2 Chronicles 7 13

2 Chronicles 7:13 kjv

If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I command the locusts to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;

2 Chronicles 7:13 nkjv

When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people,

2 Chronicles 7:13 niv

"When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,

2 Chronicles 7:13 esv

When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people,

2 Chronicles 7:13 nlt

At times I might shut up the heavens so that no rain falls, or command grasshoppers to devour your crops, or send plagues among you.

2 Chronicles 7 verses

2 Chronicles 7 13 Meaning

This verse details three specific acts of divine judgment – drought, locust plague, and pestilence – that God warns He might send upon His people. These are presented as consequences directly from God for covenant disobedience and serve as a disciplinary measure intended to lead them back to faithfulness, setting the stage for the conditions of restoration outlined in the subsequent verse. It emphasizes God's sovereign control over nature and disease as tools in His divine governance.

2 Chronicles 7 13 Context

2 Chronicles 7:13 is part of God's direct response to King Solomon following the dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem. In 2 Chronicles 7:12, God appears to Solomon in a dream or vision, assuring him that He has heard his prayer and has chosen the temple as a place for sacrifices. Verse 13 then lays out the potential for divine disciplinary action should the people deviate from His commands, outlining three specific natural and health disasters. This verse is crucially important as it precedes the conditional promise of restoration in 2 Chronicles 7:14, famously stating, "If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, pray, seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land." Thus, verse 13 presents the cause (divine judgment for disobedience) which then precipitates the need for the solution (repentance and restoration) found in verse 14. This exchange underscores the conditional nature of the Mosaic covenant blessings and curses, affirming God's justice and His redemptive desire for His people.

2 Chronicles 7 13 Word analysis

• If I shut up heaven
  • Hebrew: כִּי־אֶעְצֹר הַשָּׁמַיִם (kî-ʾeʿtsōr haššāmāyim) - Literally, "when I withhold the heavens."
  • אֶעְצֹר (ʾeʿtsōr): Verb, Hiphil stem, imperfect, 1st common singular, from the root עצר (ʿatsar), meaning "to restrain," "to hold back," "to shut up." The Hiphil signifies causing or permitting an action. Here, it denotes God's deliberate act of withholding rain.
  • הַשָּׁמַיִם (haššāmāyim): "The heavens."
  • Significance: This phrase asserts God's absolute sovereignty over meteorological conditions, directly challenging the notion prevalent in the ancient Near East that local deities, particularly Baal, controlled rain and fertility. It explicitly states that YHWH, and no other god, holds the power to cause drought, demonstrating a polemic against pagan beliefs. This drought is not random but a direct divine action.
• that there be no rain
  • Implied by the previous phrase "shut up heaven." The natural consequence of withholding the heavens is a lack of rain, which would lead to famine and hardship.
• or if I command the locusts
  • Hebrew: אוֹ־אִם־אֲצַוֶּה לֶחָג (ʾō-ʾim-ʾatsavveh leḥāḡ) - "or if I command the locust."
  • אֲצַוֶּה (ʾatsavveh): Verb, Piel stem, imperfect, 1st common singular, from צוה (tsawwah), meaning "to command," "to appoint." The Piel indicates a direct, intense, or deliberate command.
  • לֶחָג (leḥāḡ): "To the locust." חָג (chāḡ) here refers to locusts or grasshoppers, often used collectively.
  • Significance: God directly issues a command, portraying these insects not as mere pests but as instruments of His judgment. This highlights God's dominion even over seemingly minor creatures, emphasizing His meticulous control over all aspects of creation. Locust plagues were devastating in agrarian societies, capable of destroying an entire year's harvest, leading to widespread famine.
• to devour the land
  • Hebrew: לֶאֱכֹל אֶת־הָאָרֶץ (leʾĕḵōl ʾet-hāʾārets) - "to eat/devour the land."
  • לֶאֱכֹל (leʾĕḵōl): Infinitive construct, "to eat," "to consume," "to devour."
  • Significance: This clearly defines the devastating effect of the locusts – the complete consumption of all vegetation and agricultural produce, leading to famine and economic ruin.
• or if I send pestilence
  • Hebrew: וְאִם־אֶשְׁלַח דֶּבֶר (wĕʾim-ʾešlaḥ deḇer) - "and if I send pestilence."
  • אֶשְׁלַח (ʾešlaḥ): Verb, Qal stem, imperfect, 1st common singular, from שלח (šlaḥ), meaning "to send," "to dispatch."
  • דֶּבֶר (deḇer): Noun, masculine singular, "pestilence," "plague," "disease." Often refers to a severe epidemic causing widespread death.
  • Significance: This emphasizes God as the ultimate source and controller of diseases. In a world with limited medical understanding, such outbreaks were profoundly terrifying and widely seen as divine visitations. God is active in judgment, not just allowing things to happen, but sending them.
• among my people
  • Hebrew: בְּעַמִּי (bĕʿammî) - "among my people."
  • Significance: The explicit targeting of "my people" signifies the covenant relationship. These judgments are not arbitrary punishments on humanity in general but disciplinary measures specifically aimed at Israel, who stood in a unique covenant with YHWH. It underscores their unique responsibility and accountability to God's law. These are internal covenant consequences.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "If I shut up heaven...or if I command the locusts...or if I send pestilence": This triplet of "if I" statements powerfully underlines God's direct agency and sovereignty over all creation – atmosphere, living creatures, and health. The repetition emphasizes that these are deliberate acts of divine discipline, not natural occurrences independent of His will. It's a consistent warning found throughout the Deuteronomic curses (Deut 28).
• "shut up heaven that there be no rain," "command the locusts to devour the land," "send pestilence among my people": These three specific scourges represent the major threats to life and national well-being in an ancient agrarian society.
  • Drought: Direct attack on water source and agricultural production.
  • Locusts: Direct attack on food supply and economic stability.
  • Pestilence: Direct attack on human life and societal health.Collectively, they symbolize a comprehensive breakdown of God's blessings and protection when His covenant conditions are not met, designed to cause widespread suffering to prompt repentance.

