1 Reyes 8:22

22 Y se puso Salomón delante del altar del SEÑOR, en presencia de toda la congregación de Israel, y extendiendo sus manos al cielo

1 Reyes 8:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:22

And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord
The altar of the burnt offering in the court of the priests, where he prayed the following prayer; and which altar was typical of Christ, who is always to be in sight in prayer, and through whom all sacrifices of prayer and praise become acceptable to God. In ( 2 Chronicles 6:13 ) he is said to stand upon a scaffold of brass, five cubits long, five broad, and three high, which stood in the midst of the court; it was a sort of a pulpit, round, as a laver, for which the word is sometimes used, and on which he kneeled:

in the presence of all the congregation of Israel;
who stood in the great court before him, called the court of Israel:

and spread forth his hands toward heaven;
and hence it appears, that though Solomon stood before the altar, he did not lay hold on it with his hands, as the Heathens did when they prayed; for they say ^F25, that prayer alone does not appease the Deity, unless he that prays also lays hold on the altar with his hands; hence altars, at first, as we are told ^F26, were called "ansae"; and lifting up or spreading the hands towards heaven was a proper gesture with the Greeks and Romans ^F1.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Macrob. Saturnal. l. 3. c. 2. Vid. Sperling. de Baptism. Ethiac, c. 6. p. 103.
F26 Varro Rer. Divin. l. 5. apud ib.
F1 Homer. Iliad. 3. ver. 275. & 6. ver. 301. Vid. Barth. Animadv. ad Claudian. in Rufin. l. 2. ver. 205.

1 Reyes 8:22 In-Context

20 Y el SEÑOR ha hecho firme su palabra que había dicho; que me he levantado yo en lugar de David mi padre, y me he sentado en el trono de Israel, como el SEÑOR había dicho, y he edificado la Casa para el nombre del SEÑOR Dios de Israel

21 Y he puesto en ella lugar para el arca, en la cual está el pacto del SEÑOR, que él hizo con nuestros padres cuando los sacó de la tierra de Egipto

22 Y se puso Salomón delante del altar del SEÑOR, en presencia de toda la congregación de Israel, y extendiendo sus manos al cielo

23 dijo: SEÑOR Dios de Israel, no hay Dios como tú, ni arriba en los cielos ni abajo en la tierra, que guardas el pacto y la misericordia a tus siervos, los que andan delante de ti de todo su corazón

24 que has guardado a tu siervo David mi padre lo que le dijiste; lo dijiste con tu boca, y con tu mano lo has cumplido, como lo muestra este día