1 Kings 8:1-15

Solomon Moves the Ark into the Temple

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.

[8:1]  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.”

[8:1]  ² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:1]  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).”

[8:2]  ⁴ sn The festival. This was the Feast of Tabernacles, see Lev 23:34.

[8:2]  ⁵ sn The month Ethanim. This would be September-October in modern reckoning.

[8:4]  ⁶ tn Heb “the tent of assembly.”

[8:4]  ⁷ tn Heb “and they carried the ark of the Lord…. The priests and the Levites carried them.”

[8:5]  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.”

[8:6]  ⁹ tn The word “assigned” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

[8:7]  ¹⁰ sn And its poles. These poles were used to carry the ark. See Exod 25:13-15.

[8:8]  ¹¹ tn Heb “they could not be seen outside.”

[8:9]  ¹² sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.

[8:9]  ¹³ tn Heb “in Horeb where.”

[8:11]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “were not able to stand to serve.”

[8:11]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “the house of the Lord.”

[8:13]  ¹⁶ 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.

[8:14]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “turned his face.”

[8:14]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”

[8:15]  ¹⁹ tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his hand.”

[8:15]  ²⁰ tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his mouth.”