2 Chronicles 2:4
in 2 Chronicles 2Behold, I am about to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God to dedicate to Him for burning fragrant incense before Him, for displaying the showbread continuously, and for making burnt offerings every morning and evening as well as on the Sabbaths, New Moons, and appointed feasts of the LORD our God. This is ordained for Israel forever.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of Jehovah my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him incense of sweet spices, and for the continual showbread, and for the burnt-offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the set feasts of Jehovah our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.
KJV
Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God, to dedicate it to him, and to burn before him sweet incense, and for the continual shewbread, and for the burnt offerings morning and evening, on the sabbaths, and on the new moons, and on the solemn feasts of the Lord our God. This is an ordinance for ever to Israel.
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This verse in 2 Chronicles 2
Commentary
5 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The symbolic meaning of “burning incense” is indicated in Rev 8:3-4. Consult the marginal references to this verse. The solemn feasts - The three great annnual festivals, the Passover, the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), and the Feast of tabernacles Lev. 23:4-44; Deut. 16:1-17.
This site's exposition
As thou didst deal with David my father
on 2 Chronicles 2:3-6
Solomon's letter to Huram opens on precedent, as thou didst deal with David my father, then states what the house is for: incense, shewbread, the morning and evening burnt offerings, sabbaths, new moons and the solemn feasts, an ordinance for ever to Israel. Then comes v6, the confession that the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him, so the house is only a place to burn sacrifice before him and not a residence in the pagan sense. Kings keeps that theology for Solomon's dedication prayer at the temple's completion (1 Ki 8:27); Chronicles moves it forward into the building request itself, so the king writing for cedar already says plainly what the cedar cannot hold.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
No, the heaven of heavens cannot contain him. It is intended only for the convenience of his priests and worshippers, that they may have a fit place wherein to burn sacrifice before him." [3.] He looked upon himself, though a mighty prince, as unworthy the honour of being employed in this great work: Who am I that I should build him a house?
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Behold, I build an house to the name of the Lord my God,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
In opening the business, Solomon grounded his request for Tyrian aid on two reasons: 1. The temple he proposed to build must be a solid and permanent building because the worship was to be continued in perpetuity; and therefore the building materials must be of the most durable quality.
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הִנֵּה֩ | hineh | here! | H2009 → | 843 times |
| אֲנִ֨י | ʾani | I | H589 → | 874 times |
| בֽוֹנֶה־ | voneh- | [am] about to build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| בַּ֜יִת | bayit | a house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לְשֵׁ֣ם׀ | leshem | for [the] name of | H8034 → | 864 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהָ֗י | ʾelohai | God my | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְהַקְדִּ֣ישׁ | lehakdish | to consecrate [it] | H6942 → | 171 times |
| ל֡וֹ | lo | to him | ||
| לְהַקְטִ֣יר | lehaktir | to make smoke | H6999 → | 116 times |
| לְפָנָ֣יו | lefanav | <to> before him | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| קְטֹֽרֶת־ | ketoret- | incense of | H7004 → | 60 times |
| סַמִּים֩ | samim | perfume<s> | H5561 → | |
| וּמַעֲרֶ֨כֶת | umaarekhet | and [the] row of | H4635 → | 10 times |
| תָּמִ֤יד | tamid | continuity | H8548 → | 104 times |
| וְעֹלוֹת֙ | veolot | and burnt offerings | H5930 → | 287 times |
| לַבֹּ֣קֶר | laboker | for the morning | H1242 → | 214 times |
| וְלָעֶ֔רֶב | velaerev | and for the evening | H6153 → | 134 times |
| לַשַּׁבָּתוֹת֙ | lashabatot | for the sabbaths | H7676 → | 110 times |
| וְלֶ֣חֳדָשִׁ֔ים | velechodashim | and for the new moons | H2320 → | 284 times |
| וּֽלְמוֹעֲדֵ֖י | ulemoadei | and for [the] appointed times of | H4150 → | 223 times |
| יְהוָ֣ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּ | ʾeloheinu | God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
| לְעוֹלָ֖ם | leolam | for ever | H5769 → | 438 times |
| זֹ֥את | zot | this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | [is] on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
הִנֵּה֩here!
hinehH2009 →843 times
אֲנִ֨יI
ʾaniH589 →874 times
בֽוֹנֶה־[am] about to build
voneh-H1129 →376 times
בַּ֜יִתa house
bayitH1004 →2046 times
לְשֵׁ֣ם׀for [the] name of
leshemH8034 →864 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהָ֗יGod my
ʾelohaiH430 →2601 times
לְהַקְדִּ֣ישׁto consecrate [it]
lehakdishH6942 →171 times
ל֡וֹto him
lo
לְהַקְטִ֣ירto make smoke
lehaktirH6999 →116 times
לְפָנָ֣יו<to> before him
lefanavH6440 →2123 times
קְטֹֽרֶת־incense of
ketoret-H7004 →60 times
סַמִּים֩perfume<s>
samimH5561 →
וּמַעֲרֶ֨כֶתand [the] row of
umaarekhetH4635 →10 times
תָּמִ֤ידcontinuity
tamidH8548 →104 times
וְעֹלוֹת֙and burnt offerings
veolotH5930 →287 times
לַבֹּ֣קֶרfor the morning
labokerH1242 →214 times
וְלָעֶ֔רֶבand for the evening
velaerevH6153 →134 times
לַשַּׁבָּתוֹת֙for the sabbaths
lashabatotH7676 →110 times
וְלֶ֣חֳדָשִׁ֔יםand for the new moons
velechodashimH2320 →284 times
וּֽלְמוֹעֲדֵ֖יand for [the] appointed times of
ulemoadeiH4150 →223 times
יְהוָ֣הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֑ינוּGod our
ʾeloheinuH430 →2601 times
לְעוֹלָ֖םfor ever
leolamH5769 →438 times
זֹ֥אתthis
zotH2063 →603 times
עַל־[is] on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 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
Exodus 25:30And place the Bread of the Presence on the table before Me at all times.
it leads to
- Leviticus 24:5–9
You are also to take fine flour and bake twelve loaves, using two-tenths of an ephah for each loaf,
- Matthew 12:4
He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread, which was not lawful for them to eat, but only for the priests.
- Exodus 39:36
the table with all its utensils and the Bread of the Presence;
- Leviticus 24:5–9
Through
2 Chronicles 2:1Now Solomon purposed to build a house for the Name of the LORD and a royal palace for himself.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 5:5
So behold, I plan to build a house for the Name of the LORD my God, according to what the LORD said to my father David: ‘I will put your son on your throne…
- 1 Kings 5:5
Through
Exodus 30:7And Aaron is to burn fragrant incense on it every morning when he tends the lamps.
it leads to
- 1 Samuel 2:28
And out of all the tribes of Israel I selected your father to be My priest, to offer sacrifices on My altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in My presence. I…
- 1 Chronicles 23:13
The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron and his descendants were set apart forever to consecrate the most holy things, to burn incense before the LORD, to minister before Him, and to pronounce…
- Exodus 27:20–21
And you are to command the Israelites to bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to keep the lamps burning continually.
- 1 Samuel 2:28
Through
1 Kings 8:18But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you have done well to have this in your heart.
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 6:7–9
Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel.
- 2 Chronicles 6:7–9
About 2 Chronicles

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
