2 Chronicles Chapter 5

Updated: September 14, 2025

The Ark Enters the Temple

(1 Kings 8:1-11)

1Thus all the work that Solomon made for the house of the LORD was finished: and Solomon brought in all the things that David his father had dedicated; and the silver, and the gold, and all the instruments, put he among the treasures of the house of God.

2Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. 3Wherefore all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto the king in the feast which was in the seventh month. 4And all the elders of Israel came; and the Levites took up the ark. 5And they brought up the ark, and the tabernacle of the congregation, and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle, these did the priests and the Levites bring up. 6Also king Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel that were assembled unto him before the ark, sacrificed sheep and oxen, which could not be told nor numbered for multitude. 7And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, to the oracle of the house, into the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubims: 8For the cherubims spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubims covered the ark and the staves thereof above. 9And they drew out the staves of the ark, that the ends of the staves were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen without. And there it is unto this day. 10There was nothing in the ark save the two tables which Moses put therein at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

God's Glory Fills the Temple

11And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place: (for all the priests that were present were sanctified, and did not then wait by course: 12Also the Levites which were the singers, all of them of Asaph, of Heman, of Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, being arrayed in white linen, having cymbals and psalteries and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them an hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets:) 13It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of musick, and praised the LORD, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the LORD; 14So that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of God.

King James Bible

Text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.

The Ark Enters the Temple
(1 Kings 8:1–11)

1 Thus all the work that Solomon did for the house of Yahweh was finished. Solomon brought in the things that David his father had dedicated, even the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels, and put them in the treasuries of the house of God.

2 Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers’ households of the children of Israel, to Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion. 3 And all the men of Israel assembled themselves to the king at the feast, which was in the seventh month. 4 All the elders of Israel came: and the Levites took up the ark; 5 and they brought up the ark, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; these the priests the Levites brought up. 6 King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled to him, were before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude. 7 The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above. 9 The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the ark before the oracle; but they were not seen outside: and there it is to this day. 10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tables which Moses put at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of Egypt.

11 It happened, when the priests had come out of the holy place, (for all the priests who were present had sanctified themselves, and didn’t keep their divisions; 12 also the Levites who were the singers, all of them, even Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and their brothers, arrayed in fine linen, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps, stood at the east end of the altar, and with them one hundred twenty priests sounding with trumpets;) 13 it happened, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking Yahweh; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised Yahweh, saying, “For he is good; for his loving kindness endures forever!” that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of Yahweh, 14 so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of God.

The Ark Enters the Temple
(1 Kings 8:1–11)

1 So all the work that Solomon had performed for the house of the LORD was completed.

Then Solomon brought in the items his father David had dedicated—the silver, the gold, and all the furnishings—and he placed them in the treasuries of the house of God.

2 At that time Solomon assembled in Jerusalem the elders of Israel—all the tribal heads and family leaders of the Israelites—to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Zion, the City of David. 3 So all the men of Israel came together to the king at the feast in the seventh month. a

4 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the Levites took up the ark, 5 and they brought up the ark and the Tent of Meeting with all its sacred furnishings. The Levitical priests carried them up.

6 There, before the ark, King Solomon and the whole congregation of Israel who had assembled with him sacrificed so many sheep and oxen that they could not be counted or numbered.

7 Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, the Most Holy Place, b beneath the wings of the cherubim. 8 For the cherubim spread their wings over the place of the ark and overshadowed the ark and its poles.

9 The poles of the ark extended far enough that their ends were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, c but not from outside the Holy Place; d and they are there to this day.

10 There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, e where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out of Egypt.

11 Now all the priests who were present had consecrated themselves regardless of their divisions. And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, 12 all the Levitical singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets. 13 The trumpeters and singers joined together to praise and thank the LORD with one voice. They lifted up their voices, accompanied by trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise to the LORD:

“For He is good;

His loving devotion endures forever.”

And the temple, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud 14 so that the priests could not stand there to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.

