The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 6:38 Explained

2 Chronicles 6:38

KJV: If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

YLT: yea, they have turned back unto Thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their captivity, whither they have taken them captive, and they have prayed the way of their land that Thou hast given to their fathers, and of the city that Thou hast chosen, and of the house that I have built for Thy name:

Darby: and if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, and the city that thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built unto thy name;

ASV: if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

If they return  to thee with all their heart  and with all their soul  in the land  of their captivity,  whither they have carried them captives,  and pray  toward  their land,  which thou gavest  unto their fathers,  and [toward] the city  which thou hast chosen,  and toward the house  which I have built  for thy name: 

What does 2 Chronicles 6:38 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 6:38 mean?

and [when] they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity where they have been carried captive - and pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers and the city You have chosen and toward the temple which I have built for Your name
וְשָׁ֣בוּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ בְּכָל־ לִבָּם֙ וּבְכָל־ נַפְשָׁ֔ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שִׁבְיָ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־ שָׁב֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם וְהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֗וּ דֶּ֤רֶךְ אַרְצָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תָּה לַאֲבוֹתָ֔ם וְהָעִיר֙ בָּחַ֔רְתָּ וְלַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־ בָּנִ֥יתִי לִשְׁמֶֽךָ

וְשָׁ֣בוּ  and  [when]  they  return 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
אֵלֶ֗יךָ  to  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בְּכָל־  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
לִבָּם֙  their  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
וּבְכָל־  and  with  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נַפְשָׁ֔ם  their  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
בְּאֶ֥רֶץ  in  the  land  of 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שִׁבְיָ֖ם  their  captivity 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שִׁבְיָה  
Sense: captivity, captives.
אֲשֶׁר־  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שָׁב֣וּ  they  have  been  carried  captive 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁבָה  
Sense: to take captive.
אֹתָ֑ם  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
וְהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֗וּ  and  pray 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
דֶּ֤רֶךְ  toward 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
אַרְצָם֙  their  land 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
נָתַ֣תָּה  You  gave 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
לַאֲבוֹתָ֔ם  to  their  fathers 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
וְהָעִיר֙  and  the  city 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: עִיר 
Sense: excitement, anguish.
בָּחַ֔רְתָּ  You  have  chosen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: בָּחוּר 
Sense: to choose, elect, decide for.
וְלַבַּ֖יִת  and  toward  the  temple 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
בָּנִ֥יתִי  I  have  built 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.
לִשְׁמֶֽךָ  for  Your  name 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: שֵׁם  
Sense: name.