Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “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, New Living Translation “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, English Standard Version “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, Berean Standard Bible When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, King James Bible 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; New King James Version “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, New American Standard Bible “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them, NASB 1995 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them; NASB 1977 “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against Thee, and they pray toward this place and confess Thy name, and turn from their sin when Thou dost afflict them; Legacy Standard Bible “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict them; Amplified Bible “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin when You afflict and humble them; Christian Standard Bible When the skies are shut and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and they pray toward this place and praise your name, and they turn from their sins because you are afflicting them, Holman Christian Standard Bible When the skies are shut and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and praise Your name, and they turn from their sins because You are afflicting them, American Standard Version When the heavens are shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them: Contemporary English Version Suppose your people sin against you, and you punish them by holding back the rain. If they stop sinning and turn toward this temple to pray in your name, English Revised Version When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them: GOD'S WORD® Translation "When the sky is shut and there's no rain because they are sinning against you and they pray toward this place, praise your name, and turn away from their sin because you made them suffer, Good News Translation "When you hold back the rain because your people have sinned against you and then when they repent and face this Temple, humbly praying to you, International Standard Version "When the skies remain closed, and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and they pray in the direction of this place, confessing your name and turning from their sin when you afflict them, Majority Standard Bible When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, NET Bible "The time will come when the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, and turn away from their sin because you punish them, New Heart English Bible "When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you punish them: Webster's Bible Translation When the heaven is shut, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray towards this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou dost afflict them; World English Bible “When the sky is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and confess your name, and turn from their sin when you afflict them, Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionIn the heavens being restrained and there is no rain because they sin against You, and they have prayed toward this place and confessed Your Name, [and] they turn back from their sin because You afflict them— Young's Literal Translation 'In the heavens being restrained, and there is no rain, because they sin against Thee, and they have prayed towards this place, and confessed Thy name -- from their sin they turn back because Thou dost afflict them -- Smith's Literal Translation In shutting up the heavens and there was no rain, because they sinned against thee; if they prayed to this place, and confessed thy name, they shall turn back from their sin when thou wilt humble them. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleIf the heavens be shut up, and there fall no rain by reason of the sine of the people, and they shall pray to thee in this place, and confess to thy name, and be converted from their sins, when thou dost afflict them, Catholic Public Domain Version If the heavens have been closed, so that rain does not fall, because of the sin of the people, and if they will petition you in this place, and confess to your name, and be converted from their sins when you will afflict them, New American Bible When the heavens are closed so that there is no rain, because they have sinned against you, but they pray toward this place and praise your name, and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them, New Revised Standard Version “When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, and then they pray toward this place, confess your name, and turn from their sin, because you punish them, Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd when the heaven is shut up and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; yet if they pray before thee in this place, and confess thy great name and turn from their sins when thou dost afflict them; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And when Heaven will be restrained and there will be no rain when they would sin before you, and they will pray before you in this place, and shall confess your great name, and they will turn from their sins so that you will answer them OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, when they sin against Thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess Thy name, turning from their sin, when Thou dost afflict them; Brenton Septuagint Translation When heaven is restrained, and there is no rain, because they shall have sinned against thee, and when they shall pray towards this place, and praise thy name, and shall turn from their sins, because thou shalt afflict them; Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Solomon's Prayer of Dedication…25then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your people Israel. May You restore them to the land You gave to them and their fathers. 