2 Chronicles 6 31

2 Chronicles 6:31 kjv

That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.

2 Chronicles 6:31 nkjv

that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways as long as they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

2 Chronicles 6:31 niv

so that they will fear you and walk in obedience to you all the time they live in the land you gave our ancestors.

2 Chronicles 6:31 esv

that they may fear you and walk in your ways all the days that they live in the land that you gave to our fathers.

2 Chronicles 6:31 nlt

Then they will fear you and walk in your ways as long as they live in the land you gave to our ancestors.

2 Chronicles 6 verses

2 Chronicles 6 31 Meaning

2 Chronicles 6:31 is part of Solomon's dedicatory prayer for the newly built Temple. In this verse, Solomon prays that God would answer the prayers of His people so that the primary outcome for the Israelites would be a continuous reverence for God and a faithful adherence to His commandments. This consistent obedience would, in turn, ensure their ongoing presence and security in the Promised Land, which God had graciously given to their ancestors. It encapsulates the profound biblical truth that divine blessing and sustained covenant enjoyment are intricately linked to devoted worship and diligent obedience.

2 Chronicles 6 31 Context

Verse 31 is nestled within Solomon's elaborate dedication prayer for the Temple (2 Chr 6:12-42), delivered before the assembly of Israel. This prayer is a pivotal moment following the Ark's placement in the Most Holy Place and the display of God's glory filling the Temple (2 Chr 5). Solomon first acknowledges God's faithfulness to His covenant with David, specifically regarding the building of the Temple (2 Chr 6:4-11).

The core of Solomon's prayer then becomes a series of petitions for various national crises: defeat in battle, drought, famine, plague, blight, foreign invasion, and even exile (2 Chr 6:24-42). In each scenario, Solomon asks God to hear His people's prayers when they turn towards the Temple and confess their sins. Verse 31 outlines the desired spiritual outcome of God answering these prayers, tying it directly to the nation's spiritual well-being and their continued inhabitation of the promised land.

The Chronicler, writing to a post-exilic community, highlights the importance of the Temple and emphasizes the direct link between the nation's spiritual condition (their fear of God and obedience) and their historical experience, especially the land. The exilic period underscored the painful truth that failing to fear God and walk in His ways led to losing the land, thus Solomon's prayer serves as a timeless principle for national and individual fidelity.

2 Chronicles 6 31 Word analysis

• that they may fear You (לְמַעַן יִרְאוּךָ - lema'an yir'uḵā)

  • that (לְמַעַן - lema'an): This preposition indicates purpose or result, clarifying the intention behind God's answer to their prayers. It suggests the ultimate aim is not just relief from suffering but a transformed relationship.
  • fear (יָרֵא - yare): More than terror, this "fear" denotes deep reverence, awe, worship, and obedient submission to God's holiness and authority. It is an acknowledging of His supremacy that prompts proper conduct. This "fear of the Lord" is foundational to wisdom and spiritual insight in the Old Testament, often implying devotion and loyal obedience rather than mere dread.
  • You (-ךָ - -ḵā): Refers directly to God, the object of this reverent fear.
  • Significance: The primary goal of divine intervention and instruction is to lead people into a right relationship with their Creator, characterized by worshipful submission.

• to walk in Your ways (לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכֶיךָ - lāleḵet biḏrāḵeḵā)

  • to walk (הָלַךְ - halak): A common biblical idiom that describes one's conduct, lifestyle, and behavior. It refers to the overall direction and manner of one's life.
  • in Your ways (דֶּרֶךְ - derek): Refers to God's revealed statutes, commandments, principles, and moral standards, essentially His Torah or instruction for living. It encompasses the entirety of divine will and covenant requirements.
  • Significance: True "fear of God" is not abstract but concretely expressed through obedience. This phrase emphasizes that their entire manner of life should be aligned with God's moral and ethical expectations. It is the practical outworking of inward reverence.

• as long as they live (כָּל-הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר-הֵם חַיִּים - kol-hayyāmîm ʾăšer-hēm ḥayyîm)

  • as long as (כָּל-הַיָּמִים - kol-hayyāmîm): Literally "all the days," implying perpetuity and a continuous commitment, throughout their lifespan.
  • they live (חַיִּים - ḥayyîm): Refers to their physical existence and duration of life.
  • Significance: This clause underscores the expectation of enduring obedience, not a fleeting or situational act. Their commitment to fearing God and walking in His ways is meant to be a lifelong endeavor, intertwined with their very existence.

• in the land which You gave to our fathers (עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתָּ לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ - ʿal pənê hāʾăḏāmâ ʾăšer nātaṭṭā laʾăḇôṯênū)

  • in the land (עַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה - ʿal pənê hāʾăḏāmâ): Explicitly refers to the Promised Land, Canaan, which was the geographic inheritance given by God to Israel.
  • which You gave (נָתַתָּ - nātaṭṭā): Emphasizes divine generosity and sovereignty in the provision of the land as an inheritance.
  • to our fathers (לַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ - laʾăḇôṯênū): Refers to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to whom the original promise of the land was made as part of the unconditional Abrahamic covenant.
  • Significance: This links the conditional enjoyment of the land by the current generation to the original, unconditional promise made to their ancestors. While the land was an unconditional gift to the fathers, the continued dwelling and flourishing in that land by their descendants was always contingent on their covenant faithfulness (a key theme in Deuteronomistic theology).

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "that they may fear You, to walk in Your ways": This coupling establishes the quintessential relationship between attitude and action. It reveals that the goal of God's redemptive work and their engagement with Him is a profound transformation: an internal reverence (fear) that seamlessly translates into a consistent external pattern of obedience (walking in His ways). This is the hallmark of covenant faithfulness.

• "as long as they live in the land": This phrase connects the perpetuity of the people's righteous conduct directly to their continued inhabitation of the Promised Land. It underlines the Deuteronomistic covenant dynamic: faithful living secures ongoing blessing and tenure in the land. It means their existence in the promised inheritance is inextricably linked to their lifelong commitment to God's commands.

2 Chronicles 6 31 Bonus section

• Solomon's prayer here, with its emphasis on "fearing God" and "walking in His ways," anticipates much of the wisdom literature in the Hebrew Bible, where these themes are central to a life well-lived.
• The chronicler, writing to a people who had experienced exile, highlights this verse to explain the cause of their removal from the land (lack of fear and obedience) and to underscore the principles for their successful return and continued blessing in it. It provided instruction for national repentance and renewal.
• This verse implicitly underlines that the Temple, while a physical structure, was meant to be a catalyst for spiritual transformation and fidelity, not just a place for ritual. God's answers from the Temple were intended to lead people back to a right heart and right conduct.

2 Chronicles 6 31 Commentary

2 Chronicles 6:31 serves as a foundational declaration within Solomon's prayer, articulating the very purpose behind God's relationship with Israel and His anticipated response to their cries. It makes clear that divine blessings, including continued life in the land, are not an end in themselves, but rather a means to an ultimate end: fostering a people who genuinely reverence God and faithfully walk in His ways. This verse encapsulates the essence of Deuteronomistic theology, which permeates Chronicles, teaching that national prosperity and the privilege of residing in the Promised Land are conditional upon a living, active faith characterized by heartfelt obedience. The fear of the Lord here is not terror but awe-filled submission, which naturally finds its expression in adhering to God's righteous standards. It emphasizes that the physical inheritance of the land is sustained through a spiritual inheritance of obedient relationship with God, illustrating a perpetual spiritual responsibility for continuous dwelling.