II Chronicles 5:13 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 5:13 Commentary: Unified Praise and the Glory Cloud
Hebrew · 8 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Why unified praise in II Chronicles 5:13 invited God's glory cloud. Study the Hebrew, context, and theology of this pivotal moment.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Unified praise and thanksgiving, centered on God's goodness and enduring covenant loyalty, trigger the visible manifestation of God's glory in the temple.
- Key words: 'as one' (כְּאֶחָד, ke'echad), placed first for emphasis on unison; 'cloud' (עָנָן, anan), theophanic cloud of divine presence.
- Main debate: Whether the cloud is identical to the shekinah glory of Exodus or a distinct sign of approval; also a Septuagint variant reads 'cloud of the glory of the Lord' which clarifies the connection.
- Theological theme: God's presence responds to and dwells within the worship of a people united in declaring His goodness and covenant love.
- Best use: Key verse for teaching on the priority of unified praise, the theological meaning of worship, and the continuity of God's presence from tabernacle to temple.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD: “For He is good; His loving devotion endures forever.” And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud
WEB World English Bible 2000
when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahweh; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahweh, saying, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever!” then the house was filled with a cloud, even Yahweh’s house,
KJV King James Version 1769
It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord;
ASV American Standard Version 1901
it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Jehovah; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Jehovah, saying, For he is good; for his lovingkindness endureth for ever; that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Jehovah,
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
yea, it cometh to pass, as one are trumpeters and singers, to sound--one voice--to praise and to give thanks to Jehovah, and at the lifting up of the sound with trumpets, and with cymbals, and with instruments of song, and at giving praise to Jehovah, for good, for to the age is His kindness, that the house is filled with a cloud--the house of Jehovah,
Darby Darby Bible 1890
— it came to pass when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one voice to be heard in praising and thanking Jehovah; and when they lifted up their voice with trumpets, and cymbals, and instruments of music, and praised Jehovah: For he is good, for his loving-kindness [endureth] for ever; that then the house, the house of Jehovah, was filled with a cloud,
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
So when they all sounded together, both with trumpets, and voice, and cymbals, and organs, and with divers kind of musical instruments, and lifted up their voice on high: the sound was heard afar off, so that when they began to praise the Lord, and to say: Give glory to the Lord for he is good, for his mercy endureth for ever: the house of God was filled with a cloud.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Sonaban pues las trompetas, y cantaban con la voz todos á una, para alabar y confesar á Jehová: y cuando alzaban la voz con trompetas y címbalos é instrumentos de música, cuando alababan á Jehová, diciendo: Porque es bueno, porque su misericordia es para siempre: la casa se llenó entonces de una nube, la casa de Jehová.
Soavam, pois, as trombetas, e cantavam com a voz todos a uma, para louvar e confessar ao SENHOR: e quando levantavam a voz com trombetas e címbalos e instrumentos de música, quando louvavam ao SENHOR, dizendo: Porque é bom, porque sua misericórdia é para sempre; então a casa, isto é ,a casa do SENHOR, se encheu de uma nuvem.
et lorsque ceux qui sonnaient des trompettes et ceux qui chantaient, s’unissant d’ un même accord pour célébrer et pour louer l’ Éternel, firent retentir les trompettes, les cymbales et les autres instruments, et célébrèrent l’ Éternel par ces paroles: Car il est bon, car sa miséricorde dure à toujours! En ce moment, la maison, la maison de l’ Éternel fut remplie d’ une nuée.
und es war, als wäre es einer, der drommetete und sänge, als hörte man eine Stimme loben und danken dem HERRN. Und da die Stimme sich erhob von den Drommeten, Zimbeln und Saitenspielen und von dem Loben des HERRN, daß er gütig ist und seine Barmherzigkeit ewig währet, da ward das Haus des HERRN erfüllt mit einer Wolke,
Het geschiedde dan, als zij eenpariglijk trompetten en zongen, om een eenparige stem te laten horen, prijzende en lovende den HEERE; en als zij de stem verhieven met trompetten, en met cimbalen, en andere muzikale instrumenten, en als zij den HEERE prezen, dat Hij goed is, dat Zijn weldadigheid is tot in eeuwigheid; dat het huis met een wolk vervuld werd, namelijk het huis des HEEREN.
mentre, dico, quelli che sonavan la tromba e quelli che cantavano, come un sol uomo, fecero udire un’unica voce per celebrare e per lodare l’Eterno, e alzarono la voce al suon delle trombe, de’ cembali e degli altri strumenti musicali, e celebrarono l’Eterno dicendo: “Celebrate l’Eterno, perch’egli è buono, perché la sua benignità dura in perpetuo”, avvenne che la casa, la casa dell’Eterno, fu riempita da una nuvola,
I stało się, gdy jednostajnie trąbili, i śpiewali, i wydawali jednaki głos, chwaląc i sławiąc Pana: i gdy podnosili głos na trąbach, i na cymbałach, i na innych instrumentach muzycznych, i chwalili Pana, że dobry, że na wieki miłosierdzie jego, tedy dom on napełniony jest obłokiem, to jest dom Pański.
и были, как один, трубящие и поющие, издавая один голос к восхвалению и славословию Господа; и когда загремел звук труб и кимвалов и музыкальных орудий, и восхваляли Господа, ибо Он благ, ибо вовек милость Его; тогда дом, дом Господень, наполнило облако,
吹號的、歌唱的 都一齊 發聲，聲 合為一，讚美 感謝 耶和華。吹號、敲鈸，用各種樂 器，揚 聲 讚美 耶和華說：耶和華 本為 善，他的慈愛 永遠長存！那時，耶和華 的殿 有雲 充滿，
And when the players on horns, and those who made melody in song, with one voice were sounding the praise and glory of the Lord; with loud voices and with wind instruments, and brass and corded instruments of music, praising the Lord and saying, He is good; his mercy is unchanging for ever: then the house was full of the cloud of the glory of the Lord,
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 5:13
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that the cloud filling the temple directly followed a moment of extraordinary unified worship. Keil and Delitzsch note the Hebrew construction places 'as one' (כְּאֶחָד) first for emphasis, with the infinitive 'to make heard' (לְהַשְׁמִיעַ) describing the effect: trumpeters and singers together produced a single voice of praise. Matthew Henry sees the cloud as God's public acceptance of the temple, linking it to the same sign at the tabernacle in Exodus 40:34-35. The refrain 'for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever' (I Chronicles 16:34) functions here as both song and confession, binding worship to covenant loyalty. Clarke points out the brevity of the Hebrew phrase, ki tov ki leolam chasdo, making it a burden repeated throughout the ceremony. Barnes adds a textual note that the Septuagint reads 'the house was filled with a cloud of the glory of the Lord,' clarifying that the cloud is the visible manifestation of Yahweh's honor.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: Unified praise with the ancient refrain preceded the visible cloud of God's glory filling the temple, linking this dedication to the tabernacle consecration and affirming God's continued presence with His people.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| The cause of the cloud's appearance | All commentators agree the cloud came specifically at the moment of unified praise, not during the ark's arrival or any other part of the ceremony. | Some emphasize the unity of the participants as the cause; others stress the content of the refrain (God's goodness and mercy) as the trigger. |
| Meaning of the cloud | The cloud signifies God's presence and approval, echoing the tabernacle filling in Exodus 40:34-35. | One reading (represented by the Septuagint variant noted by Barnes) explicitly calls it 'a cloud of the glory of the Lord,' while the Hebrew text simply says 'the house was filled with a cloud.' The difference centers on whether the glory is implied or stated. |
| Role of the priests and Levites | Both priestly groups (priests with trumpets and Levitical singers) participated fully, representing the whole nation's worship. | Disagreement exists over whether the 120 priests were part of the 'one sound' or a separate trumpet group alongside the singers. Keil and Delitzsch see them as participants within the larger unified sound, while others treat them as a distinct yet coordinated section. |
Historical & Cultural Context
II Chronicles 5:13 sits at the climax of the temple dedication. Solomon had completed the house of the Lord on Mount Moriah, and the priests had just brought the ark of the covenant from the tent of David into the new sanctuary (vv. 2-10). The ark contained only the two stone tablets from Horeb, symbols of the covenant.
