1 Kings 8:29

29 so that your eyes [will] be open to this house night and day, to the place which you said, 'My name will be there,' to hear the prayer that your servant prays toward this place.

1 Kings 8:29 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:29

That thine eyes may be open towards this house night and day,
&c.] That is, to the people that pray in it, as they are to his righteous ones, ( Psalms 33:14 ) even towards the place of which thou hast my name shall be there; there should be some displays of his presence, power, and providence, of goodness, grace, and mercy:

that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make
towards this place;
not only to what he should make in it, but to what he should make in his own house, with his face directed towards this, as would be, and was the practice of good people in later times, yea, even when the temple lay in ruins; see ( Daniel 6:10 ) figuring the respect gracious souls have to Christ by faith in their prayers, in whom the Godhead dwells bodily, see ( Jonah 2:4 ) and it is observable, according to a Jewish canon ^F2, one at a distance, in another land, was not only to turn his face to the land of Israel, but direct his heart to Jerusalem, and the temple, and the holy of holies; and if in the land, to Jerusalem and if in Jerusalem, not only to the temple, and holy of holies, but if behind the mercy seat, he was to turn his face to it; which was a symbol of Christ, the propitiatory and throne of grace, to be looked unto by faith, ( Romans 3:25 ) ( 1 John 2:2 ) ( Hebrews 4:16 ) .

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FOOTNOTES:

F2 Schulchan Aruch, par. 1. c. 94. sect. 1.

1 Kings 8:29 In-Context

27 For will God really dwell on the earth? Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens could not contain you! {How could} this house that I have built?

28 You must regard the prayer of your servant and his plea! O Yahweh my God, listen to the pleading and to the prayer that your servant [is] praying before you this day,

29 so that your eyes [will] be open to this house night and day, to the place which you said, 'My name will be there,' to hear the prayer that your servant prays toward this place.

30 You must listen to the plea of your servant and your people Israel which they pray [toward] this place; and you must hear from the place where you live, from heaven you must hear and you must forgive.

31 [If] a man sins against his neighbor and he pronounces an oath against him to curse him, and the curse comes before your altar in this house,