◄ 2 Chronicles 6:2 ►
and I have built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell forever."
Study Bible
But I have built You
This phrase marks the culmination of King Solomon's efforts in constructing the temple, a task that was divinely ordained to his father, David, but fulfilled by Solomon. The Hebrew root for "built" is "בָּנָה" (banah), which signifies not just physical construction but also establishing or creating something of lasting significance. Solomon's declaration reflects obedience and dedication to God's command, emphasizing the importance of fulfilling divine purposes through human action.

an exalted house
The term "exalted" in Hebrew is "גָּבֹהַּ" (gavoah), meaning high or lofty. This reflects not only the physical grandeur of the temple but also its spiritual significance as a place set apart for the worship of Yahweh. The temple was designed to be a visible representation of God's majesty and holiness, a place where His presence would be honored above all. Historically, the temple's construction was a monumental achievement, symbolizing Israel's peak in terms of political power and spiritual devotion.

a place for You to dwell
The Hebrew word for "dwell" is "שָׁכַן" (shakan), which conveys the idea of settling or residing. This is significant because it echoes the concept of the Shekinah glory, the divine presence that dwelt among the Israelites in the tabernacle during their wilderness journey. The temple was to be the permanent dwelling place for God's presence among His people, a central location for worship and communion with the divine. This reflects the deep desire for a tangible connection between God and His people, a theme that runs throughout the biblical narrative.

forever
The use of "forever" in this context, from the Hebrew "עוֹלָם" (olam), suggests an eternal or perpetual state. While the physical temple was eventually destroyed, the promise of God's eternal dwelling among His people finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament through Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This points to the enduring nature of God's covenant and His unwavering commitment to be with His people throughout all generations. Theologically, it underscores the hope of eternal communion with God, a promise that transcends the temporal and physical limitations of the earthly temple.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
The son of King David and Bathsheba, Solomon is the king of Israel who built the temple in Jerusalem. He is known for his wisdom and wealth, and his reign is marked by peace and prosperity.

2. The Temple in Jerusalem
This is the "exalted house" Solomon refers to. It was a magnificent structure built to house the Ark of the Covenant and serve as the central place of worship for the Israelites.

3. The Dedication of the Temple
This event marks the completion of the temple and its dedication to God. Solomon's prayer and speech during this event highlight the significance of the temple as a dwelling place for God among His people.
Teaching Points
The Significance of God's Dwelling Place
The temple symbolizes God's presence among His people. It serves as a reminder that God desires to be near to us and to have a relationship with us.

The Fulfillment in Christ
While the temple was a physical structure, it points forward to Jesus Christ, who is the true temple. In Him, God dwells with us in a more profound way.

Our Bodies as Temples
As believers, our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit. We are called to live in a way that honors God, recognizing His presence within us.

The Eternal Dwelling
Solomon's statement about the temple being a place for God to dwell forever points to the eternal dwelling of God with His people in the new heaven and new earth.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Solomon's dedication of the temple reflect his understanding of God's holiness and majesty?

2. In what ways does the temple serve as a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ and His work on earth?

3. How can we apply the concept of our bodies being temples of the Holy Spirit in our daily lives?

4. What does it mean for God to dwell among His people, both in the Old Testament context and in the New Testament through Christ?

5. How does the promise of God's eternal dwelling with His people in Revelation encourage us in our faith journey today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Kings 8
This chapter parallels 2 Chronicles 6 and provides additional details about Solomon's dedication of the temple, including his prayer and the glory of the Lord filling the temple.

Exodus 25:8
God instructs Moses to build a sanctuary so that He may dwell among His people, establishing the concept of God dwelling with His people, which is fulfilled in the temple.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, drawing a parallel between the temple as God's dwelling place and Jesus as the ultimate manifestation of God dwelling among humanity.
Sermons
God Dwelling in DarknessArchdeacon Grant, D.C.L.2 Chronicles 6:1-10
The Dedication of the Temple: 2. the Address of SolomonT. Whitelaw 2 Chronicles 6:1-11
People
David, Solomon
Places
Egypt, Holy Place, Jerusalem
Topics
Abide, Ages, Built, Dwell, Dwelling, Exalted, Fixed, Forever, Habitation, Living-place, Lofty, Magnificent, Present, Settled, Temple
Dictionary of Bible Themes
2 Chronicles 5:14

     7021   church, OT anticipations

2 Chronicles 5:12-14

     5420   music

2 Chronicles 5:13-14

     1045   God, glory of
     1193   glory, revelation of
     6606   access to God
     8630   worship, results

Library
December the Eighth Judged by Our Aspirations
"Thou didst well, it was in thine heart." --2 CHRONICLES vi. 1-15. And this was a purpose which the man was not permitted to realize. It was a temple built in the substance of dreams, but never established in wood and stone. And God took the shadowy structure and esteemed it as a perfected pile. The sacred intention was regarded as a finished work. The will to build a temple was regarded as a temple built. And hence I discern the preciousness of all hallowed purpose and desire, even though it …
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

"If So be that the Spirit of God Dwell in You. Now if any Man have not the Spirit of Christ, He is None of His. "
Rom. viii. 9.--"If so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." "But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth?" 2 Chron. vi. 18. It was the wonder of one of the wisest of men, and indeed, considering his infinite highness above the height of heavens, his immense and incomprehensible greatness, that the heaven of heavens cannot contain him, and then the baseness, emptiness, and worthlessness of man, it may be a wonder to the …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Eleventh Lesson. Believe that Ye have Received;'
Believe that ye have received;' Or, The Faith that Takes. Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them.'--Mark xi. 24 WHAT a promise! so large, so Divine, that our little hearts cannot take it in, and in every possible way seek to limit it to what we think safe or probable; instead of allowing it, in its quickening power and energy, just as He gave it, to enter in, and to enlarge our hearts to the measure of what …
Andrew Murray—With Christ in the School of Prayer

Sanctification.
VI. Objections answered. I will consider those passages of scripture which are by some supposed to contradict the doctrine we have been considering. 1 Kings viii. 46: "If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near," etc. On this passage, I remark:-- 1. That this sentiment in nearly the same language, is repeated in 2 Chron. vi. 26, and in Eccl. …
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

Solomon's Temple Spiritualized
or, Gospel Light Fetched out of the Temple at Jerusalem, to Let us More Easily into the Glory of New Testament Truths. 'Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Isreal;--shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out hereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof.'--Ezekiel 43:10, 11 London: Printed for, and sold by George Larkin, at the Two Swans without Bishopgate, …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

Entire Sanctification
By Dr. Adam Clarke The word "sanctify" has two meanings. 1. It signifies to consecrate, to separate from earth and common use, and to devote or dedicate to God and his service. 2. It signifies to make holy or pure. Many talk much, and indeed well, of what Christ has done for us: but how little is spoken of what he is to do in us! and yet all that he has done for us is in reference to what he is to do in us. He was incarnated, suffered, died, and rose again from the dead; ascended to heaven, and there …
Adam Clarke—Entire Sanctification

Chronicles
The comparative indifference with which Chronicles is regarded in modern times by all but professional scholars seems to have been shared by the ancient Jewish church. Though written by the same hand as wrote Ezra-Nehemiah, and forming, together with these books, a continuous history of Judah, it is placed after them in the Hebrew Bible, of which it forms the concluding book; and this no doubt points to the fact that it attained canonical distinction later than they. Nor is this unnatural. The book …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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