Text -- 1 Kings 8:1-29 (NET)

Solomon Moves the Ark into the Temple

8:1 Then Solomon convened in Jerusalem Israel’s elders, all the leaders of the Israelite tribes and families, so they could witness the transferal of the ark of the Lord’s covenant from the city of David (that is, Zion). 8:2 All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon during the festival in the month Ethanim (the seventh month). 8:3 When all Israel’s elders had arrived, the priests lifted the ark. 8:4 The priests and Levites carried the ark of the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy items in the tent. 8:5 Now King Solomon and all the Israelites who had assembled with him went on ahead of the ark and sacrificed more sheep and cattle than could be counted or numbered. 8:6 The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its assigned place in the inner sanctuary of the temple, in the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubs. 8:7 The cherubs’ wings extended over the place where the ark sat; the cherubs overshadowed the ark and its poles. 8:8 The poles were so long their ends were visible from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they could not be seen from beyond that point. They have remained there to this very day. 8:9 There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets Moses had placed there in Horeb. It was there that the Lord made an agreement with the Israelites after he brought them out of the land of Egypt. 8:10 Once the priests left the holy place, a cloud filled the Lord’s temple. 8:11 The priests could not carry out their duties because of the cloud; the Lord’s glory filled his temple. 8:12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness. 8:13 O Lord, truly I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.” 8:14 Then the king turned around and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there. 8:15 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled what he promised my father David. 8:16 He told David, ‘Since the day I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from all the tribes of Israel to build a temple in which to live. But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ 8:17 Now my father David had a strong desire to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. 8:18 The Lord told my father David, ‘It is right for you to have a strong desire to build a temple to honor me. 8:19 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’ 8:20 The Lord has kept the promise he made. I have taken my father David’s place and have occupied the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple for the honor of the Lord God of Israel 8:21 and set up in it a place for the ark containing the covenant the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

Solomon Prays for Israel

8:22 Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward the sky. 8:23 He prayed: “O Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below! You maintain covenantal loyalty to your servants who obey you with sincerity. 8:24 You have kept your word to your servant, my father David; this very day you have fulfilled what you promised. 8:25 Now, O Lord, God of Israel, keep the promise you made to your servant, my father David, when you said, ‘You will never fail to have a successor ruling before me on the throne of Israel, provided that your descendants watch their step and serve me as you have done.’ 8:26 Now, O God of Israel, may the promise you made to your servant, my father David, be realized. 8:27 “God does not really live on the earth! Look, if the sky and the highest heaven cannot contain you, how much less this temple I have built! 8:28 But respond favorably to your servant’s prayer and his request for help, O Lord my God. Answer the desperate prayer your servant is presenting to you today. 8:29 Night and day may you watch over this temple, the place where you promised you would live. May you answer your servant’s prayer for this place.

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per phrase)

Wesley: 1Ki 8:1

The senators, and judges, and rulers.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:1

For each tribe had a peculiar governor.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:1

The chief persons of every great family in each tribe.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:1

Where the temple was built.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:1

To the top of Moriah, upon which it was built; whither they were now to carry the ark in solemn pomp.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:1

Where David had placed the ark, which is called Zion, because it was built upon that hill.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:2

Not only the chief men, but a vast number of the common people.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:2

The feast of the dedication, to which Solomon had invited them.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:2

Which time he chose with respect to his peoples convenience, because now they had gathered in all their fruits, and were come up to Jerusalem, to celebrate the feast of tabernacles. But the temple was not finished till the eighth month, 1Ki 6:38, how then could he invite them in the seventh month? This was the seventh month of the next year. For although the house in all its parts was finished the year before, yet the utensils of it were not then fully finished: and many preparations were to be made for this great and extraordinary occasion.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:3

For although the Levites might do this, Num 4:15, yet the priests did it at this time, for the greater honour of the solemnity; and because the Levites might not enter into the holy - place, much less into the holy of holies, where it was to be placed, into which the priests themselves might not have entered, if the high-priest alone could have done it.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:4

That made by Moses, which doubtless before this time had been translated from Gibeon to Zion, and now together with other things, was put into the treasuries of the Lord's house, to prevent all superstitious use of it, and to oblige the people to come up to Jerusalem, as the only place where God would now be worshipped.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:5

When the ark was seated in its place: for although they might in the way offer some sacrifices, as David did; yet that was not a proper season to offer so many sacrifices as could not be numbered. This is more particularly related below, 1Ki 8:62-64, which is here signified by way of anticipation.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:6

Of Solomon's new made cherubim, not of the Mosaic cherubim, which were far less, and unmovably fixed to the ark, Exo 37:7-8, and therefore together with the ark, were put under the wings of these cherubim.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:8

Not wholly, which was expressly forbidden, Exo 25:15, Num 4:6, but in part.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:8

In the most holy place, which is oft called by way of eminency, the holy place, and the Hebrew words rendered before the oracle, may be as well rendered, within the oracle. And these staves were left in this posture, that the high-priest might hereby be certainly guided to that very place where he, was one day in a year to sprinkle blood, and to offer incense before the ark, which otherwise he might mistake in that dark place, where the ark was wholly covered with the wings of the great cherubim, which stood between him and the ark when he entered in.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:9

Strictly and properly: but in a more large sense, the pot of manna, and Aaron's rod were also in it, Heb 9:4, that is, by it, in the most holy place, before the ark of the testimony, where God commanded Moses to put them.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:10

The usual token of God's glorious presence.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:10

In testimony of his gracious acceptance of this work, and their service; and to beget an awe and reverence in them, and in all others, when they approach to God.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:12

Perceiving both priests and people struck with wonder at this darkness, he minds them, that this was no sign of God's disfavour, as some might possibly imagine; but a token of his approbation, and special presence among them.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:12

He hath declared, that he would manifest his presence with, and dwelling among his people, by a dark cloud, in which he would appear.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:14

From the temple to the body of the congregation.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:14

In token of reverence, and of their readiness to receive the blessing.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:16

_Until David's time; for then he did chuse Jerusalem.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:16

That my presence, and grace, and worship, and glory, might be there.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:16

And in and with him the tribe of Judah, of which he was, and Jerusalem where he dwelt.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:21

The tables of the covenant, wherein the conditions of God's covenant with Israel are written.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:22

Upon a scaffold set up for him in the court of the people, 2Ch 6:13.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:24

That branch of thy promise concerning the building of this house by David's son.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:25

Make good the other branch of thy promise.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:27

Is it possible that the great, and high, and lofty God should stoop so low, as to take up his dwelling amongst men? The heaven - All this vast space of the visible heaven.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:27

The third and highest, and therefore the largest heaven, called the heaven of heavens for its eminency and comprehensiveness.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:27

For thy essence reacheth far beyond them, being omnipresent.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:27

This house therefore was not built as if it were proportionable to thy greatness, or could contain thee, but only that therein we might serve and glorify thee.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:28

Tho' thou art not comprehended within this place, yet shew thyself to be graciously present here, by accepting and granting my present requests here tendered unto thee.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:29

To behold with an eye of favour.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:29

My presence, and glory and grace.

Wesley: 1Ki 8:29

This temple, to which Solomon did now look, and towards which, the godly Israelites directed their looks in their prayers.

JFB: 1Ki 8:2-6

The public and formal inauguration of this national place of worship did not take place till eleven months after the completion of the edifice. The delay, most probably, originated in Solomon's wish to choose the most fitting opportunity when there should be a general rendezvous of the people in Jerusalem (1Ki 8:2); and that was not till the next year. That was a jubilee year, and he resolved on commencing the solemn ceremonial a few days before the feast of tabernacles, which was the most appropriate of all seasons. That annual festival had been instituted in commemoration of the Israelites dwelling in booths during their stay in the wilderness, as well as of the tabernacle, which was then erected, in which God promised to meet and dwell with His people, sanctifying it with His glory. As the tabernacle was to be superseded by the temple, there was admirable propriety in choosing the feast of tabernacles as the period for dedicating the new place of worship, and praying that the same distinguished privileges might be continued to it in the manifestation of the divine presence and glory. At the time appointed for the inauguration, the king issued orders for all the heads and representatives of the nation to repair to Jerusalem and take part in the august procession [1Ki 8:1]. The lead was taken by the king and elders of the people, whose march must have been slow, as priests were stationed to offer an immense number of sacrifices at various points in the line of road through which the procession was to go. Then came the priests bearing the ark and the tabernacle--the old Mosaic tabernacle which was brought from Gibeon. Lastly, the Levites followed, carrying the vessels and ornaments belonging to the old, for lodgment in the new, house of the Lord. There was a slight deviation in this procedure from the order of march established in the wilderness (Num 3:31; Num 4:15); but the spirit of the arrangement was duly observed. The ark was deposited in the oracle; that is, the most holy place, under the wings of the cherubim--not the Mosaic cherubim, which were firmly attached to the ark (Exo 37:7-8), but those made by Solomon, which were far larger and more expanded.

JFB: 1Ki 8:8

A little way, so as to project (see on Exo 25:15; Num 4:6); and they were left in that position. The object was, that these projecting staves might serve as a guide to the high priest, in conducting him to that place where, once a year, he went to officiate before the ark; otherwise he might miss his way in the dark, the ark being wholly overshadowed by the wings of the cherubim.

JFB: 1Ki 8:9

Nothing else was ever in the ark, the articles mentioned (Heb 9:4) being not in, but by it, being laid in the most holy place before the testimony (Exo 16:33; Num 17:10).

JFB: 1Ki 8:10-11

The cloud was the visible symbol of the divine presence, and its occupation of the sanctuary was a testimony of God's gracious acceptance of the temple as of the tabernacle (Exo 40:34). The dazzling brightness, or rather, perhaps, the dense portentous darkness of the cloud, struck the minds of the priests, as it formerly had done Moses, which such astonishment and terror (Lev 16:2-13; Deu 4:24; Exo 40:35) that they could not remain. Thus the temple became the place where the divine glory was revealed, and the king of Israel established his royal residence.

JFB: 1Ki 8:12

For the reassurance of the priests and people, the king reminded them that the cloud, instead of being a sign ominous of evil, was a token of approval.

JFB: 1Ki 8:12

Not in express terms, but by a continuous course of action (Exo 13:21; Exo 24:16; Num 9:15).

JFB: 1Ki 8:13

This is an apostrophe to God, as perceiving His approach by the cloud, and welcoming Him to enter as guest or inhabitant of the fixed and permanent dwelling-place, which, at His command, had been prepared for His reception.

JFB: 1Ki 8:14

From the temple, where he had been watching the movement of the mystic cloud, and while the people were standing, partly as the attitude of devotion, partly out of respect to royalty, the king gave a fervent expression of praise to God for the fulfilment of His promise (2Sa 7:6-16).

JFB: 1Ki 8:22

This position was in the court of the people, on a brazen scaffold erected for the occasion (2Ch 6:13), fronting the altar of burnt offering, and surrounded by a mighty concourse of people. Assuming the attitude of a suppliant, kneeling (1Ki 8:54; compare 2Ch 6:24) and with uplifted hands, he performed the solemn act of consecration--an act remarkable, among other circumstances, for this, that it was done, not by the high priest or any member of the Aaronic family, but by the king in person, who might minister about, though not in, holy things. This sublime prayer [1Ki. 8:22-35], which breathes sentiments of the loftiest piety blended with the deepest humility, naturally bore a reference to the national blessing and curse contained in the law--and the burden of it--after an ascription of praise to the Lord for the bestowment of the former, was an earnest supplication for deliverance from the latter. He specifies seven cases in which the merciful interposition of God would be required; and he earnestly bespeaks it on the condition of people praying towards that holy place. The blessing addressed to the people at the close is substantially a brief recapitulation of the preceding prayer [1Ki 8:56-61].

Clarke: 1Ki 8:1

Then Solomon assembled - It has already been observed that Solomon deferred the dedication of the temple to the following year after it was finished, because that year, according to Archbishop Usher, was a jubilee. "This,"he observes, "was the ninth jubilee, opening the fourth millenary of the world, or A.M. 3001, wherein Solomon with great magnificence celebrated the dedication of the temple seven days, and the feast of tabernacles other seven days; and the celebration of the eighth day of tabernacles being finished, upon the twenty-third day of the seventh month the people were dismissed every man to his home. The eighth day of the seventh month, viz., the thirtieth of our October, being Friday, was the first of the seven days of dedication; on the tenth day, Saturday, November 1, was the fast of expiation or atonement held; whereon, according to the Levitical law, the jubilee was proclaimed by sound of trumpet. The fifteenth day, Friday, November 6, was the feast of tabernacles; the twenty-second, November 13, being also Friday, was the feast of tabernacles, which was always very solemnly kept, 2Ch 7:9; Lev 23:36; Joh 7:37; and the day following, November 14, being our Saturday, when the Sabbath was ended, the people returned home

"In the thirteenth year after the temple was built, Solomon made an end also of building his own house, having spent full twenty years upon both of them; seven and a half upon the temple, and thirteen or twelve and a half upon his own."- Usher’ s Annals, sub. A.M. 3001.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:2

At the feast in the month Ethanim - The feast of tabernacles, which was celebrated in the seventh month of what is called the ecclesiastical gear.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:4

They brought up - the tabernacle - It is generally agreed that there were now two tabernacles at Gibeon, and the other in the city of David, which one David had constructed as a temporary residence for the ark, in the event of a temple being built. Which of these tabernacles was brought into the temple at this time, is not well known; some think both were brought in, in order to prevent the danger of idolatry. I should rather suppose that the tabernacle from Gibeon was brought in, and that the temporary one erected by David was demolished.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:8

And there they are unto this day - This proves that the book was written before the destruction of the first temple, but how long before we cannot tell.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:9

Save the two tables of stone - See my notes on Heb 9:4 (note).

Clarke: 1Ki 8:10

When the priests were come out - That is, after having carried the ark into the holy of holies, before any sacred service had yet commenced.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:11

The glory of the Lord had filled the house - The cloud, the symbol of the Divine glory and presence, appears to have filled not only the holy of holies, but the whole temple, court and all, and to have become evident to the people; and by this Solomon knew that God had honored the place with his presence, and taken it for his habitation in reference to the people of Israel.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:12

The Lord said - he would dwell - It was under the appearance of a cloud that God showed himself present with Israel in the wilderness; see Exo 14:19, Exo 14:20. And at the dedication of the tabernacle in the wilderness, God manifested himself in the same way that he did here at the dedication of the temple; see Exo 40:34, Exo 40:35.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:13

I have surely built thee a house - He was now fully convinced that the thing pleased God, and that he had taken this place for his settled habitation.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:14

Blessed all the congregation - Though this blessing is not particularly stated, yet we may suppose that it was such as the high priest pronounced upon the people: "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee! The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee! The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace!"(see Num 6:24-26), for Solomon seems now to be acting the part of the high priest. But he may have in view more particularly the conduct of Moses, who, when he had seen that the people had done all the work of the tabernacle, as the Lord had commanded them, he blessed them, Exo 39:43; and the conduct of his father David, who, when the ark had been brought into the city of David, and the burnt-offerings and peace-offerings completed, blessed the people in the name of the Lord, 2Sa 6:18.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:16

Since the day, etc. - Mention is here made, says Dr. Kennicott, of some one place and some one person preferred before all others; and the preference is that of Jerusalem to other places, and of David to other men. In consequence of this remark, we shall see the necessity of correcting this passage by its parallel in 2Ch 6:5, 2Ch 6:6, where the thirteen Hebrew words now lost in Kings are happily preserved. Let us compare the passages: -

1 Kings	2 Chronicles
Since to day that I brought forth my people	Since the day that I brought forth my people
Israel out of Egypt, I chose no City	out of the land of Egypt, I chose no City
out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house,	among all the tribes of Israel to build a house in,
that my name might be therein;	that my name might be there; neither chose I
	any Man to be a ruler over my people Israel:
	but I have chosen Jerusalem, that my name
but I chose David to be	might be there; and have chosen David to be
over my people Israel.	over my people Israel.

I would just observe here, that I do not think these thirteen words ever made a part of Kings, and consequently, are not lost from it; nor do they exist here in any of the versions; but their being found in Chronicles helps to complete the sense.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:21

Wherein is the covenant of the Lord - As it is said, 1Ki 8:9, that there was nothing in the ark but the two tables of stone, consequently these are called the Covenant, i.e., a sign of the covenant; as our Lord calls the cup the new covenant in his blood, that is, the sign of the new covenant: for This is my body implies, This is the sign or emblem of my body.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:22

Stood - He ascended the brazen scaffold, five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and then kneeled down upon his knees, with his hands spread up to heaven, and offered up the following prayer: see 1Ki 8:54, and 2Ch 5:12, 2Ch 5:13

Clarke: 1Ki 8:22

And spread forth his hands toward heaven - This was a usual custom in all nations: in prayer the hands were stretched out to heaven, as if to invite and receive assistance from thence; while, humbly kneeling on their knees, they seemed acknowledge at once their dependence and unworthiness. On this subject I have spoken elsewhere. In the Scriptures we meet with several examples of the kind: Hear my voice - when I Lift Up My Hands toward thy holy oracle; Psa 28:2. Lift Up Your Hands in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord; Psa 134:2. Let my prayer be set forth - and the Lifting Up of My Hands as the evening sacrifice; Psa 141:2. And see 1Ti 2:8, etc

In heathen writers examples are not less frequent

Sustulit exutas vinclis ad sidera Palmas

Vos aeterni ignes, et non violabile vestrum Testor numen, ait

Virg. Aen. lib. ii., ver. 153

Ye lamps of heaven, he said, and Lifted High His Hands, now free; thou venerable sky, Inviolable powers

And that they kneeled down when supplicating I have also proved. Of this too the Scriptures afford abundant evidence, as do also the heathen writers

I need add but one word: -

Et Genbius Pronis supplex, similisque roganti

Circumfert tacitos, tanquam sun brachia, vultus

Ovid, Met. lib. iii., f. 3, ver. 240

Indeed, so universal were these forms in praying, that one of the heathens has said, "All men, in praying, lift up their hands to heaven.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:24

Who has kept with thy servant David - This is in reference to 2Sa 7:13, where God promises to David that Solomon shall build a house for the name of the Lord. The temple being now completed, this promise was literally fulfilled.

Clarke: 1Ki 8:27

But will God indeed dwell on the earth? - This expression is full of astonishment, veneration, and delight. He is struck with the immensity, dignity, and grandeur of the Divine Being, but especially at his condescension to dwell with men: and though he sees, by his filling the place, that he has come now to make his abode with them, yet he cannot help asking the question, How can such a God dwell in such a place, and with such creatures

Clarke: 1Ki 8:27

Behold, the heaven - The words are all in the plural number in the Hebrew: השמים ושמי השמים hashshamayim , ushemey hashshamayim ; "the heavens, and the heavens of heavens."What do these words imply? That there are systems, and systems of systems, each possessing its sun, its primary and secondary planets, all extending beyond each other in unlimited space, in the same regular and graduated order which we find to prevail in what we call our solar system; which probably, in its thousands of millions of miles in diameter, is, to some others, no more than the area of the lunar orbit to that of the Georgium Sidus. When God, his manifold wisdom, his creative energy, and that space which is unlimited, are considered, it is no hyperbole to say that, although the earth has been created nearly six thousand years ago, suns, the centres of systems, may have been created at so immense a distance that their light has not yet reached our earth, though travelling at the rate of one hundred and ninety thousand miles every second, or upwards of a million times swifter than the motion of a cannon ball! This may be said to be inconceivable; but what is even all this to the vast immensity of space! Had God created a system like ours in every six days since the foundation of the world, and kept every seventh as a Sabbath; and though there might have been by this time [A.M. 5823 ineunte, a.d. 1819, ineunte] three hundred and three thousand five hundred and seventy-five mundane systems, they would occupy but a speck in the inconceivable immensity of space. Reader, all this and millions more is demonstrably possible; and if so, what must God be - illud inexprimibile - who i-n-h-a-b-i-t-e-t-h E-t-e-r-n-i-t-y!

Clarke: 1Ki 8:29

My name shall be there - I will there show forth my power and my glory by enlightening, quickening, pardoning, sanctifying, and saving all my sincere worshippers.

Defender: 1Ki 8:9

When the tabernacle was first built in the wilderness, and the ark installed therein, the ark also contained "the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded" (Heb 9:4), but these had at some unknown time been removed, possibly because of their ephemeral testimony which was no longer needed. The two tablets with God's law - the very essence of His covenant with Israel - were retained permanently, even during the time when the ark was away from the tabernacle and in the hands of the Philistines. It was originally called "the ark of the testimony" (Exo 25:22) but, at least by the time of Joshua, came to be known only as the ark of the covenant. Evidently when Judah was taken into exile in Babylon, the ark was carried into heaven, where it remains today (Rev 11:19)."

Defender: 1Ki 8:10

This is the same glory cloud that filled the tabernacle when it was completed and consecrated almost half a millennium previously (Exo 40:34, Exo 40:35)."

Defender: 1Ki 8:11

The glory of the Lord, the shekinah (Exo 3:21), was in a remarkable sense, indicative of the presence of the Holy Spirit. When the eternal "Word was made flesh, and dwelt (literally tabernacled) among us" (Joh 1:14), then "we beheld his glory ... full of grace and truth." In still another parallel, each believer - whose "body is the temple of the Holy Ghost" is exhorted to "glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1Co 6:19, 1Co 6:20)."

Defender: 1Ki 8:27

Solomon's concept of God was not that of a mere tribal deity, nor was his temple built merely to house an idol or an oracle. He knew that the God of Israel was nothing less than the personal Creator of the entire universe.

Defender: 1Ki 8:27

This phrase "heaven of heavens" probably answers to "the third heaven" (2Co 12:2). The first heaven is the atmosphere. Above that is the heaven of the stars, extending unknown billions of light years out into space. Then, still above that is the heaven of heavens, projecting infinitely beyond all the stars, and this is where God now has His throne. After His resurrection, Christ "ascended up far above all heavens" (Eph 4:10) to the right hand of God."

