1 Kings 8:44

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

go out to battle: Deuteronomy 20:1-4, Deuteronomy 31:3-6, Joshua 1:2-5, 2 Chronicles 6:34

whithersoever: Numbers 31:1-12, Joshua 6:2-5, Joshua 8:1, Joshua 8:2, Judges 1:1, Judges 1:2, Judges 4:6, Judges 6:14, 1 Samuel 15:3, 1 Samuel 15:18, 1 Samuel 30:8, 2 Samuel 5:19, 2 Samuel 5:23

shall pray: 2 Chronicles 14:9-12, 2 Chronicles 18:31, 2 Chronicles 20:6-13, 2 Chronicles 32:20

toward the city: Heb. the way of the city, 1 Kings 8:16, Psalms 78:67-69, Psalms 132:13, Psalms 132:14, Daniel 9:17-19

Reciprocal: 2 Samuel 15:32 - he worshipped 1 Kings 8:48 - the city 1 Kings 12:27 - go up 1 Kings 14:21 - the city 2 Kings 21:7 - In this house 1 Chronicles 5:20 - for they cried 2 Chronicles 7:16 - have I chosen 2 Chronicles 33:7 - which I have Psalms 20:2 - from Daniel 6:10 - his windows

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If thy people go out to battle against their enemy,.... In a foreign country, threatening to invade them, or having trespassed on their borders, or some way or other infringed on their liberties and privileges, and so given them just occasion to go to war with them:

whithersoever thou shalt send them; this case supposes their asking counsel of God, or having a direction and commission from him by a prophet, or some other way, to engage in war with the enemy:

and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house I have built for thy name: for, notwithstanding the justness of their cause, and having a warrant from God to go to war, yet they were to pray to him for success when at a distance, even in a foreign land, and about to engage the enemy; and this they were to do, turning their faces towards the city of Jerusalem, and the temple there; declaring thereby that their dependence was upon the Lord that dwelt there, and their expectation of victory was only from him.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 44. If thy people go out to battle — The SIXTH case refers to wars undertaken by Divine appointment: whithersoever thou shalt send them; for in no other wars could they expect the blessing and concurrence of the Lord; in none other could the God of truth and justice maintain their cause. There were such wars under the Mosaic dispensation, there are none such under the Christian dispensation: nor can there be any; for the Son of man is come, not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Except mere defensive war, all others are diabolic; and, query, if there were no provocations, would there be any attacks, and consequently any need of defensive wars?