1 Kings 8:12-21

8:12 Then Solomon said, “The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness. 8:13 O Lord, ¹  truly I have built a lofty temple for you, a place where you can live permanently.” 8:14 Then the king turned around ²  and pronounced a blessing over the whole Israelite assembly as they stood there. ³  8:15 He said, “The Lord God of Israel is worthy of praise because he has fulfilled ⁴  what he promised ⁵  my father David. 8:16 He told David, ⁶  ‘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. ⁷  But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.’ 8:17 Now my father David had a strong desire ⁸  to build a temple to honor the Lord God of Israel. ⁹  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. ¹⁰  8:19 But you will not build the temple; your very own son will build the temple for my honor.’ ¹¹  8:20 The Lord has kept the promise he made. ¹²  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 ¹³  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 ¹⁴  when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

[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.

[8:14]  ² tn Heb “turned his face.”

[8:14]  ³ tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”

[8:15]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his hand.”

[8:15]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his mouth.”

[8:16]  ⁶ tn Heb “saying.”

[8:16]  ⁷ tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.”

[8:17]  ⁸ tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father.”

[8:17]  ⁹ 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.

[8:18]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”

[8:19]  ¹¹ tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”

[8:20]  ¹² tn Heb “his word that he spoke.”

[8:20]  ¹³ tn Heb “name.”

[8:21]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 34, 40, 48, 53, 57, 58).