2 Chronicles 7 16

2 Chronicles 7:16 kjv

For now have I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.

2 Chronicles 7:16 nkjv

For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever; and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.

2 Chronicles 7:16 niv

I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

2 Chronicles 7:16 esv

For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time.

2 Chronicles 7:16 nlt

For I have chosen this Temple and set it apart to be holy ? a place where my name will be honored forever. I will always watch over it, for it is dear to my heart.

2 Chronicles 7 verses

2 Chronicles 7 16 Meaning

God here reaffirms His divine and sovereign commitment to Solomon’s Temple. He declares that He has personally chosen and consecrated this specific sanctuary, ensuring His character and presence—represented by His Name—will reside there eternally. This declaration underscores His active, intimate involvement, stating that His attentive care ("My eyes") and deep affection ("My heart") will remain fixed upon this place perpetually. This profound promise from God underscores the temple's sacred status and its role as the chosen site for the manifestation of His divine presence among His people, as long as they adhere to His ways, pointing also to a future spiritual fulfillment beyond the physical structure.

2 Chronicles 7 16 Context

2 Chronicles chapter 7 follows the magnificent dedication of Solomon's Temple, detailed in chapter 6, where Solomon offers a fervent prayer for God's presence and responsiveness to His people's pleas within the new house. Immediately after Solomon finishes praying, fire descends from heaven, consuming the burnt offering and sacrifices, and the glory of the LORD fills the Temple (7:1). The priests cannot enter, and the people bow in worship, proclaiming God's goodness and enduring mercy (7:2-3). Solomon and all the people then proceed with extensive sacrifices (7:4-7). This dedication culminates in an eight-day festival, followed by the dismissal of the people filled with joy for all the good the LORD had done for David, Solomon, and Israel (7:8-10). Verse 16 is God's direct response, given to Solomon at night (7:12), confirming His acceptance of the Temple and laying out the conditions for its continued blessing and His presence. This verse, therefore, serves as the divine validation and commitment regarding the sanctuary, setting the stage for the conditional covenant often remembered through 2 Chronicles 7:14.

2 Chronicles 7 16 Word analysis

• For now: The Hebrew particle לַשָּׁ֑תָּה (la-sha'tah) translates to "now," "at this time." It emphasizes that God's declaration is a direct, immediate response to Solomon's prayer and the temple dedication, signifying a present divine commitment, distinct from past actions.
• I have chosen: From the Hebrew verb בָּחַר (bachar), meaning "to select," "to choose." This highlights God's sovereign initiative and deliberate act. It's not a decision forced or earned, but one stemming from His divine prerogative and purpose. This choice ensures the sanctity and uniqueness of the place.
• and sanctified: From the Hebrew verb קָדַשׁ (qadash), meaning "to set apart," "to make holy," "to consecrate." God Himself is the agent of sanctification. This indicates the Temple is designated exclusively for sacred purposes, separating it from the profane and establishing it as a place where God's holiness could be tangibly encountered by His covenant people.
• this house: הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה (habayit hazzeh) refers specifically to Solomon's Temple. While God is omnipresent, He chooses to establish a particular place for the manifestation of His presence and to place His name there. This doesn't limit God, but rather provides a fixed point for His covenant relationship with Israel during that era.
• that My name: שֵׁם (shem), more than just a label, signifies God's essence, character, authority, reputation, and manifest presence. When God puts His "name" somewhere, it means He identifies with that place, revealing who He is there, and is to be worshipped there according to His revelation.
• may be there forever: לְעוֹלָם (le'olam), meaning "forever," "always," "for eternity," or "for a very long duration." This phrase indicates God's unchanging and enduring intention for His Name and presence to be associated with this Temple, representing a perpetual commitment within the terms of the Mosaic covenant, leading to a broader theological concept of eternal dwelling.
• and My eyes: עֵינַי (eina'i), meaning "My eyes." This is an anthropomorphism (attributing human characteristics to God) that signifies divine watchfulness, attentiveness, and supervision. It implies God's constant, vigilant care, observing all that transpires within and concerning His consecrated dwelling.
• and My heart: לִבִּי (libbi), meaning "My heart." This is another anthropomorphism conveying deep divine affection, personal concern, emotional commitment, and passionate devotion. It emphasizes God's profound love and emotional investment in the Temple and, by extension, in His people who worship there.
• will be there perpetually: תָּמִיד (tamid), meaning "continually," "regularly," "without interruption," "perpetually." This adverb reinforces "forever," underscoring the enduring and unwavering nature of God's commitment. It speaks to a continuous, unending focus of His attention and affection on the Temple, provided Israel remained faithful to the covenant, but ultimately pointing to His steadfast nature.

2 Chronicles 7 16 Bonus section

• Divine Initiative: This verse strongly emphasizes God's initiative ("I have chosen," "I have sanctified"). While Solomon built the temple, it was God who selected its purpose and invested His presence. This reminds us that true worship and relationship always originate with God's grace and calling.
• Symbolic Language: The use of "My Name," "My eyes," and "My heart" is highly symbolic, illustrating God's complete and intimate engagement. God is spirit and limitless, but He communicates His reality in ways humans can comprehend—His identification, His watchful care, and His deep affection.
• Contingency vs. Sovereignty: While verse 16 declares an eternal, perpetual commitment on God's part to the chosen house, it is immediately followed by conditional statements in verses 19-22 regarding Israel's obedience. This highlights a crucial theological tension: God's sovereign choice and eternal commitment (He will never abandon His chosen plan or people), versus the contingent reality of His active presence and blessing within the covenant based on human response. This dynamic underscores the importance of ongoing obedience and repentance, as seen in the broader narrative of Israel's history with the Temple.
• From Physical to Spiritual: This verse's emphasis on God's abiding presence foreshadows the ultimate fulfillment found not in a physical building, but in the person of Jesus Christ (Jn 2:19-21, Col 2:9) and in the community of believers (1 Cor 3:16, Eph 2:20-22) as the spiritual temple, and finally, the new heavens and new earth where God's tabernacle is eternally with humanity (Rev 21:3).

2 Chronicles 7 16 Commentary

2 Chronicles 7:16 is a pivotal verse in God’s direct communication with Solomon after the temple dedication. It is God’s divine affirmation, establishing the sanctuary as uniquely chosen and consecrated by Him, not by human merit alone. The declaration of God placing His "Name" there signifies that the Temple would be the principal earthly locus for the manifestation of His character, authority, and covenant relationship with Israel. The promise that His "eyes and heart" would be upon it "forever" and "perpetually" conveys an unparalleled degree of divine vigilance, care, and deep affection. This reveals God's profound investment in His chosen place of worship and His people. While this promise was given to a physical structure and conditioned by Israel's obedience, its ultimate fulfillment and spiritual trajectory point beyond stone and mortar to the indwelling of God in Christ, the church as His spiritual temple, and His final, eternal dwelling with redeemed humanity.