TRV
Translation
King James Version
Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.
Complete Jewish Bible
then, from heaven, from where you live, hear their prayer and pleas, uphold their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.
Berean Standard Bible
then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition, and may You uphold their cause. May You forgive Your people who sinned against You.
American Standard Version
then hear thou from heaven, even from thy dwelling-place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people who have sinned against thee.
World English Bible Messianic
then hear from heaven, even from your dwelling place, their prayer and their petitions, and maintain their cause, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.
Geneva Bible (1599)
Then heare thou in heauen, in the place of thine habitation their prayer and their supplication, and iudge their cause, and be mercifull vnto thy people, which haue sinned against thee.
Young's Literal Translation
then Thou hast heard from the heavens, from the settled place of Thy dwelling, their prayer and their supplications, and hast maintained their cause, and forgiven Thy people who have sinned against Thee.
In the KJVVerse 11,322 of 31,102
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Commentary on 2 Chronicles 6 verses 12–42
12 ¶ And he stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands:
13 For Solomon had made a brasen scaffold, of five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and had set it in the midst of the court: and upon it he stood, and kneeled down upon his knees before all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven,
14 And said, O LORD God of Israel, there is no God like thee in the heaven, nor in the earth; which keepest covenant, and shewest mercy unto thy servants, that walk before thee with all their hearts:
15 Thou which hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him; and spakest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day.
16 Now therefore, O LORD God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit upon the throne of Israel; yet so that thy children take heed to their way to walk in my law, as thou hast walked before me.
17 Now then, O LORD God of Israel, let thy word be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David.
18 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!
19 Have respect therefore to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O LORD my God, to hearken unto the cry and the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee:
20 That thine eyes may be open upon this house day and night, upon the place whereof thou hast said that thou wouldest put thy name there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place.
21 Hearken therefore unto the supplications of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall make toward this place: hear thou from thy dwelling place, even from heaven; and when thou hearest, forgive.
22 If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;
23 Then hear thou from heaven, and do, and judge thy servants, by requiting the wicked, by recompensing his way upon his own head; and by justifying the righteous, by giving him according to his righteousness.
24 And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee; and shall return and confess thy name, and pray and make supplication before thee in this house;
25 Then hear thou from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people Israel, and bring them again unto the land which thou gavest to them and to their fathers.
26 When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them;
27 Then hear thou from heaven, and forgive the sin of thy servants, and of thy people Israel, when thou hast taught them the good way, wherein they should walk; and send rain upon thy land, which thou hast given unto thy people for an inheritance.
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:
29 Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:
30 Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)
31 That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
32 Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name's sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray in this house;
33 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name, and fear thee, as doth thy people Israel, and may know that this house which I have built is called by thy name.
34 If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;
35 Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
36 If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;
37 Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;
38 If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:
39 Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee.
40 Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place.
41 Now therefore arise, O LORD God, into thy resting place, thou, and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O LORD God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness.
42 O LORD God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.
Solomon had, in the foregoing verses, signed and sealed, as it were, the deed of dedication, by which the temple was appropriated to the honour and service of God. Now here he prays the consecration-prayer, by which it was made a figure of Christ, the great Mediator, through whom we are to offer all our prayers, and to expect all God's favours, and to whom we are to have an eye in every thing where we have to do with God. We have opened the particulars of this prayer (1 Kings 8) and therefore shall now only glean up some few passages in it which may be the proper subjects of our meditation.
I. Here are some doctrinal truths occasionally laid down. As, 1. That the God of Israel is a being of incomparable perfection. We cannot describe him; but this we know, there is none like him in heaven or in earth, Ch2 6:14. All the creatures have their fellow-creatures, but the Creator has not his peer. He is infinitely above all, and over all, God blessed for ever. 2. That he is, and will be, true to every word that he has spoken; and all that serve him in sincerity shall certainly find him both faithful and kind. Those that set God always before them, and walk before him with all their hearts, shall find him as good as his word and better; he will both keep covenant with them and show mercy to them, Ch2 6:14. 3. That he is a being infinite and immense, whom the heaven, and heaven of heavens, cannot contain, and to whose felicity nothing is added by the utmost we can do in his service, Ch2 6:18. He is infinitely beyond the bounds of the creation and infinitely above the praises of all intelligent creatures. 4. That he, and he only, knows the hearts of the children of men, Ch2 6:30. All men's thoughts, aims, and affections, are naked and open before him; and, however the imaginations and intents of our hearts may be concealed from men, angels, and devils, they cannot be hidden from God, who knows not only what is in the heart, but the heart itself and all the beatings of it. 5. That there is no such thing as a sinless perfection to be found in this life (Ch2 6:36): There is no man who sinneth not; nay, who doeth good and sinneth not; so he writes, agreeable to what he here says, Ecc 7:20.
