2 Chronicles 6:5-6

6:5 He told David, ¹  ‘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. ²  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, ³  and I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’

2 Chronicles 6:20

6:20 Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. ⁴  May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place. ⁵ 

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¹ tn Heb “saying.”

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.

³ tn Heb for my name to be there.” See also the note on the word “live” in v. 5.

⁴ 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.’”

⁵ tn Heb “by listening to the prayer which your servant is praying concerning this place.”