2 Chronicles 7 13 Bonus section

This verse articulates divine "tough love" in action. The curses threatened here were commonly experienced afflictions in the ancient world, yet their biblical presentation specifically attributes their causation not to chance or local spirits, but to the sovereign God of Israel. This narrative framework shifts human perspective from appeasing myriad local deities to seeking reconciliation with the one true God who controls all things. The specific mention of "among My people" indicates the covenantal context. God's disciplinary actions are aimed at refining and purifying His covenant people, not destroying them, creating a pathway back to blessing through humility and repentance. It serves as a profound theological statement on the direct cause-and-effect relationship between Israel's faithfulness to the covenant and their experience of blessing or judgment.

2 Chronicles 7 13 Commentary

2 Chronicles 7:13 is a pivotal warning within the context of the Davidic Covenant and the newly consecrated Temple. It demonstrates that God's presence in the Temple and His relationship with Israel are conditional upon their obedience. The three forms of judgment — drought, locusts, and plague — are not arbitrary acts of vengeance but serve as direct consequences of Israel's potential future unfaithfulness, as outlined repeatedly in the Law (e.g., Lev 26, Deut 28).

God’s stated intention to "shut up heaven," "command locusts," or "send pestilence" reveals His complete dominion over nature and His willingness to use it for disciplinary purposes. This serves a dual function: it affirms YHWH’s unique power, directly contrasting with the limited power attributed to pagan deities like Baal (who supposedly controlled rain and fertility), and it demonstrates the severity of turning away from the covenant.

Crucially, this verse is not merely a threat of punishment but a setup for the possibility of redemption in the very next verse (7:14). The purpose of these judgments is restorative, to bring the people to a place of humility and repentance, where they will then cry out to God and find forgiveness and healing for their land. It portrays a God who, in His righteousness, disciplines His beloved people to bring them back into alignment with His perfect will. This discipline, though harsh, is always prefaced by the possibility of reconciliation, underscoring God's character as both just and merciful.

Examples:

• Drought: Think of the severe drought in the time of Elijah (1 Kings 17-18), directly linked to Israel's idolatry under Ahab and Jezebel, where God withheld rain for three and a half years.
• Locusts: The devastating plague described in the book of Joel, seen as a call to national repentance.
• Pestilence: The plague that struck Israel after David's census (2 Samuel 24), a direct consequence of his sin, which was stayed by God's mercy.