The Meaning of 2 Chronicles 6:18 Explained

2 Chronicles 6:18

KJV: But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

YLT: (for is it true? -- God dwelleth with man on the earth! Lo, the heavens, and the heavens of the heavens, do not contain Thee, how much less this house that I have built?)

Darby: But will God indeed dwell with man on the earth? behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built!

ASV: But will God in very deed dwell with men on the earth? behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have builded!

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But will God  in very deed  dwell  with men  on the earth?  behold, heaven  and the heaven  of heavens  cannot contain  thee; how much less this house  which I have built! 

What does 2 Chronicles 6:18 Mean?

Chapter Summary: 2 Chronicles 6

1  Solomon, having blessed the people, blessed God
12  Solomon's prayer in the consecration of the temple, upon the bronze platform

What do the individual words in 2 Chronicles 6:18 mean?

But will indeed dwell God with men on the earth behold heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You how much less how much less temple this which I have built
כִּ֚י הַֽאֻמְנָ֔ם יֵשֵׁ֧ב אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־ הָאָדָ֖ם עַל־ ؟ הָאָ֑רֶץ הִ֠נֵּה שָׁמַ֜יִם וּשְׁמֵ֤י הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ לֹ֣א יְכַלְכְּל֔וּךָ אַ֕ף כִּֽי־ הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר ! בָּנִֽיתִי

הַֽאֻמְנָ֔ם  will  indeed 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אֻמְנָם  
Sense: verily, truly, indeed.
יֵשֵׁ֧ב  dwell 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
אֱלֹהִ֛ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָאָדָ֖ם  men 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
؟ הָאָ֑רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
הִ֠נֵּה  behold 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הִנֵּה  
Sense: behold, lo, see, if.
שָׁמַ֜יִם  heaven 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וּשְׁמֵ֤י  and  the  heaven 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙  of  heavens 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
לֹ֣א  cannot 
Parse: Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
יְכַלְכְּל֔וּךָ  contain  You 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine plural, second person masculine singular
Root: כּוּל  
Sense: to seize, contain, measure.
אַ֕ף  how  much  less 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: אַף  
Sense: also, yea, though, so much the more adv.
כִּֽי־  how  much  less 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
הַבַּ֥יִת  temple 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: בַּיִת 
Sense: house.
הַזֶּ֖ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
! בָּנִֽיתִי  I  have  built 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: בָּנָה  
Sense: to build, rebuild, establish, cause to continue.