The Meaning of Deuteronomy 25:2 Explained

Deuteronomy 25:2

KJV: And it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his fault, by a certain number.

YLT: then it hath come to pass, if the wrong-doer is to be smitten, that the judge hath caused him to fall down, and one hath smitten him in his presence, according to the sufficiency of his wrong-doing, by number;

Darby: And it shall be if the wicked man have deserved to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and be beaten before his face, according to the measure of his wickedness with a certain number of stripes.

ASV: and it shall be, if the wicked man be worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his wickedness, by number.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it shall be, if the wicked man  [be] worthy  to be beaten,  that the judge  shall cause him to lie down,  and to be beaten  before his face,  according  to his fault,  by a certain number. 

What does Deuteronomy 25:2 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 25

1  Punishment must not exceed forty lashes
4  The ox is not to be muzzled
5  Of raising seed unto a brother
11  Of the immodest woman
13  Of unjust weights and measures
17  The memory of Amalek is to be blotted out

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 25:2 mean?

Then it shall be if worthy deserves to be beaten the wicked man that will cause him to lie down the judge and be beaten in his presence according to his guilt with a certain number of blows
וְהָיָ֛ה אִם־ בִּ֥ן הַכּ֖וֹת הָרָשָׁ֑ע וְהִפִּיל֤וֹ הַשֹּׁפֵט֙ וְהִכָּ֣הוּ לְפָנָ֔יו כְּדֵ֥י רִשְׁעָת֖וֹ בְּמִסְפָּֽר

וְהָיָ֛ה  Then  it  shall  be 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
בִּ֥ן  worthy 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בֵּן 
Sense: son, grandson, child, member of a group.
הַכּ֖וֹת  deserves  to  be  beaten 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
הָרָשָׁ֑ע  the  wicked  man 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
וְהִפִּיל֤וֹ  that  will  cause  him  to  lie  down 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָפַל  
Sense: to fall, lie, be cast down, fail.
הַשֹּׁפֵט֙  the  judge 
Parse: Article, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: שָׁפַט  
Sense: to judge, govern, vindicate, punish.
וְהִכָּ֣הוּ  and  be  beaten 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular, third person masculine singular
Root: נָכָה  
Sense: to strike, smite, hit, beat, slay, kill.
לְפָנָ֔יו  in  his  presence 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
כְּדֵ֥י  according  to 
Parse: Preposition-k, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: בְּדֵי 
Sense: sufficiency, enough.
רִשְׁעָת֖וֹ  his  guilt 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: רִשְׁעָה  
Sense: wickedness, guilt.
בְּמִסְפָּֽר  with  a  certain  number  of  blows 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִסְפָּר  
Sense: number, tale.