2 Chronicles 7:19

2Ch 7:19. But if ye turn away — Thou or thy seed, and forsake my statutes, &c. — Thus God sets before him death as well as life, the curse as well as the blessing. He supposes it possible, that though they had this temple built to the honour of God, yet they might be drawn aside to worship other gods. For he knew how prone they were to backslide into that sin. And he threatens, if they did so, it would certainly be the ruin of both church and state. That though they had been long in that good land, and had taken deep root in it, he would pluck them up by the roots, would extirpate their whole nation, as men pluck up weeds in a garden, and throw them out upon the dunghill. And that this sanctuary would be no sanctuary to them to protect them from the judgments of God, as they imagined; but that this house, which was so high, not only for the magnificence of its structure, but for the intended ends and uses of it, should be brought down, laid in ruins, and made a cause of wonder and astonishment to every one that passed by, and to all the neighbouring nations.

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

7:19-22 Despite its magnificence, the Temple did become an object of mockery and ridicule when the people of Israel turned away from the Lord; the Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(19) But.—And. Kings omits, but emphasises the verb, “If ye will turn,” or, “if turn ye will.”

The order of words in the Heb. implies that û-bnêkem, “and your children,” has fallen out of the text: “And if ye turn, ye and your children.” So Kings, and Syriac and Arabic here. Kings adds, “From after me.”

And forsake.—Kings, “and keep not.” So Syriac and Arabic.

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

Vers. 19, 20. And forsake. The parallel (1Ki_9:6) puts it, according to the Authorized Version, "If ye shall at all turn from following me," etc., which rendering on the part of the Authorized Version probably errs by excess. Much mercy, much forbearing, long-suffering, and slowness to anger, were sure to mark the Divine rule; nor would condemnation take effect, nor did it take effect, till the revolt of the people was a thorough revolt, as finally testifying itself in the crucifixion of Christ. (see also, as comments on the expressions of these two verses, Lev_26:14; Deu_4:26, 27 28:37, and generally 15-64) The same Hebrew words for a proverb and a byword among all nations are found in ver. 37, as just quoted.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

But if you turn away

Here "turn away" from God is a metaphor meaning to stop worshiping him. AT: "But if you stop worshiping me" (See: Metaphor)

you turn away

Possible meanings are that the word "you" refers 1) to all the people of Israel, or 2) to Solomon and his descendants.

my statutes and my commandments

Here the words "commandments" and "statutes" mean basically the same thing and emphasize all that Yahweh has commanded. (See: Doublet)

I will uproot them from out of my ground that I have given them

The word "them" refers to the people of Israel. God speaks of making his people leave his land as if they were plants that he would pull up by their roots out of the soil. AT: "I will make them leave the land I have given them" (See: Metaphor)

This house

This refers to the temple.

that I have set apart for my name

Possible meanings are 1) Yahweh's name represents himself. AT: "that I have set apart for myself" or 2) Yahweh's name represents his reputation. AT: "that I have set apart for my reputation" (See: Metonymy)

I will cast away from before me

God speaks of rejecting his temple as if he were to throw it far away from himself. AT: "I will reject it" or "I will ignore it" (See: Metaphor)

I will make it a proverb and a joke among all the peoples

"I will cause all the peoples to make proverbs and jokes about it" or "because of what I do to it, all the nations will mock and ridicule it"

translationWords

turn

forsake

statute

command

worship

set apart

proverb

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