2 Chronicles 6 26

2 Chronicles 6:26 kjv

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;

2 Chronicles 6:26 nkjv

"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

2 Chronicles 6:26 niv

"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,

2 Chronicles 6:26 esv

"When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

2 Chronicles 6:26 nlt

"If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them,

2 Chronicles 6 verses

2 Chronicles 6 26 Meaning

This verse describes a specific scenario where Israel experiences a severe drought due to their sin against God. In response to this divine affliction, the verse outlines the conditions for divine intervention and restoration: the people must pray towards the newly dedicated Temple, openly confess God's name, and genuinely turn away from their sinful ways, especially when they are being humbled and disciplined by God through the affliction. It underscores the principle that divine judgment for disobedience is met with divine mercy upon sincere repentance.

2 Chronicles 6 26 Context

This verse is embedded within Solomon's prayer of dedication for the newly built Temple in Jerusalem, delivered before the entire assembly of Israel. This lengthy prayer (2 Chronicles 6:12-42) serves as a covenant reaffirmation, acknowledging God's faithfulness while also prophetically anticipating various scenarios where Israel might stray and face divine judgment. Solomon foresees calamities such as defeat in battle (v. 24), famine, pestilence, blight, locusts (v. 28), or drought as specified in verse 26. He outlines the prescribed response for the people in such times: to pray towards this Temple, the symbolic dwelling place of God's Name, to confess their sins, and to turn back to God. This prayer deeply reflects the Mosaic covenant's conditional nature, where blessings follow obedience and curses follow disobedience (Deut 28), emphasizing that God's judgments are corrective and designed to lead His people back to Him through repentance.

2 Chronicles 6 26 Word analysis

• When the heavens are shut up: Original Hebrew: `šāmayim niṣarū` (שָׁמַיִם נֶעְצְרוּ). `šāmayim` (heavens) refers to the sky from which rain comes. `niṣarū` (shut up) implies a divine withholding or restraining. Significance: This is a direct consequence of covenant disobedience. In an agrarian society, rain was essential for survival, thus its absence was a severe affliction and a clear sign of God's disfavor. It indicates a spiritual barrier affecting the physical world.
• and there is no rain: Original Hebrew: `ʾein māṭār` (אֵין מָטָר). Direct and painful literal result of the heavens being shut up. Rain (`māṭār`) in biblical contexts is a common metaphor for divine blessing, prosperity, and spiritual refreshing. Its absence signifies the opposite.
• because they have sinned against You: Original Hebrew: `kī yeḥeṭaʾū lāk` (כִּי יֶחְטְאוּ לָךְ). `yeḥeṭaʾū` (they have sinned): This clearly establishes the causation. The drought is not random, nor due to the whims of pagan deities, but a direct consequence of breaking covenant with God. `lāk` (against You): Emphasizes that sin is fundamentally an offense against God Himself, not just a breaking of rules or harming others. This directly opposes the contemporary pagan belief systems which attributed drought to capricious gods or natural cycles rather than moral failures.
• and they pray toward this place: Original Hebrew: `ūhiṯpalelū ʾel-hammaqōm hazzeh` (וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה). `hiṯpalelū` (they pray): Denotes fervent and sustained prayer. `hammaqōm hazzeh` (this place): Refers specifically to the Temple. Solomon's prayer positions the Temple as the designated focal point for prayer, acknowledging God's dwelling and the place where He hears. This reinforces the Temple's role as a conduit for national reconciliation and divine encounter, especially during judgment.
• and confess Your name: Original Hebrew: `wəhōdū ʾet-šəmēḵā` (וְהוֹדוּ אֶת-שְׁמֶךָ). `hōdū` (confess/give thanks/praise): This verb encompasses acknowledging God's justice in their affliction, expressing gratitude for His attributes even amidst hardship, and acknowledging their own sinfulness. It’s a deeper acknowledgment of His character and rightful judgment, not just a verbal apology. `šəmēḵā` (Your name): "God's name" represents His essence, character, power, and authority. To confess His name is to acknowledge His sovereignty, truth, and righteousness, even in the context of His judgments.
• and turn from their sin: Original Hebrew: `wəyāšūvu miḥaṭṭāʾtām` (וְיָשׁוּבוּ מֵחַטָּאתָם). `yāšūvu` (turn): This is the Hebrew word for "repent" (`shuv`), signifying a radical change of heart, mind, and direction, a returning from evil to God. It goes beyond mere confession and implies active renunciation of the sinful path and a re-commitment to obedience. It’s an essential component for divine favor.
• when You afflict them: Original Hebrew: `kī taʿanēmū` (כִּי תַעֲנֵם). `taʿanēmū` (You afflict/humble them): This clarifies God's purpose behind the suffering. The affliction is not purely punitive but a divinely ordained discipline, intended to humble the people, bring them to self-reflection, and motivate them toward genuine repentance. It highlights God's remedial justice.

Words-group Analysis:

• "When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You": This phrase encapsulates the direct cause-and-effect relationship in covenant theology – sin leads to a withdrawal of divine blessing and severe consequences. It establishes a theological framework where natural disasters are not random but sometimes linked to human spiritual state.
• "and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin": This is the divinely prescribed pathway for reconciliation and restoration. It is a three-fold action (prayer, confession, repentance) that indicates a sincere and holistic turning back to God, combining intellectual acknowledgment, verbal expression, and volitional change.
• "when You afflict them": This group of words emphasizes that divine judgment serves a redemptive purpose. The suffering is designed by God to bring His people to their senses, humble them, and compel them toward repentance, ultimately for their restoration.

2 Chronicles 6 26 Bonus section

The concept presented in 2 Chronicles 6:26 and the subsequent promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14 serves as a foundational paradigm for understanding divine judgment and restoration throughout Israel's history, from the prophets like Jeremiah and Joel to the exilic period and beyond. It highlights God's enduring desire for relationship, where even His chastisement is an act of love to bring His people back to Him. While the physical Temple no longer stands as the literal "place" to pray towards, the principles of humility, prayer, sincere confession of sin, and turning from wicked ways remain eternally relevant for all believers under the New Covenant. The "place" where God hears prayers now is through Christ (Heb 4:14-16, Heb 10:19-22), emphasizing direct access to God's throne of grace. The divine initiative in sending affliction, not out of malice but correction, underlines that God is deeply invested in the spiritual health and moral conduct of His people.

2 Chronicles 6 26 Commentary

2 Chronicles 6:26 presents a core principle of Israel's covenant relationship with Yahweh: their prosperity and blessing are contingent upon their fidelity, while disobedience brings covenant curses. Solomon's prayer demonstrates profound theological insight, recognizing that God's people might stray and face dire consequences, even natural disasters like drought, as a direct result of their sin. Crucially, this affliction is not a punitive end but a means to an end – a divine call to repentance. The verse outlines the essential response: prayer directed toward God's dwelling, a humble confession of His sovereignty and their sin, and a genuine, active turning away from their transgressions. It affirms God's justice in sending affliction but even more profoundly, His mercy and readiness to forgive and restore upon true repentance. This specific intercession by Solomon became foundational for future generations, affirmed powerfully in God's direct response in 2 Chronicles 7:14, ensuring hope for restoration through humility, prayer, seeking God's face, and turning from wicked ways.