1 Kings 8:14

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

¹²Then Solomon said: "The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud. ¹³I have indeed built You an exalted house, a place for You to dwell forever." ¹⁴And as the whole assembly of Israel stood there, the king turned around and blessed them all¹⁵and said: "Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has fulfilled with His own hand what He spoke with His mouth to my father David, saying, ¹⁶'Since the day I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name would be there. But I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.' ¹⁷Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. ¹⁸But the LORD said to my father David, 'Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you have done well to have this in your heart. ¹⁹Nevertheless, you are not the one to build it; but your son, your own offspring, will build the house for My Name.' ²⁰Now the LORD has fulfilled the word that He spoke. I have succeeded my father David, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised. I have built the house for the Name of the LORD, the God of Israel. ²¹And there I have provided a place for the ark, which contains the covenant of the LORD that He made with our fathers when He brought them out of the land of Egypt."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

blessed all: 1 Kings 8:55, 1 Kings 8:56, Joshua 22:6, 2 Samuel 6:18, 1 Chronicles 16:2, 2 Chronicles 6:3, 2 Chronicles 30:18-20, Psalms 118:26, Luke 24:50, Luke 24:51

all the congregation: 2 Chronicles 7:6, Nehemiah 8:7, Nehemiah 9:2, Matthew 13:2

Reciprocal: Exodus 33:10 - worshipped Exodus 39:43 - blessed them 2 Chronicles 31:8 - blessed Nehemiah 8:5 - stood up Nehemiah 9:5 - Stand up Isaiah 64:11 - where

Cross-References

Genesis 7:11
In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, on the seventeenth day of the second month, all the fountains of the great deep burst forth, and the floodgates of the heavens were opened.

Genesis 8:13
In Noah's six hundred and first year, on the first day of the first month, the water had dried up from the earth. So Noah removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.

Genesis 8:14
By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the earth was fully dry.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And the king turned his face about,.... He was before the altar, 1 Kings 8:22, with his face to that first, and looking towards the holy and the most holy place, filled with the cloud and glory; and now he turned himself and stood with the altar behind him, and looking to the court of the people:

and blessed all the congregation of Israel; either blessed the Lord before them, or prayed for blessings for them, or congratulated them upon the Lord's taking up his residence in the temple, which was so great an honour and favour to them:

and all the congregation of Israel stood: ready to receive the king's blessing, and in honour of him, and reverence to the divine Being. The Jews say, none might sit in the court but the kings of the house of David.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Solomon had spoken the preceding words, addressed to God, with his face directed to the holy of holies. He now turned around and looked outward toward the people. The people “stood” to hear him the attitude of respect and attention. This first blessing seems to have been without speech - an inward prayer accompanied by the ordinary gesture of blessing.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 8:14. Blessed all the congregation — Though this blessing is not particularly stated, yet we may suppose that it was such as the high priest pronounced upon the people: "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee! The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee! The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace!" (see Numbers 6:24-26,) for Solomon seems now to be acting the part of the high priest. But he may have in view more particularly the conduct of Moses, who, when he had seen that the people had done all the work of the tabernacle, as the Lord had commanded them, he blessed them, Exodus 39:43; and the conduct of his father David, who, when the ark had been brought into the city of David, and the burnt-offerings and peace-offerings completed, blessed the people in the name of the Lord, 2 Samuel 6:18.