1 Kings 8:43

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Contextual Overview

²²Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven, ²³and said: "O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below, keeping Your covenant of loving devotion with Your servants who walk before You with all their hearts. ²⁴You have kept Your promise to Your servant, my father David. What You spoke with Your mouth You have fulfilled with Your hand this day. ²⁵Therefore now, O LORD, God of Israel, keep for Your servant, my father David, what You promised when You said: 'You will never fail to have a man to sit before Me on the throne of Israel, if only your descendants guard their way to walk before Me as you have done.' ²⁶And now, O God of Israel, please confirm what You promised to Your servant, my father David. ²⁷But will God indeed dwell upon the earth? Even heaven, the highest heaven, cannot contain You, much less this temple I have built. ²⁸Yet regard the prayer and plea of Your servant, O LORD my God, so that You may hear the cry and the prayer that Your servant is praying before You today. ²⁹May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place. ³⁰Hear the plea of Your servant and of Your people Israel when they pray toward this place. May You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place. May You hear and forgive. ³¹When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

that all the people, 1 Samuel 17:46, 2 Kings 19:19, 2 Chronicles 6:33, Psalms 22:27, Psalms 67:2, Psalms 72:10, Psalms 72:11, Psalms 86:9, Isaiah 11:9, Revelation 11:15

fear thee: Psalms 102:15, Psalms 117:1, Psalms 117:2

this house: Heb. thy name is called upon this house, 1 Kings 8:29

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:24 - in all places Deuteronomy 26:15 - Look down Deuteronomy 32:43 - Rejoice Joshua 4:24 - all the people 1 Kings 8:30 - and hear 1 Kings 8:60 - That all 1 Kings 18:36 - let it 1 Chronicles 16:8 - make 1 Chronicles 28:9 - know thou Psalms 20:6 - he will Psalms 102:19 - For he Isaiah 19:21 - Lord shall Isaiah 37:20 - that all Jeremiah 25:29 - which is called by my name Zechariah 8:20 - there Zechariah 8:23 - we have Matthew 6:9 - Hallowed Luke 11:2 - Hallowed Acts 10:2 - one Galatians 4:9 - ye have

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Hear thou in heaven thy dwellingplace,.... The prayer of the stranger:

and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for; which were consistent with the will of God and his glory, and for the good of the stranger; this is more absolutely and unconditionally expressed than the requests for the Israelites; it is not desired that he would do by them according to their ways, and if they turned from their sins, or knew the plague of their hearts; the reason of which is supposed to be, because the Israelites knew the will of God, when the strangers did not; and therefore it is desired that, notwithstanding their ignorance, and their non-compliance with the divine will, through that, they might be heard and answered:

that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; might know him to be a God, hearing and answering prayer, forgiving sin, and bestowing favours, which might lead them to fear him and his goodness, as Israel did:

and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name; that he dwelt in it, granted his presence, heard and received the supplications of men, answered their requests, and accepted of their sacrifices here. Solomon seems to have had knowledge of the calling of the Gentiles, and to desire it.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

That all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee - Solomon prays that the result of Yahweh’s hearing the prayers of pagans addressed toward the temple may be the general conversion of the world to the worship of Him. Compare Psalms 96:1-13; Psalms 98:1-9.

This house ... - literally, as in the margin. In Scripture, when God’s Name is said to be “called upon” persons or things, it seems to be meant that God is really present in them, upholding them and sanctifying them. This passage therefore means, that the pagan, when their prayers, directed toward the temple, are granted, will have a full assurance that God is present in the building in some very special way.