1God testifieth his acceptance of Solomon's prayer by fire from heaven; the glory which filled the temple; the people worship. 4Solomon's sacrifices at the solemnity of the dedication. 8Having kept the feast of tabernacles and of the dedication of the altar seven days, the people are sent joyfully home. 12God appeareth again to Solomon, and maketh a covenant with him.
1NOW when Solomon had made an end of praying, 1the fire came down from heaven, and consumed the burnt offering and the sacrifices; anda the 2glory of the LORD filled the house.
1 To show openly that God heard Solomon’s prayer. See similar examples of the fire falling from heaven, Lev. 9:24; Judges 6:21; 1 Kings 18:38; 1 Chron. 21:26.
a 1 Kings 8:10, 11; 2 Chron. 5:13, 14.
2 Understand this of the cloud, which was a token of the special presence of God. See Num. 14 on verse 10; 2 Chron. 5:13, 14.
2And the priests could not enter into the house of the LORD, because the glory of the LORD had filled the LORD's house.
3And when all the children of Israel saw how the fire came down, and the glory of the LORD upon the house, they bowed themselves with their faces to the ground upon the pavement, and worshipped, and praised the LORD, saying, 3For he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.
3 See 2 Chron. 5 on verse 13, and compare verse 6 in this chapter.
4¶Then the king and all the people offered sacrifices before the LORD.
5And king Solomon offered 4a sacrifice of twenty and two thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand 5sheep: so the king and all the people dedicated the house of God.
4 Namely, a thank offering, as is expounded 1 Kings 8:63; of which offering see Lev. 3 on verse 1.
5 The Hebrew word signifies also goats, although it is for the most part used of sheep. See Gen. 12 on verse 16; Lev. 1 on verse 2.
6And the priests waited on 6their offices: the Levites also with instruments of musick 7of the LORD, which David the king had made to praise the LORD, because his mercy endureth for ever, 8when David praised by 9their ministry; and the priests sounded trumpets before them, and all Israel 10stood.
6 Namely, according to the division of their courses, which they were not able to keep at the dedication of the temple earlier, 2 Chron. 5:11.
7 That is, were made for the honor of God, to praise and thank Him therewith, according to the manner that was ordained by God, and was in use under the law.
8 Other, by David’s songs of praise in their hand. Or, when David praised him by them, namely, the musical instruments.
9 Hebr. their hand.
10 Namely, in the great or outer court, called the people’s court, separated from the inner court, wherein the priests stood.
7Moreover 11Solomon hallowed the middle of the court that was before the house of the LORD: for there he offered burnt offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the brasen altar which Solomon had made was not able to receive the burnt offerings, and the meat offerings, and the 12fat.
11 See the exposition of this verse in 1 Kings 8:64 in the annotation.
12 Understand of the thank offerings. See 1 Kings 8:64.
8¶Also at the same time Solomon kept the 13feast seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great congregation, 14from the entering in of Hamath unto the river of Egypt.
13 Namely, of the Tabernacles. See 1 Kings 8 on verse 65.
14 That is, from the north border to the south border of the land of Canaan. Compare Gen. 15:18; Joshua 13:3, 4, 5. Of the city of Hamath, see Num. 13 on verse 21; and of the river of Egypt, called Sihor, Joshua 13:3.
9And in the 15eighth day they made a 16solemn assembly: forb they kept the 17dedication of the altar 18seven days, and the feast seven days.
15 Namely, of the feast which had lasted seven days.
16 That is, a holy day, on which was forbidden all daily work. See Lev. 23 on verse 36. This day was called the great day of the feast, John 7:37.
b 1 Kings 8:65.
17 See the signification of this word Num. 7 on verse 10.
18 Which went before the days of the feast.
10And on the three and twentieth 19day of the seventh month he sentc the people away into their tents, 20glad and merry in heart for the goodness that the LORD had shewed unto David, and to Solomon, and to Israel his people.
19 The day after the solemn assembly; for, this feast began with the fifteenth day of the seventh month, and ended with the two and twentieth day of the same month, Lev. 23:34.
c 1 Kings 8:66.
20 Or, of good cheer. Hebr. good of or in heart.
11Thusd Solomon finished the house of the LORD, and the king's house: and all that came into Solomon's heart to make in the house of the LORD, and in his own house, he prosperously effected.
d 1 Kings 9:1.
12¶And the LORD 21appeared to Solomon 22by night, and said unto him, I have heard thy prayer, and have chosen this place to myself for an house of sacrifice.
21 Namely, immediately after the completion and dedication of the temple, and after the prayer which Solomon then had uttered; upon which then followed the building of the king’s house. See 1 Kings 9 on verse 2.
22 Namely, in a dream. Compare 1 Kings 3:5; 9:2. See of such Divine appearance, Gen. 20:3; 28:12, together with the annotations.
13If I shut up heaven that there be no rain, or if I 23command the locusts to devour 24the land, or if I send pestilence among my people;
23 God is said to command the unreasonable creatures, because He appoints, brings forth and uses them, either to punish men, as here and Amos 9:3, or to help them and to do them good, as 1 Kings 17:4.
24 That is, the increase and fruits of the land.
14If my people, 25which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek 26my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will 27heal their land.
25 That is, who derive their name from Me, or are called by, or, after Me; for, the godly are called the children of God, the Lord’s inheritance, His peculiar people. The same phrase is used Deut. 28:10; Amos 9:12.
26To seek the Lord’s face is to learn to know Him, as He has revealed Himself in His Word, works and tokens of His mercy, among which in the Old Testament was also the Ark of the Covenant. See Psalm 24:6; 27:8.
27 That is, sets it free from all hurtful and noxious creatures, from barrenness, from pestilence, etc.
15Now minee eyes shall be open, and mine ears attentf unto the prayer that is made 28in this place.
e 2 Chron. 6:40.
f attentive
28 See 2 Chron. 6 on verse 40.
16For now have 29I chosen and sanctified this house, that my name may be there for ever: and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.
29 See the annotations, serving for the exposition of this and the sequel, 1 Kings 9:3, etc.
17And as for thee, if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, and do according to all that I have commanded thee, and shalt observe my statutes and my judgments;
18Then will I stablish the throne of thy kingdom, according as I have covenanted with David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man to be ruler in Israel.
19But if ye turn away, and forsake my statutes and my commandments, which I have set before you, and shall go and serve other gods, and worship them;
20Then will I pluck them up by the roots out of my land which I have given them; and this house, which I have sanctified for my name, will I cast out of my sight, and will make it to be a proverb and a byword among all nations.
21And this house, which is high, shall be an astonishment to every one that passeth by it; so that he shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and unto this house?
22And it shall be answered, Because they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, and laid hold on other gods, and worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath he brought all this evil upon them.