2 Chronicles 6:23

2 Chronicles 6:23 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence.
• English Standard Version (ESV)then hear from heaven and act and judge your servants, repaying the guilty by bringing his conduct on his own head, and vindicating the righteous by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
• New King James Version (NKJV)then 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.

Context of 2 Chronicles 6:23

21Hear the prayers of me, your servant, and the prayers of your people, the Israelites. Please answer us when we turn towards this place and we pray to you. Hear us from heaven, the place where you live. And when we pray, forgive us for our sins. 22Somebody may do a bad thing against another person. Then he may come to this temple and stand in front of your altar. He may say to you that he is not guilty of any wrong thing. Then listen from heaven to what these people are saying. Decide who is right. Punish the guilty person as he deserves. Show clearly that the other person is right, because he has not done any wrong thing. 24Perhaps an enemy will win against your people, the Israelites, because we have not obeyed you. But then your people may turn back to you and worship you. They may come into this temple and pray that you will help them. 25If they do that, please hear them from heaven! Please forgive the sins of your people, the Israelites. Please bring them back to the land that you gave to their ancestors.

2 Chronicles 6:23 word by word

וְאַתָּ֣ה׀ תִּשְׁמַ֣ע מִן־הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ וְשָׁפַטְתָּ֣ אֶת־עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ לְהָשִׁ֣יב לְרָשָׁ֔ע לָתֵ֥ת דַּרְכּ֖וֹ בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ וּלְהַצְדִּ֣יק צַדִּ֔יק לָ֥תֶת ל֖וֹ כְּצִדְקָתֽוֹ׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• thou from heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• and doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• and judgeשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• thy servantsעֶ֫בֶד‛ebed · servant/slaveH5650
• by requitingשׁוּבshûb · to return: payH7725
• the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
• by recompensingנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• his wayדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: conductH1870
• upon his own headרֹאשׁrô'sh · headH7218
• and by justifyingצָדֵקtsâdaq · to justifyH6663
• the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
• him according to his righteousnessצְדָקָהtsedâqâh · righteousnessH6666

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 6:23

• 2 Chronicles 6:21Hear the prayers of me, your servant, and the prayers of your people, the Israelites. Please answer us when we turn towards this place and we pray to you. Hear us from heaven, the place where you live. And when we pray, forgive us for our sins.
• Numbers 5:27If the woman has had sex with another man, the water will cause her to have very bad pain. Her female parts will become smaller. Her stomach will become very big. And people will curse her.
• 2 Kings 9:26“Yesterday, I saw the blood of Naboth and his sons where you murdered them. One day, I will punish you as you deserve. I will do it here on this piece of land. That is what the Lord says.” So now pick up Joram's body and throw it on this piece of land. Do what the Lord has promised he would do.’
• Psalms 10:14Surely, God, you see what is happening. You see how wicked people bring pain and trouble. You decide what to do about it. The weak person trusts that you will help him. You take care of children who have no father.
• Proverbs 1:31So now they will receive the trouble that they deserve. Their own wicked ideas will make them sick.
• Isaiah 3:11But it will be very bad for the wicked people. They will receive the punishment that they deserve.
• Jeremiah 28:16So the Lord says to you, “I will remove you from this earth. You have taught people to turn against me, the Lord. You will certainly die this year.” ’
• Jeremiah 51:56An army is coming to destroy Babylon. They will take hold of its brave soldiers. They will break their weapons. The Lord is a God who punishes people as they deserve. He always pays them back for their sins.
• Romans 2:9God will punish everyone who does bad things. He will do that first to the Jews, and he will do it also to the Gentiles. There will be much trouble and pain for every person who does bad things.
• Deuteronomy 25:1When there is an argument between two people, they must both go to the judges. Then the judges will decide which of the two people is right. They will decide the punishment for the guilty person.
• Proverbs 17:15If a judge says that a guilty person is not guilty, the Lord hates it. If a judge punishes someone who is not guilty, the Lord hates that too.
• Isaiah 3:10Tell the righteous people that they are in a good place. They will enjoy the results of the good things that they have done.
• Ezekiel 18:20It is the person who does wrong things who will die. A son will not receive punishment because of his father's sins. And a father will not receive punishment because of his son's sins. Righteous people will receive the good things that they deserve for the good things that they have done. But wicked people will receive the punishment that they deserve for the wicked things that they have done.
• Romans 2:10But God will praise every person who does good things. He will make them great and they will have peace in their minds. He will do that first for the Jews, and he will do it also for the Gentiles.

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 6:23

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-39Verses 1-39 Compare Kings (marginal references). Compare Kings (marginal references).Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-23Petition 1: Solomon asked for justice when it is hard to determine guilt or innocence. For example, in a theft case (Exodus 22:7–9), both the plaintiff and the defendant would swear oaths before God. The guilty person would then pay double.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-412Ch 6:1-41. Solomon Blesses the People and Praises God. 1. The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness--This introduction to Solomon's address was evidently suggested by the remarkable incident recorded at the close of the last chapter: the phenomenon of a densely opaque and uniformly shaped cloud, descending in a slow and majestic manner and filling the whole area of the temple. He regarded it himself, and directed the people also to…Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Chronicles 6:23

• God Continued...

In the dictionaries

• Attent
• Prayer
• Solomon
• Sore
• Head
• Intercession
• Temple
• Way
• Worship

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings