The Meaning of 1 Kings 8:50 Explained

1 Kings 8:50

KJV: And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them:

YLT: and hast forgiven Thy people who have sinned against Thee, even all their transgressions which they have transgressed against Thee, and hast given them mercies before their captors, and they have had mercy on them --

Darby: and forgive thy people their sin against thee, and all their transgressions whereby they have transgressed against thee, and give them to find compassion with those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them

ASV: and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And forgive  thy people  that have sinned  against thee, and all their transgressions  wherein they have transgressed  against thee, and give  them compassion  before  them who carried them captive,  that they may have compassion  on them: 

What does 1 Kings 8:50 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 8:44-53 - A Plea For National Righteousness
How true it is that there is no man that sinneth not, 1 Kings 8:46! Only one that ever walked this earth was holy, guileless, and undefiled, Hebrews 7:26. When we fail to watch and abide in Christ, we are easily carried into captivity. How many of God's children are thus taken captive! They are in bondage to some besetting sin, to some evil habit, to some degrading business, or to some unseemly alliance. Like blind Samson, they grind in the prison-house.
Let any such, who long for freedom, take home to their souls the infinite comfort which God's Word affords. Let them bethink-themselves of the holy and blessed days of the past. Let them repent, that is, in their heart and in practice put away the evil thing which is the outward badge of their sad condition. Let them turn again to the Savior, who has passed into the Holiest, that He may intercede in the presence of God for us all. There will be an immediate response. God will hearken in all that they call unto Him for, will forgive transgression and sin, and will restore His people to become again His own inheritance for His glory and praise.
1 Kings 8:1-66 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 8

1  The feast of the temple
12  Solomon's blessing
22  Solomon's prayer
54  Solomon's blessing
62  His sacrifice of peace offerings

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 8:50 mean?

and forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You and grant them compassion before those who took them captive that they may have compassion on them
וְסָלַחְתָּ֤ לְעַמְּךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָֽטְאוּ־ לָ֔ךְ וּלְכָל־ פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּשְׁעוּ־ בָ֑ךְ וּנְתַתָּ֧ם לְרַחֲמִ֛ים לִפְנֵ֥י שֹׁבֵיהֶ֖ם וְרִֽחֲמֽוּם

וְסָלַחְתָּ֤  and  forgive 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: סָלַח  
Sense: to forgive, pardon.
לְעַמְּךָ֙  Your  people 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
חָֽטְאוּ־  have  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
לָ֔ךְ  against  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person feminine singular
וּלְכָל־  and  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם  their  transgressions 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פֶּשַׁע  
Sense: transgression, rebellion.
פָּשְׁעוּ־  they  have  transgressed 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּשַׁע  
Sense: to rebel, transgress, revolt.
בָ֑ךְ  against  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
וּנְתַתָּ֧ם  and  grant  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לְרַחֲמִ֛ים  compassion 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: רַחַם 
Sense: womb.
לִפְנֵ֥י  before 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
שֹׁבֵיהֶ֖ם  those  who  took  them  captive 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁבָה  
Sense: to take captive.
וְרִֽחֲמֽוּם  that  they  may  have  compassion  on  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Piel, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural, third person masculine plural
Root: רָחַם  
Sense: to love, love deeply, have mercy, be compassionate, have tender affection, have compassion.