2 Chronicles 6:4-15

6:4 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled¹ what he promised² my father David. 6:5 He told David,³ ‘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.⁴ 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,⁵ 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.⁶ 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.⁷ 6:9 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’⁸ 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 feet⁹ long, seven and one-half feet¹⁰ wide, and four and one-half feet¹¹ 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:¹² “O Lord God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven or on earth! You maintain covenantal loyalty¹³ to your servants who obey you with sincerity.¹⁴ 6:15 You have kept your word to your servant, my father David;¹⁵ this very day you have fulfilled what you promised.¹⁶

¹tn 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.

²tn 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.

³tn Heb “saying.”

⁴tn 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.

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

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

sn On the significance of the Lord’s “name,” see the note on the word “live” in v. 5.

⁷tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”

⁸tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”

⁹tn Heb “five cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the length would have been 7.5 feet (2.25 m).

¹⁰tn Heb “five cubits.”

¹¹tn Heb “three cubits.” Assuming a cubit of 18 inches (45 cm), the height would have been 4.5 feet (1.35 m).

¹²tn Heb “said.”

¹³tn Heb “one who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.”

¹⁴tn Heb “who walk before you with all their heart.”

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

¹⁶tn Heb “you spoke by your mouth and by your hand you fulfilled, as this day.”