2 Chronicles 5:1

5:1 When Solomon had finished constructing the Lord’s temple, he put the holy items that belonged to his father David (the silver, gold, and all the other articles) in the treasuries of God’s temple.

2 Chronicles 3:1-17

The Building of the Temple

3:1 Solomon began building the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem ¹  on Mount Moriah, where the Lord had appeared to his father David. This was the place that David prepared at the threshing floor of Ornan ²  the Jebusite. 3:2 He began building on the second day of the second month of the fourth year of his reign. ³ 

3:3 Solomon laid the foundation for God’s temple; ⁴  its length (determined according to the old standard of measure) was 90 feet, and its width 30 feet. ⁵  3:4 The porch in front of the main hall was 30 feet long, corresponding to the width of the temple, ⁶  and its height was 30 feet. ⁷  He plated the inside with pure gold. 3:5 He paneled ⁸  the main hall ⁹  with boards made from evergreen trees ¹⁰  and plated it with fine gold, decorated with palm trees and chains. ¹¹  3:6 He decorated the temple with precious stones; the gold he used came from Parvaim. ¹²  3:7 He overlaid the temple’s rafters, thresholds, walls and doors with gold; he carved decorative cherubim on the walls.

3:8 He made the most holy place; ¹³  its length was 30 feet, ¹⁴  corresponding to the width of the temple, and its width 30 feet. ¹⁵  He plated it with 600 talents ¹⁶  of fine gold. 3:9 The gold nails weighed 50 shekels; he also plated the upper areas with gold. 3:10 In the most holy place he made two images of cherubim and plated them with gold. 3:11 The combined wing span of the cherubs was 30 feet. ¹⁷  One of the first cherub’s wings was seven and one-half feet long and touched one wall of the temple; its other wing was also seven and one-half feet long and touched one of the second cherub’s wings. ¹⁸  3:12 Likewise one of the second cherub’s wings was seven and one-half feet long and touched the other wall of the temple; its other wing was also seven and one-half feet long and touched one of the first cherub’s wings. ¹⁹  3:13 The combined wingspan of these cherubim was 30 feet. ²⁰  They stood upright, facing inward. ²¹  3:14 He made the curtain out of violet, purple, crimson, and white fabrics, and embroidered on it decorative cherubim.

3:15 In front of the temple he made two pillars which had a combined length ²²  of 52½ feet, ²³  with each having a plated capital seven and one-half feet high. ²⁴  3:16 He made ornamental chains ²⁵  and put them on top of the pillars. He also made one hundred pomegranate-shaped ornaments and arranged them within the chains. 3:17 He set up the pillars in front of the temple, one on the right side and the other on the left. ²⁶  He named the one on the right Jachin, ²⁷  and the one on the left Boaz. ²⁸ 

2 Chronicles 6:1-42

6:1 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness. 6:2 O Lord, ²⁹  I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.” 6:3 Then the king turned around ³⁰  and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there. ³¹  6:4 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled ³²  what he promised ³³  my father David. 6:5 He told David, ³⁴  ‘Since the day I brought my people out of the land of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. ³⁵  Nor did I choose a man as leader of my people Israel. 6:6 But now I have chosen Jerusalem as a place to live, ³⁶  and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ 6:7 Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. ³⁷  6:8 The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. ³⁸  6:9 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’ ³⁹  6:10 The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor of the Lord God of Israel 6:11 and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with the Israelites.”

6:12 He stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands. 6:13 Solomon had made a bronze platform and had placed it in the middle of the enclosure. It was seven and one-half feet ⁴⁰  long, seven and one-half feet ⁴¹  wide, and four and one-half feet ⁴²  high. He stood on it and then got down on his knees in front of the entire assembly of Israel. He spread out his hands toward the sky, 6:14 and prayed: ⁴³  “O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth! You maintain covenantal loyalty ⁴⁴  to your servants who obey you with sincerity. ⁴⁵  6:15 You have kept your word to your servant, my father David; ⁴⁶  this very day you have fulfilled what you promised. ⁴⁷  6:16 Now, O Lord God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David, when you said, ‘You will never fail to have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel, ⁴⁸  provided that your descendants watch their step and obey my law as you have done.’ ⁴⁹  6:17 Now, O Lord God of Israel, may the promise you made to your servant David be realized. ⁵⁰ 