II. Here are some suppositions or cases put which are to be taken notice of. 1. He supposed that if doubts and controversies arose between man and man both sides would agree to appeal to God, and lay an oath upon the person whose testimony must decide the matter, Ch2 6:22. The religious reverence of an oath, as it was ancient, so, it may be presumed, it will continue as long as there are any remains of conscience and right reason among men. 2. He supposed that, though Israel enjoyed a profound peace and tranquillity, yet troublesome times would come. He did not think the mountain of their prosperity stood so strong but that it might be moved; nay, he expected sin would move it. 3. He supposed that those who had not called upon God at other times, yet, in their affliction, would seek him early and earnestly. "When they are in distress they will confess their sins, and confess thy name, and make supplication to thee." Trouble will drive those to God who have said to him, Depart, Ch2 6:24, Ch2 6:26, Ch2 6:28. 4. He supposed that strangers would come from afar to worship the God of Israel and to pay homage to him; and this also might reasonably be expected, considering what worthless things the gods of the nations were, and what proofs the God of Israel had given of his being Lord of the whole earth.
III. Here are petitions very pertinent. 1. That God would own this house, and have an eye to it, as the place of which he had said that he would put his name there, Ch2 6:20. He could not, in faith, have asked God to show such peculiar favour to this house above any other if he himself had not said that it should be his rest for ever. The prayer that will speed must be warranted by the word. We may with humble confidence pray to God to be well pleased with us in Jesus Christ, because he had declared himself well pleased in him - This is my beloved Son; but he says not now of any house, "This is my beloved place." 2. That God would hear and accept the prayers which should be made in or towards that place, Ch2 6:21. He asked not that God should help them whether they prayed for themselves or no, but that God would help them in answer to their prayers. Even Christ's intercessions do not supersede but encourage our supplications. He prayed that God would hear from his dwelling-place, even from heaven. Heaven in his dwelling-place still, not this temple; and thence help must come. When thou hearest forgive. Note, The forgiveness of our sins is that which makes way for all the other answers to our prayers, Removendo prohibens - The evil which it drives away it keeps away. 3. That God would give judgment according to equity upon all the appeals that should be made to him, Ch2 6:23, Ch2 6:30. This we may, in faith, pray for, for we are sure it shall be done. God sitteth on the throne judging right. 4. That God would return in mercy to his people when they repented, and reformed, and sought unto him, Ch2 6:25, Ch2 6:27, Ch2 6:38, Ch2 6:39. This we also may, in faith, pray for, building upon the repeated declarations God has made of his readiness to accepts penitents. 5. That God would bid the strangers welcome to this house, and answer their prayers (Ch2 6:33); for, if there be in duty, why should there not be in privilege one law for the stranger and for one born in the land? Lev 24:22. 6. That God would, upon all occasions, own and plead the cause of his people Israel, against all the opposers of it (Ch2 6:35): Maintain their cause; and again, Ch2 6:39. If they be the Israel of God, their cause is the cause of God, and he would espouse it. 7. He concludes this prayer with some expressions which he had learned of his good father, and borrowed from one of his psalms. We had then not in the Kings, but here we have them, Ch2 6:41, Ch2 6:42. The whole word of God is of use to direct us in prayer; and how can we express ourselves in better language to God than that of his own Spirit? But these words were of use, in a special manner, to direct Solomon, because they had reference to this very work that he was now doing. We have them, Psa 132:8-10. He prayer (Ch2 6:41), (1.) That God would take possession of the temple, and keep possession, that he would make it his resting-place: Thou and the ark; what will the ark do without the God of the ark-ordinances without the God of the ordinances? (2.) That he would make the ministers of the temple public blessings: Clothe them with salvation, that is, not only save them, but make them instrumental to save others, by offering the sacrifices of righteousness. (3.) That the service of the temple might turn abundantly to the joy and satisfaction of all the Lord's people: Let thy saints rejoice in goodness, that is, in the goodness of thy house, Psa 65:4. "Let all that come hither to worship, like the eunuch, go away rejoicing." He pleads two things, Ch2 6:42. [1.] His own relation to God: "Turn not away the face of thy anointed. Lord, thou hast appointed me to be king, and wilt not thou own me?" [2.] God's