TSK: 1Ki 8:1

am 3000, bc 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.""2Ch 5:2-10

assembled : Jos 23:2, Jos 24:1; 1Ch 28:1; 2Ch 30:1; Ezr 3:1

chief of the fathers : Heb. princes, Num 7:3

that they might bring : 2Sa 6:1, 2Sa 6:2, 2Sa 6:6, 2Sa 6:12; 1Ch 13:1-5, 1Ch 15:3, 1Ch 15:25

out of the city : 1Ki 3:15; 2Sa 5:7-9, 2Sa 6:12-17; 1Ch 11:7, 1Ch 15:29, 1Ch 16:1; Psa 9:11, Psa 102:21; Isa 28:16, Isa 46:13; 1Pe 2:6

TSK: 1Ki 8:2

at the feast : Lev 23:34; Num. 29:12-40; Deu 16:13; 2Ch 5:3, 2Ch 7:8-10; Ezr 3:4; Neh 8:14-18; Zec 14:16-19; Joh 7:2, Joh 7:37

TSK: 1Ki 8:3

the priests took up : Num 4:15; Deu 31:9; Jos 3:6, Jos 3:14, Jos 3:15, Jos 4:9, Jos 6:6; 1Ch 15:2, 1Ch 15:11-15; 2Ch 5:5-8

TSK: 1Ki 8:4

and the : 1Ki 3:4; 2Ch 1:3

tabernacle : Exod. 40:2-33

TSK: 1Ki 8:5

sacrificing sheep : 1Ki 8:62, 1Ki 8:63; 2Sa 6:13; 1Ch 16:1

TSK: 1Ki 8:6

And the priests : 1Ki 8:4; 2Sa 6:17; 2Ch 5:7

his place : 1Ki 6:19; Exo 26:33, Exo 26:34, Exo 40:20, Exo 40:21

under the wings : 1Ki 6:27; Exo 25:20-22, Exo 37:9; 1Sa 4:4; 2Sa 6:2; Psa 80:1, Psa 99:1; Isa 37:16; Eze 10:5

TSK: 1Ki 8:8

drew out the staves : Exo 25:14, Exo 25:15, Exo 37:4, Exo 37:5, Exo 40:20

ends : Heb. heads

holy place : or, ark, as, 2Ch 5:9

unto this day : Jos 4:9; Mat 28:15

TSK: 1Ki 8:9

nothing : Exo 25:21; Deu 10:2; 2Ch 5:10

in the ark : Exo 16:33; Num 17:10; Heb 9:4

put there at Horeb : Exo 25:21, Exo 40:20; Deu 10:2, Deu 10:5, Deu 31:26

when : or, where, 1Ki 8:21; Exo 24:8, Exo 34:27, Exo 34:28; Deu 4:13, the cloud, Exo 13:21, Exo 14:24, Exo 16:10, Exo 24:16-18, Exo 40:34, Exo 40:35; Lev 16:2; Num 9:15; 2Ch 5:13, 2Ch 5:14, 2Ch 7:1-3; Eze 10:4; Rev 15:8

TSK: 1Ki 8:11

for the glory : Lev 9:6, Lev 9:23; Eze 43:2, Eze 43:4, Eze 43:5, Eze 44:4; Joh 1:14; Act 7:55; 2Co 3:18, 2Co 4:6; Rev 21:11, Rev 21:23

TSK: 1Ki 8:12

The Lord : Deu 4:11; 2Ch 6:1, 2Ch 6:2-11; Psa 18:8-11, Psa 97:2

the thick : Exo 20:21; Lev 16:2; Deu 5:22; Isa 45:15; Heb 12:18

TSK: 1Ki 8:13

surely built : 2Sa 7:13; 1Ch 17:12, 1Ch 22:10, 1Ch 22:11, 1Ch 28:6, 1Ch 28:10, 1Ch 28:20; 2Ch 6:2

a settled : Psa 78:68, Psa 78:69, Psa 132:13, Psa 132:14; Joh 4:21-23; Act 6:14; Heb 8:5-13; Heb 9:11, Heb 9:12, Heb 9:24

TSK: 1Ki 8:14

blessed all : 1Ki 8:55, 1Ki 8:56; Jos 22:6; 2Sa 6:18; 1Ch 16:2; 2Ch 6:3, 2Ch 30:18-20; Psa 118:26; Luk 24:50, Luk 24:51

all the congregation : 2Ch 7:6; Neh 8:7, Neh 9:2; Mat 13:2

TSK: 1Ki 8:15

Blessed : 1Ch 29:10, 1Ch 29:20; 2Ch 6:4, 2Ch 20:26; Neh 9:5; Psa 41:13, Psa 72:18, Psa 72:19, Psa 115:18; Psa 117:1, Psa 117:2; Luk 1:68; Eph 1:3; 1Pe 1:3

which spake : 2Sa 7:5, 2Sa 7:25, 2Sa 7:28, 2Sa 7:29; 1Ch 17:12; Isa 1:20; Luk 1:70

hath : Jos 21:45, Jos 23:15, Jos 23:16; Psa 138:2; Mat 24:35; Luk 1:54, Luk 1:55, Luk 1:72

TSK: 1Ki 8:16

Since : 2Sa 7:6, 2Sa 7:7; 2Ch 6:5-11

I chose : 1Ch 17:5, 1Ch 17:6; Psa 132:13

my name : 1Ki 8:29, 1Ki 11:36; Deu 12:11; 2Ki 23:27; Neh 1:9; Jer 7:12

I chose David : 1Sa 16:1; 2Sa 7:8; 1Ch 28:4; Psa 78:70, Psa 89:19, Psa 89:20

TSK: 1Ki 8:17

2Sa 7:2, 2Sa 7:3; 1Ch 17:1, 1Ch 17:2-15, 1Ch 22:7, 1Ch 28:2

TSK: 1Ki 8:18

Whereas : 2Ch 6:7-9; 2Co 8:12

TSK: 1Ki 8:19

1Ki 5:3-5; 2Sa 7:5, 2Sa 7:12, 2Sa 7:13; 1Ch 17:4, 1Ch 17:11, 1Ch 17:12, 1Ch 22:8-10, 1Ch 28:6

TSK: 1Ki 8:20

hath performed : 1Ki 8:15; Neh 9:8; Isa 9:7; Jer 29:10, Jer 29:11; Eze 12:25, Eze 37:14; Mic 7:20; Rom 4:21; Phi 1:6

as the Lord : 1Ch 28:5, 1Ch 28:6

TSK: 1Ki 8:21

And I have : 1Ki 8:5, 1Ki 8:6

the covenant : 1Ki 8:9; Exo 34:28; Deu 9:9, Deu 9:11, Deu 31:26

TSK: 1Ki 8:22

2Ch 6:12; Ezr 9:5; Job 11:13; Psa 28:2, Psa 63:4; Isa 1:15; 1Ti 2:8

stood before the altar : 1Ki 8:54; 2Ki 11:14, 2Ki 23:3; 2Ch 6:12, 13-42

spread forth : Exo 9:29, Exo 9:33

TSK: 1Ki 8:23

Lord God : Gen 33:20; Exo 3:15

no God : Exo 15:11; 1Sa 2:2; 2Sa 7:22; Psa 35:10, Psa 86:8, Psa 89:6-8, Psa 113:5; Isa 40:18, Isa 40:25; Jer 10:6, Jer 10:16; Mic 7:18

who keepest : Deu 7:9; Neh 1:5, Neh 9:32; Psa 89:3-5; Dan 9:4; Mic 7:19, Mic 7:20; Luk 1:72

walk before : 1Ki 2:4, 1Ki 3:6, 1Ki 6:12; Gen 17:1; 2Ki 20:3

TSK: 1Ki 8:24

thou spakest : 1Ki 8:15; 2Sa 7:12, 2Sa 7:16; 2Ch 6:14, 2Ch 6:15

TSK: 1Ki 8:25

keep with thy : 1Ki 2:4; 2Sa 7:27-29; 1Ch 17:23-27; Luk 1:68-72

There shall not : etc. Heb. There shall not be cut off unto thee a man from my sight, Jer 33:17-26

so that : Heb. only if

thy children : 1Ki 2:4, 1Ki 9:4-6; 1Ch 28:9; 2Ch 6:16, 2Ch 6:17

TSK: 1Ki 8:26

And now : 1Ki 8:23; Exo 24:10; 1Sa 1:17; Psa 41:13; Isa 41:17, Isa 45:3

let thy word : 2Sa 7:25-29; 2Ch 1:9; Psa 119:49; Jer 11:5; Eze 36:36, Eze 36:37

TSK: 1Ki 8:27

But will : 2Ch 6:18; Isa 66:1; Joh 1:14; Act 7:48, Act 7:49, Act 17:24; 2Co 6:16; 1Jo 3:1

the heaven : Deu 10:14; 2Ch 2:6; Psa 113:4, Psa 139:7-16; Jer 23:24; 2Co 12:2

TSK: 1Ki 8:28

Yet have thou : 2Ch 6:19; Psa 141:2; Dan 9:17-19; Luk 18:1, Luk 18:7

hearken : Psa 4:1, Psa 5:1, Psa 86:3, Psa 86:6, Psa 86:7, Psa 88:1, Psa 88:2

TSK: 1Ki 8:29

That thine : 1Ki 8:52; 2Ki 19:16; 2Ch 6:20, 2Ch 6:40, 2Ch 7:15, 2Ch 16:9; Neh 1:6; Psa 34:15; Dan 9:18

My name : 1Ki 8:16, 1Ki 8:43 *marg. 1Ki 11:36; Exo 20:24; Deu 12:11, Deu 16:2, Deu 16:6, Deu 26:2; 2Ki 21:4, 2Ki 21:7, 2Ki 23:27; 2Ch 6:5, 2Ch 6:6, 2Ch 6:20, 2Ch 7:16, 2Ch 20:8, 2Ch 33:4, 2Ch 33:7; Neh 1:9; Joh 14:13, Joh 14:14

toward this place : or, in this place, Dan 6:10

Commentary -- Word/Phrase Notes (per Verse)

Barnes: 1Ki 8:1

There seems to be a contrast here between the more popular proceedings of David 2Sa 6:1, and the statelier system of his son, who merely summons the chief men as representatives of the nation. The rest of the people "assembled themselves"1Ki 8:2, and were mere spectators of the solemnity.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:2

The feast in the month Ethanim - i. e. the Feast of Tabernacles, or the Feast of Ingathering, the commemoration of the dwelling in booths at the time of the Exodus (margin reference), and the festival of thanksgiving on account of the completion of harvest Exo 23:16; Lev 23:39; Deu 16:13. It was one of the three on which the people were required to "appear before the Lord."

Barnes: 1Ki 8:3

In 2Ch 5:4, ""the Levites"took up the ark;"and by the Law the ark was the special charge of the Kohathites Num 3:31; Num 4:15. But all priests were Levites Jos 3:3, though all Levites were not priests. And as Joshua had done Jos 3:6; Jos 6:6, so Solomon called upon the priests to bear the holy structure, allowing to mere Levites only the inferior honor of helping to transport the tabernacle and the vessels of the sanctuary.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:4

And the tabernacle of the congregation - Not the tented structure erected for the ark on Mount Zion 2Sa 6:17 by David, but the original tabernacle made by Moses, which had hitherto remained at Gibeon (margin reference). The tabernacle and its holy vessels were probably placed in the treasury.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:8

It was forbidden to withdraw the staves wholly from the rings (margin reference); but they appear to have been now drawn forward in such a way that their ends or heads could be seen from the holy place, or great chamber of the temple, though without their being visible from the porch or vestibule. Either the doorway into the holy of holies was not exactly opposite the ark, but a little on one side; or, though that doorway was in the middle, opposite the ark, the doorway from the porch into the main chamber was not opposite to it. In Assyrian temples the arrangement of the outer door, the inner door, and the sanctuary, seems to have been designedly such that a mere passer-by on the outside should not obtain even a glimpse of the shrine. It is suggested that the withdrawal of the staves was intended as a sign that the ark had reached "the place of its rest,"and was not to be borne about anymore.

There they are unto this day - This is a quotation from an author who lived while the temple was still standing. See also 1Ki 9:21.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:9

Comparing this statement with Heb 9:4, it would seem that Solomon, now that the sacred chest had reached its final resting-place, and stood in a large chamber surrounded by tables 2Ch 4:8, removed the pot of manna and the rod from the interior, and set them elsewhere in the holy of holies.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:10

The cloud - the visible symbol of the divine presence - the Shechinah of the Targums - which halt been promised before the ark was begun Exo 29:43, and had filled the tabernacle as soon as it was completed Exo 40:34, and which had probably been seen from time to time during the long interval when we have no express mention of it, now once more appeared in full magnificence, and took, as it were, possession of the building which Solomon was dedicating. The presence of God in the temple henceforth was thus assured to the Jews, and His approval of all that Solomon had done was signified.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:11

As in the case of Moses Exo 40:35, so now the glory of the Lord, the manifestation of the divine presence, which the cloud usually veiled, shone forth from it with such brilliancy, that mortal man could not bear the sight.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:12

Rather, "The Lord spake of dwelling in the thick darkness"(margin reference). Solomon sees in the cloud the visible symbol of God’ s presence, and accepts the token as a proof that He has taken possession of the house built for Him, and will thenceforth dwell there 1Ki 8:13.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:14

Solomon had spoken the preceding words, addressed to God, with his face directed to the holy of holies. He now turned around and looked outward toward the people. The people "stood"to hear him the attitude of respect and attention. This first blessing seems to have been without speech - an inward prayer accompanied by the ordinary gesture of blessing.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:15

The exact words of 2 Sam. 7 are not reproduced; only their general sense is given. In 1Ki 8:18, what was merely tacitly implied was regarded as actually "said."

Barnes: 1Ki 8:16

The marginal reference completes the sense of this verse here. The passage is in accordance with archaic modes of speech, and is probably the more verbally accurate of the two.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:22

The margin reference shows that the king was so placed as to be seen by all present, and that, before beginning his prayer, he knelt down upon his knees (compare 1Ki 8:54).

Barnes: 1Ki 8:23

Compare Deu 7:9.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:25

Solomon’ s prayer is, perhaps, generally for the fulfillment of all the promises made to David in connection with the building of the temple. But there seems to be special allusion in this verse to the promise recorded in Psa 132:14.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:27

heaven of heavens - Compare Deu 10:14; Psa 148:4. It seems to mean the heaven in its most extended compass. Solomon combines with his belief in Yahweh’ s special presence in the temple, the strongest conviction that He is no local or finite deity, but is ever present everywhere. Compare Psa 139:7-10.

Barnes: 1Ki 8:29

The choice of Jerusalem as the place seems to have been made by special revelation to David. See Psa 78:68; Psa 132:13; and compare 1Ch 22:1.

Toward this place - Better (here and in 1Ki 8:30) than the marginal "in."Wherever they were, the Jews always worshipped toward the temple. (See margin reference.)

Poole: 1Ki 8:1

The elders of Israel the senators, and judges, and rulers.

The heads of the tribes for each tribe had a peculiar head or governor.

The chief of the fathers the chief persons of every great family in each tribe.

Unto king Solomon unto himself; the antecedent noun being put for the relative and reciprocal pronoun, as is frequent with the Hebrews.

In Jerusalem where the temple was built, and now finished.

That they might bring up the ark to the top of this hill of Moriah, upon which it was built; whither they were now to carry the ark in a solemn pomp, that by this their attendance they might make a public profession of that service, and respect, and obedience which they owed unto that God who was graciously and gloriously present in the ark.

Out of the city of David where David had placed the ark, 2Sa 6:12,17 . See Poole "1Ki 2:10 3:1" .

Which is Zion which is called Zion, because it was built upon that hill.

Poole: 1Ki 8:2

All the men of Israel not only the chief men who were particularly invited, but a vast number of the common people, as being forward to see and to join in this great and glorious solemnity.

At the feast: understand either, first, The feast of tabernacles. Or rather, secondly, The feast of the dedication, to which Solomon had invited them, which was before that feast; for that began on the 15th day of the 7th month, Lev 23:34 , but this began at the least seven days before that feast; for Solomon and the people kept the feast for fourteen days, here, 1Ki 8:65 , i.e. seven days for the dedication of the temple, and seven other days for that of tabernacles; and after both these were finished, he sent all the people to their homes on the twenty-third day of the month. See 2Ch 7:9,10 .

Which is the seventh month which time he chose with common respect to his people’ s convenience, because now they had gathered in all their fruits, and now they were come up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of tabernacles.

Quest. The temple was not finished till the eighth month, 1Ki 6:38 , how then could he invite them in the seventh month

Answ This was the seventh month of the next year; for although the house in all its parts was finished the year before, yet the utensils of it, described 1Ki 7 , were not then fully finished, but took up a considerable time afterward; and many preparations were to be made for this great and extraordinary occasion.

Poole: 1Ki 8:3

For although the Levites might do this, Num 4:15 , yet the priests did it at this time, partly for the greater honour of the solemnity, and partly because the Levites might not enter into the holy place, much less into the holy of holies, where it was to be placed, into which the priests themselves might not have entered, if the high priest alone could have done it.

Object. The Levites are said to have done this, 2Ch 5:4 .

Answ That is most true, because all the priests were Levites, though all the Levites were not priests.

Poole: 1Ki 8:4

The tabernacle of the congregation that made by Moses, which doubtless before this time had been translated from Gibeon to Zion, and now, together with other things, was put into the treasuries of the Lord’ s house, to prevent all the superstitious use and profane abuse of it, and to oblige the people to come up to Jerusalem, as the only place where God would now be worshipped.

The priests and Levites the priests carrying some, and the Levites others.

Poole: 1Ki 8:5

Sacrificing sheep and oxen either, first, In the way, David did upon the like occasion, 2Sa 6:13 . Or, secondly, When the ark was come into the priests’ court, where the altar stood, whence it was speedily to be conveyed to that place where the people could never behold it more. Or rather, thirdly, When the ark was seated in its place; for although they might in the way or passage offer some sacrifices, as David did; yet that was not a proper season to offer so many sacrifices as could not be told nor numbered, as these are here said to be; which far better agrees with what is more particularly related below, 1Ki 8:62-64 , which is here signified in the general by way of anticipation, as is frequently done in the Scripture in like cases.

Poole: 1Ki 8:6

Into the oracle of the house i.e. to that part of the house which is called the oracle, 1Ki 6:5,16,19,23 ; or, as it here follows,

the most holy place. Under the wings of the cherubims to wit, of Solomon’ s new-made cherubims, 1Ki 6:23,24,27 ; not of the Mosaical cherubims, which were far less, and unmovably fixed to the ark, Exo 37:7,8 ; and therefore, together with the ark, were put under the wings of these cherubims.

Poole: 1Ki 8:8

They drew out the staves not wholly, which was expressly forbidden, Exo 25:15 Num 4:6 ; but in part.

In the holy place either, first, Properly so called; which place was indeed

before the oracle But how then could it be said that they were not seen without, to wit, in the holy place? For that they should be seen without, to wit, in the court, was so ridiculous a conceit, that it had been absurd to suppose it, or to say any thing to prevent it. Nor is it much better what others say, that these ends of the staves did discover themselves through the veil, which they thrust forward, though they did not pierce through it; for neither in that case had they been seen; and besides, there was a wall as well as a veil in that place. Or rather, secondly, In the most holy place, which is oft called by way of eminency the holy place , as Exo 29:30 39:1 Lev 6:30 10:18 16:2,16,17,20 . And the Hebrew words rendered before the oracle, may be as well rendered within the oracle , the phrase al pene being so used, Gen 1:2 , the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters , i.e. in the waters, or in that confused heap of earth and water in which God was now working, that he might bring it into order and use; and Gen 1:20 , where it is well rendered in the open firmament of heaven , i.e. of the air. And thus the whole is most true; they were seen out , to wit, without the ark, and the cherubims which covered all the other parts, but they were not seen without the oracle, to wit, in the holy place, strictly so called; for how could they be seen there, when there was both a wall and a thick veil between that place and the oracle? And these staves were left in this posture, that the high priest might hereby be certainly guided to that very particular place where he was one day in a year to sprinkle blood, and to offer incense before the ark , which otherwise he might mistake in that dark place, where the ark was wholly covered with the wings of the great cherubims, which stood between him and the ark when he entered thither. Some conceive that the door of the oracle stood always open, (which yet seems very improbable,) and that they who were near the door might see the ends of the staves, though by reason of the darkness of the place they could see nothing else there.

Poole: 1Ki 8:9

Nothing in the ark strictly and properly: for in a more large sense, as in is oft taken for by or near , as is confessed, and hath been proved before; so the pot of manna and Aaron’ s rod were also in it , Heb 9:4 , i.e. by it, to wit, in the most holy place, before the ark of the testimony, where God commanded Moses to put them, as it is expressed, Exo 16:33,34 Nu 17:10 , and not strictly in it. But of this more, God assisting, on Heb 9:4 .

Poole: 1Ki 8:10

Out of the holy place either, first, The most holy place, into which the priests had now entered to carry in the ark. Or rather, secondly, The holy place, where they might have stood to minister , if the cloud had not hindered them, as may be gathered from the next verse.

The cloud the usual token of God’ s glorious presence. See Exo 16:10 24:15,16 Nu 9:15 . Filled the house of the Lord; partly in testimony of his gracious acceptance of this work, and their service; and partly to beget an awe and reverence in them, and in all others, when they approach to God.

Poole: 1Ki 8:11

Because of the cloud because the cloud was either so bright that it dazzled their eyes; or rather so dark, that it struck them with horror and amazement, as is implied in the next verse.

Poole: 1Ki 8:12

Perceiving both priests and people struck with horror and wonder at this darkness, he minds them that this was no sign of God’ s dislike or disfavour, as some of them might possibly imagine; but a token of his approbation, and grace, and special presence among them.

The Lord said not in express words, but by plain consequence, because he hath declared, both by his words and actions, that he would manifest his presence with and dwelling among his people by a dark cloud, in which he would appear. See Exo 13:21,22 24:16 40:35 Num 9:15 Deu 4:11 5:22 Psa 18:12 97:2 .

Poole: 1Ki 8:13

I have surely built thee an house to dwell in I perceive by this thick darkness that thou art coming among us, and therefore make haste and come, O thou blessed Guest, into the dwelling-place which I have built by thy command, and for thy service.

A settled place for thee to abide in for ever not a tabernacle, which was made to be carried from place to place; but a durable, and, I hope, perpetual habitation.

Poole: 1Ki 8:14

The king turned his face about from the temple, towards which he was looking to observe that thick and extraordinary darkness, to the body of the congregation.

Blessed all the congregation of Israel or, blessed (to wit, the Lord , which is easily understood from the following words; in which he only blesseth or praiseth God, but doth not bless the people at all) with (so the Hebrew eth is oft used, as hath been showed before) all the congregation . Although he might do both, first bless the congregation, which possibly he might do in that solemn and appointed form, Nu 6 ; which therefore it was needless to repeat here; and then blessed God. And indeed he doth both here below, where these same words are used, 1Ki 8:55,56 , &c. The congregation of Israel stood; partly in way of devotion to God, whom they adored; and partly out of respect to the king.

Poole: 1Ki 8:15

Praised be God, both for his grace in making such a promise, and for his goodness and truth in fulfilling it.

Poole: 1Ki 8:16

Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt until David’ s time; for then he did choose Jerusalem.

I chose no city i.e. I did not declare my choice of it; for so choosing is used for declaring or executing one’ s choice, as Deu 12:1 2Ch 6:5 Zec 2:12 , and things are oft said to be done when they are only manifested or declared to be such; in which sense God is said to be justified , Psa 51:4 , and men to be guilty , Hos 5:15 . Otherwise, to speak properly, whatsoever God chooseth, he chooseth from eternity.

That my name might be therein that my presence, and grace, and worship, and glory might be there.

I chose David and in and with him the tribe of Judah, of which he was, and Jerusalem, where he dwelt; which is here implied by the opposition of this to the former part of the verse.

Poole: 1Ki 8:17

In the heart of David my father in his desire and purpose, as this or the like phrase is used, 1Sa 10:7 14:7 2Sa 7:3 .

Poole: 1Ki 8:18

Thy intention and affection was well-pleasing to me.

Poole: 1Ki 8:21

The covenant of the Lord i.e. the tables of the covenant, by a metonymy, wherein the conditions of God’ s covenant with Israel are written.

Poole: 1Ki 8:22

Solomon stood upon a scaffold set up for him in the court of the people, 2Ch 6:13 .

Before the altar of the Lord with his face towards the altar of burnt-offerings.

In the presence of all the congregation of Israel who stood round about the scaffold, in the same court with him.

Poole: 1Ki 8:24

That thou promisedst him that branch of thy promise concerning the building of this house by David’ s son.

Poole: 1Ki 8:25

Keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him make good the other branch of thy promise, and do not lose the glory of thy faithfulness, which now thou hast got.

Poole: 1Ki 8:27

Reflecting upon God’ s performance of his promise concerning the building of the temple, he breaks forth into admiration, Is it possible that the great, and high, and lofty God should stoop so low, as to take up his dwelling here amongst men? O astonishing condescension!

The heaven all this vast space of the visible heaven.

And heaven of heavens the third and highest, and therefore the largest heaven, called the heaven of heavens here, as also Deu 10:14 Psa 148:4 , for its eminency and comprehensiveness.

Cannot contain thee for thy essence teacheth far beyond them, being omnipresent.

How much less this house that I have builded? this house therefore was not built as if it were proportionable to thy greatness, or could contain thee, but only that therein we might serve and glorify thee.

Poole: 1Ki 8:28

Though thou art not comprehended within this place, yet show thyself to be graciously present here, by accepting and granting my present requests here tendered unto thee.

Poole: 1Ki 8:29

That thine eyes may be open to behold, to wit, with an eye of favour and compassion. So it is a synecdochical expression: compare Psa 33:18 34:15 Zec 12:4 .

My name my presence, and glory, and grace. See Poole "1Ki 8:16" .

Towards this place this temple, to which Solomon did now look, and, it may be, point; and towards which the godly Israelites directed their looks in their prayers. See Dan 6:10 .

Haydock: 1Ki 8:1

Iron. This expression is often used to denote the rigour of the Egyptian bondage, Deuteronomy iv. 20. Thus Homer says, that Mars was shut up for thirteen months in a barrel (or prison) of brass. (Iliad E.)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:2

Ethanim was afterwards called Tisri. (Haydock) ---

Usher places the dedication on Friday, 30th October, the 8th of the seventh month. The people continued at Jerusalem till the 23rd. The feast of expiation fell on the 10th, (Haydock) during the octave of the dedication. After this, the feast of tabernacles commenced on the 15th, for other seven days. This was the year of jubilee; and Solomon had waited on purpose, that the people might have more leisure to attend on such a solemn occasion. (Calmet) ---

But on this we cannot rely. There might be other reasons for the delay; (See chap. vi. 38.) and one of the chief might be, a desire to perform this ceremony in the seventh or sabbatical month, which was honoured with more festivals than any other. It had just elapsed, before the temple was finished, in the preceding year. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:3

Priests, who were also Levites, as it is expressed in 2 Paralipomenon v. 4. Perhaps the ark was uncovered, (Calmet) as the Caathites carried it when folded up. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:4

Ark, from the city of David, along with the tabernacle, (Salien) which had been made for it in the palace, ver. 1. They also (Haydock) brought the Mosaic tabernacle from Gaboan, (Calmet; Josephus, &c.) and reposited both (Haydock) in the treasury of the temple, as they were now of no other service. Jeremias was authorized to take the ark, the tabernacle, and the altar of incense, in order to prevent their falling into the hands of the Chaldeans. He placed them in a cave, where they have never, perhaps, been discovered, 2 Machabees ii. 4.

Haydock: 1Ki 8:5

Sacrificed, by the hands of the priests, (Menochius) or at least (Haydock) gave them the blood to offer upon the altars, which were placed at six paces from one another, in imitation of David, 2 Kings vi. 13. (Calmet) ---

Could not. See chap. vii. 47.

Haydock: 1Ki 8:6

Wings. These covered the smaller cherubim, upon the ark. (Haydock) (Chap. vi. 23, 27.) ---

The formed a sort of throne, with their wings extended, from one side of the building to the other, (Calmet) twenty cubits long. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:8

Out. In the days of Moses, these staves had touched the veil of the tabernacle: but now, as the place for the ark was twice as large, they were no longer perceived; though they remained in the holes prepared for them by Moses, till the author wrote; which must have been before the captivity. Unless we thus distinguish the times, the Hebrew contains a palpable contradiction. (Calmet) ---

"They drew out (or lengthened) the staves, and the heads....were seen out in the holy place....and they were not seen out." (Haydock) ---

To a person standing at a small distance, they were not visible, though they rather touched the veil, 2 Paralipomenon v. 9. (Menochius)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:9

Nothing else, &c. There was nothing else but the tables of the law within the ark. But on the outside of the ark, or near the ark, were also the rod of Aaron, and a golden urn with manna, Hebrews ix. 4. (Challoner) (Worthington) ---

These might have been in the ark while it was not fixed: but after the temple was built, all but the tables were placed in the treasury; where, we find, the book of the law was discovered, under Joas, Deuteronomy xxxi. 26., and 2 Paralipomenon xxxiv. 14. Others think that, in the days of St. Paul, the rod, &c., might have been reposited in the ark, though they had not been admitted at the time when this book was written. (Bellarmine, &c.) ---

But we have no assurance that the ark was ever placed in the second temple; and Josephus informs us, that when the Romans destroyed the temple, "there was noting at all" in the sanctuary. (Calmet) ---

In area might easily signify ad, or juxta arcam, "near the ark." (Salien)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:12

Cloud. He alludes to Leviticus xvi. 2. (Menochius) ---

God had so frequently appeared in this manner, that Solomon was authorized to consider it as the symbol of his presence, Exodus xiv. 19., xxiv. 16., and xl. 32., and Psalm xvii. 12. This luminous cloud filled the whole temple, to convince all that the Lord was pleased with the devotion of the king, and of his people. (Calmet)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:13

Ever. He seems to contrast this solid and glittering fabric with the cloud, (Menochius) as, in some sort, more worthy of God's presence. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:14

Stood. It is pretended that the king alone was allowed to sit. (Calmet) ---

But here Solomon stood, upon an eminence made of brass, 2 Paralipomenon vi. 13. (Haydock) ---

He pronounced the blessing, (part of which is given, ver. 15-22) with his face turned towards the people, as e was also in the court of Israel. Then turning himself to the altar (Calmet) of holocausts, (Menochius) with his hands uplifted, he began to pray, ver. 23, to 54. See Exodus xxxix. 43., and 2 Kings vi. 18., where Moses and David blessed the people, on similar occasions. (Calmet) ---

Thus the priests of the Catholic Church turn to the people, when they bless or speak to them; and look towards the altar, when they pour forth their supplications for them to God. Sectaries would always behold the face of the preacher. (Haydock) ---

Blessed. Princes bless their subjects, as parents do their children. (Worthington)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:15

Own hands, or almighty power, (Menochius) hath fulfilled his promise. (Haydock)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:22

Heaven, falling on his knees, ver. 54., and 2 Paralipomenon vi. 13. This is the first instance we find of people praying on their knees, which was common afterwards, 1 Esdras ix. 5., Isaias xlv. 24., Daniel vi. 10., and Acts ix. 40., and xx. 36. The Christian church generally adopts this custom. So did the pagans, ( Et genibus pronus, supplex, similisque roganti.; Metam. iii.) as they also stretched for their hands. Sustulit exutas vinclis ad sidera palmas, says Virgil. (Æneid ii. 153.) This practice was very general, Psalm xxvii. 2., and 1 Timothy ii. 8.

Haydock: 1Ki 8:25

Sight. Solomon was aware of the conditions on which he held his crown and the divine favour, so that his fall is the more inexcusable. (Haydock) ---

His posterity lost a great part of the kingdom, though they had the right to rule over Juda, till the coming of Christ. (Worthington)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:27

Earth. Full of admiration, he breaks out into this pathetic exclamation, wondering that God should deign to accept of what he had done; and that, by the symbol of his presence, he should engage to honour this temple in a more particular manner, and to shower down his graces with a more liberal hand on those who should there present themselves before him.. This wise prince was not ignorant that God's immensity fills all places. ---

Heavens. We know not how many haveans the Jews admitted. We find, 1. the air, 2. the region of the stars, 3. the residence of God, thus specified; and this last is here denoted as the most excellent of all. St. Paul styles it the third heaven, 2 Corinthians xii. 2. The Basilidians counted as many heavens as there are days in the year. (St. Irenæus i. 23.)

Haydock: 1Ki 8:29

My name. It shall be called the house of God. (Haydock) ---

There people shall come to do homage to the Lord. (Calmet)

Gill: 1Ki 8:1

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel,.... The judges in the several cities, or senators of the great sanhedrim, as others; though it is a question whether as yet there was such a court:

and all the heads of the tribes; the princes of the twelve tribes:

the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel; the principal men of the ancient families in every tribe:

unto King Solomon in Jerusalem; these he summoned together to himself there where the temple was built:

that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion; whither David brought it, when he had taken that fort, so called, and dwelt in it; and from this mountain Solomon proposed to bring it up to the temple, on a higher mountain, Moriah, not far from one another.

Gill: 1Ki 8:2

And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto King Solomon at the feast,.... Not of tabernacles, as the Targum on 2Ch 5:3 and so Jarchi; though that was in the same month next mentioned, and began on the fifteenth of it, and held seven days; wherefore this must be the feast of the dedication of the temple, and which was kept before that; since both lasted fourteen days, and the people were dismissed on the twenty third of the month; now not only the above principal persons convened, but a vast number of the common people came to see the solemnity of removing the ark, and of dedicating the temple, and to attend the feast of it, and the more, since in a few days was the time for all the males in Israel to appear there:

in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month; it was, as the Targum says, originally the first month; but upon the children of Israel coming out of Egypt in Ab or Nisan, that became the first month, and this was the seventh from that; and is the same with Tisri, which answers to part of September, and part of October, here called Ethanim; which some render the month of the ancients, others of strong ones; either because of the many feasts that were in it, as some say; or because it was the time of ingathering all the increase and fruits of the earth, which strengthen and support man's life; or rather of "never failing", i.e. waters, showers falling in this month, and the rivers full of water ^l; so September is "septimus imber", according to Isidore ^m, and the three following months are alike derived; this, by the Egyptians, was called Theuth, and was with them the first month in the year ⁿ; so Porphyry says ^o, with the Egyptians the beginning of the year was not Aquarius, as with the Romans, but Cancer; and so the month of September was the first with the Ethiopians ^p, and with most people ^q; though with the Chinese about the middle of Aquarius ^r. Now, though the temple was finished in the eighth month, 1Ki 6:38, it was not dedicated until the seventh in the following year; it required time to finish the utensils and vessels, and put them in their proper place, and for the drying of the walls, &c.

Gill: 1Ki 8:3

And all the elders of Israel came,.... To Zion, the city of David:

and the priests took up the ark; from thence; in 2Ch 5:4 it is said the Levites did it, whose business it was, Deu 31:25, and so the priests might be called; for every priest was a Levite, though every Levite was not a priest, and the priests did at all times bear the ark; see Jos 3:15.

Gill: 1Ki 8:4

And they brought up the ark of the Lord,.... From the city of David to the temple:

and the tabernacle of the congregation; not the tent David made for the ark, though that might be brought also, but the tabernacle of Moses, which had been many years at Gibeon; but now removed to Zion, and from thence to the temple, where it was laid up, as having been a sacred thing; that it might not be put to common or superstitious uses, and to prevent the being of more places than one for worship:

and all the holy vessels that were in the tabernacle; as the candlestick, shewbread table, incense altar, &c.

even those did the priests and the Levites bring up; some brought one, and some another; the priests brought the ark, and the Levites the vessels.

Gill: 1Ki 8:5

And King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel, that were assembled together,.... On this solemn occasion:

were with him before the ark; while it was in the court of the priests, before it was carried into the most holy place:

sacrificing sheep and oxen, that could not be told nor numbered for multitude; the phrase seems to be hyperbolical, and designed to denote a great number.

Gill: 1Ki 8:6

And the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the Lord unto his place,.... Destined for it, the like to which it had in the tabernacle:

into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place; that part of the house where the divine oracle was, the holy of holies; for though into it none but the high priest might enter, and he but once a year; yet in case of necessity, as for the repair of it, which the Jews ^s gather from hence, other priests might enter, as was the case now; an high priest could not carry in the ark himself, and therefore it was necessary to employ others; and besides, as yet the divine Majesty had not taken up his residence in it:

even under the wings of the cherubim; the large ones which Solomon had made, 1Ki 6:23 not those of Moses.

Gill: 1Ki 8:7

For the cherubim spread forth their two wings over the place of the ark,.... The most holy place where the ark stood, even from wall to wall:

and the cherubim covered the ark, and the staves thereof above; so that neither could be seen.

Gill: 1Ki 8:8

And they drew out the staves,.... Not made them larger, as Ben Gersom, than those in the tabernacle of Moses, this place being larger than that; nor did they draw them wholly out, and lay them up in the sanctuary, there being no further use for them, the ark having now a fixed place, and not to be removed; which would have been contrary to Exo 25:15 but they drew them out some little way:

that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle; not in that part of the temple commonly called the holy place, in distinction from the most holy, for that seems to be denied in the next clause; nor could they be seen there, since there was a wall and a vail between them; though some think they might be seen when the door was opened, and the vail turned aside; and these also pushing against the vail, might be seen prominent, like the breasts of a woman under a covering, as the Jews express it; but the sense is, that the ends of these were seen out of the ark from under the wings of the cherubim, being a little drawn, in that part of the most holy place which is before the oracle or mercy seat:

and they were not seen without; neither quite out of the ark, nor without the most holy place, nor in the holy place; but were only seen by the high priest when he went in on the day of atonement, and served as a direction to him to go between them before the ark, and there perform his work ^t; which, through the darkness of the place, and the ark being covered with the wings of the cherubim, he could not otherwise discern the exact place where it stood:

and there they are unto this day: when the writer of this book lived, even in the same situation.

Gill: 1Ki 8:9

There was nothing in the ark, save the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb,.... That is, there were no other writings; or, as Ben Gersom says, no other part of the law, but the decalogue otherwise he observes there were in it Aaron's rod and the pot of manna, according to Heb 9:4 though the particle there may be rendered "at", or "with", or "by"; see Gill on Heb 9:4 and so they might be not within it, but in some place on the sides of it, see Deu 31:26,

when the Lord made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt; about two months after.

Gill: 1Ki 8:10

And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place,.... The most holy place, having set up the ark of the Lord there, who were all sanctified that were there, and did not wait by course as at other times, see 2Ch 5:11, where in 2Ch 5:12 it is said, that at this time, the Levites, who were singers of the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun, arrayed in fine linen, with their musical instruments in their hands, stood at the east end of the altar of burnt offering, and one hundred and twenty priests, blowing their trumpets, praised the Lord together with one sound, declaring his goodness and his mercy, which endure for ever: and then it was

that the cloud filled the house of the Lord; the whole temple, both the holy of holies and the holy place, and the court of the priests; so that it was visible to all, and was a token of the divine presence of God, of his taking possession of his house, and of his taking up his residence in it.

Gill: 1Ki 8:11

So that the priests could not stand to minister, because of the cloud,.... Either through the darkness it first caused, or through the light that broke out of it, which was dazzling to them, or through the terror it struck their minds with; they could neither minister in the holy place, by offering incense there; and as for the most holy place, none but the high priest could minister there, and that on one day only; nor in the court of the priests, at the altar of burnt offerings:

for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of the Lord; a bright and glorious stream came forth from the cloud, and spread itself all over the house, and then took up its abode in the most holy place as in the tabernacle, Exo 40:34.

Gill: 1Ki 8:12

And then spake Solomon,.... Perceiving by this symbol that the Lord was come into his house, to take up his dwelling in it, and seeing the priests and people in consternation at it, spake the following words to their comfort:

the Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness; and now was fulfilling his promise, and therefore to be considered not as a token of his displeasure, but of his gracious presence; this was done for the greater awe of the divine Majesty, and to denote the darkness of the former dispensation; reference may be had to Lev 16:2 or rather this was now said by the Lord, that is, it appeared to be his resolution and determination to dwell in this manner; the Targum is,

"the Lord is pleased to cause his Shechinah or divine Majesty to dwell in Jerusalem,''

in the temple there. This was imitated by the Heathens; hence the Lacedemonians had a temple dedicated to Jupiter Scotitas, or the dark, as Pausanias ^u relates; and the Indian Pagans to this day affect darkness in their temples, and are very careful that no light enter into them but by the door, which is commonly strait and low, and by little crevices in the windows ^w.

Gill: 1Ki 8:13

I have surely built thee an house to dwell in,.... Turning himself from the priests and people, he quieted with a few words, he addressed the Lord; having built an house for him, for his worship and glory, with this view, that he might dwell in it, he was now, by the above token, fully assured it would be an habitation for him:

a settled place for thee to abide in for ever; which is observed in distinction from the tabernacle of Moses, which was often removed from place to place, otherwise this did not continue for ever; though Solomon might hope it would, at least unto the times of the Messiah; and indeed such a building on this spot, for such use, did continue so long, excepting the interval of the seventy years' captivity in Babylon.

Gill: 1Ki 8:14

And the king turned his face about,.... He was before the altar, 1Ki 8:22, with his face to that first, and looking towards the holy and the most holy place, filled with the cloud and glory; and now he turned himself and stood with the altar behind him, and looking to the court of the people:

and blessed all the congregation of Israel; either blessed the Lord before them, or prayed for blessings for them, or congratulated them upon the Lord's taking up his residence in the temple, which was so great an honour and favour to them:

and all the congregation of Israel stood: ready to receive the king's blessing, and in honour of him, and reverence to the divine Being. The Jews say, none might sit in the court but the kings of the house of David.

Gill: 1Ki 8:15

And he said, blessed be the Lord God of Israel,.... All praise and glory, honour and blessing, be ascribed to the Lord; who had afresh shown himself to be Israel's covenant God, by taking up his residence among them in the temple he had filled with his glory:

which spake with his mouth to David my father, and hath with his hand fulfilled it; who graciously promised him he should have a son that should build an house for him, and which he had by his power and providence faithfully performed; or rather which spake concerning David, so Noldius ^x; for God did not speak with his mouth to David, but to Nathan, of him: saying; as follows.

Gill: 1Ki 8:16

Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt,.... Which was now about four hundred and eighty eight years ago; see 1Ki 6:1.

I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; he had chosen one in his mind from all eternity; but he had not made known this choice, nor the place he had chosen; he gave hints by Moses, that there was a place which he should choose, or declare he had chosen to put his name in, but did not express it, Deu 12:5 but now it was a clear case that he had chosen Jerusalem, and that was the city he always had in view, see 2Ch 6:6,

but I chose David to be over my people Israel; to be their king, and to him he gave the first hint of the place where the temple was to be built, 1Ch 22:1, and he chose no man, and his family with him, before him, to rule over Israel, and be concerned in such a work, see 2Ch 6:5.

Gill: 1Ki 8:17

And it was in the heart of David my father,.... His mind was disposed to it, his heart was set upon it, he had taken up a resolution:

to build an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel; for his worship and service, for his honour and glory, 2Sa 7:3.

Gill: 1Ki 8:18

And the Lord said unto David my father,.... By Nathan the prophet:

whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart; his design was good, and so far it was acceptable to the Lord, that he thought of such a thing, though it was not his pleasure that should do it, as follows.

Gill: 1Ki 8:19

Nevertheless, thou shall not build the house,.... Which is implied in the question in 2Sa 7:5.

but thy son that shall come forth out of thy loins, he shall build the house unto my name; which is expressed in 2Sa 7:12.

Gill: 1Ki 8:20

And the Lord hath performed his word that he spake,.... To David, concerning his son's building the temple:

and I am risen up in the room of David my father, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord promised; succeeded him in the kingdom:

and have built an house for the name of the Lord God of Israel; the temple he had now finished; and thus the promise to David was punctually fulfilled, that he should have a son that should succeed him in the throne, and build the house of the Lord.

Gill: 1Ki 8:21

And I have set there a place for the ark,.... The most holy place:

wherein is the covenant of the Lord; the two tables of stone, on which were the covenant of the Lord, as the Targum:

which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt; as in 1Ki 8:9.

Gill: 1Ki 8:22

And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord,.... The altar of the burnt offering in the court of the priests, where he prayed the following prayer; and which altar was typical of Christ, who is always to be in sight in prayer, and through whom all sacrifices of prayer and praise become acceptable to God. In 2Ch 6:13 he is said to stand upon a scaffold of brass, five cubits long, five broad, and three high, which stood in the midst of the court; it was a sort of a pulpit, round, as a laver, for which the word is sometimes used, and on which he kneeled:

in the presence of all the congregation of Israel; who stood in the great court before him, called the court of Israel:

and spread forth his hands toward heaven; and hence it appears, that though Solomon stood before the altar, he did not lay hold on it with his hands, as the Heathens did when they prayed; for they say ^y, that prayer alone does not appease the Deity, unless he that prays also lays hold on the altar with his hands; hence altars, at first, as we are told ^z, were called "ansae"; and lifting up or spreading the hands towards heaven was a proper gesture with the Greeks and Romans ^a.

Gill: 1Ki 8:23

And he said, Lord God of Israel,.... Their covenant God and Father, whereby he was distinguished from all the gods of the Gentiles:

there is no god like thee; in heaven above or on earth beneath; none among the angels in heaven, nor among kings and civil magistrates on earth, who both are sometimes called "Elohim" gods; but only in a figurative sense, and not to be compared with the one only true God, for the perfection of his nature, or the works of his hands:

who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart; performs his promises, by which he both declares his mercy or goodness and his faithfulness to such who walk before him, in his ways, and according to his word, in the sincerity and uprightness of their hearts.

Gill: 1Ki 8:24

Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him..... Concerning a son, his successor, and the builder of the temple:

thou, spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand, as it is this day; the temple being now finished by him, see 1Ki 8:15.

Gill: 1Ki 8:25

Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him,.... That as he had fulfilled one part of his promise respecting himself, his immediate successor, so that he would fulfil the other respecting his more remote offspring:

saying, there shall not fail thee a man in my sight, to sit on the throne of Israel; one of David's posterity to inherit his throne and kingdom, but with this proviso:

so that thy children takes heed to their way; in what way they walk, and how they walk in it:

that they walk before me as thou hast walked before me; meaning as David walked, see Psa 132:11.

Gill: 1Ki 8:26

And now, O God of Israel, let thy word, I pray thee, be verified,.... Truly made good, and punctually performed:

which thou spakest unto thy servant David my father; the same request in other words, repeated to show his ardent and vehement desire to have it fulfilled.

Gill: 1Ki 8:27

But will God indeed dwell on the earth?.... Is it true? Can any credit be given to it? Who could ever have thought it, that so great and glorious a Being, who inhabits eternity, dwells in the highest heavens, should ever condescend to dwell on earth? Such was the amazing condescension of Christ, the Son of God, to tabernacle in human nature with men on earth, to which Solomon perhaps might have respect; his temple being the figure of his body, in which the Godhead dwells, Joh 2:19.

behold, the heaven, and the heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee; not, only the visible heavens, but the third heaven, where the throne of God is, and is the habitation of angels and saints; though there God makes the most glorious displays of himself yet he is so immense and infinite, that he is not to be comprehended and circumscribed in any place whatever:

how much less this house that I have builded? Though temples built for idols contain them, and are large enough, yet Solomon had no notion, when he built his temple, though it was for the name of God, that he was restrained to it, but dwelt everywhere, filling heaven and earth with his presence.

Gill: 1Ki 8:28

Yet have thou respect to the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, O Lord my God,.... Meaning himself, who, though a king acknowledged himself, and esteemed it an honour to be the servant of the Lord, and who was also an humble suppliant of his, and desired his prayers and supplications might be attended to:

to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee this day; the particulars of which follow.

Gill: 1Ki 8:29

That thine eyes may be open towards this house night and day,.... That is, to the people that pray in it, as they are to his righteous ones, Psa 33:14 even towards the place of which thou hast my name shall be there; there should be some displays of his presence, power, and providence, of goodness, grace, and mercy:

that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make towards this place; not only to what he should make in it, but to what he should make in his own house, with his face directed towards this, as would be, and was the practice of good people in later times, yea, even when the temple lay in ruins; see Dan 6:10 figuring the respect gracious souls have to Christ by faith in their prayers, in whom the Godhead dwells bodily, see Jon 2:4 and it is observable, according to a Jewish canon ^b, one at a distance, in another land, was not only to turn his face to the land of Israel, but direct his heart to Jerusalem, and the temple, and the holy of holies; and if in the land, to Jerusalem, &c. and if in Jerusalem, not only to the temple, and holy of holies, but if behind the mercy seat, he was to turn his face to it; which was a symbol of Christ, the propitiatory and throne of grace, to be looked unto by faith, Rom 3:25.

Commentary -- Verse Notes / Footnotes

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:1

¹ tc The Old Greek translation includes the following words at the beginning of ch. 8: “It so happened that when Solomon finished building the Lord’s temple and his own house, after twenty years.”

² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

³ tn Heb “Then Solomon convened the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers belonging to the sons of Israel to King Solomon [in] Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David (it is Zion).”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:2

¹ sn The festival. This was the Feast of Tabernacles, see Lev 23:34.

² sn The month Ethanim. This would be September-October in modern reckoning.

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:4

¹ tn Heb “the tent of assembly.”

sn The tent of meeting. See Exod 33:7-11.

² tn Heb “and they carried the ark of the Lord…. The priests and the Levites carried them.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:5

¹ tn Heb “And King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel, those who had been gathered to him, [were] before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle which could not be counted or numbered because of the abundance.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:6

¹ tn The word “assigned” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:7

¹ sn And its poles. These poles were used to carry the ark. See Exod 25:13-15.

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:8

¹ tn Heb “they could not be seen outside.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:9

¹ sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.

² tn Heb “in Horeb where.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:11

¹ tn Heb “were not able to stand to serve.”

² tn Heb “the house of the Lord.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:13

¹ tn The words “O Lord” do not appear in the original text, but they are supplied for clarification; Solomon addresses the Lord in prayer at this point.

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:14

¹ tn Heb “turned his face.”

² tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:15

¹ tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his hand.”

² tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his mouth.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:16

¹ tn Heb “saying.”

² tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.”

sn To build a temple in which to live (Heb “to build a house for my name to be there”). In the OT, the word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:17

¹ tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father.”

² tn Heb “to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.” The word “name” in the OT sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:18

¹ tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:19

¹ tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:20

¹ tn Heb “his word that he spoke.”

² tn Heb “name.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:21

¹ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 34, 40, 48, 53, 57, 58).

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:22

¹ tn Or “heaven.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:23

¹ tn Heb “said.”

² tn Heb “one who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys.

³ tn Heb “who walk before you with all their heart.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:24

¹ tn Heb “[you] who kept to your servant David my father that which you spoke to him.”

² tn Heb “you spoke by your mouth and by your hand you fulfilled, as this day.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:25

¹ tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from before me sitting on the throne of Israel.”

² tn Heb “guard their way by walking before me as you have walked before me.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:26

¹ tn Heb “the words that you spoke.”

² tn Or “prove to be reliable.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:27

¹ tn Heb “Indeed, can God really live on the earth?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not,” the force of which the translation above seeks to reflect.

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:28

¹ tn Heb “turn to.”

² tn Heb “by listening to.”

³ tn Heb “the loud cry and the prayer.”

⁴ tn Heb “praying before you.”

NET Notes: 1Ki 8:29

¹ tn Heb “so your eyes might be open toward this house night and day, toward the place about which you said, ‘My name will be there.’”

² tn Heb “by listening to the prayer which your servant is praying concerning this place.”

Geneva Bible: 1Ki 8:1

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might ^{( a )} bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which [is] Zion.

^{( a )} For David brought it from Obed-edom, and placed it in the tabernacle which he made for it in (2Sa 6:17).

Geneva Bible: 1Ki 8:2

And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month ^{( b )} Ethanim, which [is] the seventh month.

^{( b )} Containing part of September and part of October, in which they held three solemn feasts, (Num 29:1).

Geneva Bible: 1Ki 8:6

And the ^{( c )} priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy [place, even] under the wings of the cherubims.

^{( c )} That is, the Kohathites, (Num 4:5).

Geneva Bible: 1Ki 8:8

And they ^{( d )} drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy [place] before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.

^{( d )} They drew them out only far enough to be seen, for they could not pull them out completely, (Exo 25:15).

Geneva Bible: 1Ki 8:9

[There was] nothing in the ark ^{( e )} save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

^{( e )} For it is likely that the enemy when they had the ark in their hands took away the rod of Aaron and the pot of manna.

Geneva Bible: 1Ki 8:13

I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for ^{( f )} ever.

