1 Kings 8:48

48 and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,

1 Kings 8:48 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:48

And so return unto thee, with all their heart, and with
all their soul
In the most sincere and cordial manner, with great ingenuity and uprightness; the Targum is,

``return unto thy worship;''

relinquishing false worship they had given into, and serve the Lord in the best manner they could:

in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive;
and so at a distance from that temple, and the service of it, which

1 Kings 8:48 In-Context

46 When they sin against You—for there is no one who does not sin—and You become angry with them and deliver them to an enemy who takes them as captives to his own land, whether far or near,

47 and when they come to their senses in the land to which they were taken, and they repent and plead with You in the land of their captors, saying, ‘We have sinned and done wrong; we have acted wickedly,’

48 and when they return to You with all their heart and soul in the land of the enemies who took them captive, and when they pray to You in the direction of the land that You gave to their fathers, the city You have chosen, and the house I have built for Your Name,

49 then may You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place, their prayer and petition, and may You uphold their cause.

50 May You forgive Your people who have sinned against You and all the transgressions they have committed against You, and may You grant them compassion in the eyes of their captors to show them mercy.