covenant with his father: Remember thy mercies of David thy servant - the piety of David towards God (so some understand it and so the word sometimes signifies), his pious care of the ark, and concern for it (see Psa 132:1, Psa 132:2, etc.), or the promises of God to David, which were mercies to him, his great support and comforts in all his troubles. We may plead, as Solomon does here, with an eye to Christ: - "We deserve that God should turn away our face, that he should reject us and our prayers; but we come in the name of the Lord Jesus, thy anointed, thy Messiah (so the word is), thy Christ, so the lxx. Him thou hearest always, and wilt never turn away his face. We have no righteousness of our own to plead, but, Lord, remember the mercies of David thy servant." Christ is God's servant (Isa 42:1), and is called David, Hos 3:5. "Lord, remember his mercies, and accept us on the account of them. Remember his tender concern for his Father's honour and man's salvation, and what he did and suffered from that principle. Remember the promises of the everlasting covenant, which free grace has made to us in Christ, and which are called the sure mercies of David," Isa 55:3 and Act 13:34. This must be all our desire and all our hope, all our prayer and all our plea; for it is all our salvation.
Matthew Henry (1662–1714) — Commentary on the Whole Bible. This section covers verses 12–42. Public domain.
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Source: Quotations drawn from early Church Fathers and historical Christian theologians (AD 100–1500). Some quotes address the surrounding passage context rather than this verse alone.
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SUMMARY
Second Chronicles 6:39 is a pivotal segment of King Solomon's dedicatory prayer for the First Temple in Jerusalem, delivered during its consecration. This verse encapsulates a fervent and comprehensive plea to God, asking Him to hear the prayers and earnest supplications of His people from His exalted heavenly dwelling, to uphold their righteous cause in times of distress, and to graciously grant forgiveness for their sins. It profoundly anticipates the future spiritual and physical needs of the Israelite nation, establishing a divine precedent for repentance, justice, and mercy within the framework of their covenant relationship with Yahweh.
CONTEXT
EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
Key Word Analysis
Verse Breakdown
Literary Devices
The verse masterfully employs several literary devices to amplify its theological depth and emotional resonance. Parallelism is prominently featured in the pairing of "their prayer and their supplications," which serves to emphasize the comprehensive and earnest nature of the people's appeals to God, reinforcing the idea of a complete outpouring of their hearts. Anthropomorphism is evident in the phrase "hear thou from the heavens," where human senses (hearing) are attributed to God. This device makes God's responsiveness relatable and comprehensible to the audience, while simultaneously maintaining and underscoring His divine transcendence and otherness. The mention of "heavens" and "thy dwelling place" can be interpreted as a form of Merism, where two complementary terms are used to express a totality – in this case, encompassing both God's ultimate, uncontainable, celestial abode and His chosen place of manifest presence and interaction with humanity. Fundamentally, the entire verse functions as a direct Plea or Supplication, a fervent and earnest address from King Solomon to God, characterized by its reverent tone and the comprehensive nature of its requests for divine intervention, justice, and profound mercy.
THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
This verse profoundly articulates core theological truths about God's immutable character and His dynamic relationship with humanity. It underscores God's absolute sovereignty and transcendence, affirming that He is not limited by human constructs like the Temple, yet He remains intimately involved, attentive, and responsive to the cries of His people "from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place." The emphasis on God's willingness to "maintain their cause" highlights His unwavering commitment to justice and righteousness, revealing Him as the ultimate arbiter, defender, and advocate for His covenant people. Most profoundly, the earnest plea to "forgive thy people which have sinned against thee" unveils God's boundless mercy and His readiness to pardon those who genuinely repent and turn to Him. This establishes a fundamental and enduring pattern for the covenant relationship: human sin necessitates divine forgiveness, which is graciously granted upon sincere prayer, humble confession, and a turning away from transgression. The verse thus serves as a foundational statement on the efficacy of prayer, the absolute necessity of repentance, and the certainty of God's just, merciful, and restorative response.
REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Solomon's prayer in 2 Chronicles 6:39 offers enduring and profoundly relevant truths that resonate deeply with believers today, transcending its historical context. It provides immense comfort and confidence, assuring us that, just as God attentively heard Solomon's heartfelt appeal from His exalted heavenly throne, He remains intimately attentive and responsive to our prayers, regardless of our geographical location or personal circumstances. This divine attentiveness invites us to approach God with boldness, sincerity, and unwavering faith, knowing that He is not a distant or indifferent deity but one who is intimately involved in the intricate details of our lives. The verse also serves as a stark and necessary reminder of the persistent reality of human sin and the absolute, non-negotiable necessity of genuine confession and humble repentance. God's readiness to forgive is a consistent and glorious theme throughout all of Scripture, but it is always contingent upon our humble acknowledgment of wrongdoing and our sincere turning back to Him in faith. Furthermore, the petition for God to "maintain their cause" instills deep trust in His divine justice. In a world often marked by pervasive injustice, profound suffering, and inexplicable hardship, this divine promise provides an anchor of hope, assuring us that God will ultimately vindicate His people and sovereignly work all things according to His perfect, righteous will. Ultimately, this verse teaches us that earnest, persistent prayer, coupled with genuine, contrite repentance, is the divinely appointed pathway to receiving God's boundless mercy, complete forgiveness, and holistic restoration in our individual lives and within our collective communities.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why does Solomon ask God to hear from "heavens" if the Temple is God's dwelling place?
Answer: This question highlights a crucial and sophisticated theological distinction between God's transcendence and His immanence. While the Temple was indeed consecrated as the specific, earthly place where God chose to manifest His presence among His people and receive their worship, it was never understood as containing God in His totality or limiting His omnipresence. Solomon himself articulates this profound truth with remarkable clarity in 1 Kings 8:27, stating, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?" The "heavens" represent God's ultimate, unconfined, and eternal dwelling place, His throne of universal sovereignty and absolute authority. Therefore, Solomon's prayer profoundly acknowledges God's omnipresence and supreme authority, appealing to Him from His true, eternal abode, even as the people direct their prayers towards the earthly Temple, which served as a sacred symbol and focal point for His manifest presence and covenantal relationship with Israel.
What does "maintain their cause" mean in practical terms for the Israelites?
Answer: For the Israelites, the petition to "maintain their cause" implied God acting as their divine Judge, Advocate, and Defender. In practical, tangible terms, this meant God would actively intervene on their behalf in a myriad of situations:
It was a comprehensive plea for God to actively engage in their national and individual affairs, ensuring that His perfect justice prevailed and that His people's legitimate rights, well-being, and covenant standing were protected according to His righteous and sovereign will.
CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Solomon's profound prayer in 2 Chronicles 6:39, with its earnest pleas for divine hearing, unwavering justice, and gracious forgiveness, finds its ultimate, most complete, and perfect fulfillment in the person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ. While Solomon prayed towards a physical Temple as the dwelling place of God's manifest presence, Jesus Himself declared His own body to be the true and ultimate Temple, famously stating, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19), referring prophetically to His crucifixion and resurrection. Through Christ, the very need for a physical, localized structure to access God is eternally transcended, as believers now possess direct, unhindered access to the Father through Him, by the one Spirit (Ephesians 2:18). The request for God to "maintain their cause" is perfectly and eternally realized in Christ, who is our ultimate, righteous Advocate with the Father (1 John 2:1). He perpetually intercedes for us from His exalted position at the right hand of God in heaven, ensuring that our cause is upheld before God's righteous throne (Romans 8:34). Most significantly, Solomon's fervent plea for God to "forgive thy people which have sinned against thee" is fully and gloriously answered in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. His shed blood is the singular, sufficient, and eternal basis for the forgiveness of sins, offering complete pardon, radical cleansing, and perfect reconciliation to all who believe and confess their sin (Colossians 1:13-14; Hebrews 9:22). Thus, the profound hope and earnest longing expressed in Solomon's prayer are not merely a historical petition but a powerful prophetic anticipation of the boundless grace, transformative truth, and ultimate redemption revealed in the person and finished work of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.