1 Kings 8:22

22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in the sight of the church of Israel; and he held forth his hands against heaven, (And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, before the congregation of Israel; and he held forth his hands toward heaven,)

1 Kings 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 Kings 8:22 In-Context

20 The Lord hath now confirmed his word, that he spake; and I stood for David, my father, and I sat upon the throne of Israel, as the Lord spake; and I have builded an house to the name of the Lord God of Israel. (The Lord hath now fulfilled his word, that he spoke; and I have stood in place of my father David, and now I sit on the throne of Israel, as the Lord spoke; and I have built a House in honour of the name of the Lord God of Israel.)

21 And I have ordained there a place of the ark, in which ark the bond of peace of the Lord is, which he smote with our fathers, when they went out of the land of Egypt. (And I have ordained a place there for the Ark, in which Ark is the Covenant of the Lord, which he struck with our forefathers, when they went out of the land of Egypt.)

22 And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, in the sight of the church of Israel; and he held forth his hands against heaven, (And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord, before the congregation of Israel; and he held forth his hands toward heaven,)

23 and said, Lord God of Israel, no God in heaven above, neither on earth beneath, is like thee, which keepest covenant and mercy to thy servants, that go before thee in all their heart; (and said, Lord God of Israel, there is no god like thee, in heaven above, or on the earth beneath, which keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants, who go before thee with all their heart;)

24 and thou keepest to David, my father, thy servant, those things which thou hast spoken to him (and thou hast kept thy promise to thy servant David, my father); by mouth thou hast spoken (it), and by hands thou hast fulfilled (it), as this day proveth.