6:18 “God does not really live with humankind on the earth! ⁵¹  Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built! 6:19 But respond favorably to ⁵²  your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer ⁵³  the desperate prayer ⁵⁴  your servant is presenting to you. ⁵⁵  6:20 Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. ⁵⁶  May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place. ⁵⁷  6:21 Respond to the requests of your servant and your people Israel for this place. ⁵⁸  Hear from your heavenly dwelling place and respond favorably and forgive. ⁵⁹ 

6:22 “When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbor and the latter pronounces a curse on the alleged offender before your altar in this temple, ⁶⁰  6:23 listen from heaven and make a just decision about your servants’ claims. Condemn the guilty party, declare the other innocent, and give both of them what they deserve. ⁶¹ 

6:24 “If your people Israel are defeated by an enemy ⁶²  because they sinned against you, then if they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you, ⁶³  and pray for your help ⁶⁴  before you in this temple, 6:25 then listen from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to them and their ancestors. ⁶⁵ 

6:26 “The time will come when ⁶⁶  the skies ⁶⁷  are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people ⁶⁸  sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, ⁶⁹  and turn away from their sin because you punish ⁷⁰  them, 6:27 then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly ⁷¹  you will then teach them the right way to live ⁷²  and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess. ⁷³ 

6:28 “The time will come when the land suffers from a famine, a plague, blight, and disease, or a locust ⁷⁴  invasion, or when their enemy lays siege to the cities of the land, ⁷⁵  or when some other type of plague or epidemic occurs. 6:29 When all your people Israel pray and ask for help, ⁷⁶  as they acknowledge their intense pain ⁷⁷  and spread out their hands toward this temple, 6:30 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place, forgive their sin, ⁷⁸  and act favorably toward each one based on your evaluation of their motives. ⁷⁹  (Indeed you are the only one who can correctly evaluate the motives of all people.) ⁸⁰  6:31 Then they will honor ⁸¹  you by obeying you ⁸²  throughout their lifetimes as ⁸³  they live on the land you gave to our ancestors.

6:32 “Foreigners, who do not belong to your people Israel, will come from a distant land because of your great reputation ⁸⁴  and your ability to accomplish mighty deeds; ⁸⁵  they will come and direct their prayers toward this temple. 6:33 Then listen from your heavenly dwelling place and answer all the prayers of the foreigners. ⁸⁶  Then all the nations of the earth will acknowledge your reputation, ⁸⁷  obey ⁸⁸  you like your people Israel do, and recognize that this temple I built belongs to you. ⁸⁹ 

6:34 “When you direct your people to march out and fight their enemies, ⁹⁰  and they direct their prayers to you toward this chosen city and this temple I built for your honor, ⁹¹  6:35 then listen from heaven to their prayers for help ⁹²  and vindicate them. ⁹³ 

6:36 “The time will come when your people ⁹⁴  will sin against you (for there is no one who is sinless!) and you will be angry at them and deliver them over to their enemies, who will take them as prisoners to their land, whether far away or close by. 6:37 When your people ⁹⁵  come to their senses ⁹⁶  in the land where they are held prisoner, they will repent and beg for your mercy in the land of their imprisonment, admitting, ‘We have sinned and gone astray ⁹⁷ , we have done evil!’ 6:38 When they return to you with all their heart and being ⁹⁸  in the land where they are held prisoner and direct their prayers toward the land you gave to their ancestors, your chosen city, and the temple I built for your honor, ⁹⁹  6:39 then listen from your heavenly dwelling place to their prayers for help, ¹⁰⁰  vindicate them, ¹⁰¹  and forgive your sinful people.

6:40 “Now, my God, may you be attentive and responsive to the prayers offered in this place. ¹⁰²  6:41 Now ascend, O Lord God, to your resting place, you and the ark of your strength! May your priests, O Lord God, experience your deliverance! ¹⁰³  May your loyal followers rejoice in the prosperity you give! ¹⁰⁴  6:42 O Lord God, do not reject your chosen ones! ¹⁰⁵  Remember the faithful promises you made to your servant David!”

