· Translation: KJV

2 Chronicles 2:9even to prepare me timber in abundance; for the house which I am about to build shall be great and wonderful.

The setting

Jerusalem, ~966 BC. Solomon explains to Hiram why he needs the finest materials - this isn't just any building, it's God's house. Modern-day Jerusalem, Israel.

The emotion here: awestruck by the magnitude of building something worthy of God's presence

The original word

gādôl (גָּדוֹל) — not just large but magnificent, awe-inspiring greatness

Why it matters

The temple took 7 years to build but Solomon's palace took 13 years - yet he calls the temple 'great and wonderful'

Read with care

What most readers miss in 2 Chronicles 2:9

Solomon says 'great and wonderful' - he's not bragging, he's explaining why ordinary materials won't do for God

Common misconceptionThis sounds like ego or materialism, but Solomon is actually expressing that nothing we build for God should be casual or careless - His dwelling deserves our absolute best.

Bible Genome reading

2 Chronicles 2:9 — Bible Genome reading

SpeakerSolomon
EraUnited Kingdom
Primary emotionworship
Literary typenarrative

Emotional genome

Comfort power30%
Quotability50%
Memorability50%
Crisis relevance20%
Standalone50%
Themes:magnificenceexcellence

In context

No verse stands alone.

Read the conversation around it.

Open 2 Chronicles 2

2 Chronicles 2:9 comes from the book of 2 Chronicles, written during the United Kingdom period. These words are attributed to Solomon. The dominant emotion in this verse is worship, with a comfort power of 30% and a tone that is reverent. It belongs to the narrative genre of biblical literature. Key themes include magnificence, excellence. Notable phrases: great and wonderful.

Your reflection

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