If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to make him swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;
Parallel translations
- WEB “If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house;
- BSB When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple,
- NKJV “If anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple,
- NASB “If someone sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,
- NLT “If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar at this Temple,
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 prayed about cases where a man wrongs his neighbor and swears an oath before God's altar. He asked God to be the judge in disputes brought to his house.
Overview
The first specific petition concerned legal oaths taken at the altar to resolve disputes between neighbors. Solomon asked God to oversee such solemn matters of truth and justice. This appeal to God as the righteous judge reflects his role as the final arbiter of all human dealings, before whom all hearts are open.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Exod 22:11Then shall an oath of the LORD be between them both, that he hath not put his hand unto his neighbour’s goods; and the owner of it shall accept thereof, and he shall not make it good.
- Lev 5:1And if a soul sin, and hear the voice of swearing, and is a witness, whether he hath seen or known of it; if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.
- Prov 30:9Lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the LORD? or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.
- Matt 23:18And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.
- 1 Kgs 8:31–32If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:
- Num 5:19–22And the priest shall charge her by an oath, and say unto the woman, If no man have lain with thee, and if thou hast not gone aside to uncleanness with another instead of thy husband, be thou free from this bitter water that causeth the curse:
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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 6:22 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
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