Verse-by-Verse Bible Commentary

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible

The Hebrew text runs - “And this house shall be high: every one,” etc. The meaning appears to be, “This house shall be high” (i. e., conspicuous) “in its ruin as in its glory.”

And shall hiss - In contempt. This expression first appears in the time of Hezekiah 2 Chronicles 29:8; Micah 6:16. It is especially familiar to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:16; Jeremiah 19:8, etc.).

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

And at this house which is high,.... The house of the most High, as some render it, and in high esteem, fame, and glory, as well as it was built on an high hill, and was itself one hundred and twenty cubits high, 2 Chronicles 3:4, the Targum is,

"and this house which was high shall be destroyed:'

everyone that passeth by it shall be astonished; at the ruins of the temple, and of the city of Jerusalem, which had been so magnificent:

and shall hiss; in scorn and derision of the people of Israel, rejoicing in their ruin:

and they shall say, why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house? or suffered it to be done, to lie thus in waste and ruins; a land in which it had been said he delighted, and looked unto from one end of the year to the other, and a house he had taken up his dwelling in; surely something more than ordinary, they suggest, must be the cause of all this.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

this house, which is high — “high,” either in point of situation, for it was built on a hill, and therefore conspicuous to every beholder; or “high” in respect to privilege, honor, and renown; or this “house of the Most High,” notwithstanding all its beauty and magnificence, shall be destroyed, and remain in such a state of ruin and degradation as to be a striking monument of the just judgment of God. The record of this second vision, in which were rehearsed the conditions of God‘s covenant with Solomon and the consequences of breaking them, is inserted here as a proper introduction to the narrative about to be given of this king‘s commercial enterprises and ambitious desire for worldly glory; for this king, by encouraging an influx of foreign people and a taste for foreign luxuries, rapidly corrupted his own mind and that of this subjects, so that they turned from following God, they and their children (1 Kings 9:6).

Wesley's Explanatory Notes

And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

High — Glorious and renowned.

Astonished — At its unexpected and wonderful ruin.

Hiss — By way of contempt and derision.

John Trapp Complete Commentary

1 Kings 9:8 And at this house, [which] is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

Ver. 8. And shall hiss.] In scorn and horror.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

Which is high, i.e. exalted in its privileges, glorious, and renowned. The particle which is oft understood, and is here fitly supplied out of 2 Chronicles 7:21, where it is expressed.

Shall be astonished at its unexpected and wonderful ruin.

Shall hiss, by way of contempt and derision. See Jeremiah 19:8 49:17 50:13.

Whedon's Commentary on the Bible

8.This house, which is high — This rendering is an attempt to emend the text by the aid of 2 Chronicles 7:21, but is altogether unnecessary and erroneous. The Hebrew reads: This house shall be high; that is, shall be a conspicuous example of Divine judgment on a chosen people for their sins. “It will be exposed aloft, on its high hill, as a laughingstock to the scorn of passers-by, who will be astonished at it.” — Wordsworth.

Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

“And though this house is so high (or ‘this house shall be very high’), yet will every one who passes by it be astonished, and will hiss, and they will say, “Why has YHWH done thus to this land, and to this house?.” And they will answer, “Because they forsook YHWH their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them. Therefore has YHWH brought all this evil on them.”

What is more, whatever reputation the Temple might achieve, it will collapse so that all who pass by will be astonished, and will hiss, and will say, “Why has YHWH done thus to this land, and to this house?” Compare Deuteronomy 29:24-29, although there is no thought there of astonishment and hissing. The reply, however is otherwise very similar, although with interesting dissimilarities. Here the covenant is not mentioned and the emphasis is now therefore more on the idea of the personal forsaking of Him (in Deuteronomy it is Moses speaking, here it is YHWH speaking, and He clearly ‘feels’ their attitude).

The strict translation of the Hebrew is ‘this house shall be very high’, with a recognition of the reputation that it would gain. But the contrast is clearly intended. The height of its renown will not prevent it becoming an astonishment, and something to be hissed at. Rather it will ensure it. For the idea and significance of the hissing see Lamentations 2:15; Ezekiel 27:36; Zephaniah 2:15.

For ‘YHWH your God Who brought forth your fathers out of the land of Egypt’ compare Exodus 29:46 where it is ‘YHWH your God Who brought them forth from the land of Egypt’, and where it is also connected with the hallowing of YHWH’s Sanctuary. Compare also Judges 2:12.

