1 Kings 8:29

29 ut sint oculi tui aperti super domum hanc nocte et die super domum de qua dixisti erit nomen meum ibi ut exaudias orationem qua orat te servus tuus in loco isto

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 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

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

1 Kings 8:29 In-Context

27 ergone putandum est quod vere Deus habitet super terram si enim caelum et caeli caelorum te capere non possunt quanto magis domus haec quam aedificavi
28 sed respice ad orationem servi tui et ad preces eius Domine Deus meus audi hymnum et orationem quam servus tuus orat coram te hodie
29 ut sint oculi tui aperti super domum hanc nocte et die super domum de qua dixisti erit nomen meum ibi ut exaudias orationem qua orat te servus tuus in loco isto
30 ut exaudias deprecationem servi tui et populi tui Israhel quodcumque oraverint in loco isto et exaudies in loco habitaculi tui in caelo et cum exaudieris propitius eris
31 si peccaverit homo in proximum suum et habuerit aliquod iuramentum quo teneatur adstrictus et venerit propter iuramentum coram altari tuo in domum tuam
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.