1 Kings 8:31

31 When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple,

1 Kings 8:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:31

If any man trespass against his neighbour
By being unfaithful in a trust committed to him, or the like:

and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear;
he denying that ever anything was committed to his trust, and there being no witnesses of it, the judge obliges him to take an oath he never had any:

and the oath come before thine altar in this house;
where it was taken, as in the presence of God, and as appealing to him: hence in corrupt times they came to swear by the altar, ( Matthew 23:20 ) and so the Heathens used to take their oaths in the temples of their gods, and at their altars, as the instances of Callicrates ^F3 and Hannibal ^F4 show, and others Grotius refers to; yea, they also laid hold on the altar, at least touched it when they swore ^F5 to give the greater sanction to the oath.

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FOOTNOTES:

F3 Cornel. Nep. Vit. Dion. l. 10. c. 8.
F4 Ib. Hannibal. l. 23. c. 2.
F5 Vid. Lydii Dissert de Jurament. c. 4. sect. 7.

1 Kings 8:31 In-Context

29 Keep your eyes open to this Temple night and day, this place of which you said, "My Name will be honored there,"

30 and listen to the prayers that I pray at this place. Listen from your home in heaven and when you hear, forgive.

31 When someone hurts a neighbor and promises to make things right, and then comes and repeats the promise before your Altar in this Temple,

32 listen from heaven and act accordingly: Judge your servants, making the offender pay for his offense and setting the offended free of any charges.

33 When your people Israel are beaten by an enemy because they've sinned against you, but then turn to you and acknowledge your rule in prayers desperate and devout in this Temple,