^{( f )} He spoke according to the tenor of God's promise which was on the condition that they served him correctly.

Geneva Bible: 1Ki 8:21

And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein [is] the ^{( g )} covenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.

^{( g )} The two tables in which the articles of the covenant were written.

Geneva Bible: 1Ki 8:23

And he said, LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with ^{( h )} all their heart:

^{( h )} Truthfully and without hypocrisy.

Geneva Bible: 1Ki 8:27

^{( i )} But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?

^{( i )} He is ravished with the admiration of God's mercies, who being incomprehensible and Lord over all will become familiar with men.

Commentary -- Verse Range Notes

TSK Synopsis: 1Ki 8:1-66

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.

MHCC: 1Ki 8:1-11

The bringing in the ark, is the end which must crown the work: this was done with great solemnity. The ark was fixed in the place appointed for its rest in the inner part of the house, whence they expected God to speak to them, even in the most holy place. The staves of the ark were drawn out, so as to direct the high priest to the mercy-seat over the ark, when he went in, once a year, to sprinkle the blood there; so that they continued of use, though there was no longer occasion to carry it by them. The glory of God appearing in a cloud may signify, 1. The darkness of that dispensation, in comparison with the light of the gospel, by which, with open face, we behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. 2. The darkness of our present state, in comparison with the sight of God, which will be the happiness of heaven, where the Divine glory is unveiled.

MHCC: 1Ki 8:12-21

Solomon encouraged the priests, who were much astonished at the dark cloud. The dark dispensations of Providence should quicken us in fleeing for refuge to the hope of the gospel. Nothing can more reconcile us to them, than to consider what God has said, and to compare his word and works together. Whatever good we do, we must look on it as the performance of God's promise to us, not of our promises to him.

MHCC: 1Ki 8:22-53

In this excellent prayer, Solomon does as we should do in every prayer; he gives glory to God. Fresh experiences of the truth of God's promises call for larger praises. He sues for grace and favour from God. The experiences we have of God's performing his promises, should encourage us to depend upon them, and to plead them with him; and those who expect further mercies, must be thankful for former mercies. God's promises must be the guide of our desires, and the ground of our hopes and expectations in prayer. The sacrifices, the incense, and the whole service of the temple, were all typical of the Redeemer's offices, oblation, and intercession. The temple, therefore, was continually to be remembered. Under one word, " forgive," Solomon expressed all that he could ask in behalf of his people. For, as all misery springs from sin, forgiveness of sin prepares the way for the removal of every evil, and the receiving of every good. Without it, no deliverance can prove a blessing. In addition to the teaching of the word of God, Solomon entreated the Lord himself to teach the people to profit by all, even by their chastisements. They shall know every man the plague of his own heart, what it is that pains him; and shall spread their hands in prayer toward this house; whether the trouble be of body or mind, they shall represent it before God. Inward burdens seem especially meant. Sin is the plague of our own hearts; our in-dwelling corruptions are our spiritual diseases: every true Israelite endeavours to know these, that he may mortify them, and watch against the risings of them. These drive him to his knees; lamenting these, he spreads forth his hands in prayer. After many particulars, Solomon concludes with the general request, that God would hearken to his praying people. No place, now, under the gospel, can add to the prayers made in or towards it. The substance is Christ; whatever we ask in his name, it shall be given us. In this manner the Israel of God is established and sanctified, the backslider is recovered and healed. In this manner the stranger is brought nigh, the mourner is comforted, the name of God is glorified. Sin is the cause of all our troubles; repentance and forgiveness lead to all human happiness.

Matthew Henry: 1Ki 8:1-11

The temple, though richly beautified, yet while it was without the ark was like a body without a soul, or a candlestick without a candle, or (to speak more properly) a house without an inhabitant. All the cost and pains bestowed on this stately structure are lost if God do not accept them; and, unless he please to own it as the place where he will record his name, it is after all but a ruinous heap. When therefore all the work is ended (1Ki 7:51), the one thing needful is yet behind, and that is the bringing in of the ark. This therefore is the end which must crown the work, and which here we have an account of the doing of with great solemnity.

I. Solomon presides in this service, as David did in the bringing up of the ark to Jerusalem; and neither of them thought it below him to follow the ark nor to lead the people in their attendance on it. Solomon glories in the title of the preacher (Ecc 1:1), and the master of assemblies, Ecc 12:11. This great assembly he summons (1Ki 8:1), and he is the centre of it, for to him they all assembled (1Ki 8:2) at the feast in the seventh month, namely, the feast of tabernacles, which was appointed on the fifteenth day of that month, Lev 23:34. David, like a very good man, brings the ark to a convenient place, near him; Solomon, like a very great man, brings it to a magnificent place. As every man has received the gift, so let him minister; and let children proceed in God's service where their parents left off.

II. All Israel attend the service, their judges and the chief of their tribes and families, all their officers, civil and military, and (as they speak in the north) the heads of their clans. A convention of these might well be called an assembly of all Israel. These came together, on this occasion, 1. To do honour to Solomon, and to return him the thanks of the nation for all the good offices he had done in kindness to them. 2. To do honour to the ark, to pay respect to it, and testify their universal joy and satisfaction in its settlement. The advancement of the ark in external splendour, though it has often proved too strong a temptation to its hypocritical followers, yet, because it may prove an advantage to its true interests, is to be rejoiced in (with trembling) by all that wish well to it. Public mercies call for public acknowledgments. Those that appeared before the Lord did not appear empty, for they all sacrificed sheep and oxen innumerable, 1Ki 8:5. The people in Solomon's time were very rich, very easy, and very cheerful, and therefore it was fit that, on this occasion, they should consecrate not only their cheerfulness, but a part of their wealth, to God and his honour.

III. The priests do their part of the service. In the wilderness, the Levites were to carry the ark, because then there were not priests enough to do it; but here (it being the last time that the ark was to be carried) the priests themselves did it, as they were ordered to do when it surrounded Jericho. We are here told, 1. What was in the ark, nothing but the two tables of stone (1Ki 8:9), a treasure far exceeding all the dedicated things both of David and Solomon. The pot of manna and Aaron's rod were by the ark, but not in it. 2. What was brought up with the ark (1Ki 8:4): The tabernacle of the congregation. It is probable that both that which Moses set up in the wilderness, which was in Gibeon, and that which David pitched in Zion, were brought to the temple, to which they did, as it were, surrender all their holiness, merging it in that of the temple, which must henceforward be the place where God must be sought unto. Thus will all the church's holy things on earth, that are so much its joy and glory, be swallowed up in the perfection of holiness above. 3. Where it was fixed in its place, the place appointed for its rest after all its wanderings (1Ki 8:6): In the oracle of the house, whence they expected God to speak to them, even in the most holy place, which was made so by the presence of the ark, under the wings of the great cherubim which Solomon set up (1Ki 6:27), signifying the special protection of angels, under which God's ordinances and the assemblies of his people are taken. The staves of the ark were drawn out, so as to be seen from under the wings of the cherubim, to direct the high priest to the mercy-seat, over the ark, when he went in, once a year, to sprinkle the blood there; so that still they continued of some use, though there was no longer occasion for them to carry it by.

IV. God graciously owns what is done and testifies his acceptance of it, 1Ki 8:10, 1Ki 8:11. The priests might come into the most holy place till God manifested his glory there; but, thenceforward, none might, at their peril, approach the ark, except the high priest, on the day of atonement. Therefore it was not till the priests had come out of the oracle that the Shechinah took possession of it, in a cloud, which filled not only the most holy place, but the temple, so that the priests who burnt incense at the golden altar could not bear it. By this visible emanation of the divine glory, 1. God put an honour upon the ark, and owned it as a token of his presence. The glory of it had been long diminished and eclipsed by its frequent removes, the meanness of its lodging, and its being exposed too much to common view; but God will now show that it is as dear to him as ever, and he will have it looked upon with as much veneration as it was when Moses first brought it into his tabernacle. 2. He testified his acceptance of the building and furnishing of the temple as good service done to his name and his kingdom among men. 3. He struck an awe upon this great assembly; and, by what they saw, confirmed their belief of what they read in the books of Moses concerning the glory of God's appearance to their fathers, that hereby they might be kept close to the service of the God of Israel and fortified against temptations to idolatry. 4. He showed himself ready to hear the prayer Solomon was now about to make; and not only so, but took up his residence in this house, that all his praying people might there be encouraged to make their applications to him. But the glory of God appeared in a cloud, a dark cloud, to signify, (1.) The darkness of that dispensation in comparison with the light of the gospel, by which, with open face, we behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. (2.) The darkness of our present state in comparison with the vision of God, which will be the happiness of heaven, where the divine glory is unveiled. Now we can only say what he is not, but then we shall see him as he is.

Matthew Henry: 1Ki 8:12-21

Here, I. Solomon encourages the priests, who came out of the temple from their ministration, much astonished at the dark cloud that overshadowed them. The disciples of Christ feared when they entered into the cloud, though it was a bright cloud (Luk 9:34), so did the priests when they found themselves wrapped in a thick cloud. To silence their fears, 1. He reminds them of that which they could not but know, that this was a token of God's presence (1Ki 8:12): The Lord said he would dwell in the thick darkness. It is so far from being a token of his displeasure that it is an indication of his favour; for he had said, I will appear in a cloud, Lev 16:2. Note, Nothing is more effectual to reconcile us to dark dispensations than to consider what God hath said, and to compare his word and works together; as Lev 10:3, This is that which the Lord hath said. God is light (1Jo 1:5), and he dwells in light (1Ti 6:16), but he dwells with men in the thick darkness, makes that his pavilion, because they could not bear the dazzling brightness of his glory. Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself. Thus our holy faith is exercised and our holy fear is increased. Where God dwells in light faith is swallowed up in vision and fear in love. 2. He himself bids it welcome, as worthy of all acceptation; and since God, by this cloud, came down to take possession, he does, in a few words, solemnly give him possession (1Ki 8:13): " Surely I come, "says God. " Amen, "says Solomon, " Even so, come, Lord,. The house is thy own, entirely thy own, I have surely built it for thee, and furnished it for thee; it is for ever thy own, a settled place for thee to abide in for ever; it shall never be alienated nor converted to any other use; the ark shall never be removed from it, never unsettled again."It is Solomon's joy that God has taken possession; and it is his desire that he would keep possession. Let not the priests therefore dread that in which Solomon so much triumphs.

II. He instructs the people, and gives them a plain account concerning this house, which they now saw God take possession of. He spoke briefly to the priests, to satisfy them (a word to the wise), but turned his face about (1Ki 8:14) from them to the congregation that stood in the outer court, and addressed himself to them largely.

1. He blessed them. When they saw the dark cloud enter the temple they blessed themselves, being astonished at it and afraid lest the thick darkness should be utter darkness to them. The amazing sight, such as they had never seen in their days, we may suppose, drove every man to his prayers, and the vainest minds were made serious by it. Solomon therefore set in with their prayers, and blessed them all, as one having authority (for the less is blessed of the better ); in God's name, he spoke peace to them, and a blessing, like that with which the angel blessed Gideon when he was in a fright, upon a similar occasion. Jdg 6:22, Jdg 6:23, Peace be unto thee. Fear not; thou shalt not die. Solomon blessed them, that is, he pacified them, and freed them from the consternation they were in. To receive this blessing, they all stood up, in token of reverence and readiness to hear and accept it. It is a proper posture to be in when the blessing is pronounced.

2. He informed them concerning this house which he had built and was now dedicating.

(1.) He began his account with a thankful acknowledgment of the good hand of his God upon him hitherto: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, 1Ki 8:15. What we have the pleasure of God must have the praise of. He thus engaged the congregation to lift up their hearts in thanksgivings to God, which would help to still the tumult of spirit which, probably, they were in. "Come,"says he, "let God's awful appearances not drive us from him, but draw us to him; let us bless the Lord God of Israel. "Thus Job, under a dark scene, blessed the name of the Lord. Solomon here blessed God, [1.] For his promise which he spoke with his mouth to David. [2.] For the performance, that he had now fulfilled it with his hand. We have then the best sense of God's mercies, and most grateful both to ourselves and to our God, when we run up those streams to the fountain of the covenant, and compare what God does with what he has said.

(2.) Solomon is now making a solemn surrender or dedication of this house unto God, delivering it to God by his own act and deed. Grants and conveyances commonly begin with recitals of what has been before done, leading to what is now done: accordingly, here is a recital of the special causes and considerations moving Solomon to build this house. [1.] He recites the want of such a place. It was necessary that this should be premised; for, according to the dispensation they were under, there must be but one place in which they must expect God to record his name. If, therefore, there were any other chosen, this would be a usurpation. But he shows, from what God himself had said, that there was no other (1Ki 8:16): I chose no city to build a house in for my name; therefore there is occasion for the building of this. [2.] He recites David's purpose to build such a place. God chose the person first that should rule his people ( I chose David, 1Ki 8:16) and then put it into his heart to build a house for God's name, 1Ki 8:17. It was not a project of his own, for the magnifying of himself; but his good father, of blessed memory, laid the first design of it, though he lived not to lay the first stone. [3.] He recites God's promise concerning himself. God approved his father's purpose (1Ki 8:18): Thou didst well, that it was in thy heart. Note, Sincere intentions to do good shall be graciously approved and accepted of God, though Providence prevent our putting them in execution. The desire of a man is his kindness. See 2Co 8:12. God accepted David's good will, yet would not permit him to do the good work, but reserved the honour of it for his son (1Ki 8:19): He shall build the house to my name; so that what he had done was not of his own head, nor for his own glory, but the work itself was according to his father's design and his doing it was according to God's designation. [4.] He recites what he himself had done, and with what intention: I have built a house, not for my own name, but for the name of the Lord God of Israel (1Ki 8:20), and set there a place for the ark, 1Ki 8:21. Thus all the right, title, interest, claim, and demand, whatsoever, which he or his had or might have in or to this house, or any of its appurtenances, he resigns, surrenders, and gives up, to God for ever. It is for his name, and his ark. In this, says he, the Lord hath performed his word that he spoke. Note, Whatever good we do, we must look upon it as the performance of God's promise to us, rather than the performance of our promises to him. The more we do for God the more we are indebted to him; for our sufficiency is of him, and not of ourselves.

Matthew Henry: 1Ki 8:22-53

Solomon having made a general surrender of this house to God, which God had signified his acceptance of by taking possession, next follows Solomon's prayer, in which he makes a more particular declaration of the uses of that surrender, with all humility and reverence, desiring that God would agree thereto. In short, it is his request that this temple may be deemed and taken, not only for a house of sacrifice (no mention is made of that in all this prayer, that was taken for granted), but a house of prayer for all people; and herein it was a type of the gospel church; see Isa 56:7, compared with Mat 21:13. Therefore Solomon opened this house, not only with an extraordinary sacrifice, but with an extraordinary prayer.

I. The person that prayed this prayer was great. Solomon did not appoint one of the priests to do it, nor one of the prophets, but did it himself, in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, 1Ki 8:22. 1. It was well that he was able to do it, a sign that he had made a good improvement of the pious education which his parents gave him. With all his learning, it seems, he learnt to pray well, and knew how to express himself to God in a suitable manner, pro re nata - on the spur of the occasion, without a prescribed form. In the crowd of his philosophical transactions, his proverbs, and songs, he did not forget his devotions. He was a gainer by prayer (1Ki 3:11, etc.), and, we may suppose, gave himself much to it, so that he excelled, as we find here, in praying gifts. 2. It was well that he was willing to do it, and not shy of performing divine service before so great a congregation. He was far from thinking it any disparagement to him to be his own chaplain and the mouth of the assembly to God; and shall any think themselves too great to do this office for their own families? Solomon, in all his other glory, even on his ivory throne, looked not so great as he did now. Great men should thus support the reputation of religious exercises and so honour God with their greatness. Solomon was herein a type of Christ, the great intercessor for all over whom he rules.

II. The posture in which he prayed was very reverent, and expressive of humility, seriousness, and fervency in prayer. He stood before the altar of the Lord, intimating that he expected the success of his prayer in virtue of that sacrifice which should be offered up in the fulness of time, typified by the sacrifices offered at that altar. But when he addressed himself to prayer, 1. He kneeled down, as appears, 1Ki 8:54, where he is said to rise from his knees; compare 2Ch 6:13. Kneeling is the most proper posture for prayer, Eph 3:14. The greatest of men must not think it below them to kneel before the Lord their Maker. Mr. Herbert says, "Kneeling never spoiled silk stocking."2. He spread forth his hands towards heaven, and (as it should seem by 1Ki 8:54) continued so to the end of the prayer, hereby expressing his desire towards, and expectations from, God, as a Father in heaven. He spread forth his hands, as it were to offer up the prayer from an open enlarged heart and to present it to heaven, and also to receive thence, with both arms, the mercy which he prayed for. Such outward expressions of the fixedness and fervour of devotion ought not to be despised or ridiculed.

III. The prayer itself was very long, and perhaps much longer than is here recorded. At the throne of grace we have liberty of speech, and should use our liberty. It is not making long prayers, but making them for a pretence, that Christ condemns. In this excellent prayer Solomon does, as we should in every prayer,

1. Give glory to God. This he begins with, as the most proper act of adoration. He addresses himself to God as the Lord God of Israel, a God in covenant with them And, (1.) He gives him the praise of what he is, in general, the best of beings in himself (" There is no God like thee, none of the powers in heaven or earth to be compared with thee"), and the best of masters to his people: " Who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants; not only as good as thy word in keeping covenant, but better than thy word in keeping mercy, doing that for them of which thou hast not given them an express promise, provided they walk before thee with all their heart, are zealous for thee, with an eye to thee."(2.) He gives him thanks for what he had done, in particular, for his family (1Ki 8:24): " Thou hast kept with thy servant David, as with thy other servants, that which thou promisedst him. "The promise was a great favour to him, his support and joy, and now performance is the crown of it: Thou hast fulfilled it, as it is this day. Fresh experiences of the truth of God's promises call for enlarged praises.

2. He sues for grace and favour from God.

(1.) That God would perform to him and his the mercy which he had promised, 1Ki 8:25, 1Ki 8:26. Observe how this comes in. He thankfully acknowledges the performance of the promise in part; hitherto God had been faithful to his word: " Thou hast kept with thy servant David that which thou promisedst him, so far that his son fills his throne and has built the intended temple; therefore now keep with thy servant David that which thou hast further promised him, and which yet remains to be fulfilled in its season."Note, The experiences we have had of God's performing his promises should encourage us to depend upon them and plead them with God: and those who expect further mercies must be thankful for former mercies. Hitherto God has helped, 2Co 1:10. Solomon repeats the promise (1Ki 8:25): There shall not fail thee a man to sit on the throne, not omitting the condition, so that thy children take heed to their way; for we cannot expect God's performance of the promise but upon our performance of the condition. And then he humbly begs this entail (1Ki 8:26): Now, O God of Israel! let thy word be verified. God's promises (as we have often observed) must be both the guide of our desires and the ground of our hopes and expectations in prayer. David had prayed (2Sa 7:25): Lord, do as thou hast said. Note, Children should learn of their godly parents how to pray, and plead in prayer.

(2.) That God would have respect to this temple which he had now taken possession of, and that his eyes might be continually open towards it (1Ki 8:29), that he would graciously own it, and so put an honour upon it. To this purpose,

[1.] He premises, First, A humble admiration of God's gracious condescension (1Ki 8:27): " But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Can we imagine that a Being infinitely high, and holy, and happy, will stoop so low as to let it be said of him that he dwells upon the earth and blesses the worms of the earth with his presence - the earth, that is corrupt, and overspread with sin - cursed, and reserved to fire? Lord, how is it? " Secondly, A humble acknowledgment of the incapacity of the house he had built, though very capacious, to contain God: " The heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, for no place can include him who is present in all places; even this house is too little, too mean to be the residence of him that is infinite in being and glory."Note, When we have done the most we can for God we must acknowledge the infinite distance and disproportion between us and him, between our services and his perfections.

[2.] This premised, he prays in general, First, That God would graciously hear and answer the prayer he was now praying, 1Ki 8:28. It was a humble prayer ( the prayer of thy servant ), an earnest prayer (such a prayer as is a cry ), a prayer made in faith ( before thee, as the Lord, and my God): "Lord, hearken to it, have respect to it, not as the prayer of Israel's king (no man's dignity in the world, or titles of honour, will recommend him to God), but as the prayer of thy servant." Secondly, That God would in like manner hear and answer all the prayers that should, at any time hereafter, be made in or towards this house which he had now built, and of which God had said, My name shall be there (1Ki 8:29), his own prayers ( Hearken to the prayers which thy servant shall make ), and the prayers of all Israel, and of every particular Israelite (1Ki 8:30): " Hear it in heaven, that is indeed thy dwelling-place, of which this is but a figure; and, when thou hearest, forgive the sin that separates between them and God, even the iniquity of their holy things. " a. He supposes that God's people will ever be a prayer people; he resolves to adhere to that duty himself. b. He directs them to have an eye, in their prayers, to that place where God was pleased to manifest his glory as he did not any where else on earth. None but priests might come into that place; but, when they worshipped in the courts of the temple, it must be with an eye towards it, not as the object of their worship (that were idolatry), but as an instituted medium of their worship, helping the weakness of their faith, and typifying the mediation of Jesus Christ, who is the true temple, to whom we must have an eye in every thing wherein we have to do with God. Those that were at a distance looked towards Jerusalem, for the sake of the temple, even when it was in ruins, Dan 6:10. c. He begs that God will hear the prayers, and forgive the sins, of all that look this way in their prayers. Not as if he thought all the devout prayers offered up to God by those who had no knowledge of this house, or regard to it, were therefore rejected; but he desired that the sensible tokens of the divine presence with which this house was blessed might always give sensible encouragement and comfort to believing petitioners.

[3.] More particularly, he here puts divers cases in which he supposed application would be made to God by prayer in or towards this house of prayer.

First, If God were appealed to by an oath for the determining of any controverted right between man and man, and the oath were taken before this altar, he prayed that God would, in some way or other, discover the truth, and judge between the contending parties, 1Ki 8:31, 1Ki 8:32. He prayed that, in difficult matters, this throne of grace might be a throne of judgment, from which God would right the injured that believingly appealed to it, and punish the injurious that presumptuously appealed to it. It was usual to swear by the temple and altar (Mat 23:16, Mat 23:18), which corruption perhaps took its rise from this supposition of an oath taken, not by the temple or altar, but at or near them, for the greater solemnity.

