1 Kings 8:7-15

7 For the cherubim were spreading their wings over^[a] the place of the ark, so that the cherubim covered the ark and its poles from above.

8 The poles were so long that their ends were seen from the holy place in front of the inner sanctuary, but they were not seen from outside [the sanctuary]; they are there to this day.

9 Nothing was in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had put there at Horeb,^[b][c]where the Lord made a covenant with the Israelites when they came out of the land of Egypt.

10 When the priests came out of the holy place, the cloud filled the Lord's temple,

11 and because of the cloud, the priests were not able to continue ministering, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple.^[d]

12 Then Solomon said: The Lord said that He would dwell in thick darkness,^[e]

13 but I have indeed built an exalted temple for You, a place for Your dwelling forever.

14 The king turned around and blessed the entire congregation of Israel while they were standing.

15 He said: May the Lord God of Israel be praised! He spoke directly to my father David, and He has fulfilled [the promise] by His power. He said,

1 Kings 8:7-15 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 8

This chapter gives an account of the introduction of the ark into the temple, 1Ki 8:1-9 of the glory of the Lord filling it, 1Ki 8:10,11 of a speech Solomon made to the people concerning the building of the temple, and how he came to be engaged in it, 1Ki 8:12-21, of a prayer of his he put up on this occasion, requesting, that what supplications soever were made at any time, or on any account, by Israelites or strangers, might be accepted by the Lord, 1Ki 8:22-53, and of his blessing the people of Israel at the close of it, with some useful exhortations, 1Ki 8:54-61, and of the great number of sacrifices offered up by him, and the feast he made for the people, upon which he dismissed them, 1Ki 8:62-66.

Footnotes

• [a]. LXX; MT reads toward
• [b]. Sinai
• [c]. Dt 10:5
• [d]. 2 Ch 5:2-14
• [e]. Ex 20:21; Dt 5:22