“Also I have made a decree, that whosoever shall alter this word, let timber be pulled down from his house, and being set up, let him be hanged thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this.”
The prayer "May the God who causes his name to dwell there overthrow any king or people who lifts a hand to alter this decree" invokes divine judgment against violators and affirms God\'s ownership of the temple. This statement expands the protection of the decree beyond imperial enforcement to include divine judgment, suggesting that violations are ultimately crimes against God rather than merely against the state. The phrasing reflects the Jewish understanding that God is the ultimate authority behind all earthly powers and that his will supersedes even imperial decree. This verse demonstrates the biblical conviction that faithful obedience to God\'s purposes invokes divine protection, and that those who oppose God\'s work face judgment not only from human authorities but from God himself.
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