3 And the king turneth round his face, and blesseth the whole assembly of Israel, and the whole assembly of Israel is standing, 4 and he saith, 'Blessed 'is' Jehovah, God of Israel, who hath spoken with His mouth with David my father, and with His hands hath fulfilled 'it', saying: 5 'From the day that I brought out My people from the land of Egypt, I have not fixed on a city out of any of the tribes of Israel to build a house for my name being there, and I have not fixed on a man to be leader over My people Israel; 6 and I fix on Jerusalem for My name being there, and I fix on David to be over My people Israel. 7 'And it is with the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Jehovah God of Israel, 8 and Jehovah saith unto David my father, Because that it hath been with thy heart to build a house for My name, thou hast done well that it hath been with thy heart, 9 but thou dost not build the house, for thy son who cometh forth out from thy loins, he doth build the house for My name. 10 'And Jehovah doth establish His word that He spake, and I rise up in the stead of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as Jehovah spake, and I build the house for the name of Jehovah, God of Israel, 11 and I place there the ark, where 'is' the covenant of Jehovah that He made with the sons of Israel.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Chronicles 6:3-11
Chapter Contents
Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple.
The order of Solomon's prayer is to be observed. First and chiefly, he prays for repentance and forgiveness, which is the chief blessing, and the only solid foundation of other mercies: he then prays for temporal mercies; thereby teaching us what things to mind and desire most in our prayers. This also Christ hath taught us in his perfect pattern and form of prayer, where there is but one prayer for outward, and all the rest are for spiritual blessings. The temple typified the human nature of Christ, in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. The ark typified his obedience and sufferings, by which repenting sinners have access to a reconciled God, and communion with him. Jehovah has made our nature his resting-place for ever, in the person of Emmanuel, and through him he dwells with, and delights in his church of redeemed sinners. May our hearts become his resting-place; may Christ dwell therein by faith, consecrating them as his temples, and shedding abroad his love therein. May the Father look upon us in and through his Anointed; and may he remember and bless us in all things, according to his mercy to sinners, in and through Christ.