Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.
I pluck
2 Kings 17:20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight.
Psalm 52:5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
Jeremiah 12:17 But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, saith the LORD.
a proverb
Deuteronomy 28:37 And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD shall lead thee.
1 Kings 9:7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people:
Nehemiah 4:1-4 But it came to pass, that when Sanballat heard that we builded the wall, he was wroth, and took great indignation, and mocked the Jews…
and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name
The temple in Jerusalem was the physical manifestation of God's presence among His people, sanctified for His Name, meaning it was set apart for His glory and worship. The phrase "banish from My presence" indicates a withdrawal of divine favor and protection. This occurred historically when the Babylonians destroyed the temple in 586 BC. The temple's destruction symbolizes the loss of God's immediate presence and blessing, a theme echoed in Lamentations and the prophetic warnings of Jeremiah.
I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples
This phrase highlights the consequences of Israel's disobedience, where the once-glorious temple and nation become subjects of derision. This fulfills the warnings given in Deuteronomy 28:37, where disobedience would lead to becoming a "byword among all nations." The scorn and ridicule reflect the shame and dishonor brought upon Israel, serving as a cautionary tale to other nations. This also points to the broader biblical theme of God's justice and the importance of faithfulness to His covenant.
“Then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them”
• God speaks as the covenant Lord who had planted Israel in Canaan (Exodus 6:8; Joshua 21:43-45).
• Uprooting pictures complete removal, not mere pruning. It foretells exile—fulfilled when Assyria scattered the northern tribes (2 Kings 17:6, 23) and Babylon carried Judah away (2 Kings 25:21).
• The warning rests on earlier covenant terms: obedience brings permanence, disobedience brings eviction (Deuteronomy 28:63-64; 11:17).
• The land was a gift, not a right. Sin forfeits blessings, yet God’s promises remain sure; He later restores a remnant (Jeremiah 29:14; Ezra 1:1-4).
“And I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name”
• “My presence” refers to the manifest glory that filled Solomon’s temple (2 Chronicles 5:13-14; 7:1-3).
• Banishment means God would withdraw that glory, just as Ezekiel later saw it depart (Ezekiel 10:18).
• The temple’s sanctity depended on God’s nearness, not on stone and gold (Jeremiah 7:4-14). When the people persistently rebelled, the building lost divine protection and was burned (2 Kings 25:8-9).
• Even a place God once called “permanent” (1 Kings 9:3) could be forsaken if the covenant people abandoned Him—underscoring that relationship, not ritual, secures blessing (1 Samuel 15:22; Hosea 6:6).
“I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples”
• Public shame was part of covenant curses (Deuteronomy 28:37). Foreigners would mock the ruins, asking, “Why has the LORD done such a thing?” (2 Chronicles 7:21).
• Lamentations records this mockery: “All who pass your way clap their hands; they hiss and shake their heads” (Lamentations 2:15-16).
• God’s name is intertwined with His people; their downfall signals judgment on sin, yet also vindicates His holiness (Ezekiel 36:20-23).
• Centuries later, Rome’s destruction of the second temple echoed this pattern (Matthew 24:2), reminding believers that outward forms cannot replace heartfelt obedience (Hebrews 12:25-29).
2 Chronicles 7:20 is a sober covenant warning. God, who graciously planted Israel and placed His glory among them, also reserves the right to uproot, banish, and expose to ridicule when His people reject Him. History confirms the literal fulfillment in exile and temple destruction, proving that blessings are conditional on faithfulness while affirming God’s unwavering holiness and ultimate purpose to restore a repentant remnant.
(20) Then will I pluck them up by the roots--i.e., your children (see last verse). (Comp. Deuteronomy 29:27.) Vulg. rightly, "evellam vos de terra mea." The opposite idea is that of planting a nation in a land (Jeremiah 24:6). Kings, "Then will I cut off Israel from upon the face of the land." The chronicler has softened the severity of the expression, cut off Israel.Will I cast out of my sight.--Vulg. more literally, "projiciam a facie mea." The exact phrase occurs nowhere else; but comp. Psalm 51:13, which is very similar; also Psalm 102:11. Instead of 'ashlik, "I will cast," Kings has 'ashallah, "I will send," i.e., throw (Amos 2:5). . . .
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