1 Kings 8:12

Easy-to-Read Version

Then Solomon said, "The Lord caused the sun to shine in the sky, but he chose to live in a dark cloud.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Then Solomon said:

Hebrew Names Version
Then spoke Shlomo, the LORD has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

King James Version
Then spake Solomon, The Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

English Standard Version
Then Solomon said, "The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.

New Century Version
Then Solomon said, "The Lord said he would live in a dark cloud.

New English Translation
Then Solomon said, "The Lord has said that he lives in thick darkness.

Amplified Bible
Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness [of the cloud].

New American Standard Bible
Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Then spake Salomon, The Lord said, that he woulde dwell in the darke cloude.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Solomon said,"Yahweh has said that He would dwell in the cloud of dense gloom.

Contemporary English Version
Then Solomon prayed: "Our Lord , you said that you would live in a dark cloud.

Complete Jewish Bible
Shlomo said, " Adonai said he would live in thick darkness.

Darby Translation
Then said Solomon: Jehovah said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

George Lamsa Translation
Then Solomon said, O LORD, thou hast said that thou wouldst dwell in the thick darkness.

Good News Translation
Then Solomon prayed: "You, Lord , have placed the sun in the sky, yet you have chosen to live in clouds and darkness.

Lexham English Bible
Then Solomon said, "Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the very thick cloud.

Literal Translation
And Solomon said, Jehovah has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Then sayde Salomon: The LORDE sayde, that he wolde dwell in a darke cloude.

American Standard Version
Then spake Solomon, Jehovah hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Bible in Basic English
Then Solomon said, O Lord, to the sun you have given the heaven for a living-place, but your living-place was not seen by men;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Then spake Solomon: The Lorde saide that he would dwell in the darke cloude.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Then spoke Solomon: The LORD hath said that He would dwell in the thick darkness.

King James Version (1611)
Then spake Solomon; The Lord said that hee would dwell in the thicke darkenesse.

English Revised Version
Then spake Solomon, The LORD hath said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Berean Standard Bible
Then Solomon said: "The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thanne Salomon seide, The Lord seide, that he wolde dwelle in a cloude.

Young's Literal Translation
Then said Solomon, `Jehovah hath said to dwell in thick darkness;

Update Bible Version
Then Solomon spoke, Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

Webster's Bible Translation
Then spoke Solomon, The LORD said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

World English Bible
Then spoke Solomon, Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.

New King James Version
Then Solomon spoke: "The LORD said He would dwell in the dark cloud.

New Living Translation
Then Solomon prayed, "O Lord , you have said that you would live in a thick cloud of darkness.

New Life Bible
Then Solomon said, "The Lord has said that He would live in the thick cloud.

New Revised Standard
Then Solomon said, "The Lord has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Then, said Solomon, - Yahweh, said, that he would make his habitation in thick gloom:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Then Solomon said: The Lord said that he would dwell in a cloud.

Revised Standard Version
Then Solomon said, "The LORD has set the sun in the heavens, but has said that he would dwell in thick darkness.

THE MESSAGE
Then Solomon spoke: God has told us that he lives in the dark where no one can see him; I've built this splendid Temple, O God, to mark your invisible presence forever.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.

