2 Samuel 22:25 — Word Study
WLCוַיָּ֧שֶׁב יְהוָ֛ה לִ֖י כְּצִדְקָתִ֑י כְּבֹרִ֖י לְנֶ֥גֶד עֵינָֽיו׃
BSASo the LORDYᵉhôvâh [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has repaidshûwb▸ [rewarded, recompensed] according to my righteousnesstsᵉdâqâh [justice, virtue] according to my cleannessbôr [purity, innocence] inneged His sightʻayin [before His eyes, in His eyesight]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וַיָּ֧שֶׁב | and he repaid | Verb, Hiphil, sequential imperfect third person masculine singular |
| יְהוָ֛ה | Yahweh | Noun proper |
| לִ֖י | to me | Preposition, suffix |
| כְּצִדְקָתִ֑י | according to righteousness my | Preposition, noun common feminine singular construct, suffix |
| כְּבֹרִ֖י | according to cleanness my | Preposition, noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| לְנֶ֥גֶד | to before | Preposition |
| עֵינָֽיו׃ | eyes his | Noun common feminine dual construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight. |
| KJV | Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight. |
| ASV | Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight. |
| YLT | And Jehovah returneth to me, According to my righteousness, According to my cleanness before His eyes. |
| WEB | Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight. |
| BBE | Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes. |
Where they part company is וַיָּ֧שֶׁב — see How Translations Differ.
The main clause is straightforward, with two prepositional phrases providing the basis for God's repayment, emphasizing the criteria of righteousness and cleanness.
4 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge & more — read them ›
clause
subjectיהוה
verbשׁוּב
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — 2 Samuel 22:25
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — David's Song of Praisegenerated
2 Samuel 22:25 captures David's declaration that the Lord has rewarded him based on his righteousness and purity. This verse is part of a larger song where David reflects on God's deliverance and faithfulness throughout his life. He acknowledges that his moral conduct has influenced God's responses to him, emphasizing the relationship between divine justice and human behavior.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 Samuel 22:21 | The LORD has rewarded me according to my righteousness; He has repaid me according to the cleanness of my hands. |
| 2 | Isaiah 3:10 | Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor. |
| 3 | Romans 2:7–8 | To those who by perseverance in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, He will give eternal life. |
| 4 | 2 Corinthians 5:10 | For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive his due for the things done in the body, whether good or bad. |
| 5 | Proverbs 5:21 | For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 5 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — וַיָּ֧שֶׁב, vai.Ya.shevgenerated
The verb שׁוּב (shuwb) means to return or turn back, indicating a sense of recompense or reward in this context. It is a Hiphil form, suggesting an active role of the subject, in this case, the Lord, who repays David for his righteousness.
The choice of this verb highlights the active engagement of God in responding to human actions, reinforcing the idea that divine justice is contingent upon human righteousness.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is וַיָּ֧שֶׁב, he repaid, which governs the entire structure. The sentence follows a pattern where the subject, the Lord, is explicitly stated, followed by prepositional phrases that describe the basis for the repayment.
The structure emphasizes the relationship between David's actions and God's response, with the prepositional phrases detailing the criteria of righteousness and cleanness that inform God's repayment.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates וַיָּ֧שֶׁב as ἀποδώσει (apodōsei), which means 'he will repay'. This choice indicates a forward-looking perspective on God's justice, suggesting that the repayment is not just a past action but an ongoing principle of divine response to righteousness.
This translation reflects a broader understanding of divine justice, extending beyond mere recompense to encompass future implications of God's dealings with humanity.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
2 Samuel 22:25 shows David proclaiming that the Lord has rewarded him based on his righteousness and purity. This reflects David's belief that God's justice is directly linked to how he has lived his life.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
David is indicating that his moral conduct and adherence to God's laws have influenced how God responds to him.
Cleanness signifies purity and innocence, suggesting that David's inner moral state is as important as his outward actions.
It portrays God as just and fair, rewarding individuals based on their righteousness and purity.
Divine justice is portrayed as being relational, where God's responses are influenced by human behavior and integrity.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways do I see my actions reflecting my values and beliefs?
- How can I strive for righteousness in my daily life?
- What does it mean to me that God sees my heart and intentions?
- How do I understand the relationship between my actions and God's response?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on 2 Samuel 22:25 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleTherefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight. [See comments on Psalms 18:24].