[3:1]  ¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:1]  ² tn In 2 Sam 24:16 this individual is called אֲרַוְנָא (“Aravna”; traditionally “Araunah”). The form of the name found here also occurs in 1 Chr 21:15; 18-28.

[3:2]  ¹ sn This would be April-May, 966 b.c. by modern reckoning.

[3:3]  ¹ tn Heb “and these are the founding of Solomon to build the house of God.”

[3:3]  ² tn Heb “the length [in] cubits by the former measure was sixty cubits, and a width of twenty cubits.” Assuming a length of 18 inches (45 cm) for the standard cubit, the length of the foundation would be 90 feet (27 m) and its width 30 feet (9 m).

[3:4]  ¹ tc Heb “and the porch which was in front of the length corresponding to the width of the house, twenty cubits.” The phrase הֵיכַל הַבַּיִת (heykhal habbayit, “the main hall of the temple,” which appears in the parallel account in 1 Kgs 6:3) has been accidentally omitted by homoioarcton after עַל־פְּנֵי (’al-pÿney, “in front of”). Note that the following form, הָאֹרֶךְ (ha’orekh, “the length”), also begins with the Hebrew letter he (ה). A scribe’s eye probably jumped from the initial he on הֵיכַל to the initial he on הָאֹרֶךְ, leaving out the intervening letters in the process.

[3:4]  ² tc The Hebrew text has “one hundred and twenty cubits,” i.e. (assuming a cubit of 18 inches) 180 feet (54 m). An ancient Greek witness and the Syriac version read “twenty cubits,” i.e., 30 feet (9 m). It is likely that מֵאָה (me’ah, “a hundred”), is a corruption of an original אַמּוֹת (’ammot, “cubits”).

[3:5]  ¹ tn Heb “covered.”

[3:5]  ² tn Heb “the large house.”

[3:5]  ³ tn Heb “wood of evergreens.”

[3:5]  ⁴ tn Heb “and he put up on it palm trees and chains.”

[3:6]  ¹ tn Heb “and he plated the house [with] precious stone for beauty, and the gold was the gold of Parvaim.”

[3:8]  ¹ tn Heb “the house of the holy place of holy places.”

[3:8]  ² tn Heb “twenty cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), this would give a length of 30 feet (9 m).

[3:8]  ³ tc Heb “twenty cubits.” Some suggest adding, “and its height twenty cubits” (see 1 Kgs 6:20). The phrase could have been omitted by homoioteleuton.

[3:8]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew word כִּכַּר (kikar, “circle”) refers generally to something that is round. When used of metals it can refer to a disk-shaped weight made of the metal or, by extension, to a standard unit of weight. According to the older (Babylonian) standard the “talent” weighed 130 lbs. (58.9 kg), but later this was lowered to 108.3 lbs. (49.1 kg). More recent research suggests the “light” standard talent was 67.3 lbs. (30.6 kg). Using this as the standard for calculation, the weight of the gold plating was 40,380 lbs. (18,360 kg).

[3:11]  ¹ tn Heb “and the wings of the cherubs, their length was twenty cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the wingspan of the cherubs would have been 30 feet (9 m).

[3:11]  ² tn Heb “the wing of the one was five cubits from the touching of the wall of the house, and the other wing was five cubits from the touching of the wing of the other cherub.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), each wing would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m) long.

[3:12]  ¹ tn Heb “and the wing of the one (הָאֶחָד, ha’ekhad, “the one”; this should probably be emended to הָאַחֵר, ha’akher, “the other”) cherub was five cubits, touching the wall of the house, and the other wing was five cubits, clinging to the wing of the other cherub.”

[3:13]  ¹ tn Heb “the wings of these cherubs were spreading twenty cubits.”

[3:13]  ² tn Heb “and they were standing on their feet, with their faces to the house.” An alternative translation of the last clause would be, “with their faces to the main hall.”

[3:15]  ¹ sn The figure given here appears to refer to the combined length of both pillars (perhaps when laid end-to-end on the ground prior to being set up; cf. v. 17); the figure given for the height of the pillars in 1 Kgs 7:15, 2 Kgs 25:17, and Jer 52:21 is half this (i.e., eighteen cubits).

