2 Chronicles 6:28

If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness [there be]:

If there be dearth {H7458} in the land {H776}, if there be pestilence {H1698}, if there be blasting {H7711}, or mildew {H3420}, locusts {H697}, or caterpillers {H2625}; if their enemies {H341} besiege {H6887} them in the cities {H8179} of their land {H776}; whatsoever sore {H5061} or whatsoever sickness {H4245} there be:

"If there is famine in the land, or blight, windstorm, mildew, locusts or shearer-worms; or if their enemies besiege them in any of their cities - no matter what kind of plague or sickness it is;

When famine or plague comes upon the land, or blight or mildew or locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemies besiege them in their cities, whatever plague or sickness may come,

If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague or whatsoever sickness there be;

Commentary on 2 Chronicles 6:28

2 Chronicles 6:28 is part of King Solomon's profound prayer of dedication for the newly built Temple in Jerusalem. In this specific verse, Solomon anticipates various forms of national distress that might afflict the people of Israel, laying the groundwork for his plea that God would hear their prayers when they turn towards the Temple in repentance.

Context

This verse is embedded within Solomon's extensive dedicatory prayer, recorded in 2 Chronicles 6:12-42, immediately following the completion of the magnificent Temple. Solomon acknowledges God's faithfulness and then presents a series of hypothetical scenarios where Israel might face hardship due to their sin or external threats. For each scenario, he asks God to hear their prayers from heaven if they repent and turn towards the Temple. This particular verse lists natural disasters and warfare as potential afflictions, setting the stage for the plea that follows in subsequent verses, such as 2 Chronicles 6:30.

Key Themes

  • Divine Discipline and Consequences: The verse implicitly acknowledges that natural disasters, plagues, and enemy sieges could be God's way of disciplining His people for their disobedience, a concept deeply rooted in the Mosaic covenant (e.g., Deuteronomy 28).
  • National Suffering: It highlights the various forms of suffering a nation might endure, including famine ("dearth"), disease ("pestilence," "sickness"), agricultural destruction ("blasting," "mildew," "locusts," "caterpillars"), and warfare ("enemies besiege").
  • The Temple as a Place of Intercession: Solomon's prayer establishes the Temple not just as a dwelling place for God's name, but as a focal point for the nation's prayers, especially in times of distress and repentance.
  • God's Responsiveness to Repentance: The underlying hope is that if the people humble themselves and turn to God in their suffering, He will hear and provide relief, a theme beautifully encapsulated in 2 Chronicles 7:14, which directly follows this prayer.

Linguistic Insights

  • "Dearth": This term refers to a severe scarcity, specifically a famine or lack of food, a common and devastating problem in the ancient Near East.
  • "Pestilence": Denotes widespread disease or plague, often resulting in high mortality rates.
  • "Blasting" and "Mildew": These terms describe diseases affecting crops. Blasting refers to a scorching wind or blight that shrivels plants, while mildew indicates a fungal growth that damages crops, both leading to significant agricultural loss.
  • "Locusts" and "Caterpillars": These are specific types of destructive insects known for devouring vegetation, causing widespread famine. The inclusion of these terms underscores the agricultural vulnerability of the land.

Practical Application

This passage reminds us of God's sovereignty over all circumstances, including natural disasters and human conflict. It teaches us the importance of prayer, especially in times of hardship and national crisis. Just as Solomon interceded for Israel, believers today are called to pray for their nations and communities. The principle remains: when faced with suffering, whether personal or collective, turning to God in humility and repentance is the path to divine mercy and intervention. It underscores the enduring truth that God hears the prayers of His people when they seek Him with a sincere heart, even when facing the consequences of their actions or the challenges of a fallen world.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • James 5:13

    Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.

  • Joel 2:25

    And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you.

  • Revelation 9:3

    And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power.

  • Revelation 9:11

    And they had a king over them, [which is] the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue [is] Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath [his] name Apollyon.

  • Ruth 1:1

    ¶ Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.

  • Deuteronomy 28:21

    The LORD shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until he have consumed thee from off the land, whither thou goest to possess it.

  • Deuteronomy 28:61

    Also every sickness, and every plague, which [is] not written in the book of this law, them will the LORD bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.
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