Bible Strands
2 Chronicles 16:9
For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.”
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The prophet Hanani addresses King Asa of Judah after Asa broke a treaty with Syria by paying Ben-hadad to withdraw, rather than trusting the LORD as he had done against the Cushites (v. 8).
The words — מְשֹׁטְטֹת (mĕšōṭṭōṯ, "roving about") and לְהִתְחַזֵּק (lĕhittaḥazzeq, "to show himself strong") form the verse's engine: God's eyes are not passive but mobile, and their purpose is active demonstration of power on behalf of the fully committed.
The thread — The "eyes of the LORD" surveillance motif recurs in Proverbs 15:3, Jeremiah 16:17, and 1 Peter 3:12, though the specific pairing of roving eyes with the purpose of showing strength for the devoted is unique to this verse.
Why it lands — It forces a binary: in a crisis, do you reach for God or for a political fix? The verse treats the latter as "foolishness" that converts a moment of potential deliverance into a standing state of war.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
Cross-references
- 1 Peter 3:12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
- Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
- Jeremiah 16:17 For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes.
- Proverbs 5:21 For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
- Psalms 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
- Job 34:21 For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step.
- Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.
- Zechariah 4:10 For who has despised the day of small things? But these seven eyes of the LORD, which scan the whole earth, will rejoice when they see the plumb line in the hand of Zerubbabel.”
- Jeremiah 32:19 the One great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are on all the ways of the sons of men, to reward each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.
- 2 Chronicles 6:20 May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your Name, so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.