1 Kings 9:10

‘And it came about at the end of twenty years, in which Solomon had built the two houses, the house of YHWH and the king’s house.’

This verse represents part of the inclusio with 1 Kings 9:1 and re-emphasises that this occurred once Solomon’s twenty year building stint was over, a period during which he had built two house, the house of YHWH and the king’s house. For the use of ‘it came about’ as a concluding comment in this way compare for example Genesis 7:10; Genesis 8:13; Genesis 19:29; etc.

It will be noted that YHWH’s words are presented as well diversified, with ideas taken from different parts of the Books of Moses, and indeed from elsewhere as well. In spite of the undoubted Deuteronomic echoes there are no real grounds for calling any part of it specifically ‘Deuteronomic’. We do better to call it ‘Mosaic’ recognising that the echoes come from all sections of the Books of Moses.

George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Example. Hebrew, "at this house, on high," (or dedicated "to the most high;" Paralipomenon) "every," &c. (Haydock) --- It shall be treated with no more regard than the high places of idols. (Calmet) --- Though at present so much exalted, it shall be reduced to a heap of ruins, (Vatable) and destroyed. (Challoner)

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

And at this house, &c. Render thus: "And this house will become conspicuous; every passer by will be astonished, and hiss; and they will say", &c.

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible - Unabridged

And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

This house, which is high - "high," either in point of situation-for it was built on a hill, and, therefore conspicuous to every beholder; or "high" in respect to privilege, honour, and renown; or this house 'of the Most High,' notwithstanding all its beauty and magnificence, shall be destroyed, and remain in such a state of ruin and degradation as to be a striking monument of the just judgment of God. The record of this second vision, in which were rehearsed the conditions of God's covenant with Solomon and the consequences of breaking them, is inserted here as a proper introduction, to the narrative about to be given of this king's commercial enterprises and ambitious desire for worldly glory. For this king, by encouraging an influx of foreign people, and a taste for foreign luxuries, rapidly corrupted his own mind, and those of his subjects, that 'they turned from following God, they and their children' (1 Kings 9:6).

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(8) At this house, which is high.—The word “which” is not in the original Hebrew here (although found in the present Hebrew text of 2 Chronicles 7:21). The true meaning is certainly “This house shall be high;” which is the reading of the LXX., while the Vulg. has a good explanatory gloss, “This house shall be for an example.” Various corrections have been proposed, but there seems no necessity for them. There is evidently an allusion to the lofty position of the Temple. Generally the exaltation of “the mountain of the Lord” is made a type of its glory (as in Micah 4:1-2; Psalms 68:15-16, &c.); here of its destruction. Its magnificence and its ruin are equally conspicuous: for “a city set on a hill cannot be hid.”

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house?

at

2 Chronicles 7:21; Isaiah 64:11; Jeremiah 19:8; 49:17; 50:13; Daniel 9:12

Why

Deuteronomy 29:24-26; Jeremiah 22:8,9,28

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:32 - and your;  Deuteronomy 28:37 - become;  2 Kings 25:9 - he burnt;  1 Chronicles 22:5 - exceeding;  2 Chronicles 2:5 - great;  2 Chronicles 2:9 - wonderful great;  2 Chronicles 29:8 - to astonishment;  Job 18:20 - astonied;  Job 27:23 - hiss him;  Psalm 69:25 - Let their;  Psalm 78:69 - And he;  Jeremiah 5:19 - Wherefore;  Jeremiah 7:14 - as;  Jeremiah 9:12 - for;  Jeremiah 16:10 - Wherefore;  Jeremiah 18:16 - a perpetual;  Jeremiah 25:9 - an astonishment;  Jeremiah 29:18 - to be a curse;  Jeremiah 40:2 - The Lord;  Jeremiah 44:8 - a curse;  Jeremiah 44:22 - your land;  Lamentations 1:18 - hear;  Lamentations 4:12 - General;  Lamentations 5:18 - of the;  Ezekiel 5:8 - in the;  Ezekiel 27:36 - hiss;  Ezekiel 32:10 - amazed;  Ezekiel 36:3 - and ye;  Micah 6:16 - that;  Nahum 3:6 - will set;  Zephaniah 2:15 - every;  Zechariah 8:13 - a curse;  Matthew 24:2 - There;  Mark 13:2 - there;  Luke 19:44 - lay