1 Kings 8
1 The feast of the dedication of the temple.
12 Solomon's blessing.
22 Solomon's prayer.
54 Solomon's blessing.
62 His sacrifice of peace offerings.
Solomon <08010> [A.M. 3000. B.C. 1004. Solomon.]
This did not take place, according to Abp. Usher, till the year after the temple was finished, because that year was a jubilee. "The 8th day of the 7th month, viz. the 30th of our October, being Friday, was the first of the seven days of dedication; the 10th day, Saturday, November 1, the fast of expiation or atonement was held; whereon, according to the Levitical law, the jubilee was proclaimed by sound of trumpet. The 15th day, Friday, was the feast of tabernacles, which was always very solemnly kept; and the day following, Nov. 14, being our Saturday, when the Sabbath was ended, the people returned home."
convened <06950> [assembled.]
families <01 05387> [chief of the fathers. Heb. princes.]
transferal <05927> [that they might bring.]
city <05892> [out of the city.]
festival <02282> [at the feast.]
priests lifted <05375 03548> [the priests took up.]
Levites ......... tent ........... tent <0168 03881> [and the.]
tent ........... tent <0168> [tabernacle.]
sacrificed ... sheep <02076 06629> [sacrificing sheep.]
priests <03548> [And the priests.]
place <04725> [his place.]
wings <03671> [under the wings.]
poles .... long <0905 0748> [drew out the staves.]
ends <07218> [ends. Heb. heads. holy place. or, ark, as.]
day <03117> [unto this day.]
ark <0727> [nothing.]
ark <0727> [in the ark.]
placed .... Horeb <03240 02722> [put there at Horeb.]
Lord ............ out <03068 03318> [when. or, where.]
[the cloud.]
glory <03519> [for the glory.]
Lord <03068> [The Lord.]
thick darkness <06205> [the thick.]
truly .... built <01129> [surely built.]
place <04349> [a settled.]
blessing ...... assembly <01288 06951> [blessed all.]
assembly <06951> [all the congregation.]
worthy <01288> [Blessed.]
promised <01696> [which spake.]
<03027> [hath.]
day <03117> [Since.]
chosen ..................... chosen <0977> [I chose.]
live <08034> [my name.]
chosen ..................... chosen David <0977 01732> [I chose David.]
<03282> [Whereas.]
kept <06965> [hath performed.]
Lord ........................ Lord ............. Lord <03068> [as the Lord.]
set <07760> [And I have.]
covenant <01285> [the covenant.]
stood before ... altar <05975 06440 04196> [stood before the altar.]
spread <06566> [spread forth.]
[See on]
Lord God ....... god <03068 0430> [Lord God.]
God ....... god <0430> [no God.]
maintain ....... who obey <08104> [who keepest.]
have ..... promised <01696> [thou spakest.]
keep ........ servant ............................ watch <08104 05650> [keep with thy.]
fail <03772> [There shall not, etc. Heb. There shall not be cut off unto thee a man from my sight.]
[so that. Heb. only if. thy children.]
God <0430> [And now.]
made <01697> [let thy word.]
God <0430> [But will.]
sky .... highest heaven <08064> [the heaven.]
to <06437> [Yet have thou.]
<08085> [hearken.]
watch <05869> [That thine.]
live <08034> [My name.]
place ................ place <04725> [toward this place. or, in this place.]
<06419> [when they shall.]
place ........ place <04725> [toward this place. or, in this place. and hear.]
favorably <05545> [forgive.]
someone <0376> [If any man.]
Solomon here puts seven cases, in all of which the mercy and intervention of God would be indispensably requisite; and he earnestly bespeaks that mercy and intervention, on condition that the people pray towards that holy place, and with a feeling heart make earnest supplication to the throne of mercy.
sinning <02398> [trespass.]
curse <05375 0423> [an oath be laid upon him. Heb. he require an oath of him.]
curse <0423> [the oath.]
Listen ... heaven <08085 08064> [hear thou.]
Condemn <07561> [condemning.]
