2 Chronicles 6:18

THE MESSAGE

Can it be that God will actually move into our neighborhood? Why, the cosmos itself isn't large enough to give you breathing room, let alone this Temple I've built. Even so, I'm bold to ask: Pay attention to these my prayers, both intercessory and personal, O God , my God. Listen to my prayers, energetic and devout, that I'm setting before you right now. Keep your eyes open to this Temple day and night, this place you promised to dignify with your Name. And listen to the prayers that I pray in this place. And listen to your people Israel when they pray at this place. Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
But will God indeed live on earth with humans?Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain you,much less this temple I have built.

Hebrew Names Version
But will God in very deed dwell with men on the eretz? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house which I have built!

King James Version
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!

English Standard Version
"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 Century Version
"But, God, can you really live here on the earth with people? The sky and the highest place in heaven cannot contain you. Surely this house which I have built cannot contain you.

New English Translation
"God does not really live with humankind on the earth! Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built!

Amplified Bible
"But will God actually dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!

New American Standard Bible
"But will God really dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built!

World English Bible
But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house which I have built!

Geneva Bible (1587)
(Is it true in deede that God will dwell with man on earth? beholde, the heauens, and the heauens of heauens are not able to conteine thee: how much more vnable is this house, which I haue buylt?)

Legacy Standard Bible
"But will God truly dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built.

Berean Standard Bible
But will God indeed dwell with man upon the earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built.

Contemporary English Version
There's not enough room in all of heaven for you, Lord God. How could you possibly live on earth in this temple I have built?

Complete Jewish Bible
"But can God actually live with human beings on the earth? Why, heaven itself, even the heaven of heavens, cannot contain you; so how much less this house I have built?

Darby Translation
But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

Easy-to-Read Version
"But, God, will you really live here with us on the earth? The whole sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you. Certainly this house that I built cannot contain you either.

George Lamsa Translation
For in truth the LORD has made his dwelling place with his people Israel on the earth. Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

Good News Translation
"But can you, O God, really live on earth among men and women? Not even all of heaven is large enough to hold you, so how can this Temple that I have built be large enough?

Lexham English Bible
"But will God indeed dwell with humankind upon the earth? Look, the heavens and the highest heavens cannot contain you! Surely then this house that I have built will not contain you!

Literal Translation
For is it true that God shall dwell with men on the earth? Behold, the heavens, and the Heaven of heavens, do not contain You. How much less this house that I have built!

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
For thinkest thou that God in very dede dwelleth amonge men vpon earth? Beholde, the heauen and ye heauens of all heauens maye not coteyne the: how shulde then this house do it, which I haue buylded?

American Standard Version
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 builded!

Bible in Basic English
But is it truly possible that God may be housed with men on earth? see, heaven and the heaven of heavens are not wide enough to be your resting-place: how much less this house which I have made:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
(And wil God in verie deede dwel with men on earth? Beholde, heauen and heauen aboue all heauens do not contayne thee, howe much lesse the house which I haue buylded?)

JPS Old Testament (1917)
But will God in very truth dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee; how much less this house which I have builded!

King James Version (1611)
(But wil God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? Behold, heauen, and the heauen of heauens cannot conteine thee: how much lesse this house which I haue built?)

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
For will God indeed dwell with men upon the earth? if the heaven and the heaven of heavens will not suffice thee, what then is this house which I have built?

English Revised Version
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 builded!

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor whether it is leueful, that the Lord dwelle with men on erthe? If heuene and the heuenes of heuenes `taken not thee, how myche more this hows, which Y haue bildid?

Update Bible Version
But will God in very deed dwell with man on the earth? look, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house which I have built!

Webster's Bible Translation
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 King James Version
"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 [fn] which I have built!

New Living Translation
"But will God really live on earth among people? Why, even the highest heavens cannot contain you. How much less this Temple I have built!

New Life Bible
"But is it true that God will live with man on the earth? See, heaven and the highest heaven cannot hold You. How much less can this house hold You which I have built!

New Revised Standard
"But will God indeed reside with mortals on earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this house that I have built!

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
But, in very deed, will God dwell with man on the earth? Lo! the heavens, even the leaven of heavens, cannot contain thee, how much less this house which I have built!

Douay-Rheims Bible
Is it credible then that God should dwell with men on the earth? If heaven and the heavens of heavens do not contain thee, how much less this house, which I have built?

Revised Standard Version
"But will God dwell indeed with man on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

Young's Literal Translation
(for is it true? -- God dwelleth with man on the earth! Lo, the heavens, and the heavens of the heavens, do not contain Thee, how much less this house that I have built?)

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"But will God indeed dwell with mankind on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain You; how much less this house which I have built.