26When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, 27then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, so that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk. May You send rain on the land that You gave Your people as an inheritance.… Cross References Deuteronomy 11:16-17 But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods, / or the anger of the LORD will be kindled against you. He will shut the heavens so that there will be no rain, nor will the land yield its produce, and you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is giving you. 1 Kings 8:35-36 When the skies are shut and there is no rain because Your people have sinned against You, and they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them, / then may You hear from heaven and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, so that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk. May You send rain on the land that You gave Your people as an inheritance. Leviticus 26:19-20 I will break down your stubborn pride and make your sky like iron and your land like bronze, / and your strength will be spent in vain. For your land will not yield its produce, and the trees of the land will not bear their fruit. Deuteronomy 28:23-24 The sky over your head will be bronze, and the earth beneath you iron. / The LORD will turn the rain of your land into dust and powder; it will descend on you from the sky until you are destroyed. Jeremiah 14:1-7 This is the word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the drought: / “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. / The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads. ... Amos 4:7-8 “I also withheld the rain from you when the harvest was three months away. I sent rain on one city but withheld it from another. One field received rain; another without rain withered. / People staggered from city to city for water to drink, but they were not satisfied; yet you did not return to Me,” declares the LORD. Isaiah 5:6 I will make it a wasteland, neither pruned nor cultivated, and thorns and briers will grow up. I will command the clouds that rain shall not fall on it.” Ezekiel 14:13 “Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting unfaithfully, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of food, to send famine upon it, and to cut off from it both man and beast, Joel 1:16-20 Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes—joy and gladness from the house of our God? / The seeds lie shriveled beneath the clods; the storehouses are in ruins; the granaries are broken down, for the grain has withered away. / How the cattle groan! The herds wander in confusion because they have no pasture. Even the flocks of sheep are suffering. ... Haggai 1:10-11 Therefore, on account of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth has withheld its crops. / I have summoned a drought on the fields and on the mountains, on the grain, new wine, and oil, and on whatever the ground yields, on man and beast, and on all the labor of your hands.” Zechariah 14:17 And should any of the families of the earth not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of Hosts, then the rain will not fall on them. Matthew 5:45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Luke 4:25 But I tell you truthfully that there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and great famine swept over all the land. James 5:17-18 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. / Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth yielded its crops. Acts 14:17 Yet He has not left Himself without testimony to His goodness: He gives you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling your hearts with food and gladness.” Treasury of Scripture When the heaven is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; yet if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you do afflict them; the heaven Leviticus 26:19 And I will break the pride of your power; and I will make your heaven as iron, and your earth as brass: Deuteronomy 11:17 And then the LORD'S wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the LORD giveth you. Deuteronomy 28:23 And thy heaven that is over thy head shall be brass, and the earth that is under thee shall be iron. there is no rain Isaiah 50:1,2 Thus saith the LORD, Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors is it to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away… Isaiah 5:6 And I will lay it waste: it shall not be pruned, nor digged; but there shall come up briers and thorns: I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. Ezekiel 14:13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: if they pray Jeremiah 14:1-9 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah concerning the dearth… Joel 1:13-20 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God… Joel 2:15-17 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: … turn Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Ezekiel 18:27-32 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive… thou dost 2 Chronicles 33:12,13 And when he was in affliction, he besought the LORD