3 Then, turning his face about, the king gave a blessing to all the men of Israel; and they were all on their feet together. 4 And he said, Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who himself gave his word to my father David, and with his strong hand has made his word come true, saying, 5 From the day when I took my people out of the land of Egypt, no town in all the tribes of Israel has been marked out by me for the building of a house for the resting-place of my name; and I took no man to be a ruler over my people Israel; 6 But now I have made selection of Jerusalem, that my name might be there, and of David, to be over my people Israel. 7 Now it was in the heart of my father David to put up a house for the name of the Lord, the God of Israel. 8 But the Lord said to David my father, You did well to have in your heart the desire to make a house for my name: 9 But you yourself will not be the builder of the house; but your son, the offspring of your body, he it is who will put up a house for my name. 10 And the Lord has kept his word; for I have taken my father David's place on the seat of the kingdom of Israel, as the Lord gave his word; and I have made the house for the name of the Lord the God of Israel. 11 And there I have put the ark, in which is the agreement of the Lord, which he made with the people 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.