[3:15]  ² tc The Syriac reads “eighteen cubits” (twenty-seven feet). This apparently reflects an attempt at harmonization with 1 Kgs 7:15, 2 Kgs 25:17, and Jer 52:21.

[3:15]  ³ tn Heb “and he made before the house two pillars, thirty-five cubits [in] length, and the plated capital which was on its top [was] five cubits.” The significance of the measure “thirty-five cubits” (52.5 feet or 15.75 m, assuming a cubit of 18 inches) for the “length” of the pillars is uncertain. According to 1 Kgs 7:15, each pillar was eighteen cubits (27 feet or 8.1 m) high. Perhaps the measurement given here was taken with the pillars lying end-to-end on the ground before they were set up.

[3:16]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text adds here, “in the inner sanctuary,” but the description at this point is of the pillars, not the inner sanctuary.

[3:17]  ¹ tn Or “one on the south and the other on the north.”

[3:17]  ² tn The name “Jachin” appears to be a verbal form and probably means, “he establishes.”

[3:17]  ³ tn The meaning of the name “Boaz” is uncertain. For various proposals, see BDB 126-27 s.v. בֹּעַז. One attractive option is to revocalize the name asבְּעֹז (bÿ’oz, “in strength”) and to understand it as completing the verbal form on the first pillar. Taking the words together and reading from right to left, one can translate the sentence, “he establishes [it] in strength.”

[6:2]  ¹ tn The words “O Lord” do not appear in the Hebrew text, but they are supplied in the translation for clarification; Solomon addresses the Lord in prayer at this point.

[6:3]  ¹ tn Heb “turned his face.”

[6:3]  ² tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”

[6:4]  ¹ tn The Hebrew text reads, “fulfilled by his hand,” but the phrase “by his hand” is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[6:4]  ² tn The Hebrew text reads, “promised by his mouth,” but the phrase “by his mouth” is somewhat redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[6:5]  ¹ tn Heb “saying.”

[6:5]  ² tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.” Here “name” is used by metonymy for the Lord himself, and thus the expression “to be there” refers to his taking up residence there (hence the translation, “a temple in which to live”). In this case the temple is referred to as a “house” where the Lord himself can reside.

[6:6]  ¹ tn Heb for my name to be there.” See also the note on the word “live” in v. 5.

[6:7]  ¹ tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.”

[6:8]  ¹ tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”

[6:9]  ¹ tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”

[6:13]  ¹ tn Heb “five cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the length would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m).

[6:13]  ² tn Heb “five cubits.”

[6:13]  ³ tn Heb “three cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the height would have been 4.5 feet (1.35 m).

[6:14]  ¹ tn Heb “said.”

[6:14]  ² tn Heb “one who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.”

[6:14]  ³ tn Heb “who walk before you with all their heart.”

[6:15]  ¹ tn Heb “[you] who kept to your servant David my father that which you spoke to him.”

[6:15]  ² tn Heb “you spoke by your mouth and by your hand you fulfilled, as this day.”

[6:16]  ¹ tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from before me sitting on the throne of Israel.”

[6:16]  ² tn Heb “guard their way by walking in my law as you have walked before me.”

[6:17]  ¹ tn Or “prove to be reliable.”

[6:18]  ¹ tn Heb “Indeed, can God really live with mankind on the earth?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not,” the force of which is reflected in the translation “God does not really live with mankind on the earth.”

[6:19]  ¹ tn Heb “turn to.”

[6:19]  ² tn Heb “by listening to.”

[6:19]  ³ tn Heb “the loud cry and the prayer.”

[6:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “praying before you.”

[6:20]  ¹ tn Heb “so your eyes might be open toward this house night and day, toward the place about which you said, ‘My name will be there.’”

[6:20]  ² tn Heb “by listening to the prayer which your servant is praying concerning this place.”

[6:21]  ¹ tn Heb “listen to the requests of your servant and your people Israel which they are praying concerning this place.”

[6:21]  ² tn Heb “hear and forgive.”

[6:22]  ¹ tn Heb “and if the man who sins against his neighbor when one takes up against him a curse to curse him and the curse comes before your altar in this house.”

