Christian Standard Bible
2 Chronicles 6:18
18But will God indeed live on earth with humans? Even heaven, the highest heaven, 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, Lord God of Israel, keep what you promised to your servant, my father David: “You will never fail to have a man to sit before me on the throne of Israel, if only your sons take care to walk in my Law as you have walked before me.” 17Now, Lord God of Israel, please confirm what you promised to your servant David. But will God indeed live on earth with humans? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain you, much less this temple I have built. 19Listen to your servant’s prayer and his petition, Lord my God, so that you may hear the cry and the prayer that your servant prays before you, 20so that your eyes watch over this temple day and night, toward the place where you said you would put your name; and so that you may hear the prayer 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
Words taken from the KJV.
- But will Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- in very deedאֻמְנָם'ûmnâm · trulyH552
- dwellיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
- with menאָדָם'âdâm · manH120
- on the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- behold, heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
- cannot containכּוּלkûl · to sustainH3557
- thee; how much less this houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- which I have builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 6:18
- Exodus 29:45I will dwell among the Israelites and be their God.
- 1 Kings 8:27But will God indeed live on earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain you, much less this temple I have built.
- Psalms 68:18You ascended to the heights, taking away captives; you received gifts from people, even from the rebellious, so that the Lord God might dwell there.
- Psalms 113:5Who is like the Lord our God — the one enthroned on high,
- Isaiah 57:15For the High and Exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this: “I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.
- Isaiah 66:1This is what the Lord says: Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool. Where could you possibly build a house for me? And where would my resting place be?
- Acts 7:48but the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands, as the prophet says:
- Acts 17:24The God who made the world and everything in it — he is Lord of heaven and earth — does not live in shrines made by hands.
- 2 Chronicles 2:6But who is able to build a temple for him, since even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain him? Who am I then that I should build a temple for him except as a place to burn incense before him?
- Psalms 139:7Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?
- Jeremiah 23:24Can a person hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” — the Lord’s declaration. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” — the Lord’s declaration.
- 2 Corinthians 12:2I know a man in Christ who was caught up to the third heaven fourteen years ago. Whether he was in the body or out of the body, I don’t know; God knows.
- 2 Chronicles 32:15So now, don’t let Hezekiah deceive you, and don’t let him mislead you like this. Don’t believe him, for no god of any nation or kingdom has been able to rescue his people from my power or the power of my predecessors. How much less will your God rescue you from my power! ’”
- Job 4:19how much more those who dwell in clay houses, whose foundation is in the dust, who are crushed like a moth!
- Job 9:14How then can I answer him or choose my arguments against him?
- Job 25:4How can a human be justified 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
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