1 Kings 8:31

31 "If someone wrongs another person, he will be brought to the altar in this Temple. If he swears an oath that he is not guilty,

1 Kings 8:31 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:31

If any man trespass against his neighbour
By being unfaithful in a trust committed to him, or the like:

and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear;
he denying that ever anything was committed to his trust, and there being no witnesses of it, the judge obliges him to take an oath he never had any:

and the oath come before thine altar in this house;
where it was taken, as in the presence of God, and as appealing to him: hence in corrupt times they came to swear by the altar, ( Matthew 23:20 ) and so the Heathens used to take their oaths in the temples of their gods, and at their altars, as the instances of Callicrates ^F3 and Hannibal ^F4 show, and others Grotius refers to; yea, they also laid hold on the altar, at least touched it when they swore ^F5 to give the greater sanction to the oath.

---

FOOTNOTES:

F3 Cornel. Nep. Vit. Dion. l. 10. c. 8.
F4 Ib. Hannibal. l. 23. c. 2.
F5 Vid. Lydii Dissert de Jurament. c. 4. sect. 7.

1 Kings 8:31 In-Context

29 Night and day please watch over this Temple where you have said, 'I will be worshiped there.' Hear the prayer I pray facing this Temple.

30 Hear my prayers and the prayers of your people Israel when we pray facing this place. Hear from your home in heaven, and when you hear, forgive us.

31 "If someone wrongs another person, he will be brought to the altar in this Temple. If he swears an oath that he is not guilty,

32 then hear in heaven. Judge the case, punish the guilty, but declare that the innocent person is not guilty.

33 "When your people, the Israelites, sin against you, their enemies will defeat them. But if they come back to you and praise you and pray to you in this Temple,