Secondly, If the people of Israel were groaning under any national calamity, or any particular Israelite under any personal calamity, he desired that the prayers they should make in or towards this house might be heard and answered.

a. In case of public judgments, war (1Ki 8:33), want of rain (1Ki 8:35), famine, or pestilence (1Ki 8:37), and he ends with an et cetera - any plague or sickness; for no calamity befals other people which may not befal God's Israel. Now he supposes, ( a. ) That the cause of the judgment would be sin, and nothing else. "If they be smitten before the enemy, if there be no rain, it is because they have sinned against thee. "It is sin that makes all the mischief. ( b. ) That the consequence of the judgment would be that they would cry to God, and make supplication to him in or towards that house. Those that slighted him before would solicit him then. Lord, in trouble have they visited thee. In their afflictions they will seek me early and earnestly. ( c. ) That the condition of the removal of the judgment was something more than barely praying for it. He could not, he would not, ask that their prayer might be answered unless they did also turn from their sin (1Ki 8:35) and turn again to God (1Ki 8:33), that is, unless they did truly repent and reform. On no other terms may we look for salvation in this world or the other. But, if they did thus qualify themselves for mercy, he prays, [ a. ] That God would hear from heaven, his holy temple above, to which they must look, through this temple. [ b. ] That he would forgive their sin; for then only are judgments removed in mercy when sin is pardoned. [ c. ] That he would teach them the good way wherein they should walk, by his Spirit, with his word and prophets; and thus they might be both profited by their trouble (for blessed is the man whom God chastens and teaches ), and prepared for deliverance, which then comes in love when it finds us brought back to the good way of God and duty. [ d. ] That he would then remove the judgment, and redress the grievance, whatever it might be - not only accept the prayer, but give in the mercy prayed for.

b. In case of personal afflictions, 1Ki 8:38-40. "If any man of Israel has an errand to thee, here let him find thee, here let him find favour with thee."He does not mention particulars, so numerous, so various, are the grievances of the children of men. ( a. ) He supposes that the complainants themselves would very sensibly feel their own burden, and would open that case to God which otherwise they kept to themselves and did not make any man acquainted with: They shall know every man the plague of his own heart, what it is that pains him, and (as we say) where the shoe pinches, and shall spread their hands, that is, spread their case, as Hezekiah spread the letter, in prayer, towards this house; whether the trouble be of body or mind, they shall represent it before God. Inward burdens seem especially meant. Sin is the plague of our own heart; our indwelling corruptions are our spiritual diseases. Every Israelite indeed endeavours to know these, that he may mortify them and watch against the risings of them. These he complains of. This is the burden he groans under: O wretched man that I am! These drive him to his knees, drive him to the sanctuary. Lamenting these, he spreads forth his hands in prayer. ( b. ) He refers all cases of this kind, that should be brought hither, to God. [ a. ] To his omniscience: " Thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men, not only the plagues of their hearts, their several wants and burdens"(these he knows, but he will know them from us), "but the desire and intent of the heart, the sincerity or hypocrisy of it. Thou knowest which prayer comes from the heart, and which from the lips only."The hearts of kings are not unsearchable to God. [ b. ] To his justice: Give to every man according to his ways; and he will not fail to do so, by the rules of grace, not the law, for then we should all be undone. [ c. ] To his mercy: Hear, and forgive, and do (1Ki 8:39), that they may fear thee all their days, 1Ki 8:40. This use we should make of the mercy of God to us in hearing our prayers and forgiving our sins, we should thereby he engaged to fear him while we live. Fear the Lord and his goodness. There is forgiveness with him, that he may be feared.

c. The case of the stranger that is not an Israelite is next mentioned, a proselyte that comes to the temple to pray to the God of Israel, being convinced of the folly and wickedness of worshipping the gods of his country. ( a. ) He supposed that there would be many such (1Ki 8:41, 1Ki 8:42), that the fame of God's great works which he had wrought for Israel, by which he proved himself to be above all gods, nay, to be God alone, would reach to distant countries: "Those that live remote shall hear of thy strong hand, and thy stretched-out arm; and this will bring all thinking considerate people to pray towards this house, that they may obtain the favour of a God that is able to do them a real kindness."( b. ) He begged that God would accept and answer the proselyte's prayer (1Ki 8:43): Do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for. Thus early, thus ancient, were the indications of favour towards the sinners of the Gentiles: as there was then one law for the native and for the stranger (Exo 12:49), so there was one gospel for both. ( c. ) Herein he aimed at the glory of God and the propagating of the knowledge of him: "O let the stranger, in a special manner, speed well in his addresses, that he may carry away with him to his own country a good report of the God of Israel, that all people may know thee and fear thee (and, if they know thee aright, they will fear thee) as do thy people Israel. "So far was Solomon from monopolizing the knowledge and service of God, and wishing to have them confined to Israel only (which was the envious desire of the Jews in the days of Christ and his apostles), that he prayed that all people might fear God as Israel did. Would to God that all the children of men might receive the adoption, and be made God's children! Father, thus glorify thy name.

d. The case of an army going forth to battle is next recommended by Solomon to the divine favour. It is supposed that the army is encamped at a distance, somewhere a great way off, sent by divine order against the enemy, 1Ki 8:44. "When they are ready to engage, and consider the perils and doubtful issues of battle, and put up a prayer to God for protection and success, with their eye towards this city and temple, then hear their prayer, encourage their hearts, strengthen their hands, cover their heads, and so maintain their cause and give them victory."Soldiers in the field must not think it enough that those who tarry at home pray for them, but must pray for themselves, and they are here encouraged to hope fore a gracious answer. Praying should always go along with fighting.

e. The case of poor captives is the last that is here mentioned as a proper object of divine compassion. ( a. ) He supposes that Israel will sin. He knew them, and himself, and the nature of man, too well to think this a foreign supposition; for there is no man that sinneth not, that does not enough to justify God in the severest rebukes of his providence, no man but what is in danger of falling into gross sin, and will if God leave him to himself. ( b. ) He supposes, what may well be expected, that, if Israel revolt from God, God will be angry with them, and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, to be carried captive into a strange country, 1Ki 8:46. ( c. ) He then supposes that they will bethink themselves, will consider their ways (for afflictions put men upon consideration), and, when once they are brought to consider, they will repent and pray, will confess their sins, and humble themselves, saying, We have sinned and have done perversely (1Ki 8:47), and in the land of their enemies will return to God, whom they had forsaken in their own land. ( d. ) He supposes that in their prayers they will look towards their own land, the holy land, Jerusalem, the holy city, and the temple, the holy house, and directs them so to do (1Ki 8:48), for his sake who gave them that land, chose that city, and to whose honour that house was built. ( e. ) He prays that then God would hear their prayers, forgive their sins, plead their cause, and incline their enemies to have compassion on them, 1Ki 8:49. 50. God has all hearts in his hand, and can, when he pleases, turn the strongest stream the contrary way, and make those to pity his people who have been their most cruel persecutors. See this prayer answered, Psa 106:46. He made them to be pitied of those that carried them captive, which, if it did not release them, yet eased their captivity. ( f. ) He pleads their relation to God, and his interest in them: "They are thy people, whom thou hast taken into thy covenant and under thy care and conduct, thy inheritance, from which, more than from any other nation, thy rent and tribute of glory issue and arise (1Ki 8:51), separated from among all people to be so and by distinguishing favours appropriated to thee,"1Ki 8:53.

Lastly, After all these particulars, he concludes with this general request, that God would hearken to all his praying people in all that they call unto him for, 1Ki 8:52. No place now, under the gospel, can be imagined to add any acceptableness to the prayers made in or towards it, as the temple then did. That was a shadow: the substance is Christ; whatever we ask in his name, it shall be given us.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ki 8:1-21

This solemn transaction consisted of three parts, and the chapter arranges itself in three sections accordingly: viz., ( a ) the conveyance of the ark and the tabernacle, together with its vessels, into the temple, with the words spoken by Solomon on the occasion (vv. 1-21); ( b ) Solomon's dedicatory prayer (vv. 22-53); © the blessing of the congregation, and the offering of sacrifice and observance of a feast (1Ki 8:54-66). - The parallel account to this in 2 Chron 5:2-7:10, in addition to certain minor alterations of words and constructions, introduced for the most part merely for the sake of elucidation, contains here and there, and more especially towards the end, a few deviations of greater extent, partly omissions and partly additions. But in other respects it agrees almost word for word with our account.

With regard to the time of the dedication, it is merely stated in 1Ki 8:2 that the heads of the nation assembled at Jerusalem to this feast in the seventh month. The year in which this took place is not given. But as the building of the temple was finished, according to 1Ki 6:38, in the eighth month of the eleventh year of Solomon's reign, the dedication which followed in the seventh month cannot have taken place in the same year as the completion of the building. Ewald's opinion, that Solomon dedicated the building a month before it was finished, is not only extremely improbable in itself, but is directly at variance with 1Ki 7:51. If we add to this, that according to 1Ki 9:1-10 it was not till after the lapse of twenty years, during which he had built the two houses, the temple, and his palace, that the Lord appeared to Solomon at the dedication of the temple and promised to answer his prayer, we must decide in favour of the view held by Thenius, that the dedication of the temple did not take place till twenty years after the building of it was begun, or thirteen years after it was finished, and when Solomon had also completed the building of the palace, which occupied thirteen years, as the lxx have indicated at the commencement of 1Ki 8:1 by the interpolation of the words, καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς συνετέλεσε Σαλωμὼν τοῦ οἰκοδομῆσαι τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου καὶ τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ μετὰ εἴκοσι ἔτη .

(Note: From the whole character of the Alexandrian version, therecan be no doubt that these words have been transferred by the lxxfrom 1Ki 9:1, and have not dropped out of the Hebrew text, asThenius supposes.)

1 Kings 8:1-21

The First Act of the solemnities consisted (1) in the removal of the ark of the covenant into the Most Holy Place of the temple (1Ki 8:1-11); and (2) in the words with which Solomon celebrated the entrance of the Lord into the new temple (1Ki 8:12-21).

1Ki 8:1-11

Removal of the ark of the covenant into the temple . - This solemn transaction was founded entirely upon the solemnities with which the ark was conveyed in the time of David from the house of Obed-edom into the holy tent upon Zion (2Sa 6:12.; 1Ch 15:2.). Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers' houses ( האבות נשׂיאי , contracted from האבות בּית נשׂיאי ) of the Israelites, as representatives of the whole congregation, to himself at Jerusalem, to bring the ark of the covenant out of the city of David, i.e., from Mount Zion (see the Comm. on 2Sa 6:16-17), into the temple which he had built upon Moriah. (On the use of the contracted form of the imperfect יקהל after אז , see Ewald, §233, b .)

1Ki 8:2

Accordingly "all the men of Israel (i.e., the heads of the tribes and families mentioned in 1Ki 8:1) assembled together to the king in the month Ethanim, i.e., the seventh month, at the feast."Gesenius explains the name האתנים (in 55 codd. האיתנים ) as meaning "month of the flowing brooks,"after איתן in Pro 13:15; Böttcher, on the other hand, supposes it to denote the equinox. But apart from other grounds, the plural by no means favours this. Nor does the seventh month answer to the period between the middle of our September and the middle of October, as is supposed by Thenius, who founds upon this supposition the explanation already rejected by Böttcher, viz., "month of gifts;"but it corresponds to the period between the new moon of October and the new moon of November, during which the rainy season commences in Palestine (Rob. Pal . ii. p. 96ff.), so that this month may very well have received its name from the constant flowing of the brooks. The explanation, "that is the seventh month,"is added, however (here as in 1Ki 6:1, 1Ki 6:38), not because the arrangement of the months was a different one before the captivity (Thenius), but because different names came into use for the months during the captivity. בּחג is construed with the article: "because the feast intended was one that was well known, and had already been kept for a long time (viz., the feast of tabernacles)."The article overthrows the explanation given by Thenius, who supposes that the reference is to the festivities connected with the dedication of the temple itself.

1Ki 8:3-4

After the arrival of all the elders (i.e., of the representatives of the nation, more particularly described in 1Ki 8:1), the priests carried the ark and brought it up (sc., into the temple), with the tabernacle and all the holy vessels in it. The expression אתם ויּעלוּ , which follows, introduces as a supplementary notice, according to the general diffuseness of the early Hebrew style of narrative, the more precise statement that the priests and Levites brought up these sacred vessels. מועד אהל is not the tent erected for the ark of the covenant upon Zion, which can be proved to have been never so designated, and which is expressly distinguished from the former in 2Ch 1:4 as compared with 1Ki 8:3, but is the Mosaic tabernacle at Gibeon in front of which Solomon had offered sacrifice (1Ki 3:4). The tabernacle with the vessels in it, to which, however, the ark of the covenant, that had long been separated from it, did not belong, was probably preserved as a sacred relic in the rooms above the Most Holy Place. The ark of the covenant was carried by priests on all solemn occasions, according to the spirit of the law, which enjoined, in Num 3:31 and Num 4:5., that the ark of the covenant and the rest of the sacred vessels should be carried by the Levites, after the priests had carefully wrapped them up; and the Levites were prohibited from directly touching them, on pain of death. When, therefore, the ark of the covenant was carried in solemn procession, as in the case before us, probably uncovered, this could only be done by the priests, more especially as the Levites were not allowed to enter the Most Holy Place. Consequently, by the statement in 1Ki 8:3 , that the priests and Levites carried them ( אתם ), viz., the objects mentioned before, we are to understand that the ark of the covenant was carried into the temple by the priests, and the tabernacle with its vessels by the Levites.

(Note: Instead of כּהנים in 1Ki 8:3, we have הלּויּם in 2Ch 5:4; and instead of והלּויּם הכּהנים in 1Ki 8:4, we have הלּויּם הכּהנים , "the Leviticalpriests."These variations are to be attributed to inexactness inexpression. For it is obvious that Thenius is wrong in his notion thatthe chronicler mentioned the Levites instead of the priests, from thesimple fact that he states in 1Ki 8:7 that "the priests carried the ark,"etc., in exact agreement with our account.)

1Ki 8:5

"And king Solomon and the whole congregation, that had gathered round him, were with him before the ark sacrificing sheep and oxen in innumerable multitude."This took place while the ark of the covenant was carried up, no doubt when it was brought into the court of the temple, and was set down there for a time either within or in front of the hall. Then was this magnificent sacrifice "offered"there "in front of the ark"( הארון לפני ).

1Ki 8:6-7

After this sacrificing was ended, the priests carried the ark to its place, into the back-room of the house, into the Most Holy under the wings of the cherubim (already described in 1Ki 6:23.). The latter statement is explained in 1Ki 8:7. "For the cherubim were spreading out wings towards the place of the ark, and so covered (lit., threw a shade) over the ark and over its poles from above."If the outspread wings of the great cherubic figures threw a shade not only over the ark of the covenant, but also over its poles, the ark was probably so placed that the poles ran from north to south, and not from east to west, as they are sketched in my Archäologie .

1Ki 8:8

"And the poles were long, and there were seen their heads (i.e., they were so long that their heads were seen) from the Holy Place before the hinder room; but on the outside (outside the Holy Place, say in the porch) they were not seen." יאכוּ cannot be rendered: they had lengthened the poles, from which Kimchi and others have inferred that they had made new and longer carrying-poles, since the form of the tense in this connection cannot be the pluperfect, and in that case, moreover the object would be indicated by את as in 1Ki 3:14; but האריך is used intransitively, "to be long,"lit., to show length, as in Exo 20:12; Deu 5:16, etc. The remark to the effect that the poles were visible, indicates that the precept of the law in Exo 25:15, according to which the poles were to be left in the ark, was observed in Solomon's temple also. Any one could convince himself of this, for the poles were there "to this day."The author of our books has retained this chronological allusion as he found it in his original sources; for when he composed his work, the temple was no longer standing. It is impossible, however, to ascertain from this statement how the heads of the poles could be seen in the Holy Place, - whether from the fact that they reached the curtain and formed elevations therein, if the poles ran from front to back; or whether, if, as is more probable, they ran from south to north, the front heads were to be seen, simply when the curtain was drawn back.

(Note: The proof which Thenius has endeavoured to give by means ofa drawing of the correctness of the latter view, is founded uponuntenable assumptions (see Böttcher, Aehrenl . ii. p. 69). It by nomeans follows from the expression דביר על־פּני that the heads ofthe poles were visible as far off as the door of the Holy Place, butsimply that they could be seen in the Holy Place, though not outside.)

1Ki 8:9

"There was nothing in the ark but the two tables of stone, which Moses had put there at Horeb, when Jehovah concluded the covenant with Israel."The intention of this remark is also simply to show that the law, which enjoined that the ark should merely preserve the stone tables of the covenant (Exo 25:16; Exo 40:20), had not been departed from in the lapse of time. אשׁר before כּרת is not a pronoun, but a conjunction: when, from the time that, as in Deu 11:6, etc. כּרת without בּרית , signifying the conclusion of a covenant, as in 1Sa 20:16; 1Sa 22:8, etc. Horeb , the general name for the place where the law was given, instead of the more definite name Sinai , as in Deuteronomy (see the Comm. on Exo 19:1-2).

(Note: The statement in Heb 9:4, to the effect that the pot of mannaand Aaron's rod that budded were also to be found in the ark, which isat variance with this verse, and which the earlier commentatorsendeavoured to bring into harmony with it by forced methods ofdifferent kinds, simply rests upon an erroneous interpretation of העדוּת לפני in Exo 16:33-34, and Num 17:10,which had become traditional among the Jews; since this merelyaffirms that the objects mentioned had been deposited in front of thetestimony, i.e., in front of the ark which contained the testimony,and not within it, as the Jews supposed.- Still less are De Wette andothers warranted in deducing from this verse an argument against theexistence of the Mosaic book of the law in the time of Solomon,inasmuch as, according to the precept in Deu 31:26, the book of thelaw was not to be kept in the ark, but by the side of it, or near it.)

1Ki 8:10-11

At the dedication of the tabernacle the glory of Jehovah in the cloud filled the sanctuary, so that Moses could not enter (Exo 40:34-35); and so was it now. When the priests came out of the sanctuary, after putting the ark of the covenant in its place, the cloud filled the house of Jehovah, so that the priests could not stand to minister. The signification of this fact was the same on both occasions. The cloud, as the visible symbol of the gracious presence of God, filled the temple, as a sign that Jehovah the covenant-God had entered into it, and had chosen it as the scene of His gracious manifestation in Israel. By the inability of the priests to stand, we are not to understand that the cloud drove them away; for it was not till the priests had come out that it filled the temple. It simply means that they could not remain in the Holy Place to perform service, say to offer an incense-offering upon the altar to consecrate it, just as sacrifices were offered upon the altar of burnt-offering after the dedicatory prayer (1Ki 8:62, 1Ki 8:63).

(Note: Bertheau's opinion (on 2Ch 5:14), that the priests couldnot remain in the hall and in front of it on account of the cloud,namely, "the cloud of smoke, which, ascending from the sacrificesburned upon the altar of burnt-offering, concealed the glory of theLord,"is decidedly erroneous. For the cloud which hindered the priestfrom performing the service was, according to the distinct words ofthe text, the cloud which filled the house; and the explanatory clause,"for the glory of the Lord filled the house of Jehovah,"indicates inthe most unmistakeable terms that it was the vehicle of the glory ofGod, and therefore was no a cloud of smoke formed by the burningsacrifices, but the cloud in which God manifested His invisible being toHis people,- the very same cloud in which Jehovah was to appearabove the Capporeth, when the high priest entered the Most HolyPlace on the day of atonement, so that he was commanded not toenter it at all times, and, when he entered, to cover the Capporethwith the cloud of the burning incense (Lev 16:2, Lev 16:13).

The glory of the Lord, which is like a consuming fire (Exo 24:17; Deu 4:24; Deu 9:3), before which unholy man cannot stand, manifested itself in the cloud. This marvellous manifestation of the glory of God took place only at the dedication; after that the cloud was only visible in the Most Holy Place on the great day of atonement, when the high priest entered it. - The Chronicles contain a long account at this place of the playing and singing of the Levites at these solemnities (vid., 2Ch 5:12-14).

1Ki 8:12-15

Solomon extols this marvellous proof of the favour of the Lord . - 1Ki 8:12. Then spake Solomon, "Jehovah hath spoken to dwell in the darkness.""Solomon saw that the temple was filled with a cloud, and remembered that God had been pleased to appear in a cloud in the tent of Moses also. Hence he assuredly believed that God was in this cloud also, and that, as formerly He had filled the tabernacle, so He would now fill the temple and dwell therein"(Seb. Schmidt). וגו יהוה אמר , which Thenius still renders incorrectly, "the Lord intends to dwell in the darkness,"refers, as Rashi, C. a Lap., and others have seen, to the utterances of God in the Pentateuch concerning the manifestation of His gracious presence among His people, not merely to Lev 16:2 (I will appear in the cloud), but also to Exo 19:9, where the Lord said to Moses, "I come to thee הענן בּעב ,"and still more to Exo 20:21 and Deu 4:11; Deu 5:19, according to which God came down upon Sinai בּערפל . Solomon took the word ערפל from these passages. That he meant by this the black, dark cloud which filled the temple, is perfectly obvious from the combination והערפל הענן in Deu 5:19 and Deu 4:11.

(Note: Thenius, however, has built up all kinds of untenableconjectures as to alterations of the text, upon the erroneousassumption that ענן means the light and radiant cloud, andcannot be synonymous with ערפל . Böttcher adopts thesame opinion, without taking any notice of the striking remarks ofBertheau on 2Ch 5:14.)

Solomon saw this word of Jehovah realized in the filling of the temple with the cloud, and learned therefrom that the Lord would dwell in this temple. Hence, being firmly convinced of the presence of Jehovah in the cloud which filled the sanctuary, he adds in 1Ki 8:13 : "I have built Thee a house to dwell in, a place for Thy seat for ever."We are not to understand עולמים as signifying that Solomon believed that the temple built by him would stand for ever; but it is to be explained partly from the contrast to the previous abode of God in the tabernacle, which from the very nature of the case could only be a temporary one, inasmuch as a tent, such as the tabernacle was, is not only a moveable and provisional dwelling, but also a very perishable one, and partly from the promise given to David in 2Sa 7:14-16, that the Lord would establish the throne of his kingdom for his seed for ever. This promise involved the eternal duration of the gracious connection between God and Israel, which was embodied in the dwelling of God in the temple. This connection, from its very nature, was an eternal one; even if the earthly form, from which Solomon at that moment abstracted himself, was temporal and perishable. - Solomon had spoken these words with his face turned to the Most Holy Place. He then (1Ki 8:14) turned his face to the congregation, which was standing in the court, and blessed it. The word "blessed"( יברך ) denotes the wish for a blessing with which the king greeted the assembled congregation, and introduced the praise of God which follows. - In 1Ki 8:15-21 he praises the Lord for having now fulfilled with His hand what He spake with His mouth to his father David (2 Sam 7).

1Ki 8:16

The promise of God, to choose Jerusalem as the place for the temple and David as prince, is taken freely from 2Sa 7:7-8. In 2Ch 6:6, before "I chose David,"we find "and I chose Jerusalem, that my name might be there;"so that the affirmation answers more precisely to the preceding negation, whereas in the account before us this middle term is omitted.

1Ki 8:17-19

David's intention to build the temple, and the answer of God that his son was to execute this work, are so far copied from 2Sa 7:2, 2Sa 7:12-13, that God approves the intention of David as such. הטיבת , "Thou didst well that it was in thy mind."

1Ki 8:20-21

"And Jehovah has set up His word." וגו ויּקם supplies the explanation of בידו מלּא (hath fulfilled with his hand) in 1Ki 8:15. God had caused Solomon to take possession of the throne of David; and Solomon had built the temple and prepared a place there for the ark of the covenant. The ark is thereby declared to be the kernel and star of the temple, because it was the throne of the glory of God.

Keil-Delitzsch: 1Ki 8:22-53

Second Act of the feast of dedication: Solomon's dedicatory prayer (cf. 2 Chron 6:12-42). - 1Ki 8:22. "Then Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in front of all the assembly of Israel, and stretched out his hands towards heaven."It is evident from 1Ki 8:54 that Solomon uttered the prayer which follows upon his knees. The Chronicles contain the same account as we have here, with this addition, that it is said to have taken place on a "scaffold,"or kind of pulpit ( כּיּור ) specially erected for the purpose.

(Note: Böttcher is right in his assertion, that the opinion expressedby Thenius and Cappellus, that this passage in the Chronicles has beendropped out of our text through a copyist's oversight, is a veryimprobable one; although the reasons he assigns are for the most partuntenable. The omission may be explained in a very simple manner,from the fact that the introduction of this circumstance had nobearing upon the design or contents of the dedicatory prayer.)

The altar, to the front of which Solomon went, was the altar of burnt-offering in the court, where the congregation was gathered together. The expression ישׂ כּל־קהל נגד favours the idea that Solomon offered the prayer upon his knees with his face turned towards the congregation, and not with his back to the people and his face turned towards the temple, as Thenius supposes. - The substance of the prayer is closely connected with the prayer of Moses, especially with the blessings and curses therein (vid., Lev 26 and Deut 28). Commencing with the praise of God, who "keepeth covenant and truth"towards His servants, and has thus far performed to His servant David the promise that He gave him (1Ki 8:23, 1Ki 8:24), Solomon entreats the Lord still further to fulfil this promise of His (1Ki 8:25, 1Ki 8:26), and to keep His eyes constantly open over the temple, to hearken to the prayers of His people, and to avert the curse threatened against sinners from all who shall call upon Him in this temple (vv. 27-53).

1Ki 8:23-24

By granting the blessing promised to His people, the Lord has hitherto proved Himself to be the true and only God in heaven and on earth, who keepeth covenant and mercy with those who walk before Him with all their heart. This acknowledgment provides the requisite confidence for offering the prayer which is sure of an answer (Mat 21:22; Mar 11:24; Jam 1:6). For אל אין־כּמוך , compare Exo 15:11 with Deu 4:39; 2Sa 7:22; 2Sa 22:32; Psa 86:8. "Who keepeth covenant and mercy," verbatim the same as in Deu 7:9. The promise given to His servant David (2 Sam 7), the fulfilment of which the commencement now lay before their eyes (cf. 1Ki 8:20, 1Ki 8:21), was an emanation from the covenant faithfulness of God. "As it is this day,"as in 1Ki 3:6.

1Ki 8:25

The expression "and now"( ועתּה ) introduces the prayer for the further fulfilment of the promise, never to allow a successor upon the throne to be wanting to David, in the same conditional form in which David had uttered the hope in 1Ki 2:4, and in which the Lord had renewed the promise to Solomon during the building of the temple (1Ki 6:12-13). In על־כּסּא ישׁב מלּפני , instead of כּסּא מעל in 1Ki 2:4, the divine rejection is more distinctly indicated.

1Ki 8:26

1Ki 8:26 is not merely a repetition of the prayer in 1Ki 8:25, as Thenius supposes, but forms the introduction to the prayers which follow for the hearing of all the prayer presented before the Lord in the temple. The words, "let Thy words be verified, which Thou spakest unto Thy servant David,"contain something more than a prayer for the continual preservation of the descendants of David upon the throne, for the fulfilment of which Solomon prayed in 1Ki 8:25. They refer to the whole of the promise in 2Sa 7:12-16. The plural דּבריך ( Chethîb ) points back to כּל־הדּברים in 2Sa 7:17, and is not to be altered into the singular after the Keri . The singular יאמן is used as it frequently is with the subject in the plural, when the verb precedes (cf. Ewald. §316, a ., 1). Solomon has here in mind one particular point in the promise, viz., that God would not withdraw His mercy from the seed of David, even when it sinned. This is evident from what follows, where he mentions simply cases of transgression, and prays that they may be forgiven.

