King James Version

2 Chronicles 28:23

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him: and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

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Hebrew

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וַיִּזְבַּ֗חvayizbachand sacrificeזָבַחconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and sacrifice”, the next action in the storyH2076to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay.לֵֽאלֹהֵ֣יleloheto Godאֱלֹהִיםpreposition, noun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “to God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.דַרְמֶשֶׂק֮darmeseqDamascusדַּמֶּשֶׂקnoun, proper name — “Damascus”H1834Damascus, a city of SyriaDamascus.הַמַּכִּ֣יםhamakimthe strikeנָכָהdefinite article, verb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “the strike”, a verb used as a describing wordH5221to strike (lightly or severely, literally or figuratively)beat, cast forth, clap, give (wounds), [idiom] go forward, [idiom] indeed, kill, make (slaughter), murderer, punish, slaughter, slay(-er, -ing), smite(-r, -ing), strike, be stricken, (give) stripes, [idiom] surely, wound.בּוֹ֒bvoinבּוֹ֒preposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “in”inוַיֹּ֗אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…כִּ֠יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…אֱלֹהֵ֤יeloheGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.מַלְכֵֽיmalkhekingמֶלֶךְnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct — “king”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH4428a kingking, royal.אֲרָם֙aramAramאֲרָםnoun, proper name — “Aram”H758Aram or Syria, and its inhabitants; also the name of the son of Shem, a grandson of Nahor, and of an IsraeliteAram, Mesopotamia, Syria, Syrians.הֵ֚םhemtheyהֵםpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.מַעְזְרִ֣יםmazerimhelpעָזַרverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “help”, a verb used as a describing wordH5826to surround, i.e. protect or aidhelp, succour.אוֹתָ֔םotamobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).לָהֶ֥םlahemtoלָהֶ֥םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “to”toאֲזַבֵּ֖חַazabechasacrificeזָבַחverb, piel, imperfect, 1st person, common, singular — “sacrifice”, an unfinished actionH2076to slaughter an animal (usually in sacrifice)kill, offer, (do) sacrifice, slay.וְיַעְזְר֑וּנִיveyazeruniand helpעָזַרconjunction, verb, hiphil, imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, singular — “and help”, an unfinished actionH5826to surround, i.e. protect or aidhelp, succour.וְהֵ֛םvehemand theyהֵםconjunction, pronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and they”H1992they (only used when emphatic)it, like, [idiom] (how, so) many (soever, more as) they (be), (the) same, [idiom] so, [idiom] such, their, them, these, they, those, which, who, whom, withal, ye.הָֽיוּhayvbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, common, plural — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.ל֥וֹlvotoל֥וֹpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to”toלְהַכְשִׁיל֖וֹlehakhshilvoto fallכָּשַׁלpreposition, verb, hiphil, infinitive construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to fall”, the to-form of the verbH3782to totter or waver (through weakness of the legs, especially the ankle); by implication, to falter, stumble, faint or fallbereave (from the margin), cast down, be decayed, (cause to) fail, (cause, make to) fall (down, -ing), feeble, be (the) ruin(-ed, of), (be) overthrown, (cause to) stumble, [idiom] utterly, be weak.וּלְכָלulekhaland to allכֹּלconjunction, preposition, noun, common, masculine, singular, construct — “and to all”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).יִשְׂרָאֵֽלyisraelIsraelיִשְׂרָאֵלnoun, proper name — “Israel”H3478Jisrael, a symbolical name of Jacob; also (typically) of his posterityIsrael.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him; and he said: 'Because the gods of the kings of Aram helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me.' But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

For he sacrificed unto the gods of Damascus, which smote him; and he said, Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

Young’s Literal Translation

and he sacrificeth to the gods of Damascus — those smiting him, and saith, 'Because the gods of the kings of Aram are helping them, to them I sacrifice, and they help me,' and they have been to him to cause him to stumble, and to all Israel.

World English Bible

For he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus which had defeated him. He said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria helped them, I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me.” But they were the ruin of him and of all Israel.

Darby Translation

And he sacrificed to the gods of Damascus, which had smitten him; and he said, Since the gods of the kings of Syria help them, I will sacrifice to them, that they may help me. But they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

Douay-Rheims

Sacrificed victims to the gods of Damascus that struck him, and he said: The gods of the kings of Syria help them, and I will appease them with victims, and they will help me; whereas on the contrary they were the ruin of him, and of all Israel.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

I will seek after the gods of Damascus that smite me. And he said, Forasmuch as the gods of the king of Syria themselves strengthen them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, and they will help me. But they became a stumbling-block to him, and to all Israel.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

ἐκζητήσω τοὺς θεοὺς Δαμασκοῦ τοὺς τύπτοντάς με· καὶ εἶπεν, ὅτι θεοὶ βασιλέως Συρίας αὐτοὶ κατισχύσουσιν αὐτοὺς, αὐτοῖς τοίνυν θύσω, καὶ ἀντιλήψονταί μου· καὶ αὐτοὶ ἐγένοντο αὐτῷ εἰς σκῶλον καὶ παντὶ Ἰσραήλ.