1 Kings 8:22

The Darby Translation

And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of the whole congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward the heavens.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire congregation of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.

Hebrew Names Version
Shlomo stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Yisra'el, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

King James Version
And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:

English Standard Version
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,

New Century Version
Then Solomon stood facing the Lord 's altar, and all the Israelites were standing behind him. He spread out his hands toward the sky

New English Translation
Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward the sky.

Amplified Bible
Then Solomon stood [in the courtyard] before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.

New American Standard Bible
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and he spread out his hands toward heaven.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then Salomon stoode before the altar of the Lorde in the sight of all the Congregation of Israel, and stretched out his handes towarde heauen,

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh before all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.

Contemporary English Version
Solomon stood facing the altar with everyone standing behind him. Then he lifted his arms toward heaven

Complete Jewish Bible
Then Shlomo stood before the altar of Adonai in the presence of the whole community of Isra'el, spread out his hands toward heaven,

Easy-to-Read Version
Then Solomon stood in front of whole assembly of Israel and faced the Lord 's altar. Solomon spread his hands and looked toward heaven

George Lamsa Translation
And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven and prayed;

Good News Translation
Then in the presence of the people Solomon went and stood in front of the altar, where he raised his arms

Lexham English Bible
Then Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all of the assembly of Israel, and he spread out his hands to the heavens,

Literal Translation
And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah, across from the assembly of Israel, and spread his hands toward the heavens;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And Salomon stode before the altare of the LORDE in the presence of the whole congregacion of Israel, and helde out his handes towarde heauen,

American Standard Version
And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

Bible in Basic English
Then Solomon took his place before the altar of the Lord, all the men of Israel being present, and stretching out his hands to heaven,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Solomon stoode before the aulter of the Lorde in the sight of all the congregation of Israel, and stretched out his handes toward heauen, and sayde:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

King James Version (1611)
And Solomon stood before the Altar of the Lord, in the presence of all the Congregation of Israel, and spread foorth his handes toward heauen:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And Solomon stood up in front of the altar before all the congregation of Israel; and he spread out his hands toward heaven:

English Revised Version
And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:

Berean Standard Bible
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe Salomon stood bifoor the auter of the Lord, in the siyt of the chirch of Israel; and he helde forth hise hondis ayens heuene,

Young's Literal Translation
And Solomon standeth before the altar of Jehovah, over-against all the assembly of Israel, and spreadeth his hands towards the heavens,

Update Bible Version
And Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

Webster's Bible Translation
And Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands towards Heaven:

World English Bible
Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

New King James Version
2 Chronicles 6:12-39">[xr] 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;

New Living Translation
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the entire community of Israel. He lifted his hands toward heaven,

New Life Bible
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord. And in front of all the people of Israel he lifted his hands toward heaven.

New Revised Standard
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands to heaven.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh, in the presence of all the convocation of Israel, - and spread forth his hands towards the heavens;

Douay-Rheims Bible
And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in the sight of the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands towards heaven,

Revised Standard Version
Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;

THE MESSAGE
Before the entire congregation of Israel, Solomon took a position before the Altar, spread his hands out before heaven, and prayed, O God , God of Israel, there is no God like you in the skies above or on the earth below who unswervingly keeps covenant with his servants and relentlessly loves them as they sincerely live in obedience to your way. You kept your word to David my father, your personal word. You did exactly what you promised—every detail. The proof is before us today! Keep it up, God , O God of Israel! Continue to keep the promises you made to David my father when you said, "You'll always have a descendant to represent my rule on Israel's throne, on the condition that your sons are as careful to live obediently in my presence as you have."

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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.

Contextual Overview

²² And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of the whole congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward the heavens. ²³ And he said, Jehovah, God of Israel! there is no God like thee, in the heavens above, or on the earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with all their heart; ²⁴ who hast kept with thy servant David my father that which thou didst promise him; thou spokest with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled [it] with thy hand, as at this day. ²⁵ And now, Jehovah, God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that which thou hast promised him, saying, There shall not fail thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only thy sons take heed to their way, to walk before me as thou hast walked before me. ²⁶ And now, O God of Israel, let thy words, I pray thee, be verified, which thou hast spoken unto thy servant David my father. ²⁷ But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens, and the heaven of heavens, cannot contain thee; how much less this house which I have built! ²⁸ Yet have respect unto the prayer of thy servant, and to his supplication, Jehovah, my God, to hearken unto the cry and to the prayer which thy servant prayeth before thee this day; ²⁹ that thine eyes may be open upon this house night and day, upon the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant prayeth toward this place. ³⁰ And hearken unto the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place, and hear thou in thy dwelling-place, in the heavens, and when thou hearest, forgive. ³¹ If a man have sinned against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to adjure him, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Chronicles 6:12, Ezra 9:5, Job 11:13, Psalms 28:2, Psalms 63:4, Isaiah 1:15, 1 Timothy 2:8

stood before the altar: 1 Kings 8:54, 2 Kings 11:14, 2 Kings 23:3, 2 Chronicles 6:12, 13-42

spread forth: Exodus 9:29, Exodus 9:33

Reciprocal: Exodus 33:10 - worshipped 1 Kings 8:38 - spread forth 2 Chronicles 4:1 - an altar Nehemiah 9:5 - Stand up Psalms 44:20 - stretched Psalms 68:31 - stretch Lamentations 1:17 - spreadeth Ezekiel 46:2 - he shall worship

Cross-References

Genesis 8:8
And he sent out the dove from him, to see if the waters had become low on the ground.

Genesis 8:9
But the dove found no resting-place for the sole of her foot, and returned to him into the ark; for the waters were on the whole earth; and he put forth his hand, and took her, and brought her to him into the ark.

Genesis 8:11
And the dove came to him at eventide; and behold, in her beak was an olive-leaf plucked off; and Noah knew that the waters had become low on the earth.

Genesis 8:12
And he waited yet other seven days, and sent forth the dove; but she returned no more to him.

Genesis 8:16
Go out of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons' wives with thee.

Genesis 8:17
Bring forth with thee every animal which is with thee, of all flesh, fowl as well as cattle, and all the creeping things which creep on the earth, that they may swarm on the earth, and may be fruitful and multiply on the earth.

Genesis 8:20
And Noah built an altar to Jehovah; and took of every clean animal, and of all clean fowl, and offered up burnt-offerings on the altar.

Genesis 45:6
For the famine has been these two years in the land; and yet there are five years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest.

Exodus 34:21
—Six days shalt thou work, but on the seventh day thou shalt rest; in ploughing time and in harvest thou shalt rest.

Jeremiah 5:24
And they say not in their heart, Let us now fear Jehovah our God, that giveth rain, both the early and the latter, in its season; who preserveth unto us the appointed weeks of harvest.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

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 2 Chronicles 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.

y Macrob. Saturnal. l. 3. c. 2. Vid. Sperling. de Baptism. Ethiac, c. 6. p. 103. z Varro Rer. Divin. l. 5. apud ib. a Homer. Iliad. 3. ver. 275. & 6. ver. 301. Vid. Barth. Animadv. ad Claudian. in Rufin. l. 2. ver. 205.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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 1 Kings 8:54).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 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 1 Kings 8:54, and 2 Chronicles 5:12-13.

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; Psalms 28:2. LIFT UP YOUR HANDS in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord; Psalms 134:2. Let my prayer be set forth-and the LIFTING UP OF MY HANDS as the evening sacrifice; Psalms 141:2. And see 1 Timothy 2:8, c.

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."