1 Kings 8:16-24

16 '¹Since the day that I brought My people Israel from Egypt, I did not choose a city out of all the tribes of Israel in which to build a house that ²My name might be there, but ³I chose David to be over My people Israel.'

17 "⁴Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

18 "But the LORD said to my father David, 'Because * it was in your heart to build a house for My name, you did well that it was in your heart.

19 '⁵Nevertheless you shall not build the house, but your son who will be born * to you, he will build the house for My name.'

20 "Now the LORD has fulfilled His word which He spoke; for ⁶I have risen in place of my father David and sit on the throne of Israel, as the LORD promised, and have built the house for the name of the LORD, the God of Israel.

21 "There I have set a place for the ark, ⁷in which is the covenant of the LORD, which He made with our fathers when He brought them from the land of Egypt."

The Prayer of Dedication

22 Then ⁸Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and ⁹spread out his hands toward heaven.

23 He said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, ¹⁰there is no God like You in heaven above * or on earth beneath *, ¹¹keeping covenant and showing lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart,

24 who have kept with Your servant, my father David, that which You have promised him; indeed, You have spoken with Your mouth and have fulfilled it with Your hand as it is this day.

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1 Kings 8:16-24 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 8

This chapter gives an account of the introduction of the ark into the temple, 1Ki 8:1-9 of the glory of the Lord filling it, 1Ki 8:10,11 of a speech Solomon made to the people concerning the building of the temple, and how he came to be engaged in it, 1Ki 8:12-21, of a prayer of his he put up on this occasion, requesting, that what supplications soever were made at any time, or on any account, by Israelites or strangers, might be accepted by the Lord, 1Ki 8:22-53, and of his blessing the people of Israel at the close of it, with some useful exhortations, 1Ki 8:54-61, and of the great number of sacrifices offered up by him, and the feast he made for the people, upon which he dismissed them, 1Ki 8:62-66.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 11

1. 2 Samuel 7:4, 5; 1 Chronicles 17:3-10; 2 Chronicles 6:5
2. Deuteronomy 12:5, 11
3. 1 Samuel 16:1; 2 Samuel 7:8
4. 2 Samuel 7:2, 3; 1 Chronicles 17:1, 2
5. 2 Sam 7:5, 12, 13; 1 Kings 5:3, 5; 1 Chronicles 17:11, 12; 1 Chronicles 22:8-10
6. 1 Chronicles 28:5, 6
7. Deuteronomy 31:26; 1 Kings 8:9
8. 1 Kings 8:54; 2 Chronicles 6:12
9. Exodus 9:33; Ezra 9:5
10. 1 Samuel 2:2; 2 Samuel 7:22
11. Deuteronomy 7:9; Nehemiah 1:5; Nehemiah 9:32; Daniel 9:4

Footnotes 6

[a]. Lit "with"
[b]. Lit "with"
[c]. Lit "with"
[d]. Lit "will come forth from your loins"
[e]. Lit "spoke"
[f]. Lit "spoken to"