2 Chronicles 6:18

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!

Cross-references

2 Chronicles 2:6 is Solomon's earlier reflection — heaven cannot contain God, so no house can — directly parallel to his prayer here.

Exodus 29:45–46 Historical context

Exodus 29:45-46 records God's promise to dwell among Israel, which Solomon here marvels at — the transcendent God chooses to inhabit a physical house.

1 Kings 8:27 is the parallel account of Solomon's prayer, nearly verbatim, reinforcing the same theme of God's transcendence.

Psalm 113:5–6 Related theme

Psalm 113:5-6 echoes the same transcendent view — God is seated on high, yet condescends to look down, paralleling Solomon's wonder.

Psalm 139:7–8 Related theme

Psalm 139:7-8 celebrates God's omnipresence — He is in heaven and Sheol, complementing Solomon's point that no building can contain Him.

Isaiah 57:15 Related theme

Isaiah 57:15 expands on this paradox: God inhabits eternity yet dwells with the contrite — the same tension Solomon expresses.

Isaiah 66:1 Allusion

Isaiah 66:1 echoes Solomon's question — heaven is God's throne, earth His footstool, so no house can contain Him.

In Jeremiah 23:24, God declares He fills heaven and earth — reinforcing the same truth that no place can contain Him.

Acts 7:48-49 quotes Isaiah 66:1, reinforcing Solomon's point — God does not dwell in man-made houses.

Acts 17:24 Parallel

Acts 17:24 restates Solomon's truth — God, as Creator, does not dwell in human-built temples.

In Deuteronomy 10:14, Moses says heaven and the heaven of heavens belong to God — directly mirroring Solomon's statement.

Psalm 8:4 Parallel

Psalm 8:4 echoes the same wonder: God, too vast for heaven, yet mindful of frail humans. Both marvel at divine condescension.

Matthew 12:6 reveals Jesus as greater than the temple—the ultimate fulfillment of God dwelling with man, hinted at in 2 Chron 6:18.

Revelation 21:3 Prophetic fulfillment

Revelation 21:3 directly fulfills the hope of 2 Chron 6:18: God's dwelling is finally with humankind, no longer in a house but in the new creation.

Revelation 21:22 states there is no temple because God himself is the temple—answering the question of 2 Chron 6:18 by surpassing the physical house.

In 1 Chronicles 17:5, God says He has not lived in a house — building the same point that He is not confined to a building.