36 Then hear H8085 thou in heaven, H8064 and forgive H5545 the sin H2403 of thy servants, H5650 and of thy people H5971 Israel, H3478 that thou teach H3384 them the good H2896 way H1870 wherein they should walk, H3212 and give H5414 rain H4306 upon thy land, H776 which thou hast given H5414 to thy people H5971 for an inheritance. H5159
Teach H3384 me thy way, H1870 O LORD, H3068 and lead H5148 me in a plain H4334 path, H734 because of mine enemies. H8324
Moreover as for me, H595 God forbid H2486 that I should sin H2398 against the LORD H3068 in ceasing H2308 to pray H6419 for you: H1157 but I will teach H3384 you the good H2896 and the right H3477 way: H1870
Thus saith H559 the LORD, H3068 Stand H5975 ye in the ways, H1870 and see, H7200 and ask H7592 for the old H5769 paths, H5410 where is the good H2896 way, H1870 and walk H3212 therein, and ye shall find H4672 rest H4771 for your souls. H5315 But they said, H559 We will not walk H3212 therein.
Are there H3426 any among the vanities H1892 of the Gentiles H1471 that can cause rain? H1652 or can the heavens H8064 give H5414 showers? H7241 art not thou he, O LORD H3068 our God? H430 therefore we will wait H6960 upon thee: for thou hast made H6213 all these things.
And it came to pass in the mean while, H3541 that the heaven H8064 was black H6937 with clouds H5645 and wind, H7307 and there was a great H1419 rain. H1653 And Ahab H256 rode, H7392 and went H3212 to Jezreel. H3157
Elias G2243 was G2258 a man G444 subject to like passions as G3663 we are, G2254 and G2532 he prayed G4336 earnestly G4335 that it might G1026 not G3361 rain: G1026 and G2532 it rained G1026 not G3756 on G1909 the earth G1093 by the space of three G5140 years G1763 and G2532 six G1803 months. G3376 And G2532 he prayed G4336 again, G3825 and G2532 the heaven G3772 gave G1325 rain, G5205 and G2532 the earth G1093 brought forth G985 her G846 fruit. G2590
And G2532 they sent out G649 unto him G846 their G846 disciples G3101 with G3326 the Herodians, G2265 saying, G3004 Master, G1320 we know G1492 that G3754 thou art G1488 true, G227 and G2532 teachest G1321 the way G3598 of God G2316 in G1722 truth, G225 G2532 neither G3756 carest G3199 thou G4671 for G4012 any G3762 man: for G1063 thou regardest G991 not G1519 G3756 the person G4383 of men. G444
And many H7227 nations H1471 shall come, H1980 and say, H559 Come, H3212 and let us go up H5927 to the mountain H2022 of the LORD, H3068 and to the house H1004 of the God H430 of Jacob; H3290 and he will teach H3384 us of his ways, H1870 and we will walk H3212 in his paths: H734 for the law H8451 shall go forth H3318 of Zion, H6726 and the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 from Jerusalem. H3389
And it came to pass at noon, H6672 that Elijah H452 mocked H2048 them, and said, H559 Cry H7121 aloud: H1419 H6963 for he is a god; H430 either he is talking, H7879 or he is pursuing, H7873 or he is in a journey, H1870 or peradventure H194 he sleepeth, H3463 and must be awaked. H3364 And they cried H7121 aloud, H6963 H1419 and cut H1413 themselves after their manner H4941 with knives H2719 and lancets, H7420 till the blood H1818 gushed out H8210 upon them. And it came to pass, when midday H6672 was past, H5674 and they prophesied H5012 until the time of the offering H5927 of the evening sacrifice, H4503 that there was neither voice, H6963 nor any to answer, H6030 nor any that regarded. H7182 And Elijah H452 said H559 unto all the people, H5971 Come near H5066 unto me. And all the people H5971 came near H5066 unto him. And he repaired H7495 the altar H4196 of the LORD H3068 that was broken down. H2040 And Elijah H452 took H3947 twelve H8147 H6240 stones, H68 according to the number H4557 of the tribes H7626 of the sons H1121 of Jacob, H3290 unto whom the word H1697 of the LORD H3068 came, saying, H559 Israel H3478 shall be thy name: H8034 And with the stones H68 he built H1129 an altar H4196 in the name H8034 of the LORD: H3068 and he made H6213 a trench H8585 about H5439 the altar, H4196 as great as would contain H1004 two measures H5429 of seed. H2233 And he put H6186 the wood H6086 in order, H6186 and cut H5408 the bullock H6499 in pieces, and laid H7760 him on the wood, H6086 and said, H559 Fill H4390 four H702 barrels H3537 with water, H4325 and pour H3332 it on the burnt sacrifice, H5930 and on the wood. H6086 And he said, H559 Do it the second time. H8138 And they did it the second time. H8138 And he said, H559 Do it the third time. H8027 And they did it the third time. H8027 And the water H4325 ran H3212 round about H5439 the altar; H4196 and he filled H4390 the trench H8585 also with water. H4325 And it came to pass at the time of the offering H5927 of the evening sacrifice, H4503 that Elijah H452 the prophet H5030 came near, H5066 and said, H559 LORD H3068 God H430 of Abraham, H85 Isaac, H3327 and of Israel, H3478 let it be known H3045 this day H3117 that thou art God H430 in Israel, H3478 and that I am thy servant, H5650 and that I have done H6213 all these things at thy word. H1697 Hear H6030 me, O LORD, H3068 hear H6030 me, that this people H5971 may know H3045 that thou art the LORD H3068 God, H430 and that thou hast turned H5437 their heart H3820 back H5437 again. H322 Then the fire H784 of the LORD H3068 fell, H5307 and consumed H398 the burnt sacrifice, H5930 and the wood, H6086 and the stones, H68 and the dust, H6083 and licked up H3897 the water H4325 that was in the trench. H8585 And when all the people H5971 saw H7200 it, they fell H5307 on their faces: H6440 and they said, H559 The LORD, H3068 he is the God; H430 the LORD, H3068 he is the God. H430 And Elijah H452 said H559 unto them, Take H8610 the prophets H5030 of Baal; H1168 let not one H376 of them escape. H4422 And they took H8610 them: and Elijah H452 brought them down H3381 to the brook H5158 Kishon, H7028 and slew H7819 them there.