Read John Gill on 2 Samuel 22 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryTherefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
Read Robert Jamieson on 2 Samuel 22 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(25) To my cleanness.—Psalms 18, more poetically. “to the cleanness of my hands.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on 2 Samuel 22 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges25. The assertion of 2 Samuel 22:21 is repeated as the conclusion to be drawn from the review of his conduct in 2 Samuel 22:22-24, and is confirmed in the following verses by a consideration of the general laws of God’s moral government.
Read Cambridge on 2 Samuel 22 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.
Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
So the LORD has repaid me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness in His sight.
The Lord rewarded me for my godly deeds; he took notice of my blameless behavior.
Tyndale line
Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye sight.
Therefore hath Jehovah recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
Therefore hath the LORD recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eyesight.
Therefore the LORD hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eye-sight.
Therefore the Lord did reward me according to my righteousnesse, according to my purenesse before his eyes.
Strictly literal
And Jehovah hath recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his sight.
And Jehovah returneth to me, According to my righteousness, According to my cleanness before His eyes.
And YHWH returns to me, || According to my righteousness, || According to my cleanness before His eyes.
Therefore did the Lord recompense me according to my righteousness, according to my purity before his eyes.
Therefore Yahweh has restored me to the measure of my righteousness, to the degree of my cleanness in his sight.
From the Latin
And the Lord will recompense me according to my justice: and according to the cleanness of my hands in the sight of his eyes.
Simplified
The Lord rewarded me for doing what's right. I am innocent in his sight.
Because of this the Lord has given me the reward of my righteousness, because my hands are clean in his eyes.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint, which matches all seven words of the verse. The Dead Sea Scrolls, however, show some editorial restoration, with several words supplied by an editor, indicating that while the core message remains intact, the original text may have been damaged.
וַיָּ֧שֶׁב יְהוָ֛ה לִ֖י כְּצִדְקָתִ֑י כְּבֹרִ֖י לְנֶ֥גֶד עֵינָֽיו׃
7 of the 7 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
[וישב] [יהוה] [ל׳י] [כצדקת׳י] [כבר] [יד׳י] [לנגד] [עיני׳ו]
nothing on the leather here — 8 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in 2 Samuel 22:25
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
The Hebrew word שׁוּב (shuwb) means to turn back or return, covering a wide range of contexts including physical, spiritual, and relational. It can denote returning to a previous state, repenting, or even apostatizing. The entries describe various forms and uses, including bringing back, restoring, and refreshing. Notably, it can also imply a change in course of action.
שׁוּב 1056 vb. turn back, return
Qal 683;—turn back, return:
turn back
return, come or go back
esp. return unto
of dying
of revival from death
fig. of human relations:
return to leader, king
= change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
turn, i.e. resort to
return to a physical condition
abs. = change course of action
fig., specif. of spiritual relations:
turn back from God = apostatize
of י׳, turn away
turn back to God (= seek penitently)
abs. repent
turn back from evil
of י׳
of י׳, return (to shew favour)
of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
denoting repetition, etc.
trans.
Pō‛l.
bring back
fig. restore, refresh
restore, repair
lead away (enticingly)
shew turning = apostatize
Hiph. 353 cause to return, bring back
bring back into bondage
put back
= draw back
= give back, restore
= relinguish
= give in payment, requital
bring one back (from dead)
bring back heart
= refresh
H7725 שׁוּב turn back, return .—turn back, return: . turn back
. return, come or go back
. esp. return unto
. . of dying
. of revival from death
. fig. of human relations: . return to leader, king
. = change so as to appoach (in purpose, desire)
. turn, i.e. resort to
. return to a physical condition
. abs. = change course of action
. fig., specif. of spiritual relations: . turn back from God = apostatize
. of י׳, turn away
. turn back to God (= seek penitently)
. abs. repent
. turn back from evil
. of י׳
. of י׳, return (to shew favour)
. of inanimate things (sts. personified, or treated as things of life):
. denoting repetition, etc.
. trans.
. . bring back
. . fig. restore, refresh
. restore, repair
. lead away (enticingly)
. shew turning = apostatize
. cause to return, bring back . . bring back into bondage
. put back
. = draw back
. = give back, restore
. = relinguish
. = give in payment, requital
7725 shuwb shoob
a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or
intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily
with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to
retreat; often adverbial, again:--((break, build, circumcise,
dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge,
make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) X again, (cause to) answer
(+ again), X in any case (wise), X at all, averse, bring
(again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back),
cease, X certainly, come again (back), X consider, +
continually, convert, deliver (again), + deny, draw back,
fetch home again, X fro, get (oneself) (back) again, X give
(again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see)
more, X needs, be past, X pay, pervert, pull in again, put
(again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh,
relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve,
שׁוּב (shuv) — to return: return.
