Discovery Box1 Kings 8:33-36
Context8:33 “The time will come when 1 your people Israel are defeated by an enemy 2 because they sinned against you. If they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you, 3 and pray for your help 4 in this temple, 8:34 then listen from heaven, forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them back to the land you gave to their ancestors.
8:35 “The time will come when 5 the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people 6 sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, 7 and turn away from their sin because you punish 8 them, 8:36 then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly 9 you will then teach them the right way to live 10 and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess. 11
[8:33] 1 tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 33-34 actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
[8:33] 2 tn Or “are struck down before an enemy.”
[8:33] 3 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
[8:33] 4 tn Heb “and they pray and ask for help.”
[8:35] 5 tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 35-36a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
[8:35] 6 tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:35] 7 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
[8:35] 8 tn The Hebrew text has “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). However, this reference to a divine answer is premature, since the next verse asks for God to intervene in mercy. It is better to revocalize the consonantal text as תְעַנֵּם (tÿ’annem, “you afflict them”), a Piel verb form from the homonym עָנָה (“to afflict”).
[8:36] 9 tn The translation understands כִּי (ki) in an emphatic or asseverative sense.
