And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord because the glory of the Lord filled the Lord’s house.
Parallel translations
- WEB The priests could not enter into Yahweh’s house, because Yahweh’s glory filled Yahweh’s house.
- KJV And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD’s house.
- BSB The priests were unable to enter the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled it.
- NKJV And the priests could not enter the house of the Lord, because the glory of the Lord had filled the Lord’s house.
- NLT The priests could not enter the Temple of the Lord because the glorious presence of the Lord filled it.
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
The priests could not enter the temple because the Lord's glory filled it. God's presence so saturated the house that even the priests were kept out.
Overview
The glory of God was so overwhelming that the priests could not enter to perform their duties. This repeated and intensified the manifestation of God's presence at the dedication. Such glory reveals the holiness of God, before whom sinful people cannot stand on their own, underscoring the need for the mediation that Christ provides.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- Rev 15:8The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power. No one was able to enter into the temple, until the seven plagues of the seven angels would be finished.
- 2 Chr 5:14so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for Yahweh’s glory filled God’s house.
- Exod 24:17The appearance of Yahweh’s glory was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
- Isa 6:5Then I said, “Woe is me! For I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell among a people of unclean lips: for my eyes have seen the King, Yahweh of Armies!”
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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 7:2 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.