1 Kings 8:11-21

11 The priests couldn't carry out their priestly duties because of the cloud - the glory of God filled The Temple of God!

12 Then Solomon spoke: God has told us that he lives in the dark where no one can see him;

13 I've built this splendid Temple, O God, to mark your invisible presence forever.

14 The king then turned to face the congregation and blessed them:

15 "Blessed be God, the God of Israel, who spoke personally to my father David. Now he has kept the promise he made when he said,

16 'From the day I brought my people Israel from Egypt, I haven't set apart one city among the tribes of Israel to build a Temple to fix my Name there. But I did choose David to rule my people Israel.'

17 "My father David had it in his heart to build a Temple honoring the Name of God, the God of Israel.

18 But God told him 'It was good that you wanted to build a Temple in my honor - most commendable!

19 But you are not the one to do it - your son will build it to honor my Name.'

20 "God has done what he said he would do: I have succeeded David my father and ruled over Israel just as God promised; and now I've built a Temple to honor God, the God of Israel,

21 and I've secured a place for the Chest that holds the covenant of God, the covenant that he made with our ancestors when he brought them up from the land of Egypt."

1 Kings 8:11-21 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.