2 Chronicles 6 · Verse 1

2 Chronicles 6:1

Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
2 Chronicles 6:1, King James Version

2 Chronicles 6:1 in other translations

BSBThen Solomon declared: “The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud;
WEBThen Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
ASVThen spake Solomon, Jehovah hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
YLTThen said Solomon, ‘Jehovah said--to dwell in thick darkness,
DARBYThen said Solomon: Jehovah said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
BBEThen Solomon said, O Lord, to the sun you have given the heaven for a living-place, but your living-place was not seen by men,
WebsterThen said Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

What does 2 Chronicles 6:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
2Ch 6:1-41. Solomon Blesses the People and Praises God. 1. The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness--This introduction to Solomon's address was evidently suggested by the remarkable incident recorded at the close of the last chapter: the phenomenon of a densely opaque and uniformly shaped cloud, descending in a slow and majestic manner and filling the whole area of the temple. He regarded it himself, and directed the people also to regard it, as an undoubted sign and welcome pledge of the divine presence and acceptance of the building reared to His honor and worship. He referred not to any particular declaration of God, but to the cloud having been all along in the national history of Israel the recognized symbol of the divine presence (Ex 16:10; 24:16; 40:34; Nu 9:15; 1Ki 8:10, 11).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Solomon's prayer at the dedication of the temple, vv. 1-42. Verse 1 The Lord hath said that he would dwell - Solomon, seeing the cloud descend and fill the house, immediately took for granted that the Lord had accepted the place, and was now present. What occurred now was precisely the same with what took place when Moses reared the tabernacle in the wilderness; see Exo 40:34, Exo 40:35 : A cloud covered the tent - and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent - because the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. The Chaldee paraphrases thus: "Then said Solomon, It has pleased God to place his majesty in the city of Jerusalem, in the house of the sanctuary which I have built to the name of his Word, and he hath placed a dark cloud before him.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
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.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

2 Chronicles 6:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

אָ֖ז'azthenH227
אָמַ֣ר'a.Marhe saidH559
שְׁלֹמֹ֑הshe.lo.MohSolomonH8010
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אָמַ֔ר'a.Marhe has saidH559
לִשְׁכּ֖וֹןlish.Konto dwellH7931
בָּעֲרָפֶֽל\׃ba.'a.ra.Felin <the> thick darknessH6205

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for 2 Chronicles 6:1

  • Exodus 20:21

    And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

  • Psalms 18:8-11

    There went up a smoke out of his nostrils, and fire out of his mouth devoured: coals were kindled by it. He bowed the heavens also, and came down: and darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

  • Leviticus 16:2

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Speak unto Aaron thy brother, that he come not at all times into the holy place within the vail before the mercy seat, which is upon the ark; that he die not: for I will appear in the cloud upon the mercy seat.

  • Deuteronomy 4:11

    And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

  • 1 Kings 8:12-50

    Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever. And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;) And he said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, which spake with his mouth unto David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it, saying, …

  • Nahum 1:3

    The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

  • Hebrews 12:18

    For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

  • Exodus 24:15-18

    And Moses went up into the mount, and a cloud covered the mount. And the glory of the Lord abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights.

  • Psalms 97:2

    Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Solomon, having blessed the people, blesses God.
12 Solomon's prayer in the consecration of the temple, upon the brasen scaffold, etc.

The Lord.
Ex 20:21; 24:15-18; Le 16:2; De 4:11; 1Ki 8:12-21; Ps 18:8-11; 97:2
Na 1:3; Heb 12:18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 2 Chronicles 6:1

    Then said Solomon, The Lord hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

  • 2 Chronicles 6:2

    But I have built an house of habitation for thee, and a place for thy dwelling for ever.

Read all of 2 Chronicles 6

2 Chronicles 6:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		ENTONCES dijo Salomón: Jehová ha dicho que él habitaría en la oscuridad.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Alors Salomon dit: L’ Éternel a dit qu’il habiterait dans l’obscurité profonde.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Damals sprach Salomo: Jehova hat gesagt, daß er im Dunkel wohnen wolle.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Tunc Salomon ait: Dominus pollicitus est ut habitaret in caligine: