Berean Standard Bible
2 Chronicles 6:18
18But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.
2 Chronicles 6:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!
- New International Version (NIV)“But will God really dwell on earth with humans? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!
- English Standard Version (ESV)"But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!
- New King James Version (NKJV)“But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built!
Context of 2 Chronicles 6:18
16Therefore now, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for Your servant, my father David, what You promised when You said: ‘You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants guard their way to walk in My law as you have walked before Me.’ 17And now, O LORD, God of Israel, please confirm what You promised to Your servant David. But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built. 19Yet regard the prayer and plea of Your servant, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before You. 20May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your Name, so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.
Read all of 2 Chronicles 62 Chronicles 6:18 word by word
כִּ֚י הַֽאֻמְנָ֔ם יֵשֵׁ֧ב אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־הָאָדָ֖ם עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ הִ֠נֵּה שָׁמַ֜יִם וּשְׁמֵ֤י הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ לֹ֣א יְכַלְכְּל֔וּךָ אַ֕ף כִּֽי־הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנִֽיתִי׃Read the interlinear
- Butכִּיkîy · forH3588
- will Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- indeedאֻמְנָם'ûmnâm · trulyH552
- dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- withאֵת'êth · withH854
- manאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- uponעַל‛al · uponH5921
- the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- ·הִנֵּהhinnêh · beholdH2009
- The heavensשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- cannotלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- contain Youכּוּלkûl · to sustainH3557
- much lessאַף'aph · alsoH637
- thisזֶהzeh · thisH2088
- ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- templeבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- I have builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 6:18
- Exodus 29:45Then I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.
- 1 Kings 8:27But will God indeed dwell upon the earth? The heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.
- Psalms 68:18You have ascended on high; You have led captives away. You have received gifts from men, even from the rebellious, that the LORD God may dwell there.
- Psalms 113:5Who is like the LORD our God, the One enthroned on high?
- Isaiah 57:15For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and humble in spirit, to restore the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the contrite.
- Isaiah 66:1This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is My throne, and earth is My footstool. What kind of house will you build for Me? Or where will My place of repose be?
- Acts 7:48However, the Most High does not dwell in houses made by human hands. As the prophet says:
- Acts 17:24The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made by human hands.
- 2 Chronicles 2:6But who is able to build a house for Him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain Him? Who then am I, that I should build a house for Him, except as a place to burn sacrifices before Him?
- Psalms 139:7Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence?
- Jeremiah 23:24“Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD.
- 2 Corinthians 12:2I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of it I do not know, but God knows.
- 2 Chronicles 32:15So now, do not let Hezekiah deceive you, and do not let him mislead you like this. Do not believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to deliver his people from my hand or from the hand of my fathers. How much less will your God deliver you from my hand!”
- Job 4:19how much more those who dwell in houses of clay, whose foundations are in the dust, who can be crushed like a moth!
- Job 9:14How then can I answer Him or choose my arguments against Him?
- Job 25:4How then can a man be just before God? How can one born of woman be pure?
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 6:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18But will God in very deed dwell with men - "But who could have imagined, who could have thought it credible, that God should place his majesty among men dwelling upon earth? Behold, the highest heavens, the middle heavens, and the lowest heavens, cannot bear the glory of thy majesty, (for thou art the God who sustainest all the heavens, and the earth, and the deep, and all that is in them), nor can this house which I have built contain Thee." - Targum.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-39Verses 1-39 Compare Kings (marginal references). Compare Kings (marginal references).Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18even the highest heavens, cannot contain You: All creation is like God's true temple, the palace of the divine king (see Isaiah 66:1–2).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2118-21. how much less this house which I have built! Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant--No person who entertains just and exalted views of the spiritual nature of the Divine Being will suppose that he can raise a temple for the habitation of Deity, as a man builds a house for himself. Nearly as improper and inadmissible is the idea that a temple can contribute to enhance the glory of God, as a monument may be raised in honor of a great…Read the comment
Topics related to 2 Chronicles 6:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Berean Standard Bible — © Berean Bible — CC0 / Public Domain
Commentaries