[6:23]  ¹ tn Heb “and you, hear [from] heaven and act and judge your servants by repaying the guilty, to give his way on his head, and to declare the innocent to be innocent, to give to him according to his innocence.”

[6:24]  ¹ tn Or “are struck down before an enemy.”

[6:24]  ² tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”

[6:24]  ³ tn Heb “and they pray and ask for help.”

[6:25]  ¹ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 31, 38).

[6:26]  ¹ tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 26-27a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

[6:26]  ² tn Or “heavens” (also in v. 12). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

[6:26]  ³ tn Heb “they.”

[6:26]  ⁴ tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”

[6:26]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text reads “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (’anah, “answer”). However, this reference to a divine answer is premature, since the next verse asks for God to intervene in mercy. It is better to revocalize the consonantal text as תְעַנֵּם (tÿ’annem, “you afflict them”), a Piel verb form from the homonym עָנָה (“afflict”).

[6:27]  ¹ tn The present translation understands כִּי (ki) in an emphatic or asseverative sense (“Certainly”). Other translation have “indeed” (NASB), “when” (NRSV), “so” (NEB), or leave the word untranslated (NIV).

[6:27]  ² tn Heb “the good way in which they should walk.”

[6:27]  ³ tn Or “for an inheritance.”

[6:28]  ¹ tn Actually two Hebrew words appear here, both of which are usually (but not always) taken as referring to locusts. Perhaps different stages of growth or different varieties are in view, but this is uncertain. NEB has “locusts new-sloughed or fully grown”; NASB has “locust or grasshopper”; NIV has “locusts or grasshoppers”; NRSV has “locust, or caterpillar.”

[6:28]  ² tn Heb “in the land, his gates.”

[6:29]  ¹ tn Heb “every prayer, every request for help which will be to all the people, to all your people Israel.”

[6:29]  ² tn Heb “which they know, each his pain and his affliction.”

[6:30]  ¹ tn The words “their sin” are not in the Hebrew text, but are supplied for clarification.

[6:30]  ² tn Heb “and act and give to each one according to all his ways because you know his heart.” In the Hebrew text vv. 28-30a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided up for stylistic reasons.

[6:30]  ³ tn Heb “Indeed you know, you alone, the heart of all the sons of mankind.”

[6:31]  ¹ tn Heb “fear.”

[6:31]  ² tn Heb “by walking in your ways.”

[6:31]  ³ tn Heb “all the days [in] which.”

[6:32]  ¹ tn Heb “your great name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “your great reputation”).

[6:32]  ² tn Heb “and your strong hand and your outstretched arm.”

[6:33]  ¹ tn Heb “and do all which the foreigner calls to [i.e., “requests of”] you.”

[6:33]  ² tn Heb “name.” See the note on “reputation” in v. 32.

[6:33]  ³ tn Heb “fear.”

[6:33]  ⁴ tn Heb “that your name is called over this house which I built.” The Hebrew idiom “call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28.

[6:34]  ¹ tn Heb “When your people go out for battle against their enemies in the way which you send them.”

[6:34]  ² tn Heb “toward this city which you have chosen and the house which I built for your name.”

[6:35]  ¹ tn Heb “their prayer and their request for help.”

[6:35]  ² tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”

[6:36]  ¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:37]  ¹ tn Heb “they”; the referent (God’s people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:37]  ² tn Or “stop and reflect”; Heb “bring back to their heart.”

[6:37]  ³ tn Or “done wrong.”

[6:38]  ¹ tn Or “soul.”

[6:38]  ² tn Heb “your name.” The word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor (thus the translation here, “your honor”).

[6:39]  ¹ tn Heb “their prayer and their requests for help.”

[6:39]  ² tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”

[6:40]  ¹ tn Heb “May your eyes be open and your ears attentive to the prayer of this place.”

[6:41]  ¹ tn Heb “be clothed with deliverance.”

[6:41]  ² tn Heb “and may your loyal ones rejoice in good.”

[6:42]  ¹ tc Heb “do not turn away the face of your anointed ones.” Many medieval Hebrew mss, as well as the ancient versions, read the singular, “your anointed,” which would probably refer to Solomon specifically, rather than the people.