1 Kings 8:32

32 then you shall hear in heaven and you shall act and you shall judge your servant, to declare the wicked guilty by bringing his way upon his head and {to declare the righteous innocent} by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

1 Kings 8:32 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:32

Then hear thou in heaven
When the injured person makes supplication to have justice done him:

and do, and judge thy servants;
contending with one another, the one affirming, the other denying

condemning the wicked, by bringing his way upon his head:
inflicting upon him the punishment imprecated by him in his oath:

and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his
righteousness;
by making it appear that his cause is just.

1 Kings 8:32 In-Context

30 You must listen to the plea of your servant and your people Israel which they pray [toward] this place; and you must hear from the place where you live, from heaven you must hear and you must forgive.

31 [If] a man sins against his neighbor and he pronounces an oath against him to curse him, and the curse comes before your altar in this house,

32 then you shall hear in heaven and you shall act and you shall judge your servant, to declare the wicked guilty by bringing his way upon his head and {to declare the righteous innocent} by rewarding him according to his righteousness.

33 When your people Israel are defeated before the enemy {because} they sinned against you, and [when] they turn to you and confess your name and pray and beg for mercy from you in this house,

34 then you shall hear in heaven and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and you shall bring them back to the ground which you gave to their ancestors.

Footnotes

• [a]. Literally "to declare righteous the righteous"