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2
Chronicles Chapter Seven
New King James Version (NKJV)
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 7
In
this chapter is an account of the Lord's acceptance of the sacrifices offered
at the dedication of the temple by fire, to the great surprise and
encouragement of the people, 2 Chronicles 7:1,
and of the feast kept on that account, and the feast of tabernacles, 2 Chronicles 7:8,
and of the Lord's appearance to Solomon, giving an answer to his prayer, 2 Chronicles 7:13.
2 Chronicles
7:1 When Solomon
had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt
offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of the Lord filled the
temple.[a]
YLT
1And at Solomon's finishing
to pray, then the fire hath come down from the heavens, and consumeth the
burnt-offering and the sacrifices, and the honour of Jehovah hath filled the
house,
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying,.... The
prayer recorded in the preceding chapter:
the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and
the sacrifices; which was the token God gave of his acceptance of them, of which
there had been several instances before, Leviticus 9:24, 1 Kings 18:38,
and the glory of the Lord filled the house; the glory of
the Shechinah of the Lord, as the Targum, see 1 Kings 8:11.
2 Chronicles
7:2 2 And
the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the
glory of the Lord
had filled the Lord’s
house.
YLT
2and the priests have not
been able to go in unto the house of Jehovah, because the honour of Jehovah
hath filled the house of Jehovah.
And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord,.... They went
in to carry the ark thither, but not being able to stand to minister, they came
out, and could not reenter:
because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house; both the holy
place, and the holy of holies, see 1 Kings 8:10.
2 Chronicles
7:3 3 When
all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the Lord on the temple,
they bowed their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshiped and praised
the Lord,
saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever.”[b]
YLT
3And all the sons of Israel
are looking on the descending of the fire, and the honour of Jehovah on the
house, and they bow -- faces to the earth -- on the pavement, and do obeisance,
and give thanks to Jehovah, for good, for to the age [is] His kindness.
And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down,.... From
heaven upon the sacrifice, and consumed it, which was all visible to the eye;
or it may be this was a distinct fire from the former, since it seems to have
come down upon the house, and so may denote a bright, shining, glorious light;
the same with what follows:
and the glory of the Lord upon the house; for not only
the house was filled with the glory, but there was a bright stream of light and
glory over it, very dazzling and surprising:
they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the
pavement; of the great court, where they were assembled:
and worshipped and praised the Lord: worshipped him by
praising him:
saying, for he is good; in his nature, promises,
and blessings; is good, and does good:
for his mercy endureth for ever; this was the close of
their song of praise.
2 Chronicles
7:4 4 Then
the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the Lord.
YLT
4And the king and all the
people are sacrificing a sacrifice before Jehovah,
Verse 4-5
Then the king and all the people,.... Of these two verses;
see Gill on 1 Kings 8:62; see
Gill on 1 Kings 8:63.
2 Chronicles
7:5 5 King
Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and
twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
YLT
5and king Solomon
sacrificeth the sacrifice of the herd, twenty and two thousand, and of the
flock, a hundred and twenty thousand, and the king and all the people dedicate
the house of God.
2 Chronicles
7:6 6 And
the priests attended to their services; the Levites also with instruments of
the music of the Lord,
which King David had made to praise the Lord, saying, “For His mercy endures
forever,”[c] whenever
David offered praise by their ministry. The priests sounded trumpets opposite
them, while all Israel stood.
YLT
6And the priests over their
charges are standing, and the Levites with instruments of the song of Jehovah
-- that David the king made, to give thanks to Jehovah, for to the age [is] His
kindness, in David's praising by their hand -- and the priests are blowing
trumpets over-against them, and all Israel are standing.
And the priests waited on their offices,.... Performed
them, some in offering sacrifices, others in blowing trumpets, as it may be
explained from the latter part of the verse:
the Levites also with instruments of music of the Lord, which
David the king had made to praise the Lord; under a divine
direction, on which the Levites played to the songs of praise offered to the
Lord, and by which they made music sacred to him:
because his mercy endureth for ever; which, as it was the
close of their songs of praise, was the cause of them:
when David praised by their ministry; the songs
sung being composed by him, and the instruments they played upon being of his
invention, and used by his order:
and the priests sounded trumpets before them; or rather
over against them, that is, over against the Levites, as they were singing and
playing on the instruments of music:
and all Israel stood; while this sacred and
delightful service was performing, they both stood up, and stood by the priests
and Levites, and joined with them in praising the Lord.
2 Chronicles 7:7 7 Furthermore Solomon
consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of
the Lord;
for there he offered burnt offerings and the fat of the peace offerings,
because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the
burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat.
YLT
7And Solomon sanctifieth the
middle of the court that [is] before the house of Jehovah, for he hath made
there the burnt-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings: for the altar of
brass that Solomon made hath not been able to contain the burnt-offering, and
the present, and the fat.
Verses 7-10
Moreover, Solomon hallowed the middle of the court,.... From
hence, to the end of 2 Chronicles 7:10
is the same with 1 Kings 8:64. See
Gill on 1 Kings 8:64, 1 Kings 8:65, 1 Kings 8:66, only
mention is made in 2 Chronicles 7:9 of
the dedication of the altar, as if distinct from the dedication of the house,
and hallowing the middle of the court, see Numbers 7:10 in
imitation of which the Heathens dedicated their altars, in which they used
ashes and water, as PausaniasF25Eliac, 1. sive, l. 5. p. 312.
relates, and had also feasts, as here, at the dedication of their templesF26Plin.