: return
1) to return, turn back
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to turn back, return
1a1a) to turn back
1a1b) to return, come or go back
1a1c) to return unto, go back, come back
1a1d) of dying
1a1e) of human relations (fig)
1a1f) of spiritual relations (fig)
1a1f1) to turn back (from God), apostatise
1a1f2) to turn away (of God)
1a1f3) to turn back (to God), repent
1a1f4) turn back (from evil)
1a1g) of inanimate things
1a1h) in repetition
1b) (Polel)
1b1) to bring back
1b2) to restore, refresh, repair (fig)
1b3) to lead away (enticingly)
1b4) to show turning, apostatise
1c) (Pual) restored (participle)
1d) (Hiphil) to cause to return, bring back
1d1) to bring back, allow to return, put back, draw back, give back, restore, relinquish, give in payment
1d2) to bring back, refresh, restore
1d3) to bring back, report to, answer
1d4) to bring back, make requital, pay (as recompense)
Conj | V-Hiphil-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Hiphil · sequential imperfect third person masculine singularHc/Vhw3ms
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) is the proper name of the God of Israel, often rendered as Jehovah or the Lord. It signifies the self-existent or eternal nature of God. The name is closely associated with the revelation to Moses in Exodus 3:12-15 and is used in conjunction with other terms to denote sacred places. Some scholars suggest it derives from a root meaning 'to bring into being.'
יהוה c. 6823 i.e. יַהְוֶה n.pr.dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel—(1. MT יְהֹוָה 6518 (Qr אֲדֹנָי), or יֱהֹוִה 305 (Qr אֱלֹהִים) 2. Many recent scholars explain יַהְוֶה as Hiph. of הוה (= היה) the one bringing into being, life-giver)
יהוה is not used by E in Gn, but is given Ex 3:12-15 as the name of the God who revealed Himself to Moses at Horeb
יהוה is used with אלהים and suffixes, especially in D
the phrase † אֲנִי יהוה is noteworthy
יהוה is also used with several predicates, to form sacred names of holy places of Yahweh
base
H3068 יהוה i.e. יַהְוֶה n. pr. dei Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel
3068 Yhovah yeh-ho-vaw'
from 1961; (the) self-Existent or Eternal; Jehovah, Jewish
national name of God:--Jehovah, the Lord. Compare 3050, 3069.
see HEBREW for 01961
see HEBREW for 03050
see HEBREW for 03069
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — LORD.
Jehovah = "the existing One"
1) the proper name of the one true God
1a) unpronounced except with the vowel pointings of a.do.na (אֲדֹנָי "Lord" H0136)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — The Lord.
Another name of ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
יְהֹוָה (ye.ho.vah) — (Jerusalem of) the Lord.
Combined with ye.ru.sha.laim (יְרוּשָׁלִַ֫ם, יְרוּשְׁלֵם "Jerusalem" H3389)
N-proper — Noun properHNpt
נִי (ni) — me.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 1st person singular
HRd/Sp1bs — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp1bs
צְדָקָה (tsdaqah) means 'righteousness' and encompasses various aspects such as justice, truthfulness, and ethical rightness. It can refer to God's attribute of sovereignty, righteousness in governance, and even justification or salvation. The term also implies righteous acts and has an Aramaic equivalent, צִדְקָה (tsid.qah).
צְדָקָה 157 n.f. righteousness
righteousness, in government
God's attribute as sovereign
righteousness, in a case or cause
righteousness = truthfulness
righteousness, as ethically right
righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.
pl. righteous acts
base
H6666 צְדָקָה righteousness . righteousness, in government
. God's attribute as sovereign
. righteousness, in a case or cause
. righteousness = truthfulness
. righteousness, as ethically right
. righteousness as vindicated, justification, salvation, etc.
. pl. righteous acts
6666 tsdaqah tsed-aw-kaw'
from 6663; rightness (abstractly), subjectively (rectitude),
objectively (justice), morally (virtue) or figuratively
(prosperity):--justice, moderately, right(-eous)
(act, -ly, -ness).
see HEBREW for 06663
צְדָקָה (tse.da.qah) — righteousness.