Contextual Overview

¹²Before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon took his position at the Altar of God and stretched out his hands. Solomon had made a bronze dais seven and a half feet square and four and a half feet high and placed it inside the court; that's where he now stood. Then he knelt in full view of the whole congregation, stretched his hands to heaven, and prayed: God , O God of Israel, there is no God like you in the skies above or on the earth below, who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants and unfailingly loves them while they sincerely live in obedience to your way. You kept your word to David my father, your promise. You did exactly what you promised—every detail. The proof is before us today! Keep it up, God , O God of Israel! Continue to keep the promises you made to David my father when you said, "You'll always have a descendant to represent my rule on Israel's throne, on the one condition that your sons are as careful to live obediently in my presence as you have." ¹⁷ O God , God of Israel, let this all happen— confirm and establish it! ¹⁸Can it be that God will actually move into our neighborhood? Why, the cosmos itself isn't large enough to give you breathing room, let alone this Temple I've built. Even so, I'm bold to ask: Pay attention to these my prayers, both intercessory and personal, O God , my God. Listen to my prayers, energetic and devout, that I'm setting before you right now. Keep your eyes open to this Temple day and night, this place you promised to dignify with your Name. And listen to the prayers that I pray in this place. And listen to your people Israel when they pray at this place. Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive. ²² When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple, ²³ Listen from heaven and act; judge your servants, making the offender pay for the offense And set the offended free, dismissing all charges. ²⁴When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they've sinned against you, but then turn to you and acknowledge your rule in prayers desperate and devout in this Temple, Listen from your home in heaven; forgive the sin of your people Israel, return them to the land you gave to them and their ancestors. ²⁶When the skies shrivel up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, but then they pray at this place, acknowledging your rule and quit their sins because you have scourged them, Listen from your home in heaven, forgive the sins of your servants, your people Israel. Then start over with them; train them to live right and well; Send rain on the land you gave as inheritance to your people. ²⁸When disasters strike, famine or catastrophe, crop failure or disease, locust or beetle, or when an enemy attacks their defenses—calamity of any sort—any prayer that's prayed from anyone at all among your people Israel, their hearts penetrated by disaster, hands and arms thrown out for help to this Temple, Listen from your home in heaven, forgive and reward us: reward each life and circumstance, For you know each life from the inside, (you're the only one with such inside knowledge!), So they'll live before you in lifelong reverence and believing obedience on this land you gave our ancestors. ³² And don't forget the foreigner who is not a member of your people Israel but has come from a far country because of your reputation—people are going to be attracted here by your great reputation, your wonderworking power—and who come to pray to this Temple. ³³ Listen from your home in heaven and honor the prayers of the foreigner, So that people all over the world will know who you are and what you're like, And live in reverent obedience before you, just as your own people Israel do, So they'll know that you personally make this Temple that I've built what it is.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

But will: Exodus 29:45-46, 1 Kings 8:27, Psalms 68:18, Psalms 113:5-6, Isaiah 57:15, Isaiah 66:1, Acts 7:48-49, Acts 17:24

heaven: Hashshamayim ooshemey hashshamayim "the heavens and the heavens of heavens;" which words seem to imply that there are systems and systems of systems, each possessing its sun, its primary and secondary planets; all extending beyond each other in unlimited space, in the same regular and graduated order which we find to prevail in our solar system; which, probably, in its thousands of millions of miles in diameter, is, to some others, no more than the area of the lunar orbit to that of Georgium Sidus. 2 Chronicles 2:6, Psalms 139:7-10, Jeremiah 23:24, 2 Corinthians 12:2

how much: 2 Chronicles 32:15, Job 4:19, Job 9:14, Job 25:4-6, Matthew 7:11

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 10:14 - the heaven 1 Chronicles 17:5 - dwelt Job 11:8 - It is as high as heaven Psalms 8:4 - What Daniel 2:11 - whose Matthew 12:6 - General Revelation 21:3 - Behold Revelation 21:22 - I saw

Cross-References

Genesis 6:9
This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 7:1
Next God said to Noah, "Now board the ship, you and all your family—out of everyone in this generation, you're the righteous one.

Genesis 7:13
That's the day Noah and his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, accompanied by his wife and his sons' wives, boarded the ship. And with them every kind of wild and domestic animal, right down to all the kinds of creatures that crawl and all kinds of birds and anything that flies. They came to Noah and to the ship in pairs—everything and anything that had the breath of life in it, male and female of every creature came just as God had commanded Noah. Then God shut the door behind him.

Isaiah 26:20
Come, my people, go home and shut yourselves in. Go into seclusion for a while until the punishing wrath is past, Because God is sure to come from his place to punish the wrong of the people on earth. Earth itself will point out the bloodstains; it will show where the murdered have been hidden away.

Hebrews 11:7
By faith, Noah built a ship in the middle of dry land. He was warned about something he couldn't see, and acted on what he was told. The result? His family was saved. His act of faith drew a sharp line between the evil of the unbelieving world and the rightness of the believing world. As a result, Noah became intimate with God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

:-.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Compare Kings (marginal references).

Compare Kings (marginal references).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 2 Chronicles 6:18. But 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.