Ep. l. 4. ep. 1. , in which they have been imitated by Christians; and many of
our country feasts, as they are called, were first kept at the dedication of
churches to such and such a saint.
2 Chronicles 7:8 8 At that time Solomon kept
the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly from the
entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt.[d]
YLT
8And solomon maketh the
feast at that time seven days, and all Israel with him -- a very great assembly
-- from the entering in of Hamath unto the brook of Egypt.
2 Chronicles 7:9 9 And on the eighth day they
held a sacred assembly, for they observed the dedication of the altar seven
days, and the feast seven days.
YLT
9And they make on the eighth
day a restraint, because the dedication of the altar they have made seven days,
and the feast seven days.
2 Chronicles 7:10 10 On the twenty-third day of
the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of
heart for the good that the Lord had done for David, for
Solomon, and for His people Israel.
YLT
10And on the twenty and third
day of the seventh month he hath sent the people to their tents, rejoicing, and
glad in heart, for the goodness that Jehovah hath done to David, and to
Solomon, and to Israel His people.
2 Chronicles 7:11 11 Thus Solomon finished the
house of the Lord
and the king’s house; and Solomon successfully accomplished all that came into
his heart to make in the house of the Lord and in his own house.
YLT
11And Solomon finisheth the
house of Jehovah, and the house of the king; and all that hath come on the
heart of Solomon to do in the house of Jehovah, and in his own house, he hath
caused to prosper.
Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord,.... With
which begins 1 Kings 11:1; see
Gill on 1 Kings 11:1.
2 Chronicles 7:12 12 Then the Lord appeared to
Solomon by night, and said to him: “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen
this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
YLT
12And Jehovah appeareth unto
Solomon by night, and saith to him, `I have heard thy prayer, and have fixed on
this place to Me for a house of sacrifice.
Verses 12-22
And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night,.... From
hence, to the end of the chapter, much the same things are related as in 1 Kings 9:2. See
Gill on 1 Kings 9:2, 1 Kings 9:3, 1 Kings 9:4, 1 Kings 9:5, 1 Kings 9:6, 1 Kings 9:7, 1 Kings 9:8, 1 Kings 9:9,
excepting 2 Chronicles 7:13
which contain an answer to the particular requests made by Solomon in case of a
famine or pestilence, that when the people of Israel should humble themselves
in prayer and supplication, the Lord would be attentive to them, and forgive
them, 2 Chronicles 6:26
and which is given as a specimen, and as encouragement to expect the same
treatment in all other cases mentioned in Solomon's prayer, they so behaving.
2 Chronicles 7:13 13 When I shut up heaven and
there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence
among My people,
YLT
13If I restrain the heavens
and there is no rain, and if I lay charge on the locust to consume the land,
and if I send pestilence among My people –
2 Chronicles 7:14 14 if My people who are
called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn
from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their
sin and heal their land.
YLT 14and My people on whom My
name is called be humbled, and pray, and seek My face, and turn back from their
evil ways, then I -- I hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin, and heal
their land.
2 Chronicles 7:15 15 Now My eyes will be open
and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
YLT
15`Now, Mine eyes are open,
and Mine ears attentive, to the prayer of this place;
2 Chronicles 7:16 16 For now I have chosen and
sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My
heart will be there perpetually.
YLT
16and now, I have chosen and
sanctified this house for My name being there unto the age; yea, Mine eyes and
My heart have been there all the days.
2 Chronicles 7:17 17 As for you, if you walk
before Me as your father David walked, and do according to all that I have
commanded you, and if you keep My statutes and My judgments,
YLT
17`And thou, if thou dost
walk before Me as David thy father walked, even to do according to all that I
have commanded thee, and My statutes and My judgments dost keep –
2 Chronicles 7:18 18 then I will establish the
throne of your kingdom, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You
shall not fail to have a man as ruler in Israel.’
YLT
18then I have established the
throne of thy kingdom, as I covenanted with David thy father, saying, There is
not cut off a man to thee -- a ruler in Israel;
2 Chronicles 7:19 19 “But if you turn away and
forsake My statutes and My commandments which I have set before you, and go and
serve other gods, and worship them,
YLT
19and if ye turn back -- ye
-- and have forsaken My statutes, and My commands, that I have placed before
you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them -- then
I have plucked them from off My ground that I have given to them,
2 Chronicles 7:20 20 then I will uproot them
from My land which I have given them; and this house which I have sanctified
for My name I will cast out of My sight, and will make it a proverb and a
byword among all peoples.
YLT
20and this house that I have
sanctified for My name, I cast from before My face, and make it for a proverb,
and for a byword, among all the peoples.
2 Chronicles 7:21 21 “And as for this
house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and say,
‘Why has the Lord
done thus to this land and this house?’
YLT
21`And this house that hath
been high, to every one passing by it, is an astonishment, and he hath said,
Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus to this land, and to this house?
2 Chronicles 7:22 22 Then they will answer,
‘Because they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who
brought them out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, and worshiped
them and served them; therefore He has brought all this calamity on them.’”
YLT
22and they have said, Because
that they have forsaken Jehovah, God of their fathers, who brought them out
from the land of Egypt, and lay hold on other gods, and bow themselves to them,
and serve them, therefore He hath brought upon them all this evil.'
──《John Gill’s
Exposition of the Bible》
New King James
Version (NKJV)