1 And when Solomon had ended praying, the fire came down from the heavens and consumed the burnt-offering and the sacrifices; and the glory of Jehovah filled the house.
2 And the priests could not enter into the house of Jehovah, because the glory of Jehovah filled Jehovah's house.
3 And all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of Jehovah upon the house, and bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, and worshipped and thanked Jehovah: For he is good, for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever.
4 And the king and all the people offered sacrifices before Jehovah.
5 And king Solomon sacrificed a sacrifice of twenty-two thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
6 And the priests stood in their charges, and the Levites with Jehovah's instruments of music, which David the king had made to praise Jehovah, for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever, when David praised by their means; and the priests sounded the trumpets opposite to them, and all Israel stood.
7 And Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of Jehovah; for there he offered the burnt-offerings, and the fat of the peace-offerings, because the brazen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt-offerings and the oblations and the fat.
8 And at that time Solomon held the feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, from the entrance of Hamath unto the torrent of Egypt.
9 And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly; for they kept the dedication of the altar seven days, and the feast seven days.
10 And on the three and twentieth day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their tents, joyful and glad of heart for the goodness that Jehovah had done to David and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
11 And Solomon completed the house of Jehovah, and the king's house; and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of Jehovah, and in his own house, he did prosperously.
12 Then Jehovah appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him: I have heard thy prayer, and I have chosen for myself this place for a house of sacrifice.
13 If I shut up the heavens that there be no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
14 and my people, who are called by my name, humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin, and heal their land.
15 Now mine eyes shall be open, and mine ears attentive to the prayer [made] in this place;
16 for I have now chosen and hallowed this house, that my name may be there for ever; and mine eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.
17 And [as for] thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and mine ordinances;
18 then will I establish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to rule over Israel.
19 But if ye turn away and forsake my statutes and my commandments which I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them;
20 then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed to my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples.
21 And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passes by it; so that he shall say, Why has Jehovah done thus to this land and to this house?
22 And they shall say, Because they forsook Jehovah the God of their fathers, who brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and have attached themselves to other gods, and have worshipped them and served them; therefore he has brought upon them all this evil.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » John Gill's Exposition of the Bible » Commentary on 2 Chronicles 7
Commentary on 2 Chronicles 7 John Gill's Exposition of the Bible
INTRODUCTION TO 2 CHRONICLES 7
In this chapter is an account of the Lord's acceptance of the sacrifices offered at the dedication of the temple by fire, to the great surprise and encouragement of the people, 2 Chronicles 7:1, and of the feast kept on that account, and the feast of tabernacles, 2 Chronicles 7:8, and of the Lord's appearance to Solomon, giving an answer to his prayer, 2 Chronicles 7:13.
Now when Solomon had made an end of praying,.... The prayer recorded in the preceding chapter:
the fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; which was the token God gave of his acceptance of them, of which there had been several instances before, Leviticus 9:24, 1 Kings 18:38,
and the glory of the Lord filled the house; the glory of the Shechinah of the Lord, as the Targum, see 1 Kings 8:11.
And the priests could not enter into the house of the Lord,.... They went in to carry the ark thither, but not being able to stand to minister, they came out, and could not reenter:
because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord's house; both the holy place, and the holy of holies, see 1 Kings 8:10.
And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down,.... From heaven upon the sacrifice, and consumed it, which was all visible to the eye; or it may be this was a distinct fire from the former, since it seems to have come down upon the house, and so may denote a bright, shining, glorious light; the same with what follows:
and the glory of the Lord upon the house; for not only the house was filled with the glory, but there was a bright stream of light and glory over it, very dazzling and surprising:
they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement; of the great court, where they were assembled:
and worshipped and praised the Lord: worshipped him by praising him:
saying, for he is good; in his nature, promises, and blessings; is good, and does good:
for his mercy endureth for ever; this was the close of their song of praise.
Then the king and all the people,.... Of these two verses; see Gill on 1 Kings 8:62; see Gill on 1 Kings 8:63.
And the priests waited on their offices,.... Performed them, some in offering sacrifices, others in blowing trumpets, as it may be explained from the latter part of the verse:
the Levites also with instruments of music of the Lord, which David the king had made to praise the Lord; under a divine direction, on which the Levites played to the songs of praise offered to the Lord, and by which they made music sacred to him:
because his mercy endureth for ever; which, as it was the close of their songs of praise, was the cause of them:
when David praised by their ministry; the songs sung being composed by him, and the instruments they played upon being of his invention, and used by his order:
and the priests sounded trumpets before them; or rather over against them, that is, over against the Levites, as they were singing and playing on the instruments of music:
and all Israel stood; while this sacred and delightful service was performing, they both stood up, and stood by the priests and Levites, and joined with them in praising the Lord.
Moreover, Solomon hallowed the middle of the court,.... From hence, to the end of 2 Chronicles 7:10 is the same with 1 Kings 8:64. See Gill on 1 Kings 8:64, 1 Kings 8:65, 1 Kings 8:66, only mention is made in 2 Chronicles 7:9 of the dedication of the altar, as if distinct from the dedication of the house, and hallowing the middle of the court, see Numbers 7:10 in imitation of which the Heathens dedicated their altars, in which they used ashes and water, as PausaniasF25Eliac, 1. sive, l. 5. p. 312. relates, and had also feasts, as here, at the dedication of their templesF26Plin. Ep. l. 4. ep. 1. , in which they have been imitated by Christians; and many of our country feasts, as they are called, were first kept at the dedication of churches to such and such a saint.
Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord,.... With which begins 1 Kings 11:1; see Gill on 1 Kings 11:1.
And the Lord appeared to Solomon by night,.... From hence, to the end of the chapter, much the same things are related as in 1 Kings 9:2. See Gill on 1 Kings 9:2, 1 Kings 9:3, 1 Kings 9:4, 1 Kings 9:5, 1 Kings 9:6, 1 Kings 9:7, 1 Kings 9:8, 1 Kings 9:9, excepting 2 Chronicles 7:13 which contain an answer to the particular requests made by Solomon in case of a famine or pestilence, that when the people of Israel should humble themselves in prayer and supplication, the Lord would be attentive to them, and forgive them, 2 Chronicles 6:26 and which is given as a specimen, and as encouragement to expect the same treatment in all other cases mentioned in Solomon's prayer, they so behaving.