This was not a routine service. Keil and Delitzsch note that 'all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions' (v. 11), meaning every priestly course participated, not just the one on duty. The Levitical singers, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun and their families, stood east of the altar in fine linen, joined by 120 priests sounding trumpets (v. 12). The musical ensemble matched the instructions for Davidic worship (I Chronicles 16:42; 15:24), including cymbals, harps and trumpets.
The refrain itself had history. It appears in I Chronicles 16:34 when David first established worship before the ark. By repeating it here, Solomon's generation affirmed continuity with David's faith. The phrase 'his loving kindness endures forever', chesed olam, roots the moment in God's covenant loyalty rather than human achievement.
When the cloud filled the house, the priests could not stand to minister (v. 14). This mirrored the tabernacle consecration: 'Moses wasn’t able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud stayed on it, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle' (Exodus 40:35). The temple was now the new place of God's dwelling, established through the very praise that declared His enduring goodness.
Textual Notes
The consulted sources note one variant of significance. Barnes observes that the Septuagint reads 'the house was filled with a cloud of the glory of the Lord,' which 'removes the superfluousness of these words', the Hebrew text in v. 13 ends with 'even the house of Yahweh,' while v. 14 separately states 'for Yahweh’s glory filled God’s house.' The Septuagint harmonizes the two verses by specifying the cloud as a cloud of glory. No other variants are noted in the supplied commentaries. The Hebrew text is generally stable across the Masoretic tradition.
Reception History
This verse has been treasured across Christian traditions for its depiction of worship inviting divine presence. Matthew Henry (Reformed, 1710) used it to teach that God accepts and fills worship that is unified and centered on His mercy. The Geneva Bible notes (1599) highlight the unity of sound and voice. In liturgical traditions, the refrain 'for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever' has been incorporated into eucharistic prayers and praise choruses, often as a congregational response. The cloud motif links this verse to the broader biblical theme of shekinah glory, and it is frequently cited in Pentecostal and charismatic circles as an example of worship that creates space for God’s manifest presence. Modern praise movements have also drawn on the image of musicians and singers becoming 'one sound' as a model for corporate worship.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Unity of voice precedes the presence of God. The trumpeters and singers became 'as one' before the cloud came. The Hebrew grammar stresses single-minded coordination, not uniformity of role but unison of purpose. Worship that pleases God arises from hearts and voices aligned in praise, not from technical perfection or institutional order.
- The refrain confesses two truths about God. 'For he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever.' The first declares God's character in himself; the second declares His commitment to His people. Together they form a complete acclamation that invites His manifest presence.
- God responds to worship with His glory. The cloud did not come because the building was finished or the ritual correct. It came when they praised. Worship is the context in which God chooses to dwell among His people.
Five-point outline
- Preparation without division. All priests sanctified themselves, ignoring their usual course rotations. The event transcended routine. When the church gathers for major moments, normal structures may give way to whole-hearted involvement.
- Instruments and voices together. The text lists trumpets, cymbals and instruments of music alongside the singers. No separation of 'sacred' voice from 'instrumental' sound. All were 'one sound' praising Yahweh.
- Singing a specific song. They did not improvise. They repeated a known refrain from David’s time. The content of praise matters: it centers on God’s goodness and enduring mercy, not subjective feelings.
- The cloud came. This is the same cloud that filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). It confirmed continuity: the God who dwelled in the tent now dwells in the temple.
- The priests could not stand. The glory was overwhelming. Worship leads to awe, not comfort. God’s presence disrupts our capacity to minister in our own strength.
Illustration hooks
- A choir with perfect pitch. Think of a choir where every section locks into one sound, sopranos, altos, tenors and basses each contributing yet producing a single tapestry of harmony. The temple musicians achieved this across instrumental and vocal groups.
- A family gathering for a proclamation. When a family unites to read a will or celebrate a milestone, all conversation stops. The unified attention makes the announcement land with weight. In the temple, all Israel’s representatives gave undivided voice to the one truth about God.
- A stadium crowd chanting a refrain. Thousands of people can shout one short phrase and fill a stadium with sound. The refrain in this verse is similarly short, simple, and repeatable, designed to be carried by a multitude.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does God still come in a visible cloud when we worship today, or is that only for biblical times?
