The Bible — World English Bible
2 Chronicles 7
In brief
2 Chronicles 7 tells of the dedication of Solomon's temple. After the king's prayer, fire comes down from heaven, the glory of Yahweh fills the house and the people bow down in praise. Then God appears to Solomon by night: he answers his prayer and gives verse 14, which became famous, on humility, prayer and returning to him. He ends with a warning: abandoning God would bring ruin on this temple.
The chapter in 4 parts
1Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and Yahweh’s glory filled the house.
2The priests could not enter into Yahweh’s house, because Yahweh’s glory filled Yahweh’s house.
3All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and Yahweh’s glory was on the house. They bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, worshiped, and gave thanks to Yahweh, saying, “For he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.”
4Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before Yahweh.
5King Solomon offered a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand head of cattle and a hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated God’s house.
6The priests stood, according to their positions; the Levites also with instruments of music of Yahweh, which David the king had made to give thanks to Yahweh, when David praised by their ministry, saying “For his loving kindness endures forever.” The priests sounded trumpets before them; and all Israel stood.
7Moreover Solomon made the middle of the court that was before Yahweh’s house holy; for there he offered the burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offering, the meal offering, and the fat.
8So Solomon held the feast at that time for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt.
9On the eighth day, they held a solemn assembly; for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
10On the twenty-third day of the seventh month, he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
11Thus Solomon finished Yahweh’s house and the king’s house; and he successfully completed all that came into Solomon’s heart to make in Yahweh’s house and in his own house.
12Yahweh appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him, “I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for myself for a house of sacrifice.
13“If I shut up the sky so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
15Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer that is made in this place.
16For now I have chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.
17“As for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded you, and will keep my statutes and my ordinances;
18then I will establish the throne of your kingdom, according as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man to be ruler in Israel.’
19But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
20then I will pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
21This house, which is so high, everyone who passes by it shall be astonished, and shall say, ‘Why has Yahweh done this to this land and to this house?’
22They shall answer, ‘Because they abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and took other gods, worshiped them, and served them. Therefore he has brought all this evil on them.’ ”
Key verses
Now when Solomon had finished praying, fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; and Yahweh’s glory filled the house. The priests could not enter into Yahweh’s house, because Yahweh’s glory filled Yahweh’s house. All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and Yahweh’s glory was on the house. They bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, worshiped, and gave thanks to Yahweh, saying, “For he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.”
The fire and the glory of Yahweh show that God accepts the house and its dedication. The people respond by bowing down and recalling that his loving kindness endures forever.
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
God states what he expects from his people: to humble themselves, pray, seek his face and turn from their wicked ways. He promises to hear, to forgive and to heal their land. The verse is addressed first to Israel, and Christians apply it to the Church with varying nuances.
Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and made this house holy, that my name may be there forever; and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually.
God promises to be attentive to prayer made in this place and to set his presence there. This passage stresses that prayer really does rise to him.
But if you turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them; then I will pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have made holy for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. This house, which is so high, everyone who passes by it shall be astonished, and shall say, ‘Why has Yahweh done this to this land and to this house?’ They shall answer, ‘Because they abandoned Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who brought them out of the land of Egypt, and took other gods, worshiped them, and served them. Therefore he has brought all this evil on them.’ ”
Blessing is not automatic: God warns that idolatry and abandoning his laws would lead to losing the land and the temple. The relationship with him always comes first.
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Frequently asked questions about 2 Chronicles 7
What does 2 Chronicles 7:14 mean?
God tells Solomon that if his people humble themselves, pray, seek his face and turn from their wicked ways, he will hear them, forgive them and heal their land. The verse describes a path of collective repentance. It was given to Israel, and many Christians today apply it to the Church, keeping its spirit: humility, prayer and a return to God.
What does healing the land mean in 2 Chronicles 7:14?
In context, God is speaking of a land struck by drought, locusts or plague (verses 13-14). Healing the land means restoring blessing on the land of Israel when the people return to God. The text does not promise an automatic result: it describes God's good will toward a people who repent.
What happens at the beginning of 2 Chronicles 7?
When Solomon finishes praying, fire comes down from heaven and consumes the burnt offering and the sacrifices, and the glory of Yahweh fills the temple, so much that the priests cannot enter it. The people bow down and praise God, then the dedication lasts seven days with a great feast.
Articles quoting 2 Chronicles 7
World English Bible translation — public domain.