8:1 1 Then Solomon convened in Jerusalem 2 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). 3 8:2 All the men of Israel assembled before King Solomon during the festival 4 in the month Ethanim 5 (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, 6 and all the holy items in the tent. 7 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
8:6 The priests brought the ark of the Lord’s covenant to its assigned 9 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. 10 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. 11 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. 12 It was there that 13 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 14 because of the cloud; the Lord’s glory filled his temple. 15
8:12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness. 8:13 O Lord, 16 truly I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.” 8:14 Then the king turned around 17 and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there. 18 8:15 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled 19 what he promised 20 my father David. 8:16 He told David, 21 ‘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. 22 But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ 8:17 Now my father David had a strong desire 23 to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. 24 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. 25
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
4 sn The festival. This was the Feast of Tabernacles, see Lev 23:34.
5 sn The month Ethanim. This would be September-October in modern reckoning.
6 tn Heb “the tent of assembly.”
7 tn Heb “and they carried the ark of the
8 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.”
9 tn The word “assigned” is supplied in the translation for clarification.
10 sn And its poles. These poles were used to carry the ark. See Exod 25:13-15.
11 tn Heb “they could not be seen outside.”
12 sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.
13 tn Heb “in Horeb where.”
14 tn Heb “were not able to stand to serve.”
15 tn Heb “the house of the
16 tn The words “O
17 tn Heb “turned his face.”
18 tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”
19 tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his hand.”
20 tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his mouth.”
21 tn Heb “saying.”
22 tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.”
23 tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father.”
24 tn Heb “to build a house for the name of the
25 tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”