1 Kings 9:3

3 The LORD said to him, "I have heard you pray to me. I have heard you ask me to show you my favor. You have built this temple. I have set it apart for myself. My Name will be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

1 Kings 9:3 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 9:3

And the Lord said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy
supplication that thou hast made before me
With delight and pleasure, and had accepted it; meaning the prayer recorded in the preceding chapter:

I have hallowed this house which thou hast built;
by the cloud of glory filling it, and by fire descending from heaven, and consuming the sacrifices offered in it, ( 2 Chronicles 7:1 )

to put my name there for ever;
there to grant his presence, so long as his pure worship should be continued in it; so the Targum adds,

``and my Shechinah or divine Majesty shall abide in it, if my will is done there continually:''

and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually;
his eyes of Providence should be upon it, to watch over it, and protect it, and his worshippers in it; and he should have a cordial regard to the sacrifices there offered, and to the persons of the offerers, so long as they offered them in a right way, and to right ends and purposes.

1 Kings 9:3 In-Context

1 Solomon finished building the LORD's temple and the royal palace. He had accomplished everything he had planned to do.

2 The LORD appeared to him a second time. He had already appeared to him at Gibeon.

3 The LORD said to him, "I have heard you pray to me. I have heard you ask me to show you my favor. You have built this temple. I have set it apart for myself. My Name will be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

4 "But you must walk with me, just as your father David did. Your heart must be honest. It must be without blame. Do everything I command you to do. Obey my rules and laws.

5 Then I will set up your royal throne over Israel forever. I promised your father David I would do that. I said to him, 'You will always have a man on the throne of Israel.'