1 Kings 8:57

57 May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors. May He not abandon us or leave us.^[a]

1 Kings 8:57 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:57

The Lord our God be with us as he was with our fathers
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and those that came out of Egypt, and especially that entered into the land of Canaan under Joshua, and subdued it; as the Lord had been with them to guide and direct them, protect and defend them, succeed and prosper them, so Solomon desires he might be with them: nothing is more desirable than the presence of God; Solomon could not have prayed for a greater blessing for himself and his people; the Targum is,

``let the Word of the Lord our God be for our help, as he was for the help of our fathers:''

let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
this was no doubt a prayer of faith, founded upon a divine promise, ( Joshua 1:5 ) .

1 Kings 8:57 In-Context

55 and he stood and blessed the whole congregation of Israel with a loud voice:

56 "May the Lord be praised! He has given rest to His people Israel according to all He has said. Not one of all the good promises He made through His servant Moses has failed.

57 May the Lord our God be with us as He was with our ancestors. May He not abandon us or leave us.

58 May He incline our hearts toward Him to walk in all His ways and to keep His commands, ordinances, and judgments, which He commanded our ancestors.

59 May my words I have made my petition with before the Lord be near the Lord our God day and night, so that He may uphold His servant's cause and the cause of His people Israel, as each day requires,

Footnotes

• [a]. Jos 1:5; Ps 27:9