1) justice, righteousness
1a) righteousness (in government)
1a1) of judge, ruler, king
1a2) of law
1a3) of Davidic king Messiah
1b) righteousness (of God's attribute)
1c) righteousness (in a case or cause)
1d) righteousness, truthfulness
1e) righteousness (as ethically right)
1f) righteousness (as vindicated), justification, salvation
1f1) of God
1f2) prosperity (of people)
1g) righteous acts
Aramaic equivalent: tsid.qah (צִדְקָה "righteousness" H6665)
Prep | N-fs | Suff — Preposition · noun common feminine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncfsc/Sp1bs
בֹּר (bor) refers to cleanness or pureness. It is derived from the root word associated with purification. The entries consistently emphasize its meaning related to cleanliness, with no significant disagreement among the lexicons.
בֹּר n.m. cleanness, pureness
base
H1252 בֹּר
1252 bor bore
from 1305; purify:--cleanness, pureness.
see HEBREW for 01305
בֹּר (bor) — cleanness.
cleanness, pureness
Prep | N-ms | Suff — Preposition · noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHR/Ncmsc/Sp1bs
נֶ֫גֶד (neged) refers to something that is conspicuous or in front, functioning as both a noun and an adverb. It denotes a position opposite or before someone, often used to indicate presence or visibility. The word can imply a counterpart or mate, and it appears in contexts emphasizing sight or proximity.
נֶ֫גֶד 151 subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to
base
H5048 נֶ֫גֶד subst. what is conspicuous or in front, always as adv. or prep. in front of, in sight of, opposite to
5048 neged neh'-ghed
from 5046; a front, i.e. part opposite; specifically a
counterpart, or mate; usually (adverbial, especially with
preposition) over against or before:--about, (over) against,
X aloof, X far (off), X from, over, presence, X other side,
sight, X to view.
see HEBREW for 05046
נֶ֫גֶד (ne.ged) — before.
subst
1) what is conspicuous, what is in front of
adv
2) in front of, straight forward, before, in sight of
3) in front of oneself, straightforward
4) before your face, in your view or purpose
with prep
5) what is in front of, corresponding to
6) in front of, before
7) in the sight or presence of
8) parallel to
9) over, for
10) in front, opposite
11) at a distance
prep
12) from the front of, away from
13) from before the eyes of, opposite to, at a distance from
14) from before, in front of
15) as far as the front of
Aramaic equivalent: ne.ged (נֶ֫גֶד "before" H5049)
Prep | Prep — PrepositionHR/Acmsc
be-for': The translation of a great variety of Hebrew and Greek words. "Haran died before (the English Revised Version "in the presence of," literally "before the face of") his father Terah" (Ge 11:28). To be "before" God is to enjoy His favor (Ps 31:22). "The Syrians before" (Isa 9:12 the Revised Version, margin "on the east," as "behind," owing to the position of Canaan, relative to Syria, implies the west).
The Hebrew word עַ֫יִן (*'ayin*) means 'eye' and can refer to both the physical organ and its figurative uses, such as mental qualities and desires. It also denotes a 'spring' or 'fountain' of water. The entries highlight various phrases and contexts, including appearances and expressions of emotion, but do not indicate any significant disagreement among lexicons.
עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye
lit. as physical organ
eyes as showing mental qualities
desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
Transferred mngs.:
visible surface of earth
appearance
gleam, sparkle
Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
base
עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:
ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1
ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19
ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.
ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)
base
H5869a עַ֫יִן eye . lit. as physical organ
. . eyes as showing mental qualities
. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes
. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states
. Transferred mngs.: . visible surface of earth
. appearance
. gleam, sparkle
. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead
H5869b עַ֫יִן spring (of water)
5869 `ayin ah'-yin
probably a primitive word; an eye (literally or
figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the
landscape):--affliction, outward appearance, + before, +
think best, colour, conceit, + be content, countenance, +
displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, + favour,
fountain, furrow (from the margin), X him, + humble,
knowledge, look, (+ well), X me, open(-ly), + (not) please,
presence, + regard, resemblance, sight, X thee, X them, +
think, X us, well, X you(-rselves).
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye.
: eye
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain (Gate).
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — Fountain of.
§ spring, fountain
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: seeing.
: seeing
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: appearance.
: appearance
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: before(the eyes).
: before(the_eyes)
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
1a3) of mental and spiritual faculties (fig.)
עַ֫יִן (a.yin) — eye: sin.
: sin
1) eye
1a) eye
1a1) of physical eye
1a2) as showing mental qualities
N-cd | Suff — Noun common feminine dual construct · suffixHNcfdc/Sp3ms