- What does it mean practically to be 'as one' in our worship when our congregation has differing musical preferences?
- If God’s glory filled the temple, why do I sometimes feel nothing during worship services?
Leading a Discussion
This moment stands at the hinge of Israel’s story: the transition from a mobile tent to a permanent temple. The circumstances are unique, a one-time dedication, yet the pattern of unified praise opening the door for God’s glory continues to inform how Christians approach worship. As you discuss this passage, notice the details: who participated, what they sang, and what happened next.
Discussion questions
- Read I Chronicles 16:34. How does using the same refrain from David’s time shape the meaning of this moment in Solomon’s temple?
- The text says the trumpeters and singers were 'as one.' What are some barriers to this kind of unity in a local church today? Unity does not mean uniformity, what can we learn from the variety of instruments and voices used here?
- The cloud filled the house at the moment of praise, not earlier when the ark was carried in. Why do you think God waited until this specific moment to manifest His presence?
- Exodus 40:34-35 describes the same cloud filling the tabernacle. What does this continuity tell us about God’s character and His relationship with His people across different settings?
- Verse 14 says the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud. How does God’s glory affect our ability to serve? Is it always comfortable or empowering?
- The refrain 'for his loving kindness endures forever' emphasizes covenant loyalty. How does focusing on God’s enduring mercy change the way you worship, especially during hard seasons?
- If you had been present in the temple that day, what would have stood out most to you, the music, the unity, the cloud, or the overwhelming sense of God’s presence?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 40:34 | Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle. |
| Exodus 40:35 | Moses wasn’t able to enter into the Tent of Meeting, because the cloud stayed on it, and Yahweh’s glory filled the tabernacle. |
| I Kings 8:10 | It came to pass, when the priests had come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled Yahweh’s house, |
| I Kings 8:12 | Then Solomon said, “Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. |
| I Chronicles 16:34 | Oh give thanks to Yahweh, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever. |
| I Chronicles 16:42 | and with them Heman and Jeduthun with trumpets and cymbals for those that should sound aloud, and with instruments for the songs of God, and the sons of Jeduthun to be at the gate. |
| II Chronicles 7:3 | All the children of Israel looked on, when the fire came down, and Yahweh’s glory was on the house. They bowed themselves with their faces to the ground on the pavement, worshiped, and gave thanks to Yahweh, saying, “For he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever!” |
| II Chronicles 20:21 | When he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed those who were to sing to Yahweh and give praise in holy array as they go out before the army, and say, “Give thanks to Yahweh, for his loving kindness endures forever.” |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
7 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that this short Hebrew phrase may have been either the entire song or the refrain repeated after each verse. He draws attention to its concise structure, which simply declares God's goodness and endless mercy.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes points to a variant reading from the Septuagint that replaces the phrase "Even the house of the Lord" with "The house was filled with a cloud of the glory of the Lord," suggesting the original wording may be redundant.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge Bible notes that "instruments of musick" is better translated as "instruments for song," as the Revised Version margin suggests. It also connects the phrase "for his mercy endureth for ever" to 1 Chronicles 16:41 and the cloud filling the temple to Exodus 40:34-35.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Notes highlight how complete unity in musical worship, with every voice and instrument sounding together in praise, directly preceded the cloud filling the temple. The single harmonious sound of thanksgiving, centered on God's enduring mercy, marked the moment when the Lord's presence visibly descended.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB draws a direct link between this event and the moment when the cloud filled Solomon's temple at its dedication. The parallel suggests the same divine presence and glory that marked the earlier temple now fills this new house of worship.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch highlights that every priest sanctified himself and served that day, not just the assigned weekly course, because the occasion was too grand for normal rotation. The Levitical singers and trumpeters also acted as one man, with a single voice of praise. The cloud that filled the temple is specifically "the cloud of the house of the Lord," a construct phrase tying the glory directly to that place.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry emphasizes that the cloud of glory filling the temple outshone all its gold and jewels. God's personal presence was the true beauty of the house, and this visible sign showed He accepted the temple as His dwelling, just as He had with Moses' tabernacle.