The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 15:3 Explained

2 Chronicles 15:3

KJV: Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.

YLT: and many days are to Israel without a true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law,

Darby: Now for a long while Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law;

ASV: Now for a long season Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Now for a long  season  Israel  [hath been] without  the true  God,  and without a teaching  priest,  and without law. 

What does 2 Chronicles 15:3 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 15

1  Asa, with Judah and many of Israel, moved by the prophecy of Azariah,
12  make a solemn covenant with God
16  He puts down Maachah his grandmother for idolatry
18  He brings dedicated things into the house of God, and enjoys a long peace

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 15:3 mean?

For a long time Israel [has been] without the God TRUE and without a priest teaching law
וְיָמִ֥ים רַבִּ֖ים לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לְלֹ֣א ׀ אֱלֹהֵ֣י אֱמֶ֗ת וּלְלֹ֛א כֹּהֵ֥ן מוֹרֶ֖ה תוֹרָֽה

וְיָמִ֥ים  For  a 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
רַבִּ֖ים  long 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רַב 
Sense: much, many, great.
לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל  time  Israel  [has  been] 
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.
לְלֹ֣א ׀  without 
Parse: Preposition-l, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
אֱלֹהֵ֣י  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֱמֶ֗ת  TRUE 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֱמֶת  
Sense: firmness, faithfulness, truth.
וּלְלֹ֛א  and  without 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
כֹּהֵ֥ן  a  priest 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּהֵן  
Sense: priest, principal officer or chief ruler.
מוֹרֶ֖ה  teaching 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Participle, masculine singular
Root: יׄורֶה 
Sense: to throw, shoot, cast, pour.
תוֹרָֽה  law 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: תֹּורָה  
Sense: law, direction, instruction.