2 Chronicles 6:28-31 Meaning: When Disaster Strikes
28“If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is—
29whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who will each know his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread out his hands toward this house,
30then hear from heaven your dwelling place and forgive, and give to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know (for you, even you only, know the hearts of the children of men),
31that they may fear you, to walk in your ways as long as they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.
28If there be dearth in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting, or mildew, locusts, or caterpillers; if their enemies besiege them in the cities of their land; whatsoever sore or whatsoever sickness there be:
29Then what prayer or what supplication soever shall be made of any man, or of all thy people Israel, when every one shall know his own sore and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands in this house:
30Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:)
31That they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
28If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, if there be blasting or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatsoever plague or whatsoever sickness there be;
29what prayer and supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, who shall know every man his own plague and his own sorrow, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house:
30then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of the children of men);
31that they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, so long as they live in the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
28`Famine, when it is in the land, pestilence, when it is, blasting, and mildew, locust, and caterpillar, when they are, when its enemies have distressed it in the land--its gates, any plague and any sickness;
29any prayer, any supplication that is for any man, and for all Thy people Israel, when they know each his own plague, and his own pain, and he hath spread out his hands towards this house:
30then Thou dost hear from the heavens, the settled place of Thy dwelling, and hast forgiven, and hast given to each according to all his ways (because Thou knowest his heart, for Thou--Thou only--hast known the heart of the sons of men),
31so that they fear Thee, to walk in Thy ways, all the days that they are living on the face of the ground that Thou hast given to our fathers.
28If there be famine in the land, if there be pestilence, if there be blight or mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemies besiege them in the land of their gates; whatever plague or whatever sickness there be:
29what prayer, what supplication soever be made by any man, or by all thy people Israel, when they shall know every man his own plague, and his own grief, and shall spread forth his hands toward this house;
30then hear thou from the heavens, the settled place of thy dwelling, and forgive, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest (for thou, thou only, knowest the hearts of the children of men),
31that they may fear thee, to walk in thy ways, all the days that they live upon the land which thou gavest unto our fathers.
Meaning in one sentence
Solomon asks God to hear prayers made toward the temple during famine, plague, and siege. A model for bringing every affliction before God.
Context
Solomon has just finished building the temple in Jerusalem. The ark has been brought into the inner sanctuary, and the glory of the Lord has filled the house. Now the king kneels on a bronze platform before all the people and prays one of the longest prayers in the Bible. He knows what lies ahead. The covenant God made with Israel at Sinai included blessings for obedience and curses for rebellion, famine, pestilence, blight, locusts, and enemy attack. Solomon does not pretend these things will never happen. Instead, he builds a place for the day they do. He asks God to hear from heaven when His people cry out toward this temple. The whole prayer is a plea for mercy before the need even arises.
Key Words
The Hebrew word for plague here is nega‘, which means a stroke or a blow, something that strikes suddenly and leaves a mark. It can be a physical disease or a divine judgment. This same word describes the plagues of Egypt and the leprous mark on a person’s skin. The affliction is not vague. It is specific, personal, and unmistakable.
The word behind know is yada‘, used twice in this passage. First, the sufferer knows his own plague and sorrow, he feels it in his bones and cannot deny it. Then, God knows his heart, not just his circumstances but everything hidden inside. This is not distant, factual knowledge. It is intimate, personal understanding, like the knowledge between a husband and wife.
When the worshiper spreads out his hands toward the temple (paras kaph), he opens his palms, empty and exposed. It is a posture of dependence, not a formula to get results. Solomon asks that God would see this open-handed cry and respond.
How Christians Read This Verse
Reformed interpreters, reading Solomon’s words against Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28, see this as a model for covenant repentance: the curses are real, but the mercy seat is nearer. Matthew Henry calls it “a prayer for all times of distress.” Anglican and Catholic readers often emphasize the corporate setting, the whole people is invited to pray, and the temple serves as a visible sign of God’s presence with His community. Many Christians in the evangelical and Pentecostal traditions take this passage as a pattern for intercessory prayer today, believing that God still hears when we turn to Him in specific afflictions. Across traditions, the temple is seen to point forward to Christ, the true meeting place between God and humanity.
A common misunderstanding
Some readers think the temple building itself holds special power to answer prayer. In fact, Solomon begins his prayer by saying heaven and the highest heavens cannot contain God, let alone this house (2 Chronicles 6:18). The direction toward the temple was a sign of faith in God’s promise to be present there. It was never a magic charm. What matters is the heart behind the gesture, a heart that knows its own sorrow and turns honestly to God.
Living This Out
When trouble hits, your first instinct may be to fix it or to hide how bad it really is. Solomon gives another way. This week, stop and name your specific affliction out loud, the one you know in your bones. Then spread your hands open before God, not to impress Him, but to show Him your emptiness. You do not need to be eloquent. You only need to be honest. God knows your heart already. Let that knowledge be your hope, not your fear.
Main takeaway: God knows every affliction we carry and invites us to turn to Him with open hands, trusting that He hears and forgives.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Sometimes bad things happen, like when there isn’t enough food or when people get sick. King Solomon asked God to listen when we talk to Him about those things. You can tell God exactly what hurts, and He will hear you.
For ages 9, 12
Solomon was praying at the new temple in Jerusalem. He knew that hard times would come, famine, sickness, enemies. He asked God to hear every person who honestly prayed about their own trouble. God already knows our hearts, but He still wants us to come to Him with open hands and tell Him what we are going through. That’s what real prayer looks like.
Questions People Ask
What is the main request Solomon makes in 2 Chronicles 6:28, 31?
Solomon asks God to hear from heaven when His people pray toward the temple during times of suffering. He wants God to forgive them and deal with each person according to his ways, because God alone knows every human heart. The purpose is that they would fear God and walk in His ways.
Why does Solomon list so many different disasters in these verses?
The disasters, famine, pestilence, blight, locusts, enemy siege, are the covenant curses described in Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28. Solomon is preparing for the full range of troubles that could come because of unfaithfulness. He wants the temple to be a place of restoration no matter what kind of affliction strikes.
What does it mean to “know his own plague and his own sorrow”?
It means that each person recognizes their own specific trouble, not a general idea of suffering, but the exact pain they are feeling. The Hebrew word for “know” (yada) implies intimate, personal experience. Before we can pray honestly, we must face what we are actually going through.
Does this prayer mean we still need a temple building to pray?
No. Solomon himself says that God cannot be contained in any building (2 Chronicles 6:18). The temple was a visible sign of God’s covenant presence for Israel at that time. Christians believe that through Jesus, we now have direct access to God anywhere. The principle that remains is honesty before a God who knows our hearts.
How does 2 Chronicles 6:28, 31 apply to Christians today?
The passage teaches us to bring every specific trouble to God in prayer. We do not need to pretend things are fine or to hide our real struggles. We can spread our hands open before God, confess our need, and trust that He hears us from heaven. The ultimate goal is not relief from suffering but a deeper fear of the Lord and a life that walks in His ways.
For pastors & researchers
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