2 Chronicles 7:14
in 2 Chronicles 7and if My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
KJV
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 7
Commentary
9 notes on this verseA commentator
Clement of RomeClement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 8 · Written before 99.
The ministers of the grace of God have, by the Holy Spirit, spoken of repentance; and the Lord of all things has himself declared with an oath regarding it, "As I live, says the Lord, I desire not the death of the sinner, but rather his repentance;" [Ezekiel 33:11] adding, moreover, this gracious declaration, "Repent, O house of Israel, of your iniquity." [Ezekiel 18:30] Say to the children of my people, Though your sins reach from earth to heaven, and though they be redder than scarlet, and blacker than sack-cloth, yet if you turn to me with your whole heart, and say, Father!
This site's exposition
If I close the sky so there is no rain
on 2 Chronicles 7:13-14
The law tied three judgments to covenant breach: the sky closed, the locust and plague. Barnes marks verses 13 to 15 as material Chronicles alone carries. The promise follows, “I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land,” spoken to the king who built the house.
This site's exposition
humble themselves and pray
The four conditions are humbling, prayer, seeking the face of God and turning from wicked ways, and Henry calls the answer national mercy. Clement of Rome gathers the same call to repentance from Ezekiel. There God desires the repentance of the sinner.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
3 And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the L ORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the L ORD , saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever. 4 Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the L ORD .
quarantine:scripture (2026-07-29) — scripture-overlap:91%@v3-4
), that is, "There will I make myself known, and there will I be called upon." II. He promised to answer the prayers of his people that should at any time be made in that place,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
National mercy is then promised, that God will forgive their sin, which brought the judgment upon them, and then heal their land, redress all their grievances.
Modern Voices2 voices
A commentator
Jonathan CahnSince the time of 9/11, I have been calling for return, repentance and revival, not only as individuals, but as a nation, according to 2 Chronicles 7:14.
A commentator
Dutch SheetsGive Him 15 daily devotional, "The Land is Being Healed" (October 21, 2025) (2025)
proposed
God not only heals bodies, but He also heals nations, including the very land on which we live.
1 more voice on this verse
Modern Voices1 voice
But it never came because there was no repentance. And without repentance, without a turning back, there can be no revival.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
If I shut up.. if I command..or if I send corresponding to three prayers, “I shall hear..and forgive their sin, and heal their land.”
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 2 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
21 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְיִכָּנְע֨וּ | veyikaneu | so they may humble themselves | H3665 → | 36 times |
| עַמִּ֜י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֧ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| נִֽקְרָא־ | nikra'- | it has been called | H7121 → | 733 times |
| שְׁמִ֣י | shemi | name my | H8034 → | 864 times |
| עֲלֵיהֶ֗ם | ʾaleihem | on them | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| וְיִֽתְפַּֽלְלוּ֙ | veyitpalu | so they may pray | H6419 → | 84 times |
| וִֽיבַקְשׁ֣וּ | vivakshu | and they may seek | H1245 → | 225 times |
| פָנַ֔י | fanai | face my | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וְיָשֻׁ֖בוּ | veyashuvu | so they may turn | H7725 → | 1056 times |
| מִדַּרְכֵיהֶ֣ם | midarkheihem | from ways their | H1870 → | 707 times |
| הָרָעִ֑ים | haraim | <the> wicked | H7451 → | 662 times |
| וַאֲנִי֙ | vaani | and I | H589 → | 874 times |
| אֶשְׁמַ֣ע | ʾeshma' | I will hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְאֶסְלַח֙ | veeslach | so I may forgive | H5545 → | 46 times |
| לְחַטָּאתָ֔ם | lechatatam | <to> sin their | H2403 → | 295 times |
| וְאֶרְפָּ֖א | veerpa' | so I may heal | H7495 → | 67 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אַרְצָֽם׃ | ʾartzam | land their | H776 → | 2504 times |
וְיִכָּנְע֨וּso they may humble themselves
veyikaneuH3665 →36 times
עַמִּ֜יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
אֲשֶׁ֧רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
נִֽקְרָא־it has been called
nikra'-H7121 →733 times
שְׁמִ֣יname my
shemiH8034 →864 times
עֲלֵיהֶ֗םon them
ʾaleihemH5921 →5755 times
וְיִֽתְפַּֽלְלוּ֙so they may pray
veyitpaluH6419 →84 times
וִֽיבַקְשׁ֣וּand they may seek
vivakshuH1245 →225 times
פָנַ֔יface my
fanaiH6440 →2123 times
וְיָשֻׁ֖בוּso they may turn
veyashuvuH7725 →1056 times
מִדַּרְכֵיהֶ֣םfrom ways their
midarkheihemH1870 →707 times
הָרָעִ֑ים<the> wicked
haraimH7451 →662 times
וַאֲנִי֙and I
vaaniH589 →874 times
אֶשְׁמַ֣עI will hear
ʾeshma'H8085 →1159 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וְאֶסְלַח֙so I may forgive
veeslachH5545 →46 times
לְחַטָּאתָ֔ם<to> sin their
lechatatamH2403 →295 times
וְאֶרְפָּ֖אso I may heal
veerpa'H7495 →67 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אַרְצָֽם׃land their
ʾartzamH776 →2504 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
Proverbs 28:13He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.
it leads to
- 1 John 1:8–10
If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
- Psalms 32:3–5
When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long.
- Job 31:33
if I have covered my transgressions like Adam by hiding my guilt in my heart,
- Luke 15:18–24
I will get up and go back to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.
- Jeremiah 3:12–13
Go, proclaim this message toward the north: ‘Return, O faithless Israel,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will no longer look on you with anger, for I am merciful,’ declares the LORD. ‘I will not be…
- 1 John 1:8–10
Where this verse is studied
By subject
Forgiveness35 verses
Prayer34 verses
On this page
Studies5
On this verse
About 2 Chronicles
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; Clement of Rome, Clement's First Letter to the Corinthians, Chapter 8; Dutch Sheets, Give Him 15 daily devotional, "The Land is Being Healed" (October 21, 2025); Jonathan Cahn, The Return announcement statement (Charisma Magazine: Jonathan Cahn Calls for National Day of Prayer and Repentance) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.