2 Chronicles 2:6

2Ch 2:6 But who is able to build him an house, seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain him? who [am] I then, that I should build him an house, save only to burn sacrifice before him?

Ver. 6. Seeing the heavens and heaven of heavens.] He is ανεπιγραπτος incomprehensible, incircumscriptible: good without quality, great without quantity, everlasting without time, present everywhere without place, containing all things without extent: he filleth all places without compression or straitening of another, or the contraction, extension, condensation, or rarefaction of himself: he is within all things, and contained of nothing: without all things, and sustained of nothing.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

2Ch 2:6. But who is able to build him a house — No house, be it ever so great, can be a habitation for him. Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain him — Nor does he, like the gods of the nations, dwell in temples made with hands. When, therefore, I speak of building a great house for the great God, let none be so foolish as to imagine that I mean to include or comprehend God within it, for he is infinite. Who am I, then, that I should build him a house — He looked upon himself, though a mighty prince, as utterly unworthy of the honour of being employed in this great work. Save only to burn sacrifice before him — As if he had said, We have not such low notions of our God as to suppose we can build a house that will contain him: we only intend it for the convenience of his priests and worshippers, that they may have a suitable place wherein to assemble and offer sacrifices and prayers, and perform other religious duties to him. Thus Solomon guards Hiram against any misapprehension concerning God, which his speaking of building him a house might otherwise have occasioned. And it is one part of the wisdom wherein we ought to walk toward them that are without, in a similar manner carefully to guard against all misapprehension which anything we may say or do may occasion concerning any truth or duty of religion.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

That is, to do the service which he hath commanded, signifying that none is able to honor and serve God in that perfection as his majesty deserveth.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Verse 6. Seeing the heaven and heaven of heavens] "For the lower heavens, the middle heavens, and the upper heavens cannot contain him, seeing he sustains all things by the arm of his power. Heaven is the throne of his glory, the earth his footstool; the deep, and the whole world, are sustained by the spirit of his WORD, [ברוח מימריה beruach meymereih.] Who am I, then, that I should build him a house?" - Targum.

Save only to burn sacrifice] It is not under the hope that the house shall be able to contain him, but merely for the purpose of burning incense to him, and offering him sacrifice, that I have erected it.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(6) But who is able.—Literally, who could keep strength? (See 1Ch_29:14.)

The heaven . . . cannot contain him.—This high thought occurs in Solomon’s prayer (1Ki_8:27; 2Ch_6:18).

Who am I then . . . before him?—That is, I am not so ignorant of the infinite nature of Deity, as to think of localising it within an earthly dwelling. I build not for His residence, but for His worship and service. (Comp. Isa_40:22.)

To burn sacrifice.—Literally, to burn incense. Here, as in 2Ch_2:4, used in a general sense.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

6. is able] Lit. retaineth strength; 1Ch_29:14. Cp. 2Ch_6:2; 2Ch_6:18.

to burn sacrifice] R.V. to burn incense.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Send now therefore a man cunning to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass, and in iron,.... There being many things relating to the temple about to be built, and vessels to be put into it, which were to be made of those metals:

and in purple, and crimson, and blue; used in making the vails for it, hung up in different places:

and that can skill to grave; in wood or stone:

with the cunning men that are with me in Judah and Jerusalem, whom my father David did provide; see Ch1 22:15.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Save only to burn sacrifice before him - Solomon seems to mean that to build the temple can only be justified on the human - not on the divine - side. “God dwelleth not in temples made with hands;” He cannot be confined to them; He does in no sort need them. The sole reason for building a temple lies in the needs of man: his worship must he local; the sacrifices commanded in the Law had of necessity to be offered somewhere.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Before him. For this purpose do I design to build. (Menochius) --- Temples are more for our use than for God’s, as none can be worthy of him. (Calmet)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The heaven of heavens cannot contain him: when I speak of building a great house for our great God, let none be so foolish to think that I mean to include or comprehend God within it, for he is infinite.

To burn sacrifice before him, i.e. to worship him there where he is graciously present.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Contain - When I speak of building an house for our great God, let none think I mean to comprehend God within it, for he is infinite. To sacrifice - To worship him there where he is graciously present.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

who is able to build God a house, since the entire universe and even heaven itself cannot contain him? Who am I to build him a house, except to burn sacrifices before him?

Solomon uses a question to emphasize that no one is able or worthy to build a house for God. AT: "no one is able to build a house for God because not even the universe or heaven is big enough to contain him. I am not worthy to build a house for him, except as a place to offer sacrifices to him. (See: Rhetorical Question)

translationWords

heaven

sacrifice

works

gold

silver

bronze

purple

kind

Judah

Jerusalem

David

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and with purple אַרְגְּוָן. This is synonymous with אַרְגָּמָן.

and crimson כַּרְמִיל. This is תוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי. The proof is that תוֹלַעַת שָׁנִי is not mentioned here.

and who knows how to make engravings Heb. לְפַתֵּחַ פִּתּוּחִים. An example is (Ex. 28:36) פִּתּוּחֵי חֹתָם, the engravings of a signet; someone who knows how to cut and make forms in stones, graber or greber in Middle German.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.