2 Chronicles 6:23
in 2 Chronicles 6then may You hear from heaven and act. May You judge Your servants, condemning the wicked man by bringing down on his own head what he has done, and justifying the righteous man by rewarding him according to his righteousness.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
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
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.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 6
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
When a man sins against his neighbor
on 2 Chronicles 6:22-25
The first two petitions, an oath sworn before the altar and defeat before an enemy, repeat 1 Kings 8:31-34 with almost no change in wording. Adam Clarke's note on verse 22 sends the reader back to the seven cases at 1 Kings 8:31-46.
This site's exposition
justifying the righteous man
Henry reads this petition as a plea for judgment according to equity on every appeal brought to God. The guilty receive their own deeds back, and the righteous are declared righteous. Henry adds that God sits on the throne judging right.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
But here he declares upon what inducements he undertook it, and they are such as not only justify, but magnify, the undertaking. He did it for the glory and honour of God; this was his highest and ultimate end in it. It was for the name of the Lord God of Israel (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
This we may, in faith, pray for, for we are sure it shall be done. God sitteth on the throne judging right. That God would return in mercy to his people when they repented, and reformed, and sought unto him,
The words behind it
18 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְאַתָּ֣ה׀ | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| תִּשְׁמַ֣ע | tishma' | you will hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ | veasita | and you will act | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וְשָׁפַטְתָּ֣ | veshafata | and you will judge | H8199 → | 202 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ | ʾavadeikha | servants your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| לְהָשִׁ֣יב | lehashiv | to repay | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| לְרָשָׁ֔ע | lerasha' | to a guilty [person] | H7563 → | |
| לָתֵ֥ת | latet | to requite | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| דַּרְכּ֖וֹ | darko | conduct his | H1870 → | 707 times |
| בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹ | berosho | on own head his | H7218 → | 599 times |
| וּלְהַצְדִּ֣יק | ulehatzdik | and to vindicate | H6663 → | |
| צַדִּ֔יק | tzadik | a righteous [person] | H6662 → | |
| לָ֥תֶת | latet | to give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| ל֖וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| כְּצִדְקָתֽוֹ׃ ס | ketzidkato | according to righteousness his | H6666 → |
וְאַתָּ֣ה׀and you
veatahH859 →1094 times
תִּשְׁמַ֣עyou will hear
tishma'H8085 →1159 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשָּׁמַ֗יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙and you will act
veasitaH6213 →2628 times
וְשָׁפַטְתָּ֣and you will judge
veshafataH8199 →202 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עֲבָדֶ֔יךָservants your
ʾavadeikhaH5650 →799 times
לְהָשִׁ֣יבto repay
lehashivH7725 →1056 times
לְרָשָׁ֔עto a guilty [person]
lerasha'H7563 →
לָתֵ֥תto requite
latetH5414 →2011 times
דַּרְכּ֖וֹconduct his
darkoH1870 →707 times
בְּרֹאשׁ֑וֹon own head his
beroshoH7218 →599 times
וּלְהַצְדִּ֣יקand to vindicate
ulehatzdikH6663 →
צַדִּ֔יקa righteous [person]
tzadikH6662 →
לָ֥תֶתto give
latetH5414 →2011 times
ל֖וֹto him
lo
כְּצִדְקָתֽוֹ׃ סaccording to righteousness his
ketzidkatoH6666 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Ezekiel 18:20The soul who sins is the one who will die. A son will not bear the iniquity of his father, and a father will not bear the iniquity of his son. The righteousness of…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 14:6
Yet he did not put the sons of the murderers to death, but acted according to what is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not…
- Deuteronomy 24:16
Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; each is to die for his own sin.
- Ezekiel 18:4
Behold, every soul belongs to Me; both father and son are Mine. The soul who sins is the one who will die.
- Jeremiah 31:29–30
“In those days, it will no longer be said: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the children are set on edge.’
- 2 Chronicles 25:4
Yet he did not put their sons to death, but acted according to what is written in the Law, in the Book of Moses, where the LORD commanded: “Fathers must not be put to…
- 2 Kings 14:6
Through
Proverbs 17:15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.
it leads to
- Exodus 23:7
Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.
- Proverbs 18:5
Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.
- Isaiah 5:23
who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.
- Exodus 23:7
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.