1 Kings 8:1

Solomon dedicates the temple

1 Then Solomon assembled Israel's elders, all the tribal leaders, and the chiefs of Israel's clans at Jerusalem to bring up the chest containing the LORD's covenant from David's City Zion.

1 Kings 8:1 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:1

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel
The judges in the several cities, or senators of the great sanhedrim, as others; though it is a question whether as yet there was such a court:

and all the heads of the tribes;
the princes of the twelve tribes:

the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel;
the principal men of the ancient families in every tribe:

unto King Solomon in Jerusalem;
these he summoned together to himself there where the temple was built:

that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the
city of David, which is Zion;
whither David brought it, when he had taken that fort, so called, and dwelt in it; and from this mountain Solomon proposed to bring it up to the temple, on a higher mountain, Moriah, not far from one another.

1 Kings 8:1 In-Context

1 Then Solomon assembled Israel's elders, all the tribal leaders, and the chiefs of Israel's clans at Jerusalem to bring up the chest containing the LORD's covenant from David's City Zion.

2 Everyone in Israel assembled before King Solomon in the seventh month, the month of Ethanim, during the festival.

3 When all of Israel's elders had arrived, the priests picked up the chest.

4 They brought the LORD's chest, the meeting tent, and all the holy equipment that was in the tent. The priests and the Levites brought them up,

5 while King Solomon and the entire Israelite assembly that had joined him before the chest sacrificed countless sheep and oxen.