1Ki 8:27-28

1Ki 8:26 are closely connected in this sense: keep Thy words that were spoken to David; for although this temple cannot hold Thine infinite divine nature, I know that Thou wilt have respect to the prayer of Thy servant, to keep Thine eyes open over this temple, to hear every prayer which Thy people shall bring before Thee therein. וּפנית in 1Ki 8:28 continues the optative נא יאמן in 1Ki 8:26; and 1Ki 8:27 contains an intermediate thought, with which Solomon meets certain contracted ideas of the gracious presence of God in the temple. כּי (1Ki 8:27) signifies neither but, nevertheless, atque (Böttcher), nor "as"(Thenius, Bertheau); and the assertion that 1Ki 8:27 is the commencement of a new section is overthrown by the inadmissible rendering of וּפנית , "but Thou turnest Thyself"(Thenius). - With the words, "Should God really dwell upon the earth! behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens (i.e., the heavens in their widest extent, cf. Deu 10:14) cannot contain Thee, to say nothing ( כּי אף ; cf. Ewald, §§354, c .) of this house which I have built,"in which the infinitude of God and His exaltation above the world are expressed as clearly and forcibly as possible, Solomon does not intend to guard against the delusion that God really dwells in temples (J. D. Mich.), but simply to meet the erroneous idea that He dwells in the temple as men dwell in a house, namely, shut up within it, and not also outside and above it, - a delusion which sometimes forced its way into the unspiritual nation but which was always attacked by the prophets (cf. Mic 3:11; Jer 7:4, etc.). For it is evident that Solomon did combine with his clear perception of the infinite exaltation of God a firm belief in His real presence in the temple, and did not do homage to the abstract idealism of the rationalists, not merely from his declaration in 1Ki 8:12. that he had built this temple as a dwelling-place for God, but also from the substance of all the following prayers, and primarily from the general prayer in 1Ki 8:28, 1Ki 8:29, that God would take this temple under His special protection, and hearken to every prayer directed towards it. The distinction between תּפלּה , תּחנּה , and רנּה is the following: תּפלּה denotes prayer in general, praise, supplication, and thanksgiving; תּחנּה , supplication or entreaty, prayer for help and mercy; and רנּה , jubilation, prayer as the joyous utterance of praise and thanksgiving.

1Ki 8:29-32

"That Thine eyes may be open upon this house night and day." אל־הבּית , speciali quadam providentia in hanc domum directi (Mich.). The following clause, "upon the place of which Thou hast said, My name shall be there"(namely, 2Sa 7:13, implicite ), contains within itself the ground upon which the prayer rests. Because the name of God will be in the temple, i.e., because God will manifest His gracious presence there, He will also keep His eyes open upon it, so as to hear the prayer of Solomon directed towards it. הזּה המּקום אל (toward this place): because Solomon also was prayer in the court towards the temple. - In 1Ki 8:30, "and hear the supplication of Thy servant and of Thy people Israel,"he begins by asking that those prayers may be heard which the king and people shall henceforth bring before God in the temple. ושׁמעתּ corresponds to וּפנית in 1Ki 8:28, and is more precisely defined by the following תּשׁמע ואתּה (as for these prayers), Thou wilt hear them up to the place of Thine abode, to heaven. אל שׁמע is a pregnant expression: to hear the prayer, which ascends to heaven. In the Chronicles we find throughout the explanatory מן . The last words, "hear and forgive,"must be left in their general form, and not limited by anything to be supplied. Nothing but forgiveness of sin can remove the curse by which transgression is followed.

This general prayer is then particularized from 1Ki 8:31 onwards by the introduction of seven special petitions for an answer in the different cases in which, in future, prayers may be offered to God in the temple. The first prayer (1Ki 8:31, 1Ki 8:32) has reference to the oaths sworn in the temple, the sanctity of which God is asked to protect. "If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him, to cause him to swear, and he come (and) swear before the altar in this house, then wilt Thou hear,"etc. אשׁר את does not mean either "granted that"(Thenius) or "just when "(Ewald, §533, a .), although אם is used in the Chronicles, and we might render it freely "when;" but את is simply an accusative particle, serving to introduce the following clause, in the sense of "as for,"or "with regard to (such a case as) that a man sins"(vid., Ewald, §277, a .). אלה וּבא cannot be taken as anything but an asyndeton . For if אלה were a substantive, it would have the article ( האלה ) provided it were the subject, and the verb would be written בּאה ; and if it were the object, we should have בּאלה , as in Neh 10:30 (cf. Eze 17:13). The prayer refers to the cases mentioned in Exo 22:6-12 and Lev 26:17, when property entrusted to any one had been lost or injured, or when a thing had been found and the finding was denied, or when an act of fraud had been committed; in which cases the law required not only compensation with the addition of a fifth of its value, but also a trespass-offering as an expiation of the sin committed by taking a false oath. But as this punishment could only be inflicted when the guilty person afterwards confessed his guilt, many false oaths might have been sworn in the cases in question and have remained unpunished, so far as men were concerned. Solomon therefore prays that the Lord will hear every such oath that shall have been sworn before the altar, and work ( עשׂית ), i.e., actively interpose, and judge His servants, to punish the guilty and justify the innocent. The construction השּׁמים תּשׁמע (1Ki 8:32, 1Ki 8:34, 1Ki 8:36, etc.) can be explained more simply from the adverbial use of the accusative (Ewald, §300, b .), than from השּׁמים אל in 1Ki 8:30. בּראשׁו דּרכּו תּת , to give (bring) his way upon his head, i.e., to cause the merited punishment to fall upon him (cf. Eze 9:10; Eze 11:21, etc.). רשׁע הרשׁרע and צדּיק הצדּיק recall Deu 25:2. For כּצדקתו לו תּת compare 2Sa 22:21, 2Sa 22:25. - The following cases are all taken from Lev 26 and Deut 28.

1Ki 8:33-34

The second petition, - "If Thy people Israel are smitten by the enemy, because they have sinned against Thee, and they turn to Thee and confess Thy name, ... then hear ... and bring them back into the land,"- refers to the threatenings in Lev 26:17 and Deu 28:25, where the nation is threatened with defeat and subjugation on the part of enemies, who shall invade the land, in which case prisoners of war are carried away into foreign lands, but the mass of the people remain in the land, so that they who are beaten can pray to the Lord in the temple, that He will forgive them their sin, save them out of the power of the enemy, and bring back the captives and fugitives into their fatherland.

1Ki 8:35-36

The third prayer refers to the remission of the punishment of drought threatened against the land, when the heaven is shut up, according to Lev 26:19; Deu 11:17; Deu 28:23. תענם כּי , because Thou humblest them (lxx, Vulg.); not "that Thou hearest them"(Chald. and others). תורם כּי , because Thou teachest them the good way. These words correspond to כי תענם , and contain a motive for forgiveness. Because God teaches His people and seeks by means of chastisements to bring them back to the good way when they fail to keep His commandments, He must forgive when they recognise the punishment as a divine chastisement and come to Him with penitential prayer.

1Ki 8:37-40

The fourth prayer relates to the removal of other land-plagues: famine (Lev 26:19-20, and Lev 26:26; Deu 28:23); pestilence (Lev 26:25); blight and mildew in the corn (Deu 28:22); locusts ( חסיל , devourer, is connected with ארבּה without a copula, - in the Chronicles by Vâv , - to depict the plague of locusts more vividly before their eyes after Deu 28:38); oppression by enemies in their own land; lastly, plagues and diseases of all kinds, such as are threatened against the rebellious in Lev 26:16 and Deu 28:59-61. יצר is not the imperfect Kal of צוּר (Ges., Dietr., Fürst, Olsh. Gramm . p. 524), but the imperfect Hiphil of הצר in Deu 28:52, as in Neh 9:27; and the difficult expression שׁעריו בּארץ is probably to be altered into שׁ בּארץ , whilst שׁעריו is either to be taken as a second object to יצר , as Luther supposes, or as in apposition to בּארץ , in the land (in) his gates, as Bertheau assumes. The assertion of Thenius, that all the versions except the Vulgate are founded upon the reading עריו בּעחת , is incorrect. יהיה כּי is omitted after kaal-machalaah, since Solomon dropped the construction with which he commenced, and therefore briefly summed up all the prayers, addressed to God under the various chastisements here named, in the expression כּל־תּחנּה כּל־תּפלּה , which is placed absolutely at the opening of 1Ki 8:38. וגו ידעוּן אשׁר , "when they perceive each one the stroke of his heart,"i.e., not dolor animi quem quisque sentit (Vatab., C. a Lap.), but the plague regarded as a blow falling upon the heart, in other words, as a chastisement inflicted upon him by God. In all these cases may God hear his prayer, and do and give to every one according to his way. תּדע אשׁר , "as Thou knowest his heart,"i.e., as is profitable for every one according to the state of his heart of his disposition. God can do this, because He knows the hearts of all men (cf. Jer 17:10). The purpose assigned for all this hearing of prayer (1Ki 8:40), viz., "that they may fear Thee,"etc., is the same as in Deu 4:10.

1Ki 8:41-43

The fifth prayer has reference to the hearing of the prayers of foreigners, who shall pray in the temple. Solomon assumes as certain that foreigners will come and worship before Jehovah in His temple; even Moses himself had allowed the foreigners living among the Israelites to offer sacrifice at the temple (Num 15:14.), and the great name and the arm of the Lord, that had manifested itself in deeds of omnipotence, had become known in the times of Moses to the surrounding nations (Exo 15:14; Exo 18:1; Jos 5:1), and the report of this had reached Balaam even in Mesopotamia (see the Comm. on Num 22). הנּכרי אל does not mean "as for the foreigners"(Thenius), for אל is never used in this sense; but it is to be connected with תּשׁמע in 1Ki 8:43, as אל שׁמע frequently occurs (Bertheau).

1Ki 8:42

1Ki 8:42 is a parenthesis inserted in explanation of שׁמך למען : "for they will hear,"etc. The strong hand and the outstretched arm are connected together as a standing expression for the wondrous manifestations of the divine omnipotence in the guidance of Israel, as in Deu 4:34; Deu 5:15, etc. With והתפּלּל וּבא the מארץ וּבא in 1Ki 8:41 is resumed, and the main thought continued.

1Ki 8:43

The reason for the hearing of the prayers of foreigners is "that all nations may know Thy name to fear Thee,"etc., as in Deu 28:10. An examination of this original passage, from which וגו על נקרא שׁמך כּי is taken and transferred to the temple, shows that the common explanations of this phrase, viz., "that this house is called after Thy name,"or "that Thy name is invoked over this temple (at its dedication),"are erroneous. The name of the Lord is always used in the Scriptures to denote the working of God among His people or in His kingdom (see at 2Sa 6:2). The naming of this name over the nation, the temple, etc., presupposes the working of God within it, and denotes the confession and acknowledgment of that working. This is obvious from such passages as Jer 14:9, where the expression "Thy name is called over us"is only a further explanation of the word "Thou art in the midst of us;"and from Isa 63:19, where "we are they over whom Thou hast not ruled from eternity"is equivalent to "over whom Thy name has not been called."The name of Jehovah will be named over the temple, when Jehovah manifests His gracious presence within it in such a manner, that the nations who pray towards it experience the working of the living God within His sanctuary. It is in this sense that it is stated in 2Sa 6:2 that the name of Jehovah is named above the ark of the covenant (see the Comm. in loc .). - There are no cases on record of the worship of foreigners in connection with Solomon's temple, though there are in connection with the temple built after the captivity (vid., Josephus, Ant . xi. 8, 5, that of Alexander the Great; xii. 2, 5ff., that of Ptolemaeus Philadelphus; and 2 Macc. 3:2, 3, that of Seleucus).

1Ki 8:44-45

Finally, in 1Ki 8:44-50 Solomon also asks, that when prayers are directed towards the temple by those who are far away both from Jerusalem and the temple, they may be heard. The sixth case, in 1Ki 8:44, 1Ki 8:45, is, if Israel should be engaged in war with an enemy by the appointment of God; and the seventh , in 1Ki 8:46-50, is, if it should be carried away by enemies on account of its sins.

(Note: Bertheau (on Chron.) has already proved that there is no forcein the arguments by which Thenius attempts to show, on doctrinalgrounds, that 1Ki 8:44-51 are an interpolated addition. As he correctlyobserves, "it is, on the contrary, quite in harmony with the originalplan, that the two cases are also anticipated, in which the prayers ofIsraelites who are at a distance from the seat of the sanctuary aredirected towards the temple, since it is perfectly appropriate that theprayers of the Israelites at the place of the sanctuary are mentionedfirst, then the prayers of foreigners at the same place, and lastly theprayers of Israelites, who, because they are not in Jerusalem, areobliged to content themselves with turning their faces towards thetemple. We might also point to the fact that it is probablyintentional that exactly seven cases are enumerated, inasmuch as inenumerations of this kind, which are not restricted by the nature ofthe case to any definite measure, such a number as seven easilyfurnishes an outward limit,"- or more correctly: because seven as asacred or covenant number was more appropriate than any other toembrace all prayers addressed to God.)

By the expression in 1Ki 8:44, "in the way which Thou sendest them,"the war is described as one undertaken by the direction of God, whether wages against an enemy who has invaded the land, or outside the land of Canaan for the chastisement of the heathen dwelling around them. "And shall pray וגו העיר דּרך :"i.e., in the direction towards the chosen city and the temple, namely, in faith in the actual presence of the covenant God in the temple. יהוה אל , "to Jehovah,"instead of "to Thee,"is probably introduced for the sake of greater clearness. משׁפּטם ועשׂית , and secure them justice (cf. Deu 10:18; Psa 9:5, etc.).

1Ki 8:46-49

In the seventh prayer, viz., if Israel should be given up to its enemies on account of its sins and carried away into the land of the enemy, Solomon had the threat in Lev 26:33, Lev 26:44 in his eye, though he does not confine his prayer to the exile of the whole nation foretold in that passage and in Deu 28:45., Deu 28:64, and Deu 30:1-5, but extends it to every case of transportation to an enemy's land. לבּם אל והשׁיבוּ , "and they take it to heart,"compare Deu 4:39, and without the object, Deu 30:1; not "they feel remorse,"as Thenius supposes, because the Hiphil cannot have this reflective signification (Böttcher). The confession of sin in 1Ki 8:47, רשׁענוּ והעוינוּ חטאנוּ , was adopted by the Jews when in captivity as the most exhaustive expression of their deep consciousness of guilt (Dan 9:5; Psa 106:6). חטא , to slip, labi , depicts sin as a wandering from right; העוה , to act perversely, as a conscious perversion of justice; and רשׁע as a passionate rebellion against God (cf. Isa 57:20).

1Ki 8:50-53

לרחמים וּנתתּם : literally, "and make (place) them for compassion before their captors, that they may have compassion upon them,"i.e., cause them to meet with compassion from their enemies, who have carried them away. - In 1Ki 8:51-53 Solomon closes with general reasons, which should secure the hearing of his prayer on the part of God. Bertheau follows the earlier commentators in admitting that these reasons refer not merely to the last petitions, but to all the preceding ones.

(Note: Seb. Schmidt has already given the following explanation:"These things which I have asked for myself and for my people doThou, O Lord, because it is for Thy people that I have prayed, and Iam their king: therefore hear Thou the prayers of Thy servant andThy people. For in 1Ki 8:52 he makes mention of his own case and ofthe cases of all the rest, in which they would call upon the Lord.)

The plea "for they are Thy people,"etc. (1Ki 8:51), is taken from Deu 4:10; and that in 1Ki 8:53, "Thou didst separate them,"etc., is taken from Lev 20:24, Lev 20:26, compared with Exo 19:5. וגו עיניך להיות , "that Thine eyes may be opened,"follows upon ושׁמעתּ ("then hear Thou") in 1Ki 8:49; just as 1Ki 8:29 at the commencement of the prayer follows upon וּפנית in 1Ki 8:28. The recurrence of the same expression shows that the prayer is drawing to a close, and is rounded off by a return to the thought with which it opened. "As Thou spakest by Moses"points back to Exo 19:5. - In 2Ch 6:40-42 the conclusion of the prayer is somewhat altered, and closes with the appeal to the Lord to cause salvation and grace to go forth from the temple over His people.

Constable: 1Ki 1:1--11:43

I. THE REIGN OF SOLOMON chs. 1--11

The Holy Spirit led the writer of Kings to give an interpretation of history, not just a chronologically sequential record of events. This is true of all the writers of the Old Testament historical books. Some of the events in Kings are not in chronological order. They appear in the text as they do to make a point that was primarily theological (i.e., to reveal a spiritual lesson from history). The writer chose the historical data he included for this purpose under the superintending inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The lesson that Kings teaches is that failure to honor the revealed will of God results in ruin and destruction.¹² For Israel the revealed will of God was the Mosaic Law and the later revelations of the prophets.

"By way of contrast with the other two books covering the historical details of the united and divided kingdoms, one might say that whereas Samuel's author uses a biographical style and Chronicles is written from a theological standpoint, the author of Kings employs a largely narrative-annalistic approach."¹³

All three major sections of Kings emphasize many theological lessons, but each one repeats and reinforces the main motif, the importance of obeying the Mosaic Law to succeed. This motif stands out clearly in the first major section dealing with Solomon's reign (chs. 1-11). The nation of Israel reached the height of its power and prestige in Solomon's day. It began to decline because of Solomon's unfaithfulness and failure to honor the Mosaic Covenant.

One writer observed that the structure of the record of Solomon's reign is as follows. Chapters 1-2 and 11:14-43 draw a frame around the whole history of Solomon's rule. Within this frame two similar sections form the body of the revelation. The first (3:1-8:66) is favorable to Solomon and the second (9:1-11:13) is critical of him.¹⁴ Each of these sections begins with a dream (3:1-15; 9:1-10a), and each ends with a revelation of Solomon's attitude toward God (chs. 6-8; 11:1-13). The first section has two parts. Part one reveals Solomon's domestic policy with sub-sections on women and wisdom (3:16-28), and administration and wisdom (4:1-5:14). Part two deals with Solomon's labor relations and has sub-sections on the contract with Hiram (5:15-18) and the corvée (5:28-33). The second section also has two parts. Part one gives more information about Solomon's labor relations and has sub-sections on the contract with Hiram (9:10b-14) and the corvée (9:15-28). Part two explains Solomon's foreign policy with sub-sections on women and wisdom (10:1-13), and wealth and wisdom (10:14-29). Thus there is both a chiastic and an unfolding structure in chapters 1-11.¹⁵

Constable: 1Ki 5:1--8:66

C. Solomon's Greatest Contribution chs. 5-8

Solomon's outstanding contribution to the nation of Israel, I believe, was the provision he made for her spiritual strength. The writer of Kings gave this much emphasis in his book.

People generally regarded their king as the representative, son, and vice-regent of their chief god in the ancient Near East.⁶² This was really the true relation of Israel's king to Yahweh. People also viewed the temples of the gods as the palaces of those beings and regarded the magnificence of their houses as a reflection of their personal greatness. The temple represented the god.⁶³ Therefore Solomon wanted to portray the greatness of Yahweh by building Him the most glorious temple in the ancient Near East. This would have enabled Israel to fulfill the purpose for which God had raised her up better, namely, to bring people to God (Exod. 19:6; cf. Isa. 42:6-7).

Constable: 1Ki 8:1-66

5. The temple dedication ch. 8

This chapter climaxes the writer's emphasis on the greatness of Yahweh as Israel's God. It is the most detailed account of a dedication service in the Bible.⁸⁸ It is also one of the most theologically significant texts in 1 and 2 Kings.⁸⁹

Constable: 1Ki 8:1-11

The entrance of the ark 8:1-11

The Israelites regarded the ark as the throne of Yahweh. It was the place where He manifested His presence in a localized way and where He received the blood that atoned for the Israelites' sins on the day of Atonement. The ark had rested in David's tabernacle in Zion since David had brought it from the house of Obed-edom (2 Sam. 6:17). It was the only item in the temple that was not new. Perhaps God did not change it to help the people realize that He, symbolized by the ark, had not changed. His person and methods of dealing with them at the mercy seat were the same as they had been.

The ceremony of installing the ark in Solomon's temple took place during the feast of Tabernacles. This was one of the feasts that the Mosaic Law specified that all Israelite males had to attend (Lev. 23:33-36). This feast was a commemoration of the Lord's faithfulness during His people's wilderness wanderings. It looked back to their slavery in Egypt and forward to their establishment in the Promised Land. The bringing of the ark into the temple symbolized the fulfillment of that hope. Evidently Solomon waited for this feast to celebrate the dedication of the temple and used the months following the completion of construction to furnish it and to prepare for the celebration.⁹⁰

What verses 3-8 picture is the symbolic enthronement of Yahweh as Israel's King. Israel's God now entered into His house. The people did not regard the sovereignty of a human king as firmly established until he built a palace for himself. Now they saw the sovereignty of the divine King established over Israel. "To this day" (v. 8) shows that the writer wrote this part of Kings before 586 B.C. when the Babylonian army destroyed this temple.

The ark housed the tablets of the Decalogue (Heb. 9:4). The sole presence of the Law in the ark reemphasized the importance of the Israelites submitting to the Mosaic Covenant, which these tablets represented. That obedience would be the key to Israel's success (Josh. 1:8).⁹¹

The shekinah (from the Hebrew root translated "to dwell") cloud (Exod. 19:9; 34:5; 35 al.), symbolic of Yahweh's presence, filled the temple. It had also filled the tabernacle at its dedication (Exod. 40:34-35).⁹² The Israelites perceived that their God had come to dwell among them and to bless them with His presence. Even priestly ministry was impossible during this glorious revelation of Yahweh. All that the people could do was worship.

Constable: 1Ki 8:12-21

Solomon's address to the people 8:12-21

God previously said He would dwell in the cloudy pillar (Lev. 16:2). Solomon hoped God would now dwell in the temple forever (i.e., from then on).

Solomon emphasized the desire of David's heart to build the temple (vv. 17-18). God raised up Solomon to do that as He had promised. The temple was a house for the reputation (name) of Yahweh. It made a statement about Him. "Name" occurs 14 times in verses 16-20. The Mosaic Covenant was the basis of Israel's ongoing fellowship with God (v. 21). Solomon demonstrated humility and gratitude in what he said.

"This statement reflects the strong emphasis placed on justice in the theology of the Old Testament. Since God is just, He expects His representatives to be just also. The Temple was to be a place where this was recognized."⁹³

Constable: 1Ki 8:22-53

Solomon's prayer of dedication 8:22-53

This great prayer centers on the Mosaic Covenant. That is its heart. Solomon introduced seven petitions with a backward look emphasizing God's faithfulness (vv. 23-26). He concluded with a forward look stressing God's mercy (vv. 52-53).

Solomon's posture of kneeling with open hands uplifted to heaven (v. 52) symbolized his heart attitude, as posture often does in prayer. He, the earthly king, placed himself in a supplicant's position before the heavenly King dependent and eager to receive the blessings he requested.

Seven petitions follow a general request that God would hear the prayers of His people (vv. 27-30). In these verses Solomon voiced the truth that Yahweh did not really live on earth but in heaven (v. 27). He did not confuse the symbols of God's presence with God Himself (cf. 1 Sam. 4:3). He referred to himself often as God's servant (vv. 28-39, et al.).

Then he requested God's mercy when His people turned to Him in situations involving violations of the covenant. These included personal sins (vv. 31-32), defeat in battle (vv. 33-34), drought (vv. 35-36), and famine (vv. 37-40). He then asked for God's grace on God-fearing foreigners (vv. 41-43) as well as on the Israelites in battle (vv. 44-45) and after captivity (vv. 46-51; cf. Dan. 6:10). All the calamities Solomon mentioned in his prayer are curses God promised to send on Israel if she broke the Mosaic Covenant (cf. Lev. 26; Deut. 28:22, 25, 38, 42, 59; 31:17, 29; 32:24).

As Hannah's prayer (1 Sam. 2:1-10) set the tone for all that followed in 1 and 2 Samuel, so Solomon's prayer here does the same for 1 and 2 Kings. The remainder of 1 and 2 Kings shows how God answered Solomon's prayer. The possibilities that the king mentioned here eventually took place in Israel's history culminating in Babylonian captivity.

"Solomon's prayer is essential to comprehend the message of the book. The author of the Book of Kings intended for the words of Solomon to be heard at a key point in the relationship between God and His people, that is, at the time the temple in Jerusalem was dedicated. The following words of Solomon's prayer [vv. 47-48] would appeal to the exiles and would be a specific plea for repentance because of the hope of returning to the motherland. This is the essence of the book's message."⁹⁴

Guzik: 1Ki 8:1-66

1 Kings 8 - The Dedication of the Temple

A. The Ark of the Covenant is brought to the temple.

1. (1-2) All of Israel assembles at Jerusalem.