<06663> [justifying.]
defeated <05062> [smitten down.]
sinned <02398> [because they have.]
back <07725> [turn again.]
pray <06419> [pray.]
temple <01004> [in. or, toward.]
forgive ... sin <02403 05545> [forgive the sin.]
gave <05414> [which thou gavest.]
skies <08064> [heaven.]
prayers <06419> [if they pray.]
renew <03034> [confess.]
turn <07725> [and turn.]
teach <03384> [thou teach.]
right way <01870 02896> [the good way.]
rain ........ given <04306 05414> [give rain.]
land ..... famine ...................... land <07458 0776> [in the land famine.]
cities <08179> [cities. or, jurisdiction.]
pray <08605> [prayer.]
pain <05061> [the plague.]
spread out <06566> [spread forth.]
listen <08085> [Then hear.]
act .... each <0376 05414> [give to every man.]
evaluation .............. evaluate <03045> [for thou.]
obey ..... lifetimes <03372 03117> [fear thee.]
Foreigners <05237> [a stranger.]
come <0935> [cometh out.]
hear <08085> [For they shall.]
great reputation <08034 01419> [great name.]
ability to accomplish mighty deeds <03027 02389> [thy strong hand.]
come <0935> [when he shall.]
[that all the people.]
nations ......... obey ..... people <03372 05971> [fear thee.]
temple <01004> [this house. Heb. thy name is called upon this house.]
direct ........ fight <03318 04421> [go out to battle.]
toward <01870> [whithersoever.]
direct <06419> [shall pray.]
[toward the city. Heb. the way of the city.]
vindicate <04941> [cause. or, right.]
sin ........... sinless <02398> [If they sin.]
The second clause of this verse, as it is here translated, renders this supposition entirely nugatory; for if there be no man that sinneth not, it is useless to say, if they sin: but this objection is removed by rendering the original, "If they shall sin against thee, (for there is no man that, {lo yechetai,} may not sin;") i.e., there is no man impeccable or infallible; none that is not liable to transgress.
one <0120> [there is no man.]
over .............. land <06440 0776> [unto the land.]
repent <07725> [Yet if they.]
land ......... repent ......... land <07725 0776> [bethink themselves. Heb. bring back to their heart. saying.]
admitting <05753> [done perversely.]
return <07725> [And so return.]
direct ...... toward <06419 01870> [pray unto.]
city <05892> [the city.]
listen <08085> [Then hear.]
vindicate <04941> [cause. or, right.]
<05414 07356> [and give them.]
people <05971> [thy people.]
furnace <03564> [the furnace.]
attentive <05869> [That thine.]
prayers <07121> [in all that.]
picked ... out <0914> [separate.]
possession <05159> [thine inheritance.]
announced <01696> [as thou.]
Solomon <08010> [when Solomon.]
where <03766> [kneeling.]
hands <03709> [with his hands.]
blessing <01288> [blessed.]
Lord ... worthy <01288 03068> [Blessed be.]
made ..... secure <04496 05414> [hath given rest.]
unfulfilled <05307> [there.]
unfulfilled <05307> [failed. Heb. fallen.]
<05186> [incline.]
commandments <04687> [his commandments.]
requests ...................... need <01697> [let these my words.]
This and the following verse are a sort of supplement to the prayer; and there is an important addition to this prayer in 2 Ch 6:41, 42, apparently taken from one of the Psalms.
<07138> [nigh.]
arises <03117> [at all times. Heb. the thing of a day in his day.]
requests ...................... need <01697> [as the matter.]
nations <05971> [That all.]
Lord <03068> [the Lord.]
wholehearted <08003> [perfect.]
<02077> [a sacrifice.]
22,000 .... 120,000 <08147 06242> [two and twenty.]
We are not to suppose that all these victims were sacrificed in one day, or on one altar; for this was the whole amount of those that had been offered during the fourteen days which the feast of dedication and the feast of tabernacles lasted; and there appears to have been an altar erected in the middle of the court, which was set apart for that purpose, in consequence of the great altar of burnt offering being not sufficient for the multitude of sacrifices then offered.
dedicated <02596> [dedicated.]
consecrated <06942> [hallow.]
bronze <05178> [the brasen.]
celebrated <06213> [held.]
great <01419> [a great.]
<0935> [from the entering.]
Brook <05158> [the river.]
two ... weeks <07651 03117> [seven days.]
fifteenth day <03117 08066> [the eighth day.]
In the parallel passage of Chronicles this is termed "the three and twentieth day of the seventh month;" that is, the ninth day of the dedication; which Jarchi reconciles by supposing that Solomon gave them leave to return on the eighth day, and many of them did return; and that he dismissed the remainder on the ninth, or twenty-third of the seventh month: See Note on ver. 1.
empower <01288> [blessed. or, thanked.]
happy <08056> [joyful.]
