What Does 2 Chronicles 6:34 Mean in the King James?
If thy people go out to war against their enemies by the way that thou shalt send them, and they pray unto thee toward this city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name;
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The Hebrew repeats one word for both the road God sends them on and the direction of the chosen city, holding departure and prayerful orientation on the same path.
THE MEANING
When you are sent into conflict, your outward movement and your prayerful orientation remain together. The verse directs you toward the chosen city and the house built to express God’s nature; distance does not erase that orientation.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
This undoes the belief that distance from the house cuts the worshipper off from prayer: the passage places prayer in the same sentence as being sent out to war.
THE ROOT
דֶּרֶךְ
derek
GROWS FROM
דרך
To tread or step; a trodden path or course.
“way / toward” in this verse is derek. Hebrew uses derek twice: first for the route they take, then in the phrase derek ha’ir, literally the way or direction of the city, rendered “toward this city.” The same word holds their movement out to battle and their orientation toward the chosen house on one line.
ALSO GROWS
darakh: To tread or step.
דָּרַךְ
This is the action beneath derek: a path is ground made into a way by walking over it.
midrakh: A place to tread; footing.
מִדְרָךְ
The same root ties direction to the surface on which a person actually steps.
שָׁלַח
shalach
GROWS FROM
שלח
To send forth, dispatch, or release.
“send” in this verse is shalach. The people are sent along the route to battle; the wording presents their outward movement as a dispatch. Shalach also carries the sense of release, so their prayer toward the house remains joined to their movement rather than canceling it.
ALSO GROWS
shaluach: Sent or dispatched.
שָׁלוּחַ
This branch describes someone released into movement, as the people are sent along their route.
shilluach: Sending away or dismissal.
שִׁלּוּחַ
It makes the root’s sense of sending forth and release visible in the verse’s command.
THE PATTERN
Prayer remains oriented toward God across distance and changing places.
If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name:Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.THE THREAD
Send thee help from the sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Zion;“Send” here comes from שָׁלַח (shalach, send forth or release), the same root as “send” in Chronicles. There, the people are sent toward battle; here, help is sent from the sanctuary toward the one in battle.
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