II Chronicles 6:38 · Bible study
2 Chronicles 6:38 Commentary: Turning Hearts in Exile
Hebrew · 5 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Solomon's prayer envisions repentant exiles praying toward Jerusalem and the temple, grounding wholehearted return in God's covenant promises.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Wholehearted repentance in exile should include prayer oriented toward God's covenanted land, city, and temple as an act of faith in His promises.
- Key words: “Return” (שׁוב, shuv, H7725), turn back to God; “pray” (הִתְפַּלֵּל, hitpallel, H6419), reflexive intercession; “direction” (דֶּרֶךְ, derekh, H1870), the way or path one faces in prayer.
- Main debate: Whether the directional command is permanently binding or culturally specific. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown see it as the basis for Jewish practice; others interpret it as a temporary symbol for the temple’s role before Christ.
- Theological theme: Repentant prayer from exile is heard because God is faithful to His covenant, even when His people are unfaithful.
- Best use: A model for pastoral counsel: when people feel separated from God by their own sin, encourage them to concretely “turn”, to confess, remember God’s promises, and pray with expectation.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,
WEB World English Bible 2000
if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, where they have been taken captive, and pray toward their land which you gave to their fathers, and the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name;
KJV King James Version 1769
If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:
ASV American Standard Version 1901
if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captive, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name:
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
yea, they have turned back unto Thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their captivity, whither they have taken them captive, and they have prayed the way of their land that Thou hast given to their fathers, and of the city that Thou hast chosen, and of the house that I have built for Thy name:
Darby Darby Bible 1890
and if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land which thou gavest unto their fathers, and the city that thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built unto thy name;
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
And return to thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their captivity, to which they were led away, and adore thee towards the way of their own land which thou gavest their fathers, and of the city, which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built to thy name:
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Si se convirtieren á ti de todo su corazón y de toda su alma en la tierra de su cautividad, donde los hubieren llevado cautivos, y oraren hacia su tierra que tú diste á sus padres, hacia la ciudad que tu elegiste, y hacia la casa que he edificado á tu nombre;
se se converterem a ti de todo o seu coração e de toda a sua alma na terra de seu cativeiro, aonde forem levados cativos, e orarem até sua terra que tu deste a seus pais, até a cidade que tu escolheste, e até a casa que edifiquei a teu nome;
s’ ils reviennent à toi de tout leur cœur et de toute leur âme, dans le pays de leur captivité où ils ont été emmenés captifs, s’ ils t’adressent des prières, les regards tournés vers leur pays que tu as donné à leurs pères, vers la ville que tu as choisie et vers la maison que j’ ai bâtie à ton nom,
und sich also von ganzem Herzen und von ganzer Seele zu dir bekehren im Lande ihres Gefängnisses, da man sie gefangen hält, und sie beten nach ihrem Lande hin, das du ihren Vätern gegeben hast, nach der Stadt hin, die du erwählt hast, und nach dem Hause, das ich deinem Namen gebaut habe:
En zij zich tot U bekeren, met hun ganse hart en met hun ganse ziel, in het land hunner gevangenis, waar zij hen gevankelijk weggevoerd hebben, en bidden zullen naar den weg huns lands, dat Gij hun vaderen gegeven hebt, en naar deze stad, die Gij verkoren hebt, en naar dit huis, dat ik Uw Naam gebouwd heb;
se tornano a te con tutto il loro cuore e con tutta l’anima loro nel paese del loro servaggio dove sono stati menati schiavi, e ti pregano, rivolti al loro paese, il paese che tu desti ai loro padri, alla città che tu hai scelta, e alla casa che io ho costruita al tuo nome,
A nawróciliby się do ciebie z całego serca swego, i z całej duszy swej w ziemi niewoli swojej, do której będąc pojmani zaprowadzeni byli, a modliliby się, obróciwszy się ku ziemi swej, którąś dał ojcom ich, i ku miastu, któreś obrał, i ku domowi, którym zbudował imieniowi twemu:
и обратятся к Тебе всем сердцем своим и всею душею своею в земле пленения своего, куда отведут их в плен, и будут молиться, обратившись к земле своей, которую Ты дал отцам их, и к городу, который избрал Ты, и к храму, который я построил имени Твоему, —
他們若在擄到 之地 盡 心 盡 性 歸服 你，又向 自己的地，就是 你賜 給他們列祖 之地和你所 選擇 的城，並我為你名 所 建造 的殿 禱告，
If with all their heart and soul they are turned again to you, in the land where they are prisoners, the land where they have been taken, and make their prayers, turning their eyes to their land which you gave to their fathers, and to the town which you took for yourself, and the house which I have made for your name:
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · II Chronicles 6:38
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse anchors Israel's future repentance in concrete orientation. Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note that Solomon's words “gave rise to the favorite usage … of turning in prayer toward Jerusalem,” a practice later seen in Daniel 6:10. The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges places the verse in the sixth section of Solomon's prayer, “the prayer of Israel in captivity”, and observes that the whole dedication prayer is reproduced from 1 Kings with slight changes. The Hebrew verb forms point to a deliberate sequence: the people first return (וְשָׁבוּ, shuv, H7725 Qal) to God, then pray (וְהִתְפַּֽלְל֗וּ, hitpa'el, H6419) toward the land, city, and temple. The hitpa'el stem of palal indicates reflexive intercession, prayer offered from within a renewed commitment, not a mechanical gesture. The threefold direction, land given to the fathers, city chosen by God, house built for His name, orients the worshiper toward the specific historical promises that define Israel's identity. The consensus sees this as a pattern, not a prescription: wholehearted repentance expressed through prayer that faces God's covenanted dwelling.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Direction as binding practice: Jamieson-Fausset-Brown note it gave rise to the Jewish custom of turning toward Jerusalem in prayer; Daniel 6:10 exemplifies this.