Contextual Overview

¹² Then Solomon said, "The Lord caused the sun to shine in the sky, but he chose to live in a dark cloud. ¹³ Now, Lord, I have built a beautiful Temple for you, where you may live forever." ¹⁴ Then King Solomon turned toward all the Israelites who were standing there and asked God to bless them. ¹⁵ He prayed this long prayer to the Lord: "The Lord , the God of Israel, is great. He has done what he promised my father David. He told my father, ¹⁶ ‘I brought my people, Israel, out of Egypt, but I had not yet chosen a city from among the tribes of Israel for a temple to honor me. And I had not chosen a man to be leader over my people, Israel. But now I have chosen Jerusalem to be the city where I will be honored. And I have chosen David to rule over my people, Israel.' ¹⁷ "My father David wanted very much to build a temple to honor the Lord , the God of Israel. ¹⁸ But the Lord said to my father, ‘I know that you want very much to build a temple to honor me, and it is good that you want to build it. ¹⁹ But you are not the one to build my temple. Your son will build my temple.' ²⁰ "So the Lord has kept his promises. I am the king now in place of my father David. I rule the people of Israel as the Lord promised. And I have built the Temple for the Lord , the God of Israel. ²¹ I have made a place in the Temple for the Holy Box. Inside that Holy Box is the agreement that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The Lord: Deuteronomy 4:11, 2 Chronicles 6:1, 2 Chronicles 6:2-11, Psalms 18:8-11, Psalms 97:2

the thick: Exodus 20:21, Leviticus 16:2, Deuteronomy 5:22, Isaiah 45:15, Hebrews 12:18

Reciprocal: Exodus 19:9 - Lo 2 Samuel 22:10 - darkness Job 26:9 - General Ecclesiastes 12:9 - he still

Cross-References

Genesis 8:2
Rain stopped falling from the sky, and water stopped flowing from under the earth.

Genesis 8:3
The water that covered the earth began to go down. After 150 days the water was low enough that the boat touched land again. The boat stopped on one of the mountains of Ararat. This was the 17th day of the seventh month.

Genesis 8:5
The water continued to go down, and by the first day of the tenth month, the tops of the mountains were above the water.

Genesis 8:6
Forty days later Noah opened the window he had made in the boat.

Genesis 8:7
Then he sent out a raven. The raven flew from place to place until the ground was dry and the water was gone.

Genesis 8:8
Noah also sent out a dove. He wanted it to find dry ground. He wanted to know if water still covered the earth.

Genesis 8:10
After seven days Noah again sent out the dove.

Psalms 27:14
Wait for the Lord 's help. Be strong and brave, and wait for the Lord 's help.

Isaiah 8:17
The Lord has turned away from the family of Jacob. But I will wait for him. I trust that he will come to save us.

Isaiah 25:9
At that time people will say, "Here is our God! He is the one we have been waiting for. He has come to save us. We have been waiting for our Lord . So we will rejoice and be happy when he saves us."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And then spake Solomon,.... Perceiving by this symbol that the Lord was come into his house, to take up his dwelling in it, and seeing the priests and people in consternation at it, spake the following words to their comfort:

the Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness; and now was fulfilling his promise, and therefore to be considered not as a token of his displeasure, but of his gracious presence; this was done for the greater awe of the divine Majesty, and to denote the darkness of the former dispensation; reference may be had to Leviticus 16:2 or rather this was now said by the Lord, that is, it appeared to be his resolution and determination to dwell in this manner; the Targum is,

"the Lord is pleased to cause his Shechinah or divine Majesty to dwell in Jerusalem,''

in the temple there. This was imitated by the Heathens; hence the Lacedemonians had a temple dedicated to Jupiter Scotitas, or the dark, as Pausanias u relates; and the Indian Pagans to this day affect darkness in their temples, and are very careful that no light enter into them but by the door, which is commonly strait and low, and by little crevices in the windows w.

u Laconica, sive, I. 3. p. 178. w Agreement of Customs between the East-Indians and Jews, art. 5. p. 35.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather, “The Lord spake of dwelling in the thick darkness” (margin reference). Solomon sees in the cloud the visible symbol of God’s presence, and accepts the token as a proof that He has taken possession of the house built for Him, and will thenceforth dwell there 1 Kings 8:13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 8:12. The Lord said - he would dwell — It was under the appearance of a cloud that God showed himself present with Israel in the wilderness; see Exodus 14:19-20. And at the dedication of the tabernacle in the wilderness, God manifested himself in the same way that he did here at the dedication of the temple; see Exodus 40:34-35.