Keraia
2 Chronicles 6

2 Chronicles 6:38

Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication · 2 Chronicles 6:12–42
Read 2 Chronicles 6

Translations

Modern
…and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,
Traditional
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:
Literal
…and 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 they pray toward their land that You gave to their fathers, and the city that You have chosen, and toward the house that I have built for Your name,
Latin
…et reversi fuerint ad te in toto corde suo, et in tota anima sua, in terra captivitatis suæ ad quam ducti sunt, adorabunt te contra viam terræ suæ, quam dedisti patribus eorum, et urbis quam elegisti, et domus quam ædificavi nomini tuo:

Original

Hebrew
English
…and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,

Notes

2 Chronicles 6:36–39

Petition 7: Solomon worried that Israel might be completely exiled, as shown in the last part of his prayer. Israel faced many exiles, but the total destruction of Jerusalem and its temple was the hardest test of faith. Solomon saw the temple as a source of faith; even in a foreign land, people could remember it and pray. Mentioning the land, city, and temple (2 Chronicles 6:38) suggests total destruction, not just partial exile. Even if the temple was gone, people could still pray to God in heaven, who would hear and forgive.

2 Chronicles 6:21–39

In his covenant with Israel, the Lord promised blessings and life for obedience, and curses and death for disobedience (Deuteronomy 27:11–28:68; 30:15–18). Solomon prayed for God to listen and forgive when the people broke God's covenant. The seven "if-then" requests in his prayer covered any future situations the covenant people might face. In each case, Solomon described the situation and asked God to help his people.

Parallels

1 Kings 8:22–53

Glossary

Chronicles, Books of First and Second Genealogy

Topics

Afflictions and Adversities: Prayer In Public Prayer: Solomon Repentance: Unclassified Scriptures Relating To the First Temple: Solemnly Dedicated to God by Solomon