- Direction as symbolic principle: Matthew Henry and Cambridge Bible treat the orientation as a faith expression, not a literal requirement for all times, pointing to heaven as God's true dwelling (v. 39: 'hear from heaven').
What is clear: That wholehearted repentance and prayer from exile are heard by God because of His covenant faithfulness, not because of the physical direction itself.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of praying toward the temple | The prayer direction signifies trust in God's covenant promise to dwell among His people and to hear from heaven. | Catholics and Orthodox often emphasize the sacramental presence of God in the church building; Reformed traditions stress that the temple was a temporary shadow, now fulfilled in Christ. Both affirm the principle of orienting prayer toward God's revelation. |
| Universality of the practice | The verse encourages prayer directed toward a specific place as an expression of faith, not as a magic ritual. | Some Christians (e.g., those in the Messianic Jewish movement) continue to pray toward Jerusalem. Others see the command as culturally limited to Israel’s old covenant context, replaced by worship “in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). |
| Soteriological significance | Forgiveness follows genuine repentance, not mere location or gesture. | Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions incorporate directional prayer in liturgy as a corporate act; Protestant traditions focus on the individual heart's posture. Both see Christ as the ultimate mediator, not the temple building. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Solomon spoke these words at the temple dedication, probably around 959 BC, before any exile had occurred. The prayer is prophetic in character: it assumes a future when Israel's sin will lead to defeat and deportation (v. 36). The surrounding verses (34, 39) follow a series of seven conditional petitions, each describing a national crisis, battle, drought, famine, siege, and each looking toward the temple as the point of prayer. The temple was understood as the place where God's “name” dwelled (1 Kgs 8:29; 2 Chr 6:20), a tangible sign of His presence and covenant commitment. To pray “toward” that house was an act of faith that God would keep His word, even when the people were far off.
The three objects of orientation carry layered meaning. The land was the inheritance promised to Abraham (Gen 12:7; 15:18, 21), a constant reminder that the nation's identity was tied to a specific gift. The city, Jerusalem, was the place Yahweh Himself “chose” (בָּחַר, bachar, H0977) to put His name (2 Chr 6:6). The house was the temple Solomon built, the authorized center of worship. Later practice confirmed this pattern: Daniel, in Babylonian exile, opened his windows toward Jerusalem when he prayed (Dan 6:10). The direction was never magic, it was a confession: “We belong to You; we stake our hope on Your promises, not on the gods of this land.”
Textual Notes
The supplied commentaries and lexical sources note no significant textual variants for II Chronicles 6:38. The verse closely parallels 1 Kings 8:47, 48 with minor verbal differences, the Chronicler adds “the land of their captivity” for clarity and omits reference to “the house of the Lord” in the Kings version, substituting “the house which I have built for your name.” These changes reflect the Chronicler’s editorial emphasis on exile and return.
Reception History
Jewish tradition has understood this verse as the scriptural basis for praying toward Jerusalem. The practice appears in the Talmud (Berakhot 30a) and continues in daily prayers that orient the worshiper toward the land of Israel. Daniel 6:10 already shows the verse’s influence in the exilic period.