Footnotes:

3 a That is, the Feast of Tabernacles (or Booths or Shelters); see Leviticus 23:33–36.
7 b Or the Holy of Holies
9 c Some Hebrew manuscripts and LXX The poles extended far enough that their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary ; see 1 Kings 8:8.
9 d Literally not from outside
10 e That is, Mount Sinai, or possibly a mountain in the range containing Mount Sinai

The Ark Enters the Temple

(1 Kings 8:1-11)

1And all the work that Solomon made for the house of Jehovah is finished, and Solomon bringeth in the sanctified things of David his father, and the silver, and the gold, and all the vessels he hath put among the treasures of the house of God.

2Then doth Solomon assemble the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, princes of the fathers of the sons of Israel, unto Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah from the city of David -- it is Zion. 3And assembled unto the king are all the men of Israel in the feast -- it is the seventh month; 4and all the elders of Israel come in, and the Levites lift up the ark, 5and they bring up the ark, and the tent of meeting, and all the vessels of the sanctuary that are in the tent; brought them up have the priests, the Levites; 6and king Solomon and all the company of Israel who are convened unto him before the ark are sacrificing sheep and oxen, that are not counted nor numbered from multitude. 7And the priests bring in the ark of the covenant of Jehovah unto its place, unto the oracle of the house, unto the holy of holies, unto the place of the wings of the cherubs; 8and the cherubs are spreading out wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubs cover over the ark, and over its staves, from above; 9and they lengthen the staves, and the heads of the staves are seen out of the ark on the front of the oracle, and they are not seen without; and it is there unto this day. 10There is nothing in the ark but the two tables that Moses gave in Horeb, where Jehovah covenanted with the sons of Israel, in their going out from Egypt.

God's Glory Fills the Temple

11And it cometh to pass, in the going out of the priests from the sanctuary -- for all the priests who are present have sanctified themselves, there is none to watch by courses, 12and the Levites, the singers, to all of them, to Asaph, to Heman, to Jeduthun, and to their sons, and to their brethren, clothed in white linen, with cymbals, and with psalteries, and harps, are standing on the east of the altar, and with them priests, to a hundred and twenty, blowing with trumpets -- 13yea, it cometh to pass, as one are trumpeters and singers, to sound -- one voice -- to praise and to give thanks to Jehovah, and at the lifting up of the sound with trumpets, and with cymbals, and with instruments of song, and at giving praise to Jehovah, for good, for to the age is His kindness, that the house is filled with a cloud -- the house of Jehovah, 14and the priests have not been able to stand to minister from the presence of the cloud, for the honour of Jehovah hath filled the house of God.

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The F.O.G Commentary

When Heaven Touches Earth

What’s 2 Chronicles 5 about?

This is the moment Solomon’s temple becomes more than just an impressive building project – it’s when God’s presence literally fills the space, so thick that the priests can’t even do their jobs. It’s ancient Israel’s most dramatic “God showed up” moment.

The Full Context

2 Chronicles 5 captures one of the most spectacular moments in Israel’s history – the dedication of Solomon’s temple around 960 BCE. This wasn’t just a ribbon-cutting ceremony; it was the culmination of David’s dream and Solomon’s seven-year construction project. The Chronicler, writing centuries later during the post-exilic period, wanted his contemporaries to remember what it felt like when God’s presence was undeniably real and visible among his people.

The passage sits at the climactic center of the temple narrative in Chronicles. Everything before this moment has been building toward it – David’s preparations, Solomon’s construction, the gathering of materials. Everything after flows from it – the temple becomes the beating heart of Israel’s worship life. What makes this account particularly fascinating is how the author uses sensory details to help us almost feel the weight of God’s glory. This isn’t just theology; it’s a visceral encounter with the divine that left everyone breathless.

What the Ancient Words Tell Us

The Hebrew word for “glory” here is kavod, which literally means “weight” or “heaviness.” When the text says God’s glory filled the temple, ancient readers would have understood this as something substantial enough to feel. It’s not just a shimmer of light – it’s the concentrated presence of the Creator of the universe pressing down on that space.

