2 Chronicles 6:38
in 2 Chronicles 6and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:
KJV
If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 6
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
When they sin against You
on 2 Chronicles 6:36-39
The seventh petition states what the others leave unsaid, “for there is no one who does not sin”. The captives are asked to come to their senses, confess “We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly”. The Chronicler wrote after the exile this petition describes.
This site's exposition
with all their heart and soul
Captives far from the temple are asked to pray toward three things: the land, the chosen city and the house. The turning must be with the whole heart and soul. The Targum at verse 37, quoted by Clarke, places that turning in the fear of God returning to the heart.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
But here he declares upon what inducements he undertook it, and they are such as not only justify, but magnify, the undertaking. He did it for the glory and honour of God; this was his highest and ultimate end in it. It was for the name of the Lord God of Israel (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְשָׁ֣בוּ | veshavu | and they will return | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| אֵלֶ֗יךָ | ʾeleikha | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| לִבָּם֙ | libam | heart their | H3820 → | 595 times |
| וּבְכָל־ | uvekhol- | and with all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| נַפְשָׁ֔ם | nafsham | being their | H5315 → | 754 times |
| בְּאֶ֥רֶץ | beeretz | in [the] land of | H776 → | 2504 times |
| שִׁבְיָ֖ם | shivyam | captivity their | H7628 → | 49 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁב֣וּ | shavu | they took captive | H7617 → | 47 times |
| אֹתָ֑ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| וְהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֗וּ | vehitpalu | and they will pray | H6419 → | 84 times |
| דֶּ֤רֶךְ | derekh | [the] direction of | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אַרְצָם֙ | ʾartzam | land their | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נָתַ֣תָּה | natatah | you gave | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לַאֲבוֹתָ֔ם | laavotam | to ancestors their | H1 → | 1212 times |
| וְהָעִיר֙ | vehair | and the city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּחַ֔רְתָּ | bacharta | you have chosen | H977 → | 171 times |
| וְלַבַּ֖יִת | velabayit | and to the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| אֲשֶׁר־ | ʾasher- | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| בָּנִ֥יתִי | baniti | I have built | H1129 → | 376 times |
| לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃ | lishmekha | for name your | H8034 → | 864 times |
וְשָׁ֣בוּand they will return
veshavuH7725 →1056 times
אֵלֶ֗יךָto you
ʾeleikhaH413 →5510 times
בְּכָל־with all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
לִבָּם֙heart their
libamH3820 →595 times
וּבְכָל־and with all
uvekhol-H3605 →5413 times
נַפְשָׁ֔םbeing their
nafshamH5315 →754 times
בְּאֶ֥רֶץin [the] land of
beeretzH776 →2504 times
שִׁבְיָ֖םcaptivity their
shivyamH7628 →49 times
אֲשֶׁר־where
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
שָׁב֣וּthey took captive
shavuH7617 →47 times
אֹתָ֑ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
וְהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֗וּand they will pray
vehitpaluH6419 →84 times
דֶּ֤רֶךְ[the] direction of
derekhH1870 →707 times
אַרְצָם֙land their
ʾartzamH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נָתַ֣תָּהyou gave
natatahH5414 →2011 times
לַאֲבוֹתָ֔םto ancestors their
laavotamH1 →1212 times
וְהָעִיר֙and the city
vehairH5892 →1090 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
בָּחַ֔רְתָּyou have chosen
bachartaH977 →171 times
וְלַבַּ֖יִתand to the house
velabayitH1004 →2046 times
אֲשֶׁר־which
ʾasher-H834 →5497 times
בָּנִ֥יתִיI have built
banitiH1129 →376 times
לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃for name your
lishmekhaH8034 →864 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Daniel 6:10Now when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went into his house, where the windows of his upper room opened toward Jerusalem, and three times a day he got down on…
it leads to
- Acts 5:29
But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
- Psalms 55:17
Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17–18
Pray without ceasing.
- Psalms 95:6
O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our Maker.
- Psalms 34:1
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips.
- Acts 5:29
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.