Cause me to hear H8085 thy lovingkindness H2617 in the morning; H1242 for in thee do I trust: H982 cause me to know H3045 the way H1870 wherein H2098 I should walk; H3212 for I lift up H5375 my soul H5315 unto thee.
Thou, O God, H430 didst send H5130 a plentiful H5071 rain, H1653 whereby thou didst confirm H3559 thine inheritance, H5159 when it was weary. H3811
Good H2896 and upright H3477 is the LORD: H3068 therefore will he teach H3384 sinners H2400 in the way. H1870
Lead H5148 me, O LORD, H3068 in thy righteousness H6666 because of mine enemies; H8324 make thy way H1870 straight H3474 before my face. H6440
When the heaven H8064 is shut up, H6113 and there is no rain, H4306 because they have sinned H2398 against thee; yet if they pray H6419 toward this place, H4725 and confess H3034 thy name, H8034 and turn H7725 from their sin, H2403 when thou dost afflict H6031 them; Then hear H8085 thou from heaven, H8064 and forgive H5545 the sin H2403 of thy servants, H5650 and of thy people H5971 Israel, H3478 when thou hast taught H3384 them the good H2896 way, H1870 wherein they should walk; H3212 and send H5414 rain H4306 upon thy land, H776 which thou hast given H5414 unto thy people H5971 for an inheritance. H5159
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on 1 Kings 8
Commentary on 1 Kings 8 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 8
The building and furniture of the temple were very glorious, but the dedication of it exceeds in glory as much as prayer and praise, the work of saints, exceed the casting of metal and the graving of stones, the work of the craftsman. The temple was designed for the keeping up of the correspondence between God and his people; and here we have an account of the solemnity of their first meeting there.
1Ki 8:1-11
The temple, though richly beautified, yet while it was without the ark was like a body without a soul, or a candlestick without a candle, or (to speak more properly) a house without an inhabitant. All the cost and pains bestowed on this stately structure are lost if God do not accept them; and, unless he please to own it as the place where he will record his name, it is after all but a ruinous heap. When therefore all the work is ended (ch. 7:51), the one thing needful is yet behind, and that is the bringing in of the ark. This therefore is the end which must crown the work, and which here we have an account of the doing of with great solemnity.
1Ki 8:12-21
Here,
1Ki 8:22-53
Solomon having made a general surrender of this house to God, which God had signified his acceptance of by taking possession, next follows Solomon's prayer, in which he makes a more particular declaration of the uses of that surrender, with all humility and reverence, desiring that God would agree thereto. In short, it is his request that this temple may be deemed and taken, not only for a house of sacrifice (no mention is made of that in all this prayer, that was taken for granted), but a house of prayer for all people; and herein it was a type of the gospel church; see Isa. 56:7, compared with Mt. 21:13. Therefore Solomon opened this house, not only with an extraordinary sacrifice, but with an extraordinary prayer.
1Ki 8:54-61
Solomon, after his sermon in Ecclesiastes, gives us the conclusion of the whole matter; so he does here, after this long prayer; it is called his blessing the people, v. 55. He pronounced it standing, that he might be the better heard, and because he blessed as one having authority. Never were words more fitly spoken, nor more pertinently. Never was congregation dismissed with that which was more likely to affect them and abide with them.
1Ki 8:62-66
We read before that Judah and Israel were eating and drinking, and very cheerful under their own vines and fig-trees; here we have them so in God's courts. Now they found Solomon's words true concerning Wisdom's ways, that they are ways of pleasantness.