his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, … Hosea 5:15 I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early. Hosea 6:1 Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. Jump to Previous Acknowledge Afflict Afflicted Confess Confessed Faces Heaven Heavens Honouring Prayed Prayers Rain Restrained Shut Sin Sinned Sky Towards Trouble Turn Turned TurningJump to Next Acknowledge Afflict Afflicted Confess Confessed Faces Heaven Heavens Honouring Prayed Prayers Rain Restrained Shut Sin Sinned Sky Towards Trouble Turn Turned Turning2 Chronicles 6 1. Solomon, having blessed the people, blessed God12. Solomon's prayer in the consecration of the temple, upon the bronze platform. When the skies are shut and there is no rain This phrase reflects the ancient Near Eastern understanding of divine control over nature. In the context of Israel, rain was crucial for agriculture and survival. The withholding of rain was seen as a direct consequence of the people's disobedience to God, as outlined in Deuteronomy 11:16-17, where God warns that turning away from Him would result in the heavens being shut. This concept is also echoed in the prophetic literature, such as in Jeremiah 14:1-6, where drought is a sign of divine judgment. because Your people have sinned against You and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and they turn from their sins because You have afflicted them Persons / Places / Events 1. SolomonThe king of Israel who is offering a prayer of dedication for the newly built temple in Jerusalem. He is interceding on behalf of the people of Israel. 2. The Temple in Jerusalem The central place of worship for the Israelites, symbolizing God's presence among His people. 3. The Israelites The covenant people of God, who are prone to sin and in need of repentance and divine intervention. 4. Heavens Shut Up A metaphor for drought, a common consequence of disobedience to God's commands in the Old Testament. 5. Prayer and Repentance The act of turning back to God, acknowledging sin, and seeking His forgiveness and restoration. Teaching Points The Consequence of SinSin has tangible consequences, such as the withholding of rain, which symbolizes God's displeasure and the disruption of His blessings. The Power of Repentance True repentance involves acknowledging sin, turning away from it, and seeking God's forgiveness. This is a prerequisite for restoration. The Role of Intercessory Prayer Solomon's prayer demonstrates the importance of interceding for others, especially leaders praying for their people. God's Faithfulness to His Covenant Despite human failure, God remains faithful to His covenant promises, ready to forgive and restore those who return to Him. The Importance of Worship and Praise Turning towards the temple and praising God's name signifies a heart posture of reverence and submission to God's authority.Verse 26. - No rain (see 1 Kings 17:1; Leviticus 26:19; Deuteronomy 11:17; Deuteronomy 28:23). Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew When the skiesהַשָּׁמַ֛יִם (haš·šā·ma·yim) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky are shut בְּהֵעָצֵ֧ר (bə·hê·‘ā·ṣêr) Preposition-b | Verb - Nifal - Infinitive construct Strong's 6113: To inclose, to hold back, to maintain, rule, assemble and there is יִהְיֶ֥ה (yih·yeh) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be no וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no rain מָטָ֖ר (mā·ṭār) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4306: Rain because כִּ֣י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction [Your people] have sinned יֶֽחֶטְאוּ־ (ye·ḥeṭ·’ū-) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural Strong's 2398: To miss, to sin, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, lead astray, condemn against You, לָ֑ךְ (lāḵ) Preposition | second person feminine singular Strong's Hebrew and they pray וְהִֽתְפַּלְל֞וּ (wə·hiṯ·pal·lū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Strong's 6419: To judge, to intercede, pray toward אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to this הַזֶּה֙ (haz·zeh) Article | Pronoun - masculine singular Strong's 2088: This, that place הַמָּק֤וֹם (ham·mā·qō·wm) Article | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 4725: A standing, a spot, a condition and confess וְהוֹד֣וּ (wə·hō·w·ḏū) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hifil - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural Strong's 3034: To throw, at, away, to revere, worship, to bemoan Your name, שְׁמֶ֔ךָ (šə·me·ḵā) Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 8034: A name and they turn יְשׁוּב֖וּן (yə·šū·ḇūn) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural | Paragogic nun Strong's 7725: To turn back, in, to retreat, again from their sins מֵחַטָּאתָ֥ם (mê·ḥaṭ·ṭā·ṯām) Preposition-m | Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine plural Strong's 2403: An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offender because כִּ֥י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction You have afflicted them, תַעֲנֵֽם׃ (ṯa·‘ă·nêm) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural Strong's 6031: To be bowed down or afflicted Links 2 Chronicles 6:26 NIV2 Chronicles 6:26 NLT 2 Chronicles 6:26 ESV 2 Chronicles 6:26 NASB 2 Chronicles 6:26 KJV 2 Chronicles 6:26 BibleApps.com 2 Chronicles 6:26 Biblia Paralela 2 Chronicles 6:26 Chinese Bible 2 Chronicles 6:26 French Bible 2 Chronicles 6:26 Catholic Bible OT History: 2 Chronicles 6:26 When the sky is shut up (2 Chron. 2Ch iiCh ii ch 2 chr 2chr) |
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