Christian interpreters have read the verse typologically: the land, city, and temple prefigure the heavenly Jerusalem and the true temple, Christ (John 2:19, 21). Augustine, in his City of God, used this pattern to argue that believers in exile are citizens of a heavenly city, praying toward their true home. Medieval liturgies retained the practice of facing east (toward the rising sun, a symbol of Christ’s return), adapting the Old Testament direction. The verse has also comforted Christians in persecution, assuring them that no distance can separate repentant hearts from God’s hearing.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Wholehearted return precedes prayer. The sequence of verbs is critical: the people first come to their senses, confess sin (v. 37), and return to God with all heart and soul. The prayer that follows grows out of genuine repentance, not the other way around (Deut 30:2).
- Prayer is directional because faith has an object. Solomon specifies the land, the city, the house, not to confine God but to anchor the repentant heart in the concrete history of salvation. Praying “toward” is an act of remembering whose promises are trustworthy.
- Exile does not cut you off from the covenant. The very verse that describes captivity also describes the way back. God placed a loophole in the covenant, repentance, and Solomon’s prayer asks that heaven hear exactly that kind of cry.
Five-point outline
- The covenant included judgment (v. 36).
- But judgment was never final; repentance could reverse it (v. 37).
- Repentance must be wholehearted, not partial (v. 38a).
- Prayer must be oriented toward God’s revealed promises (v. 38b).
- God’s response is forgiveness and restoration (v. 39).
Illustration hooks
- An immigrant who keeps a photo of her homeland on the wall. When she feels lost, she looks at it and remembers who she is. The exiles looked toward Jerusalem for the same reason.
- A child who runs to a parent after doing wrong, the act of running toward already signals repentance. The direction matters because trust is being re-established.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Can I really pray from a place of failure and expect to be heard?
- What do I do when the “exile” is self-inflicted? Does God still accept my prayer?
- How do I turn toward God when I feel far from Him geographically or spiritually?
Leading a Discussion
This verse forms part of Solomon’s temple dedication prayer, a request that God continue to hear even when Israel’s sins have led to exile. The structure is conditional: if the people repent and pray in a specific direction, then God will hear from heaven. As you discuss, consider what “wholehearted returning” means in your own life and how physical actions (like posture, place, or direction) shape the inner reality of prayer.
Discussion questions
- Read verses 36, 39. What is the condition for God’s hearing, and what does “return to you with all their heart and soul” mean in practical terms?
- Why does Solomon list three specific directions: the land, the city, and the temple? What does each represent for the exiled people?
- How does the verb “return” (שׁוב, shuv) connect to the word for “captivity” (שָׁבוּ, shavu) in the original? What might the wordplay add to the meaning?
- Daniel 6:10 shows Daniel praying toward Jerusalem while in exile. What does this reveal about how later generations understood Solomon’s prayer?
- Does God’s willingness to hear from exiles who repent imply that He is bound by a formula? Or does the pattern point to something deeper about covenant faithfulness?
- In what ways can a modern believer “pray toward” God’s promises when they feel spiritually displaced or distant from Him?
- How does this passage shape your understanding of forgiveness? Is it automatic, or does it require a response from the sinner?
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)
| Deuteronomy 30:2 | and return to Yahweh your God and obey his voice according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul, |
| Deuteronomy 30:6 | Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your offspring, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live. |
| II Chronicles 6:34 | “If your people go out to battle against their enemies, by whatever way you send them, and they pray to you toward this city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name; |
| II Chronicles 33:11 | Therefore Yahweh brought on them the captains of the army of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. |
| II Chronicles 33:13 | He prayed to him; and he was entreated by him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Yahweh was God. |
| Jeremiah 29:12 | You shall call on me, and you shall go and pray to me, and I will listen to you. |
| Jeremiah 29:14 | I will be found by you,” says Yahweh, “and I will turn again your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places where I have driven you,” says Yahweh. “I will bring you again to the place from where I caused you to be carried away captive.” |
| Daniel 6:10 | When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before. |
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
4 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentary breaks down Solomon's prayer into its distinct thematic sections, showing how each petition addresses a specific situation. It also notes that the bronze stand mentioned here is called a laver in Hebrew, and suggests that the word for "cause" is better translated as "right."
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
These notes highlight that even in captivity, prayer must be directed toward the specific places God chose: the land promised to the fathers, the city He selected, and the temple built for His name. The location matters because it reflects God's covenant promises and the central place of worship He established.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB points to this verse as the scriptural origin of the Jewish practice of turning toward Jerusalem in prayer. The commentator observes that Jews everywhere, whether in captivity or in the holy land itself, would direct their faces toward the temple when praying.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that Solomon, though a king on a raised platform, kneels low in prayer, showing that true worship humbles even the highest earthly dignity before God's infinite greatness. Solomon's opening words contrast God's unique majesty with His willingness to keep covenant with weak, walking servants.