Now Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the City of David, which is Zion. Therefore all the men of Israel assembled with King Solomon at the feast in the month of Ethanim, which is the seventh month.

a. Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the chief fathers of the children of Israel: Solomon intended this to be a spectacular "opening ceremony" for the temple. It was probably on the scale of the large productions in our modern Olympic opening ceremonies.

b. That they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD: The temple wasn't "open" until the ark of the covenant was set in the most holy place. The ark was the most important item in the temple.

c. Which is the seventh month: The temple was finished in the eighth month (1 Kings 6:38), but Solomon chose the seventh month for the dedication, eleven months later, "which time he chose with common respect to his people's convenience, because now they had gathered in all their fruits, and now they were come up to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast of tabernacles." (Poole)

i. There may have also been another reason. "It has already been observed that Solomon deferred the dedication of the temple to the following year after it was finished, because that year, according to Archbishop Usher, was a jubilee." (Clarke)

2. (3-9) The ark of the covenant is set in the Holy of Holies.

So all the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark. Then they brought up the ark of the LORD, the tabernacle of meeting, and all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle. The priests and the Levites brought them up. Also King Solomon, and all the congregation of Israel who were assembled with him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude. Then the priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy Place, under the wings of the cherubim. For the cherubim spread their two wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim overshadowed the ark and its poles. The poles extended so that the ends of the poles could be seen from the holy place, in front of the inner sanctuary; but they could not be seen from outside. And they are there to this day. Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

a. The priests took up the ark: Solomon was careful to obey what God commanded about transporting the ark of the covenant, that it was only to be carried by priests. He will not repeat the error of his father David in 2 Samuel 6:1-8.

b. And all the holy furnishings that were in the tabernacle: The ark of the covenant was the most important item in the temple, but not the only item. They also brought the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense from the tabernacle into the temple.

i. "It is generally agreed that there were now two tabernacles, one at Gibeon, and the other in the city of David, which one David had constructed as a temporary residence for the ark." (Clarke)

c. Sacrificing sheep and oxen that could not be counted or numbered for multitude: Solomon went "over-the-top" in his effort to honor and praise God on this great day.

d. Nothing was in the ark except the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb: At an earlier point in Israel's history there were three items in the ark of the covenant. Earlier, inside the ark were the golden pot that had the manna (Exodus 16:33), Aaron's rod that budded (Numbers 17:6-11), and the tablets of the covenant (Exodus 25:16). We don't know what happened to the golden pot of manna and Aaron's rod, but they were not in the ark when Solomon set it in the most holy place.

e. When the LORD made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt: The reminder of the deliverance from Egypt is significant, because there is a sense in which this - some 500 years after the Exodus - is the culmination of the deliverance from Egypt. Out of Egypt and into the wilderness Israel, out of necessity, lived in tents - and the dwelling of God was a tent. Now since Solomon built the temple, the dwelling of God among Israel was a building, a place of permanence and security.

3. (10-13) The glory of God fills the temple.

And it came to pass, when the priests came out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD. Then Solomon spoke:

"The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.

I have surely built You an exalted house,

And a place for You to dwell in forever."

a. The cloud filled the house of the LORD: This was the cloud of glory, seen often in the Old and New Testaments, sometimes called the cloud of Shekinah glory. It is hard to define the glory of God; we could call it the radiant outshining of His character and presence. Here it is manifested in a cloud.

· This is the cloud that stood by Israel in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22)

· This is the cloud of glory that God spoke to Israel from (Exodus 16:10)

· This is the cloud from which God met with Moses and others (Exodus 19:9, 24:15-18, Numbers 11:25, 12:5, 16:42)

· This is the cloud that stood by the door of the Tabernacle (Exodus 33:9-10)

· This is the cloud from which God appeared to the High Priest in the Holy Place inside the veil (Leviticus 16:2)

· This is the cloud of Ezekiel's vision, filling the temple of God with the brightness of His glory (Ezekiel 10:4)

· This is the cloud of glory that overshadowed Mary when she conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35)

· This is the cloud present at the transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:34-35)

· This is the cloud of glory that received Jesus into heaven at His ascension (Acts 1:9)

· This is the cloud that will display the glory of Jesus Christ when He returns in triumph to this earth (Luke 21:27, Revelation 1:7)

i. "There is a parallel to this event in Acts 2:1-4 in which God marks the inception of the church as the temple of the Holy Spirit by making his presence known through the sound of a mighty rushing win and by filling those present with the Holy Spirit." (Patterson and Austel)

b. So that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud: The extreme presence of the glory of God made normal service impossible. The sense of the presence of God was so intense that the priests felt it was impossible to continue in the building.

i. We know that God is good and that God is love; why should an intense presence of goodness and love make the priests feel they could not continue? Because God is not only goodness and love, He is also holy - and the holiness of God made the priests feel that they could no longer stand in His presence.

ii. The intense sense of the presence of our holy God is not a "warm and fuzzy" feeling. Men like Peter (Luke 5:8), Isaiah (Isaiah 6:5), and John (Revelation 1:17) felt stricken in the presence of God. This was not because God forced an uncomfortable feeling upon them, but because they simply could not be comfortable sensing the difference between their sinfulness and the holiness of God.

iii. We can also think of the priests as those who ministered unto God under the Old Covenant. The New Covenant - the covenant of grace and truth (John 1:17) - offers us a better access to God.

iv. This glory remained at the temple until Israel utterly rejected God in the days of the divided monarchy. The prophet Ezekiel saw the glory depart the temple (Ezekiel 10:18).

c. I have surely built You an exalted house, and a place for You to dwell in forever: Solomon rightly sensed that the presence of the cloud meant that God dwelt in the temple in a special way. As long as this did not slip into a superstitious misunderstanding, it was good to recognize a special place to come and meet with God.

i. "Language experts say the poem is incomplete and fragmented, and that it apparently had another opening line in its original form." (Dilday)

4. (14-21) Solomon's speech at the dedication of the temple.

Then the king turned around and blessed the whole assembly of Israel, while all the assembly of Israel was standing. And he said: "Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it, saying, 'Since the day that I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have chosen no city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house, that My name might be there; but I chose David to be over My people Israel.' Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. But the LORD said to my father David, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.' So the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; and I have filled the position of my father David, and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised; and I have built a temple for the name of the LORD God of Israel. And there I have made a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of the LORD which He made with our fathers, when He brought them out of the land of Egypt."

a. Who spoke with His mouth to my father David, and with His hand has fulfilled it: Solomon recognized that the temple was the fulfillment of God's plan, not David's or Solomon's. David and Solomon were human instruments, but the work was God's.

b. Out of Egypt . . . out of the land of Egypt: Solomon presses the remembrance of the Exodus. Though it happened 500 years before, it was just as important and real for Israel as the day it happened.

B. Solomon's prayer.

1. (22-23) Solomon recognizes the nature and character of God.

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven; and he said: "LORD God of Israel, there is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You, who keep Your covenant and mercy with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts.

a. Stood before the altar of the LORD: Solomon did not dedicate the temple from within the temple. It would be inappropriate for him to do so, because he was a king and not a priest. The holy place and most holy place were only for chosen descendants of the High Priest.

b. And spread out his hands toward heaven: This was the most common posture of prayer in the Old Testament. Many modern people close their eyes, bow their head, and fold their hands as they pray, but the Old Testament tradition was to spread out the hands toward heaven in a gesture of surrender, openness, and ready reception.

i. "It is worthy of remark concerning this prayer that it is as full and comprehensive as if it were meant to be the summary of all future prayers offered in the temple." (Spurgeon)

ii. "One is struck, moreover, with the fact that the language is far from new, and is full of quotations from the Pentateuch, some of which are almost word for word, while the sense of the whole may be found in those memorable passages in Leviticus and Deuteronomy." (Spurgeon)

c. There is no God in heaven above or on earth below like You: Solomon recognized that God was completely unique. The pretended gods of the nations could not compare to Him in any way.

2. (24-26) Solomon recognizes God as the maker and keeper of promises.

"You have kept what You promised Your servant David my father; You have both spoken with Your mouth and fulfilled it with Your hand, as it is this day. Therefore, LORD God of Israel, now keep what You promised Your servant David my father, saying, 'You shall not fail to have a man sit before Me on the throne of Israel, only if your sons take heed to their way, that they walk before Me as you have walked before Me.' And now I pray, O God of Israel, let Your word come true, which You have spoken to Your servant David my father."

a. You have kept what You promised: Solomon first thanked and praised God for His past fulfillment of promises.

b. Now keep what You promised Your servant David: Solomon called upon God to keep the promises that He made. This is the great secret to power in prayer - to take God's promises to heart in faith, and then boldly and reverently call upon Him to fulfill the promises.

i. "God sent the promise on purpose to be used. If I see a Bank of England note, it is a promise for a certain amount of money, and I take it and use it. But oh I my friend, do try and use God's promises; nothing pleases God better than to see his promises put in circulation; he loves to see his children bring them up to him, and say, 'LORD, do as thou hast said.' And let me tell you that it glorifies God to use his promises." (Spurgeon)

ii. This kind of prayer lays hold of God's promise. Just because God promises doesn't mean that we possess. Through believing prayer like this, God promises and we appropriate. If we don't appropriate in faith, God's promise is left unclaimed.

3. (27-30) Solomon asks God to dwell in this place and honor those who seek Him here.

"But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You. How much less this temple which I have built! Yet regard the prayer of Your servant and his supplication, O LORD my God, and listen to the cry and the prayer which Your servant is praying before You today: that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place. And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.

a. How much less this temple which I have built! We are glad that Solomon said this. From his statement in 1 Kings 8:12-13 we might have thought that he drifted towards a superstitious idea that God actually lived in the temple to the exclusion of other places. It was important to recognize that though God had a special presence in the temple, He was far too great to be restricted to the temple.

b. May You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place: Solomon asked God to incline His ear towards the king and the people when they prayed from the temple. For this reason, many observant Jews still pray facing the direction of the site of the temple in Jerusalem.

c. When You hear, forgive: Solomon knew that the most important thing Israel needed was forgiveness. This was the greatest answer to prayer Israel could expect from God.

4. (31-32) Hear when Your people take an oath at the temple.

"When anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple, then hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his head, and justifying the righteous by giving him according to his righteousness.

a. And comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple: The temple grounds were used as a place to verify and authorize oaths. When a dispute came down to one word against another, Solomon asked that the temple would be a place to properly swear by.

b. Hear in heaven, and act, and judge Your servants: Solomon asked the God who can see what man can't - who knows the hidden heart of man - and to enforce from heaven the oaths made at the temple.

i. The old Puritan commentator John Trapp could not resist mentioning a fulfillment of this principle in his own day: "Anne Averies, who, forswearing herself, A.D. 1575, February 11, at a shop of Wood Street in London, praying God she might sink where she stood if she had not paid for the wares she took, fell down presently speechless, and with horrible stink died."

5. (33-34) Hear when Your people are defeated.

"When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy because they have sinned against You, and when they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in this temple, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your people Israel, and bring them back to the land which You gave to their fathers.

a. When Your people Israel are defeated before an enemy: Many times in their history, Israel suffered defeat and could only cry out to God. It was even worse when the defeat was because they had sinned against the LORD Himself.

b. When they turn back to You and confess Your name, and pray and make supplication to You in the temple, then hear in heaven: Solomon asked God to hear the prayers of a defeated, yet humble and penitent Israel. God answered this prayer of Solomon, and He forgives and restores His defeated people when they come in humble repentance.

6. (35-40) Hear in times of plague and famine.

"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of Your servants, Your people Israel, that You may teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance. When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows the plague of his own heart, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know (for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men), that they may fear You all the days that they live in the land which You gave to our fathers.

a. When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain: Drought was a constant threat for the agriculturally based economy of Israel. If there was no rain, there was no food.

b. When they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them, then hear in heaven: Solomon doesn't take it for granted that God would forgive and hear His repentant people. God's good response to our repentance comes from His grace, not from justice.

c. When each one knows the plague of his own heart: Solomon recognized that some plagues are easily seen, but other plagues come from our own heart. Many are cursed by a plague that no one else can see, but lives in their own heart. Solomon asks God to answer such a plague-stricken man when he humbly pleads at the temple.

i. A man did not have to be sinless or righteous to have his prayer answered at the temple. He could be a guilty man, stricken by the plague of his own heart - and still find a gracious God when He came in humble repentance.

ii. "A great many men think they know the plague of other people's hearts, and there is a great deal of talk in the world about this family, and that person, and the other. I pray you let the scandals of the hour alone, and think of your own evils." (Spurgeon)

7. (41-43) Hear when a foreigner prays.

"Moreover, concerning a foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel, but has come from a far country for Your name's sake (for they will hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm), when he comes and prays toward this temple, hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do Your people Israel, and that they may know that this temple which I have built is called by Your name.

a. Moreover, concerning a foreigner: The temple was in Israel but it was always intended to be a house of prayer for all nations (Isaiah 56:7). God wanted the court of the Gentiles to be a place where the nations could come and pray.

i. The violation of this principle made Jesus angry. When He came to the temple and found the outer courts - the only place where the Gentile nations could come a pray - more like a swap meet than a house of prayer, He drove out the moneychangers and the merchants (Matthew 21:13).

b. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You: Solomon asked God to hear the prayer of the foreigner out of a missionary impulse. He knew that when God mercifully answered the prayers of foreigners, it drew those from other nations to the God of all nations.

8. (44-53) Hear when Israel goes out to battle and prays from captivity.

"When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You send them, and when they pray to the LORD toward the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name, then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause. When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin), and You become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy, and they take them captive to the land of the enemy, far or near; yet when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive, saying, 'We have sinned and done wrong, we have committed wickedness'; and when they return to You with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies who led them away captive, and pray to You toward their land which You gave to their fathers, the city which You have chosen and the temple which I have built for Your name: then hear in heaven Your dwelling place their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause, and forgive Your people who have sinned against You, and all their transgressions which they have transgressed against You; and grant them compassion before those who took them captive, that they may have compassion on them (for they are Your people and Your inheritance, whom You brought out of Egypt, out of the iron furnace), that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You. For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O LORD GOD."

a. When Your people go out to battle against their enemy, wherever You send them: Solomon prayed with the idea that God should answer the prayers for victory made in foreign lands towards the temple, but only when they battle as God sent them. This was not a blanket request for blessing on every military adventure.

b. When they sin against You (for there is no one who does not sin): This is a succinct Old Testament statement of the principle most clearly stated in Romans 3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

c. When they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive: Solomon also asked God to hear Israel's prayer from captivity in a foreign land. This recognized that the God of the Temple could answer prayers made away from the temple.

C. Solomon blesses the people.

1. (54-61) The blessing: may God answer my prayer, that we'll be blessed

And so it was, when Solomon had finished praying all this prayer and supplication to the LORD, that he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven. Then he stood and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying: "Blessed be the LORD, who has given rest to His people Israel, according to all that He promised. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses. May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us, that He may incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments and His statutes and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. And may these words of mine, with which I have made supplication before the LORD, be near the LORD our God day and night, that He may maintain the cause of His servant and the cause of His people Israel, as each day may require, that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. Let your heart therefore be loyal to the LORD our God, to walk in His statutes and keep His commandments, as at this day."

a. He arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven: 1 Kings 8:22 tells us that Solomon began this prayer standing, but some time before he finished, he fell to his knees in reverence to God.

i. Ezra prayed on his knees (Ezra 9:5), the Psalmist called us to kneel (Psalm 95:6), Daniel prayed on his knees (Daniel 6:10), people came to Jesus kneeling (Matthew 17:14, Matthew 20:20, Mark 1:40), Stephen prayed on his knees (Acts 7:60), Peter prayed on his knees (Acts 9:40), Paul prayed on his knees (Acts 20:36, Ephesians 3:14), and other early Christians prayed on their knees (Acts 21:5). Most importantly, Jesus prayed on His knees (Luke 22:41). The Bible has enough prayer not on the knees to show us that it isn't required, but it also has enough prayer on the knees to show us that it is good.

b. There has not failed one word of all His good promise, which He promised through His servant Moses: Since Solomon prayed often appealing to God's promises, it makes sense that he praised God for the past fulfillment of His promises. Knowing this gave Solomon confidence in prayer.

c. May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers: God promised to be with Israel, but Solomon knew it was important to ask God to fulfill His promise. He comes pleading the promises of God.

d. That all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God: Solomon again shows the often-neglected missionary impulse God wanted in Israel. Blessing to Israel wasn't meant to end with Israel; God wanted to bless the world through Israel.

2. (62-66) The feast of dedication for the temple.

Then the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifices before the LORD. And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to the LORD, twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of the LORD. On the same day the king consecrated the middle of the court that was in front of the house of the LORD; for there he offered burnt offerings, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to receive the burnt offerings, the grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings. At that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great assembly from the entrance of Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the LORD our God, seven days and seven more days; fourteen days. On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the good that the LORD had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people.

a. He offered to the LORD, twenty-two thousand bulls and one hundred and twenty thousand sheep: This is a staggering - almost grotesque - amount of sacrifice. Each animal was ritually sacrificed and a portion was dedicated to the LORD, and a portion given to the priests and the people. It was enough to feed a vast multitude for two weeks.

i. It was such a great amount of sacrifice that they specially consecrated the area in front of the temple to receive sacrifices, because the bronze altar that was before the LORD was too small to receive the burnt offerings.

b. At that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him: From the time of year and the length of this feast, we understand that this was the Feast of Tabernacles, extended beyond its normal seven days on this special occasion.

i. "The Feast of Booths was in itself a grand occasion for rejoicing and for an enhanced spirit of community among all Israelites. The dedication of the temple made this occasion all the more joyful and memorable, and the time of the celebration was suitably extended." (Patterson and Austel)

c. For all the good that the LORD had done for His servant David, and for Israel His people: This account of the dedication of the temple ends where the story of the temple began - with David, not Solomon. The writer remembers that it was David's heart and vision that started the work of the temple (2 Samuel 7:1-3 and following).

i. "How happy must these people have been, and how prosperous, had their king continued to walk uprightly before God! But alas! the king fell, and the nation followed his example." (Clarke)

© 2004 David Guzik - No distribution beyond personal use without permission

Introduction / Outline

JFB: 1 Kings (Book Introduction)

THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOKS OF KINGS, in the ancient copies of the Hebrew Bible, constitute one book. Various titles have been given them; in the Septuagint and the Vulgate they are called the Third and Fourth Books of Kings. The authorship of these books is unknown; but the prevailing opinion is that they were compiled by Ezra, or one of the later prophets, from the ancient documents that are so frequently referred to in the course of the history as of public and established authority. Their inspired character was acknowledged by the Jewish Church, which ranked them in the sacred canon; and, besides, it is attested by our Lord, who frequently quotes from them (compare 1Ki 17:9; 2Ki 5:14 with Luk 4:24-27; 1Ki 10:1 with Mat 12:42).

JFB: 1 Kings (Outline)

• ABISHAG CHERISHES DAVID IN HIS EXTREME AGE. (1Ki 1:1-4)
• ADONIJAH USURPS THE KINGDOM. (1Ki. 1:5-31)
• SOLOMON, BY DAVID'S APPOINTMENT, IS ANOINTED KING. (1Ki. 1:32-49)
• ADONIJAH, FLEEING TO THE HORNS OF THE ALTAR, IS DISMISSED BY SOLOMON. (1Ki 1:50-53)
• DAVID DIES. (1Ki 2:1-11)
• SOLOMON SUCCEEDS HIM. (1Ki 2:12-24)
• JOAB SLAIN. (1Ki. 2:28-45)
• SHIMEI PUT TO DEATH. (1Ki 2:34-46)
• SOLOMON MARRIES PHARAOH'S DAUGHTER. (1Ki 3:1)
• HIGH PLACES BEING IN USE, HE SACRIFICES AT GIBEON. (1Ki 3:2-5)
• HE CHOOSES WISDOM. (1Ki 3:6-15)
• HIS JUDGMENT BETWEEN TWO HARLOTS. (1Ki 3:16-28)
• SOLOMON'S PRINCES. (1Ki 4:1-6)
• HIS TWELVE OFFICERS. (1Ki 4:7-21)
• HIS WISDOM. (1Ki 4:29-34)
• HIRAM SENDS TO CONGRATULATE SOLOMON. (1Ki 5:1-6)
• FURNISHES TIMBER TO BUILD THE TEMPLE. (1Ki 5:7-12)
• SOLOMON'S WORKMEN AND LABORERS. (1Ki 5:13-18)
• THE BUILDING OF SOLOMON'S TEMPLE. (1Ki 6:1-4)
• THE CHAMBERS THEREOF. (1Ki 6:5-10)
• GOD'S PROMISES UNTO IT. (1Ki 6:11-14)
• THE CEILING AND ADORNING OF IT. (1Ki 6:15-22)
• THE TIME TAKEN TO BUILD IT. (1Ki 6:37-38)
• BUILDING OF SOLOMON'S HOUSE. (1Ki 7:1)
• OF THE HOUSE OF LEBANON. (1Ki 7:2-7)
• HIRAM'S WORKS. (1Ki. 7:13-51)
• THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE. (1Ki 8:1-12)
• SOLOMON'S BLESSING. (1Ki 8:12-21)
• HIS PRAYER. (1Ki. 8:22-61)
• HIS SACRIFICE OF PEACE OFFERING. (1Ki 8:62-64)
• THE PEOPLE JOYFUL. (1Ki 8:65)
• GOD'S COVENANT IN A SECOND VISION WITH SOLOMON. (1Ki 9:1-9)
• THE MUTUAL PRESENTS OF SOLOMON AND HIRAM. (1Ki 9:10-23)
• SOLOMON'S YEARLY SACRIFICES. (1Ki 9:24-28)
• THE QUEEN OF SHEBA ADMIRES THE WISDOM OF SOLOMON. (1Ki 10:1-13)
• HIS RICHES. (1Ki. 10:14-29)
• SOLOMON'S WIVES AND CONCUBINES IN HIS OLD AGE. (1Ki 11:1-8)
• GOD THREATENS HIM. (1Ki 11:9-13)
• REFUSING THE OLD MEN'S COUNSEL. (1Ki 12:1-5)
• JEROBOAM MADE KING OVER THEM. (1Ki 12:20-33)
• JEROBOAM'S HAND WITHERS. (1Ki. 13:1-22)
• THE DISOBEDIENT PROPHET SLAIN BY A LION. (1Ki 13:23-32)
• AHIJAH DENOUNCES GOD'S JUDGMENTS AGAINST JEROBOAM. (1Ki. 14:1-20)
• REHOBOAM'S WICKED REIGN. (1Ki 14:21-24)
• SHISHAK SPOILS JERUSALEM. (1Ki 14:25-31)
• ABIJAM'S WICKED REIGN OVER JUDAH. (1Ki 15:1-8)
• ASA'S GOOD REIGN. (1Ki 15:9-22)
• NADAB'S WICKED REIGN. (1Ki 15:25-34)
• JEHU'S PROPHECY AGAINST BAASHA. (1Ki 16:1-8)
• ZIMRI'S CONSPIRACY. (1Ki 16:9-22)
• OMRI BUILDS SAMARIA. (1Ki 16:23-28)
• JOSHUA'S CURSE FULFILLED UPON HIEL THE BUILDER OF JERICHO. (1Ki 16:34)
• ELIJAH, PROPHESYING AGAINST AHAB, IS SENT TO CHERITH. (1Ki 17:1-7)
• HE IS SENT TO A WIDOW OF ZAREPHATH. (1Ki 17:8-16)
• HE RAISES HER SON TO LIFE. (1Ki 17:17-24)
• ELIJAH MEETS OBADIAH. (1Ki. 18:1-16)
• ELIJAH, BY PRAYER, OBTAINS RAIN. (1Ki 18:41-46)
• ELIJAH FLEES TO BEER-SHEBA. (1Ki 19:1-3)
• ELISHA FOLLOWS ELIJAH. (1Ki 19:19-21)
• BEN-HADAD BESIEGES SAMARIA. (1Ki 20:1-12)
• THE SYRIANS ARE SLAIN. (1Ki 20:13-20)
• A PROPHET REPROVES HIM. (1Ki 20:35-42)
• NABOTH REFUSES AHAB HIS VINEYARD. (1Ki 21:1-4)
• JEZEBEL CAUSES NABOTH TO BE STONED. (1Ki 21:5-16)
• ELIJAH DENOUNCES JUDGMENTS AGAINST AHAB AND JEZEBEL. (1Ki 21:17-29)
• AHAB SLAIN AT RAMOTH-GILEAD. (1Ki. 22:1-36)

TSK: 1 Kings 8 (Chapter Introduction)

Overview

1Ki 8:1, The feast of the dedication of the temple; 1Ki 8:12, Solomon’s blessing; 1Ki 8:22, Solomon’s prayer; 1Ki 8:54, Solomon’s blessing; 1Ki 8:62, His sacrifice of peace offerings.

