2 Chronicles 6 33

2 Chronicles 6:33 kjv

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.

2 Chronicles 6:33 nkjv

then hear from heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

2 Chronicles 6:33 niv

then hear from heaven, your dwelling place. Do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name.

2 Chronicles 6:33 esv

hear from heaven your dwelling place and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to you, in order that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house that I have built is called by your name.

2 Chronicles 6:33 nlt

then hear from heaven where you live, and grant what they ask of you. In this way, all the people of the earth will come to know and fear you, just as your own people Israel do. They, too, will know that this Temple I have built honors your name.

2 Chronicles 6 verses

2 Chronicles 6 33 Meaning

This verse from Solomon's dedicatory prayer requests God to answer the prayers of foreigners who turn to the Temple in Jerusalem. The ultimate purpose behind this plea is for all the people of the earth, irrespective of their origin, to come to know and fear God, just as the Israelites do, recognizing that the Temple built by Solomon is uniquely dedicated to God's Name. It highlights God's universal sovereignty and the inclusive reach of His redemptive plan, portraying the Temple as a beacon to the nations.

2 Chronicles 6 33 Context

This verse is part of King Solomon's extensive prayer during the dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 6:12-42). After the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Temple and the glory of God filled it, Solomon stood before the altar and recounted God's faithfulness to David and His promise to dwell among His people. The prayer addresses various hypothetical situations where Israel might seek God's intervention, ranging from famine and plague to defeat in battle, and importantly, the appeal of "strangers." This specific section (verses 32-33) demonstrates a remarkable, expansive vision for the Temple's role, not merely as a sanctuary for Israel, but as a potential point of divine encounter and revelation for non-Israelites (Gentiles). It reflects a nascent universalism within the Old Testament, envisioning the global spread of God's fame. Historically, this aligns with God's original promise to Abraham that "all families of the earth shall be blessed" through his descendants (Gen 12:3), extending the reach of God's saving knowledge beyond ethnic boundaries.

2 Chronicles 6 33 Word analysis

• Hear thou from heaven (שָׁמַע - shama'): Implies an attentive and responsive hearing from God's ultimate dwelling place, signifying His transcendent authority over earthly matters and His active involvement.
• even from thy dwelling place (מְכוֹן - mekhon): Refers to God's established heavenly abode, emphasizing His omnipresence and that even while His Name dwells in the Temple, His true seat of authority is above all.
• and do according to all that the stranger (נָכְרִי - nokhri) calleth to thee for: "Stranger" here specifically denotes a non-Israelite, a foreigner. This signifies God's justice and willingness to answer anyone, regardless of their nationality, who genuinely seeks Him. This was a radical idea in the ancient world where gods were typically associated with specific peoples or territories, asserting Yahweh's claim as the universal God.
• that all people of the earth (הָאָרֶץ - ha'aretz) may know (יָדַע - yada') thy name (שֵׁם - shem): "Know" (yada') here means an experiential, relational knowledge, not merely intellectual assent. "Thy name" represents God's very essence, character, and manifest presence. This reveals a missionary objective for the Temple and God's interaction with the world: to make His character universally known.
• and fear (יָרֵא - yare') thee, as do thy people Israel: "Fear" (yare') implies deep reverence, awe, and worship leading to obedience, not merely terror. The aspiration is for non-Israelites to reverence God with the same devotion and obedience shown by His covenant people.
• and know that this house which I have built is called by thy name: Reiteration of "know" (yada') and "thy name." "Called by thy name" signifies ownership, identification, and the presence of God. It affirms that the Temple functions as a focal point where God reveals Himself and exercises His authority to the wider world, authenticating His unique status.

Words-group by words-group analysis

• "Hear thou from heaven, even from thy dwelling place, and do": This phrase emphasizes God's transcendence (He dwells in heaven) yet also His immanence and responsiveness (He hears and acts). It is a plea for divine intervention stemming from God's ultimate authority, rather than being confined to the physical structure of the Temple itself.
• "according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; that all people of the earth may know thy name": This powerfully links God's responsiveness to an individual foreigner's prayer to a grand, universal theological purpose. The act of hearing the "stranger" serves as a visible demonstration of God's power and character, enabling the broader Gentile world to experientially "know" His identity. It challenges ethno-centric religious views common in that era.
• "and fear thee, as do thy people Israel, and know that this house which I have built is called by thy name": This section illustrates the desired outcome: the conversion of non-Israelites to a similar relationship of reverent awe and recognition of God, paralleling Israel's experience. The Temple, "called by thy name," acts as a tangible symbol and a testimony to God's unique identity and power, central to the knowledge that foreigners gain about Him.

2 Chronicles 6 33 Bonus section

Solomon's prayer for the stranger also reflects the polemic against the regional deities of contemporary nations, where each god was confined to their specific land or people. By asserting that God's name would be known and feared by "all people of the earth," Solomon declares Yahweh's unparalleled sovereignty as the one true universal God, whose influence and authority are not geographically limited. This broad vision foreshadows later prophetic texts like Isaiah 49:6 and Malachi 1:11, which explicitly speak of God's salvation and great Name extending to the ends of the earth among the Gentiles, ultimately finding its fulfillment in the global mission of the Church (Acts 1:8) and the Great Commission (Mt 28:19-20). The Temple thus served as a prefiguring, a symbol of God's open arms to all humanity.

2 Chronicles 6 33 Commentary

2 Chronicles 6:33 stands as a pivotal expression of universalism in the Old Testament, nested within the framework of God's covenant with Israel. Solomon's prayer reflects an understanding that God's plan extends beyond the nation of Israel. By specifically pleading for God to hear the prayer of the "stranger," Solomon recognizes God's gracious character that embraces all who genuinely seek Him. This is not merely a plea for general benevolence but for divine intervention that would cause "all people of the earth" to come to know and fear God as Israel does. The Temple, while physically located in Jerusalem and dedicated to God's Name, was conceived not as an exclusive enclosure but as a powerful testimony to the one true God, intended to draw the nations to Him. This prophetic prayer points to a time when God's glory would be made known globally, an aspiration significantly fulfilled through the New Covenant, where salvation is offered to all nations through Christ, who himself became the ultimate "Temple."