Grammar Geeks

The phrase “the cloud filled the house of the Lord” uses the Hebrew verb male’ in a way that suggests complete saturation – like water soaking through every fiber of a cloth. This isn’t partial filling; it’s total occupation of space.

Notice how the Chronicler builds tension through the ceremony itself. First, the Ark of the Covenant – Israel’s most sacred object – is brought in with elaborate procession. Then the Levitical musicians take their positions with their instruments. The moment feels choreographed by heaven itself.

But here’s where it gets interesting: the text emphasizes that “nothing was in the ark except the two tablets Moses had placed there at Horeb” (2 Chronicles 5:10). Why mention this detail? Because by Solomon’s time, people might have expected to find Aaron’s rod and the jar of manna that were originally there (Hebrews 9:4). The Chronicler wants us to know that what matters isn’t the religious artifacts – it’s the covenant itself, represented by those stone tablets.

What Would the Original Audience Have Heard?

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For ancient Israelites, this scene would have evoked memories of Mount Sinai, where God’s presence first descended in cloud and fire (Exodus 19:16-18). They’re witnessing the same God who spoke from the mountain now choosing to dwell permanently among them.

The musical element would have been stunning. When 2 Chronicles 5:13 describes 120 priests with trumpets joined by singers “as one voice,” this wasn’t just good musicianship – it was a symbol of national unity. In a culture where tribal divisions ran deep, this moment of perfect harmony would have felt miraculous in itself.

Did You Know?

Archaeological evidence suggests that ancient Near Eastern temples often used acoustic design to amplify sound. Solomon’s temple may have been engineered to create an overwhelming sensory experience when all those instruments and voices joined together.

The timing is crucial too. This happens during the Feast of Tabernacles, when all Israel would be gathered in Jerusalem. Thousands of witnesses saw the priests stumble out of the temple, unable to continue their service because God’s presence was too intense. Word would have spread like wildfire: “God is here. Really here.”

Wrestling with the Text

Here’s something that might puzzle modern readers: why couldn’t the priests continue their service? Wasn’t God’s presence supposed to enable worship, not prevent it?

The Hebrew suggests they were physically overwhelmed – not just emotionally moved, but unable to function. This creates an interesting tension. The temple was built for worship, yet when God shows up fully, worship becomes impossible in the traditional sense.

This might be the Chronicler’s way of showing us that encountering the divine isn’t always comfortable or manageable. Sometimes God’s presence is so real, so weighty, that our normal religious routines simply can’t contain it. The priests couldn’t perform their rituals because something far greater than ritual was happening.

Wait, That’s Strange…

The text says the cloud prevented the priests from serving, yet just a few verses later in chapter 6, Solomon begins his prayer and dedication. How did worship resume? This suggests God’s presence has different intensities – sometimes overwhelming, sometimes enabling.

How This Changes Everything

This moment marks a shift in how God relates to his people. No longer is the divine presence confined to the mobile tabernacle that wandered through the wilderness. Now there’s a permanent address where heaven and earth intersect.

But notice what triggers God’s arrival: it’s not the completion of the building or even the arrival of the Ark. It’s the moment when the musicians and singers unite “as one voice” to praise God. The divine presence responds to unified worship, to hearts genuinely turned toward heaven.

“Sometimes the most profound encounters with God happen not when we’re trying harder, but when we’re finally in harmony with each other and with heaven.”

This has profound implications for how we think about sacred space. The temple becomes holy not because of its gold and precious stones, but because God chooses to inhabit it. The building itself was just potential until this moment when it became the dwelling place of the Most High.

For the original readers returning from exile, this account would have been both inspiring and heartbreaking. They had rebuilt the temple, but many who remembered Solomon’s temple wept when they saw the second temple’s modest size (Ezra 3:12). The Chronicler is reminding them that God’s presence, not architectural grandeur, is what makes a place holy.

Key Takeaway

God’s presence isn’t something we can summon or control – it’s something we prepare for through unity, worship, and reverence. When heaven touches earth, everything changes, and sometimes the most appropriate response is simply to step back in awe.

2 Chronicles Chapter 5

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