Poole: 1 Kings (Book Introduction)

FIRST BOOK OF KINGS COMMONLY CALLED

THE THIRD BOOK OF THE KINGS

THE ARGUMENT

THESE two Books called Of the Kings, because they treat of the kings of Judah and Israel, were written by the prophets, or holy men of God, living in or near their several times, and by some one of them digested into this order. But whoever was the penman, that these are a part of those Holy Scriptures which were Divinely inspired is sufficiently evident first,

From the concurring testimony of the whole Jewish church in all ages, to whom were committed the oracles of God, Rom 3:2 , who also did faithfully discharge their duty in preserving and delivering them entirely and truly to their posterity from time to time, as plainly appears, because Christ and his apostles, who reproved them freely for their several sins, never taxed them with this fault, of depraving the Holy Scriptures of the Old Testament. Secondly, Because this is manifest concerning divers parcels of them which were taken out of the records of the prophets Nathan, Ahijah, and Iddo, 2Ch 9:29 , and out of the prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah; and the rest doubtless were of the same nature.

Thirdly, From the approbation of these books by the New Testament, both generally, as 2Ti 3:16 , All Scripture is given by inspiration from God, &c., which is affirmed concerning all those Holy Scriptures which Timothy had known, from a child, 2Ti 3:15 , and therefore must necessarily be meant of all the books of the Old Testament, which the Jews owned for canonical Scripture; and particularly Rom 11:2,3 , &c., where a passage out of these books is quoted and owned as a part of the Holy Scripture, called the Scripture by way of eminency.

Poole: 1 Kings 8 (Chapter Introduction)

KINGS CHAPTER 8

The feast of the dedication of the temple; the ark of the covenant with the holy instruments are brought into it; the Lord giveth a token of his presence, 1Ki 8:1-11 . Solomon’ s blessing and thanksgiving, 1Ki 8:12-21 . His prayer, 1Ki 8:22-61 . His sacrifice of peace-offerings, 1Ki 8:62-66 .

MHCC: 1 Kings (Book Introduction)

The history now before us accounts for the affairs of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, yet with special regard to the kingdom of God among them; for it is a sacred history. It is earlier as to time, teaches much more, and is more interesting than any common histories.

MHCC: 1 Kings 8 (Chapter Introduction)

(1Ki 8:1-11) The dedication of the temple.

(1Ki 8:12-21) The occasion.

(v. 22-53) Solomon's prayer.

(1Ki 8:54-61) His blessing and exhortation.

(1Ki 8:62-66) Solomon's peace-offerings.

Matthew Henry: 1 Kings (Book Introduction)

An Exposition, with Practical Observations, of The First Book of Kings

Many histories are books of kings and their reigns, to which the affairs of their kingdoms are reduced; this is a piece of honour that has commonly been paid to crowned heads. The holy Scripture is the history of the kingdom of God among men, under the several administrations of it; but there the King is one and his name one. The particular history now before us accounts for the affairs of the kingdoms of Judah and Israel, yet with special regard to the kingdom of God among them; for still it is a sacred history, much more instructive and not less entertaining than any of the histories of the kings of the earth, to which (those of them that are of any certainty) it is prior in time; for though there were kings in Edom before there was any king in Israel, Gen 36:31 (foreigners, in that point of state, got the precedency), yet the history of the kings of Israel lives, and will live, in holy Writ, to the end of the world, whereas that of the kings of Edom is long since buried in oblivion; for the honour that comes from God is durable, while the honour of the world is like a mushroom, which comes up in a night and perishes in a night. - The Bible began with the story of patriarchs, and prophets, and judges, men whose converse with heaven was more immediate, the record of which strengthens our faith, but is not so easily accommodated to our case, now that we expect not visions, as the subsequent history of affairs like ours under the direction of common providence; and here also we find, though not many types and figures of the Messiah, yet great expectations of him; for not only prophets, but kings, desired to see the great mysteries of the gospel, Luk 10:24 - The two books of Samuel are introductions to the books of the Kings, as they relate the origin of the royal government in Saul and of the royal family in David. These two books give us an account of David's successor, Solomon, the division of his kingdom, and the succession of the several kings both of Judah and Israel, with an abstract of their history down to the captivity. And as from the book of Genesis we may collect excellent rules of economics, for the good governing of families, so from these books we may collect rules of politics, for the directing of public affairs. There is in these books special regard had to the house and lineage of David, from which Christ came. Some of his sons trod in his steps, and others did not. The characters of the kings of Judah may be thus briefly given: - David the devout, Solomon the wise, Rehoboam the simple, Abijah the valiant, Asa the upright, Jehoshaphat the religious, Jehoram the wicked, Ahaziah the profane, Joash the backslider, Amaziah the rash, Uzziah the mighty, Jotham the peaceable, Ahaz the idolater, Hezekiah the reformer, Manasseh the penitent, Amon the obscure, Josiah the tender-hearted, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah, all wicked, and such as brought ruin quickly on themselves and their kingdom. The number of the good and bad is nearly equal, but the reigns of the good were generally long and those of the bad short, the consideration of which will make the state of Israel not altogether so bad in this period as at first it seems. In this first book we have, I. The death of David, ch. 1 and 2. II. The glorious reign of Solomon, and his building the temple (ch. 3-10), but the cloud his sun set under, ch. 11. III. The division of the kingdoms in Rehoboam, and his reign and Jeroboam's, ch. 12-14. IV. The reigns of Abijah and Asa over Judah, Baasha and Omri over Israel, ch. 15 and 16. V. Elijah's miracles, ch. 17-19. VI. Ahab's success against Benhadad, his wickedness and fall, ch. 20-22. And in all this history it appears that kings, though gods to us, are men to God, mortal and accountable.

Matthew Henry: 1 Kings 8 (Chapter Introduction)

The building and furniture of the temple were very glorious, but the dedication of it exceeds in glory as much as prayer and praise, the work of saints, exceed the casting of metal and the graving of stones, the work of the craftsman. The temple was designed for the keeping up of the correspondence between God and his people; and here we have an account of the solemnity of their first meeting there. I. The representatives of all Israel were called together (1Ki 8:1, 1Ki 8:2), to keep a feast to the honour of God, for fourteen days (1Ki 8:65). II. The priests brought the ark into the most holy place, and fixed it there (1Ki 8:3-9). III. God took possession of it by a cloud (1Ki 8:10, 1Ki 8:11). IV. Solomon, with thankful acknowledgments to God, informed the people touching the occasion of their meeting (1Ki 8:12-21). V. In a long prayer he recommended to God's gracious acceptance all the prayers that should be made in or towards this place (v. 22-53). VI. He dismissed the assembly with a blessing and an exhortation (1Ki 8:54-61). VII. He offered abundance of sacrifices, on which he and his people feasted, and so parted, with great satisfaction (1Ki 8:62-66). These were Israel's golden days, days of the Son of man in type.

Constable: 1 Kings (Book Introduction)

Introduction

Title

The Books of 1 and 2 Kings received their names because they document the reigns of the 40 kings of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah following David.¹

In the Hebrew Bible 1 and 2 Kings were one book until the sixteenth century. The ancients regarded them as the continuation of the narrative begun in Samuel. The Septuagint (Greek) translation of the Hebrew text, dating from about 250 B.C., was the first to divide Kings into two books. That division has continued to the present day. The Septuagint translators, however, called these two books 3 and 4 Kingdoms. First and 2 Kingdoms were our 1 and 2 Samuel. Jerome's Vulgate (Latin) translation, which dates about A.D. 400, changed the name from Kingdoms to Kings.

"The English Bible presents the books primarily as historical accounts. Their placement next to 1, 2 Chronicles demonstrates the collectors' interest in detailing all the events of Israel's history. In contrast, the Hebrew Bible places Joshua-Kings with the prophets, which highlights their common viewpoints. This decision implies that 1, 2 Kings are being treated as proclamation and history."²

Writer and Date

Most Old Testament scholars today believe several different individuals wrote and edited Kings because of theories concerning textual transmission that have gained popularity in the last 150 years. However, many conservatives have continued to follow the older tradition of the church that one individual probably put Kings together.³ This view finds support in the stylistic and linguistic features that run through the whole work and make it read like the product of a single writer. Some of these features are the way the writer described and summarized each king's reign, the consistent basis on which he evaluated all the kings, and recurring phrases and terms.

The identity of the writer is unknown today and has been for centuries. Ancient Jewish tradition suggested Ezra or Ezekiel as possible writers since both of these men were biblical writers who lived after the Babylonian exile. The record of King Jehoiachin's release from Babylonian captivity (2 Kings 25:27-30) points to a date of final composition sometime after that event. Jeremiah has traditional Talmudic support as well though he never went to Babylon but died in Egypt. Of course, someone else may have written Kings. Scholars have suggested these men only because they were famous writers who lived when Kings reached its final form.

Most non-conservatives date Kings considerably later than the sixth or fifth centuries.⁴

Scope

The historical period Kings covers totals about 413 years. The events that frame this period were Solomon's coronation as co-regent with David (973 B.C.) and Jehoiachin's release from Babylonian exile (560 B.C.).

However, most of Kings deals with the period that spans Solomon's coronation and the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., a period of 387 years. In terms of the temple, at the beginning we see the temple built and at the end the temple burnt.

". . . 1, 2 Kings present Israel's history as a series of events that describe how and why the nation fell from the heights of national prosperity to the depths of conquest and exile."⁵

"More specifically, 1, 2 Kings explain how and why Israel lost the land it fought so hard to win in Joshua and worked so hard to organize in Judges and 1, 2 Samuel."⁶

"Plot relates the causes and effects in a story. Thus, the story line in 1, 2 Kings may be that Israel went into exile, but the plot is Israel went into exile because of its unfaithfulness to God. To make cause and effect unfold, plots normally have at least two basic aspects: conflict and resolution. A plot's conflict is the tension in a story that makes it an interesting account, while a plot's resolution is the way the conflict is settled. How the author develops these two components usually decides the shape and effectiveness of the plot."⁷

This historical period is more than twice that of the one the Books of Samuel covered, which was about 150 years in length. The Book of Judges covers about 300 years of Israel's history.

The dates of the kings of Israel and Judah that I have used in the following notes are those of Edwin Thiele.⁸ He has worked out the many problems regarding these dates more satisfactorily than anyone else in the opinion of most scholars.⁹

Message¹⁰

The fact that this book opens and closes with death should be a clue as to its message.

It opens with David's death, and it closes with Ahab's death. The intervening period of about a century and a half is a story of national decline, disruption, disintegration, and disaster. Israel and Judah passed from affluence and influence to poverty and paralysis.

There is an emphasis in this book on thrones.

Obviously there were the thrones of Judah and Israel on earth with their kings who succeeded one another. However there is also the throne in heaven with its one King. Rehoboam and Jeroboam had their successors, the kings who replaced one another. Yahweh also in a sense had His successors, the prophets who replaced one another as His messengers to the people. While the kings remind us of the thrones on earth, the prophets remind us of the throne in heaven.

The thrones on earth present a story of disruption, disintegration, and disaster in both kingdoms, Judah and Israel. This trend continued despite changes in the methods the various rulers employed to govern their people.

Solomon's method of government was oppression. He taxed the people greatly and conscripted them into government service. The result was material magnificence. He multiplied riches and manifested great displays in the temple, the palace, and throughout his kingdom. He increased the military strength of the nation. Nevertheless in the process he ground down the people. The state became more important than the people. The testimony to this appears in 12:4. The result was dissatisfaction with Solomon's method of government.

In reaction to this method Rehoboam chose a new method of government: autocracy. He decided to tighten his grip on the people so he could control them (12:14). He believed the people should trust in their rulers, but he did not trust in God. Consequently he failed. Autocracy led to revolution (12:16).

Jeroboam chose a third method of government: democracy. He let the people determine how they would live. While this resulted in more pleasant conditions for the people, it also resulted in ultimate disaster for his nation. Notice what democracy produced in Jeroboam's day: 12:27-29. People cannot rule themselves effectively. We need God to govern us. Jeroboam believed rulers should trust in the people, but he did not trust in God. Consequently he failed. He made religion convenient, and the people became corrupt (12:30-31).

Rehoboam's successors in Judah chose a method of government we could call government by policy. That is, they chose to follow precedent, the pattern of their predecessors, rather than getting and following God's direction for their nation. There were some exceptions to this approach, but on the whole this was Judah's method of government.

Jeroboam's successors in Israel, however, chose a different method of government: selfishness. The kings of Israel cared little for the people of Israel. What concerned them primarily was what they could get out of being king for themselves. That is why the story of the kingdom of Israel is a story of intrigue, assassinations, and much bloodshed.

In summary, every form of human government results in disastrous failure if people do not acknowledge God's sovereignty. People cannot govern themselves effectively. The result is always decline, disruption, and disintegration. This is one of the great revelations of 1 Kings.

However there is another throne in view in this book: the throne in heaven. Whereas 1 Kings reveals that human government always fails, it also reveals that God's government never fails. There are two ways God exercised His kingship over His people during Israel's monarchy.

First, He broke in on human life with messages that the prophets delivered. Ahijah announced the division of the kingdom (11:26-39). Later he announced the death of Jeroboam's son (14:4-16). Shemaiah directed Rehoboam not to fight against Jeroboam (12:21-24). An unnamed prophet announced the fate of Jeroboam's altar (13:1-10). Jehu announced Baasha's doom (16:1-4). Elijah vindicated Yahweh in the days of Ahab's apostasy (chs. 17-21). Another unnamed prophet rebuked Ahab for allowing Ben-Hadad to escape (20:35-43). Micaiah foretold Israel's scattering (22:8-28). These are all evidences that God was governing His people independently of the kings when they forgot Him. The heavenly throne ruled in spite of the earthly thrones.

The second way God exercised His rule, in addition to sending messages by the prophets, was by directly and indirectly intervening in the lives of His people. He appeared and spoke directly to Solomon, which resulted in the building of the temple. He raised up an adversary to Solomon, namely Jeroboam. He slew Abijah. He withheld rain and brought famine. He sent fire from heaven on Mt. Carmel. He sent rain. He appeared to Elijah in an earthquake. He enticed Ahab into battle through the mouths of lying prophets.

In short, God ruled by exercising direct and indirect influence over people, by directly intervening and by controlling circumstances occasionally. He manipulated history. God sits in perfect control and continuity over all the human chaos that peoples' failure to rule themselves causes.

The message of the book, therefore, is that when people exclude God, every method of human government will fail; but even so God is still on His throne and is in control.

If people exclude God, every method of government ends in disaster. Even though in Solomon's reign the king emphasized religious forms and ceremonies, internal development, foreign treaties, and intellectual attainment, his oppression did not bring stability and peace. Autocracy will end in revolution eventually. Democracy that locks God out can result in the most terrible consequences for the people whose interests it professes to advocate. Government by policy can only deteriorate. Selfish rulers will only rape their nations.

Man cannot govern himself because he does not know himself apart from God's Word. How can he govern others about whom he knows even less? If people do not submit to the throne in heaven, no matter what method of government they choose, they will fail. As Christians, we must remember who is in control. We must look beyond our government to our God.

First Kings also reveals God's method in the midst of human failures.

First, when a throne on earth rebels against the throne in heaven God abandons that throne on earth. He separated Himself from it. He allowed the evil choices of the rulers to work themselves out to their inevitable consequences. Departure leads to disaster. Apostasy results in awful consequences (cf. Rom. 1).

Second, God keeps some consciousness of Himself and His government alive in the hearts and minds of a remnant. The prophets spoke. All Christians exercise that ministry today. We should speak for God to our generation.

Third, God maintains ultimate control. He controls history directly and indirectly so His purposes get accomplished. The Christian never needs to panic. God has revealed His plan for history. Knowledge of the Word should give us stability in uncertain times.

What I have said is true on the national scale is also true on the individual level. If a person excludes God from his or her life, no matter how the person may live, he or she will fail. We can resist God's authority, but we cannot overcome it. People only break themselves by refusing to submit to the throne in heaven. People need reminding of the throne in heaven. These principles have worked out throughout history. God's plan moves ahead.

Constable: 1 Kings (Outline)

Outline

I. The reign of Solomon chs. 1-11

A. Solomon's succession to David's throne 1:1-2:12

1. David's declining health 1:1-4

2. Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne 1:5-53

3. David's charge to Solomon 2:1-9

4. David's death 2:10-12

B. The foundation of Solomon's reign 2:13-4:34

1. Solomon's purges 2:13-46

2. Solomon's wisdom from God ch. 3

3. Solomon's political strength ch. 4

C. Solomon's greatest contribution chs. 5-8

1. Preparations for building ch. 5

2. Temple construction ch. 6

3. Solomon's palace 7:1-12

4. The temple furnishings 7:13-51

5. The temple dedication ch. 8

D. The fruits of Solomon's reign chs. 9-11

1. God's covenant with Solomon 9:1-9

2. Further evidences of God's blessing 9:10-28

3. Solomon's greatness ch. 10

4. Solomon's apostasy ch. 11

II. The divided kingdom -1 Kings 12-2 Kings 17

A. The first period of antagonism 12:1-16:28

1. The division of the kingdom ch. 12

2. Jeroboam's evil reign in Israel 12:25-14:20

3. Rehoboam's evil reign in Judah 14:21-31

4. Abijam's evil reign in Judah 15:1-8

5. Asa's good reign in Judah 15:9-24

6. Nadab's evil reign in Israel 15:25-32

7. Baasha's evil reign in Israel 15:33-16:7

8. Elah's evil reign in Israel 16:8-14

9. Zimri's evil reign in Israel 16:15-20

10. Omri's evil reign in Israel 16:21-28

B. The period of alliance -1 Kings 16:29-2 Kings 9:29

1. Ahab's evil reign in Israel 16:29-22:40

2. Jehoshaphat's good reign in Judah 22:41-50

3. Ahaziah's evil reign in Israel -1 Kings 22:51-2 Kings 1:18

(Continued in notes on 2 Kings)

One writer observed that a chiastic structure marks the Books of Kings.¹¹

A Solomon/United Monarchy -- 1 Kings 1:1-11:25

B Jeroboam/Rehoboam; the division of the kingdom -- 1 Kings 11:26-14:31

C Kings of Judah/Israel -- 1 Kings 15:1-16:22

D The Omride dynasty; the rise and fall of the Baal cult in Israel and Judah -- -1 Kings 16:23-2 Kings 12

C' Kings of Judah/Israel -- 2 Kings 13-16

B' The fall of the Northern Kingdom -- 2 Kings 17

A' The Kingdom of Judah -- 2 Kings 18-25.

Constable: 1 Kings

1 Kings

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Copyright 2003 by Thomas L. Constable

Haydock: 1 Kings (Book Introduction)

THE THIRD BOOK OF KINGS.

INTRODUCTION.

This and the following Book are called by the holy Fathers, The Third and Fourth Book of Kings; but by the Hebrews, the First and Second. They contain the history of the kingdoms of Israel and Juda, from the beginning of the reign of Solomon to the captivity. As to the writer of these books, it seem most probable they were not written by one man, nor at one time; but as there was all along a succession of prophets in Israel, who recorded, by divine inspiration, the most remarkable things that happened in their days, these books seem to have been written by these prophets. See 2 Paralipomenon, alias 2 Chronicles ix. 29., xii. 15., xiii. 22., xx. 34., xxvi. 22., and xxxii. 32. (Challoner) --- This book informs us of the death of David, chap. ii. 11, where some Greek copies concluded the second book "of the reigns or kingdoms," as they style all the four books. Theodoret and Diodorus follow this division. The point is of no consequence; and the Hebrew editions have often varied. Origen observes, that the Jews denoted these two books from the first words, "Ouammelech David." (Eusebius, Hist. vi. 25.) (Haydock) --- In St. Jerome's time, the four books made only two. The present book details the actions of Solomon, (Calmet) till the end of the 12th chapter. Then we behold the division of the kingdom: Roboam, Abias, Asa, and Josaphat, reign over Juda; Jeroboam, &c., over Israel; while the prophets Abias, Elias, Eliseus, appear in the remaining eleven chapters. (Worthington) --- Though the memoirs seem to have been left by contemporary authors, (Haydock) one, and most probably Esdras, made the compilation, after the captivity, inserting frequently the very words of his authors, yet so as to make some additional reflections. (Calmet) --- The Rabbins generally attribute the work to Jeremias. (Haydock) --- He is more attentive to the house of David, and to display the rewards of the piety, and the punishment of vice, as well as the glory of the temple and of religion, than to describe the military exploits, which occupy so much of the profane history. (Calmet)

Gill: 1 Kings (Book Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS

This, and the following book, properly are but one book, divided into two parts, and went with the Jews under the common name of Kings. This, in the Syriac version, is called the Book of Kings; and in the Arabic version, the Book of Solomon, the Son of David the Prophet, because it begins with his reign upon the death of his father; and, in the Vulgate Latin version, the Third Book of Kings, the two preceding books of Samuel being sometimes called the First and Second Books of Kings, they containing the reigns of Saul and David; and in the Septuagint version both this and the following book are called Kingdoms, because they treat of the kingdom of Israel and Judah, after the division in the times of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, and of the several kings of them; as of Solomon before the division, so afterwards of the kings of Judah; Rehoboam, Abijam, Asa, Jehoshaphat, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Jehoash, Amaziah, Uzziah or Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah; and of the kings of Israel, Jeroboam, Nadab, Baasha, Elah, Zimri, Omri, Ahab, Ahaziah, Jehu, Jehoahaz, Jehoash, Jeroboam the son of Joash, Zachariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea; so that these books may, with great propriety, be called the books or histories of the kings in the two kingdoms of Judah and Israel: who they were written by, is not easy to say; some think they were written by piecemeal by the prophets that lived in the several reigns successively, as Nathan, Ahijah the Shilonite, Iddo, Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and afterwards put together by an inspired writer. The Jews commonly say ^a, that Jeremiah wrote the book of the Kings, by which they mean this, and the following book; though very probably they were written by Ezra, since the history in them is carried down to the liberty granted to Jehoiachin in Babylon; but that Ezra was the writer of all the preceding historical books, and even of the Pentateuch, cannot be admitted, which is the conceit of Spinosa ^b; part of whose tract is just now republished by somebody, word for word, under a title as in the margin ^c; but that Ezra was not the writer of the Pentateuch is clear, since he refers to it as written by Moses, and as the rule of religion and worship in his times, Ezr 3:2; and it is certain these writings were in being in the times of Josiah, Amaziah, Joash, yea, of David, and even of Joshua, 2Ch 34:14; and as for the book of Joshua, that also was written long before Ezra's time; it must be written long before the times of David, before the Jebusites were expelled from Jerusalem, since the writer of it says, that they dwelt there in his days, Jos 15:63; the book of Judges must be written before the times of Samuel and David, since the former refers to the annals of it, 1Sa 12:9; and the latter alludes to some passages in it, Psa 68:7; see Jdg 5:4; and a speech of Joab's, 2Sa 11:21, shows it to be an history then extant: to which may be added, that in it Jerusalem is called Jebus, Jdg 19:10; which it never was, after it was taken by David out of the hands of the Jebusites, 2Sa 5:6; the book of Ruth very probably was written by Samuel; had it been of a later date, or written by Ezra, the genealogy with which it concludes, would doubtless have been carried further than to David: the Book of Samuel, and particularly the song of Hannah in it, were written in all probability before the penning of the hundred thirteenth psalm, Psa 113:1, in which some expressions seem to be taken from it wherefore, though the two books of Kings may be allowed to be written or compiled by Ezra, the ten preceding ones cannot be assigned to him: however, there is no room to doubt of the divine authority of these two books, when the honour our Lord has done them is observed, by quoting or referring to several histories in them; as to the account of the queen of Sheba coming to hear the wisdom of Solomon; of the famine in the times of Elijah; and of that prophet being sent to the widow of Sarepta, and of the cleansing of Naaman the Syrian in the times of Elisha, Mat 12:42 from 1Ki 17:1 2Ki 5:10; to which may be added, the quotations and references made by the apostles to passages in them, as by the Apostle Paul in Rom 11:2 from 1Ki 19:14 where this book is expressly called the Scripture; and by the Apostle James, Jam 5:17; who manifestly refers to 1Ki 17:1; and there are various things in this part of Scripture, which are confirmed by the testimonies of Heathen writers, as will be observed in the exposition of it. The use of these books is to carry on the history of the Jewish nation, to show the state of the church of God in those times, and his providential care of it amidst all the changes and vicissitudes in the state; and, above all, to transmit to us the true genealogy of the Messiah, which serves to confirm the Evangelist Matthew's account of it.

Gill: 1 Kings 8 (Chapter Introduction)

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 8

This chapter gives an account of the introduction of the ark into the temple, 1Ki 8:1 of the glory of the Lord filling it, 1Ki 8:10 of a speech Solomon made to the people concerning the building of the temple, and how he came to be engaged in it, 1Ki 8:12, of a prayer of his he put up on this occasion, requesting, that what supplications soever were made at any time, or on any account, by Israelites or strangers, might be accepted by the Lord, 1Ki 8:22, and of his blessing the people of Israel at the close of it, with some useful exhortations, 1Ki 8:54, and of the great number of sacrifices offered up by him, and the feast he made for the people, upon which he dismissed them, 1Ki 8:62.