2 Chronicles 6 11

2 Chronicles 6:11 kjv

And in it have I put the ark, wherein is the covenant of the LORD, that he made with the children of Israel.

2 Chronicles 6:11 nkjv

And there I have put the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which He made with the children of Israel."

2 Chronicles 6:11 niv

There I have placed the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the people of Israel."

2 Chronicles 6:11 esv

And there I have set the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD that he made with the people of Israel."

2 Chronicles 6:11 nlt

There I have placed the Ark, which contains the covenant that the LORD made with the people of Israel."

2 Chronicles 6 verses

2 Chronicles 6 11 Meaning

This verse states that Solomon, in dedicating the newly built Temple, established the Ark of the Covenant, which contained the very covenant God had made with the children of Israel, within the temple. This act completed the Temple's purpose as the designated resting place for the holiest object in Israel, signifying the fixed dwelling of God's presence among His people and underscoring the enduring significance of His foundational agreement with them. It marks the culmination of the divine command to build a permanent sanctuary for the Ark.

2 Chronicles 6 11 Context

This verse is spoken by King Solomon as part of his dedicatory prayer at the consecration of the First Temple in Jerusalem. Following the detailed account of the Ark of the Covenant being brought into the Temple's most holy place (2 Chr 5:2-10), and the subsequent cloud of the Lord's glory filling the house (2 Chr 5:13-14), Solomon blesses the congregation and then addresses the Lord (2 Chr 6:1-3). He recounts God's faithfulness to David and Himself in fulfilling the promise of building the Temple (2 Chr 6:4-10). Verse 11 specifically highlights Solomon's role in fulfilling the divine mandate to provide a permanent home for the Ark, thereby completing the foundational purpose of the Temple as the designated dwelling for the most sacred emblem of God's covenantal presence with Israel. Historically, it marks a significant shift from the mobile tabernacle era to a centralized worship system in Jerusalem.

2 Chronicles 6 11 Word analysis

• And there: Hebrew: וָאַשֵּׁם (vaw-ash-shem). The 'vav' conjunction "and" links it to previous actions. 'Ashem' is from the root שִׁים (sim), meaning "to put, set, place." This specific form is Hiphil perfect first person singular, meaning "I have set/placed." It denotes a completed action performed by Solomon in the Holy of Holies, affirming his active role in fulfilling the divine plan. The term "there" refers implicitly to the inner sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, specifically prepared for the Ark's resting place.
• have I set: As above, part of וָאַשֵּׁם (vaw-ash-shem), emphasizing Solomon's personal execution of God's will concerning the Ark's final position. This act completes the entire project of building the temple as ordained by God through David.
• the ark: Hebrew: אֲרוֹן (arohn). Refers specifically to the Ark of the Covenant, the sacred chest that represented God's tangible presence among Israel. It housed the tablets of the Law and served as the focal point for God's presence, the Mercy Seat, and was central to the Mosaic covenant. Its placement in the Temple signified God's stable dwelling among His people after centuries of it being a portable sanctuary.
• wherein is: Hebrew: בָּהּ (bah), "in it" or "in her" (referring to the feminine noun 'ark'). This preposition highlights the contents of the Ark, specifically the covenant.
• the covenant: Hebrew: בְּרִית (b'rith). This signifies a binding agreement or treaty, specifically God's solemn promise and conditions given to Israel at Sinai. Within the Ark, "the covenant" referred specifically to the two tablets of stone inscribed with the Ten Commandments (the "testimony"), the tangible written form of God's moral law and agreement with His people.
• of the Lord: Hebrew: יְהוָה (YHWH), the sacred, personal covenant name of God, often translated "LORD" in English Bibles. This emphasizes that the covenant originates from and belongs to God Himself, not of human devising. It underscores God's sovereignty and His unwavering faithfulness to His promises.
• which he made: Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר כָּרַת (asher karat). 'Asher' is a relative pronoun "which," and 'karat' (from the root כָּרַת) means "to cut." The idiom "karat berit" ("to cut a covenant") is ancient, possibly referencing the cutting of animals in sacrificial rites to seal an oath (Gen 15:17-18). It signifies the solemn, irreversible, and binding nature of God's commitment.
• with the children of Israel: Hebrew: אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל (et-b'ney Yisra'el). This designates the specific recipients of God's covenant. It reinforces the unique relationship between God and His chosen people, through whom His plan for humanity would unfold.

• "And there have I set the ark": This phrase encapsulates Solomon's direct, personal action in bringing to fruition God's plan for a permanent dwelling place. It highlights the completion of a multi-generational task, from the giving of the Law, to the nomadic tabernacle, to the glorious, fixed Temple. This setting represents rest and permanence after centuries of movement.
• "wherein is the covenant of the Lord": This phrase emphasizes that the essence of the Ark's holiness lies not merely in its physical structure but in its contents: God's eternal covenant. It reinforces that the Temple is primarily a house for God's Law and His relationship with His people, not just a magnificent building. It links the material dwelling (Temple) to the spiritual agreement (Covenant), highlighting the righteous and relational core of God's presence.
• "which he made with the children of Israel": This reminds the audience of the divine origin and specific beneficiaries of the covenant. It is God's initiative, born out of His sovereign choice and grace, established directly with the Israelite nation. This detail anchors the Temple and Ark firmly within Israel's redemptive history as a monument to God's faithful promises.

2 Chronicles 6 11 Bonus section

The Chronicler’s account here mirrors 1 Kings 8:21, emphasizing the central theological importance of the Ark as the tangible symbol of God’s covenantal relationship. The dedication of the Temple and the Ark's placement marked a new phase in God’s redemptive history with Israel, centralizing worship and reinforcing the unique status of YHWH among the nations. The physical manifestation of God's glory filling the Temple immediately prior to this declaration (2 Chr 5:13-14) powerfully validated Solomon's actions and confirmed God's acceptance of the sanctuary and the covenant symbol within it. The Ark’s 'resting place' was not just a physical location, but a theological statement about God's intended dwelling in faithfulness among His people, serving as a foretaste of a perfect and eternal dwelling with Him.

2 Chronicles 6 11 Commentary

2 Chronicles 6:11 succinctly encapsulates the fulfillment of God's centuries-long desire for a fixed dwelling among His people. Solomon's decisive act of placing the Ark in the Temple's inner sanctuary culminates the progression from a mobile Tabernacle to a centralized sanctuary. This physical "setting" signifies the enduring spiritual truth that God's faithful presence, represented by the Ark, is inseparable from His covenant with Israel. The Ark is more than a container; it embodies the Law, which defines the relationship God established. The verse thus highlights the stability of God's dwelling and the permanence of His covenant, indicating that despite Israel's journeying, God remains steadfastly committed to them, a theme that reverberates into the New Covenant where Christ becomes the ultimate Ark, the true presence of God and the embodiment of the covenant, and believers, individually and corporately, become His Spirit-indwelt temple.