Even to prepare me timber in abundance: for the house which I am about to build shall be wonderful great.
Parallel translations
- WEB even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful.
- BSB to prepare for me timber in abundance, because the temple I am building will be great and wonderful.
- NKJV to prepare timber for me in abundance, for the temple which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.
- NASB to prepare timber in abundance for me, for the house which I am about to build will be great and wonderful.
- NLT An immense amount of timber will be needed, for the Temple I am going to build will be very large and magnificent.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Solomon wants timber in abundance because the house he builds will be great and wonderful. The temple's scale matches its sacred purpose.
Overview
Solomon stresses the extraordinary quality and size of the temple, fitting for the dwelling of God's name. The emphasis on its greatness reflects the worth of the One to be worshiped there. Such devotion to honoring God's house models wholehearted, costly worship.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- 2 Chr 2:5And the house which I build is great: for great is our God above all gods.
- 1 Kgs 9:8And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?
- 2 Chr 7:21And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Temple, priesthood, and the repeated need for a faithful king who seeks the LORD all point past every imperfect reign to the King and Temple who finally and fully dwell with God's people.
How 2 Chronicles 2:9 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.