But will God indeed dwell on the earth?: This expresses the reading in the Masoretic Text. The Septuagint reads “But will God indeed dwell with men on the earth?” The parallel passage in 2 Chr 6.18 also has this longer text. Several modern versions follow the Septuagint (New American Bible and New Jerusalem Bible), but Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and suggests that the Septuagint text here may be the result of harmonization with the parallel verse in 2 Chronicles.
The Hebrew conjunction at the beginning of this verse is rendered But by most English versions. It marks contrast between the thought of God living on earth in a building made by human beings and the fact that such an idea is beyond comprehension given the fact that God is so much greater than that. This connector may also signal emphasis and may be translated “Indeed.”
Translators must also deal with the fact that in the first part of this verse, Solomon speaks about God rather than to him. In certain languages this will be unnatural in prayer, so it will be better to transform this into a question to God, as Good News Translation has done.
Behold renders the common Hebrew focusing particle, which here draws attention to the statement that follows.
Heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain thee: In his letter to King Hiram of Tyre in 2 Chronicles, Solomon expresses this same praise of God: not even all the vastness of heaven can contain God (2 Chr 2.6). The highest heaven is literally “the heaven of heavens.” The same expression is found in Deut 10.14. Hebrew expresses the superlative in this manner; for example, “the song of songs” means “the greatest song” and “the king of kings” means “the greatest king.” Later Jewish writings express the idea of seven stages or strata of heaven, but such an idea is probably not intended here. Rather, this is probably nothing more than a superlative, meaning “all of heaven” (Good News Translation). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh says “the heavens to their uttermost reaches.”
How much less this house which I have built!: This exclamatory statement is Solomon’s way of expressing his doubt that the God of Israel would stoop to live in the house that his people had built for him. Revised Standard Version punctuates this part of the verse with an exclamation mark (also Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Good News Translation and Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje use a question mark, but this is a rhetorical question that functions to affirm that indeed this Temple is not large enough to hold God in it. Translators will need to decide whether either of these models is the best way to express this strong affirmation in the receptor language. If not, another possible model is “I cannot believe that you would live in this building that I have made for you.”
Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .