God is intimately aware of every human sorrow, and He invites all who seek Him to come with bowed hearts and outstretched hands.
King Solomon, who lived from about 970 to 931 BC, offered a lengthy prayer to dedicate the newly completed temple in Jerusalem around 957 BC. In the midst of this prayer, he appealed to the LORD to hear the cries of His people, acknowledging that they would all face hardships and burdens. He prayed, using these words from 2 Chronicles 6:29, saying, “whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house” (v.29). The phrase “each knowing his own affliction and his own pain” highlights Solomon’s assurance that God sees and understands every sorrow, whether great or small.
Solomon realized that the temple in Jerusalem, standing in Israel’s southern region, was to serve as a focal point for worship, repentance, and communion with the divine. In this verse, “spreading his hands toward this house” (v.29) demonstrates a posture of humility and reliance. By turning their faces and hands toward the place where God’s presence was said to dwell, the people of Israel could tangibly express faith in the Almighty’s ability to intervene. Solomon’s words also implied an invitation for God to show mercy not only to individual worshipers but to the entire community seeking His deliverance.
Jesus would later affirm the principle that God hears the hearts of all who truly seek Him (Luke 11:9-10). Solomon’s prayer can be seen as an early testament to this truth, confirming that the Lord listens to any person who cries out in genuine need. This assurance that God responds to repentant prayers sets a gracious tone for Israel’s relationship with Him, pointing ultimately to the greater redemption found through the Messiah in the New Testament.
Set to dark mode
2 Chronicles 6:29 meaning
King Solomon, who lived from about 970 to 931 BC, offered a lengthy prayer to dedicate the newly completed temple in Jerusalem around 957 BC. In the midst of this prayer, he appealed to the LORD to hear the cries of His people, acknowledging that they would all face hardships and burdens. He prayed, using these words from 2 Chronicles 6:29, saying, “whatever prayer or supplication is made by any man or by all Your people Israel, each knowing his own affliction and his own pain, and spreading his hands toward this house” (v.29). The phrase “each knowing his own affliction and his own pain” highlights Solomon’s assurance that God sees and understands every sorrow, whether great or small.
Solomon realized that the temple in Jerusalem, standing in Israel’s southern region, was to serve as a focal point for worship, repentance, and communion with the divine. In this verse, “spreading his hands toward this house” (v.29) demonstrates a posture of humility and reliance. By turning their faces and hands toward the place where God’s presence was said to dwell, the people of Israel could tangibly express faith in the Almighty’s ability to intervene. Solomon’s words also implied an invitation for God to show mercy not only to individual worshipers but to the entire community seeking His deliverance.
Jesus would later affirm the principle that God hears the hearts of all who truly seek Him (Luke 11:9-10). Solomon’s prayer can be seen as an early testament to this truth, confirming that the Lord listens to any person who cries out in genuine need. This assurance that God responds to repentant prayers sets a gracious tone for Israel’s relationship with Him, pointing ultimately to the greater redemption found through the Messiah in the New Testament.