2 Chronicles 6:38

2 Chronicles 6:38 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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:
• New International Version (NIV)and if they turn back to you with all their heart and soul in the land of their captivity where they were taken, and pray toward the land you gave their ancestors, toward the city you have chosen and toward the temple I have built for your Name;
• English Standard Version (ESV)if they repent with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity to which they were carried captive, and pray toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city that you have chosen and the house that I have built for your name,
• New King James Version (NKJV)and when 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 pray toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen, and toward the temple which I have built for Your name:

Context of 2 Chronicles 6:38

36There is nobody who never does a wrong thing. So when your people do not obey you, you will be angry with them. You will put them under the power of their enemies. Those enemies will take them away as their prisoners. Perhaps they will take them to a country that is far away. Perhaps it will be near. 37Then your people may think about the bad things that they have done. While they are prisoners in their enemies' country, they may be sorry about their sins. They may pray to you and ask you to forgive them. They may say, “We have turned away from God and we have done wicked things.” In the country where they are prisoners, they may turn back to you and worship you truly. They may turn towards this land that you gave to their ancestors. They may pray as they look towards this city that you have chosen. They may look towards the temple that I have built to give you honour. 39If they do that, please hear them from your home in heaven. Please answer their prayers and do what is right to help them. Please forgive your people for all the sins that they have done against you. 40Now, my God, please watch over us. Please listen to the prayers that we are praying in this place.

2 Chronicles 6:38 word by word

וְשָׁ֣בוּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ בְּכָל־לִבָּם֙ וּבְכָל־נַפְשָׁ֔ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ שִׁבְיָ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁב֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם וְהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֗וּ דֶּ֤רֶךְ אַרְצָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תָּה לַאֲבוֹתָ֔ם וְהָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתָּ וְלַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־בָּנִ֥יתִי לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• If they returnשׁוּבshûb · to return: repentH7725
• to thee with all their heartלֵבlêb · heartH3820
• and with all their soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of their captivityשְׁבִיshebîy · captivityH7628
• whither they have carried them captivesשָׁבָהshâbâh · to take captiveH7617
• and prayפָּלַלpâlal · to prayH6419
• towardדֶּ֫רֶךְderek · way: directionH1870
• which thou gavestנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• unto their fathersאָב'âb · fatherH1
• the cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• which thou hast chosenבָּחַרbâchar · to chooseH977
• and toward the houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• which I have builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• for thy nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034

Cross-references for 2 Chronicles 6:38

• Deuteronomy 30:2Then you and your children may decide to turn back to the Lord. You may choose to obey him completely in everything that you think and in everything that you do. That is what I am commanding you to do today.
• Jeremiah 29:12At that time, when you call out to me for help, I will hear your prayers.
• Hosea 14:1Israel's people, return to the Lord your God! Your sins have caused you to fall down.
• Joel 2:12‘Even now,’ the Lord says, ‘return to me and put me first. Eat no food. Cry and be very sad.
• 2 Chronicles 33:11So the Lord brought the officers of the king of Assyria's army to attack them. They took hold of Manasseh. They put metal hooks in his nose and they tied bronze chains around him. Then they took him away to Babylon.
• Daniel 9:3So I turned to my Lord God, to ask him for help. I prayed to him and I ate no food. I wore clothes of rough sackcloth. I put ashes on myself to show that I was upset.
• 2 Chronicles 6:34Sometimes, your people will go to fight against their enemies at the place where you have sent them. Then they may turn towards this city and pray to you. This is the city that you have chosen for me to build the temple to give you honour.
• Daniel 6:10Daniel heard that the king had written this new law. Then he went home. He went upstairs to his room where the windows opened in the direction of Jerusalem. He bent down on his knees and he prayed to God, and he thanked God. He did that three times every day, in the same way that he had always done before.

Commentaries on 2 Chronicles 6:38

• 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. 36-39Petition 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…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 3838. If they return to thee ... in the land of their captivity ... and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers--These words gave rise to the favorite usage of the ancient as well as modern Jews, of turning in prayer toward Jerusalem, in whatever quarter of the world they might be, and of directing their faces toward the temple when in Jerusalem itself or in any part of the holy land (1Ki 8:44).Read the comment

Topics related to 2 Chronicles 6:38

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Repentance

In the dictionaries

• Attent
• Prayer
• Solomon
• Sore
• Intercession
• Temple
• Worship

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