the  wicked 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
לָתֵ֥ת  by  bringing 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
דַּרְכּ֖וֹ  his  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ  on  his  own  head 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ 
Sense: head, top, summit, upper part, chief, total, sum, height, front, beginning.
וּלְהַצְדִּ֣יק  and  justifying 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: צָדַק  
Sense: to be just, be righteous.
צַדִּ֔יק  the  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
לָ֥תֶת  by  giving 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
כְּצִדְקָתֽוֹ  according  to  his  righteousness 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: צְדָקָה  
Sense: justice, righteousness.
ס  - 
Parse: Punctuation