1 Kings 8:13-23

13 Lord, I have truly built a wonderful Temple for you -- a place for you to live forever."

14 While all the Israelites were standing there, King Solomon turned to them and blessed them.

15 Then he said, "Praise the Lord, the God of Israel. He has done what he promised to my father David. The Lord said,

16 'Since the time I brought my people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city in any tribe of Israel where a temple will be built for me. But I have chosen David to lead my people Israel.'

17 "My father David wanted to build a temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.

18 But the Lord said to my father David, 'It was good that you wanted to build a temple for me.

19 But you are not the one to build it. Your son, who comes from your own body, is the one who will build my temple.'

20 "Now the Lord has kept his promise. I am the king now in place of David my father. Now I rule Israel as the Lord promised, and I have built the Temple for the Lord, the God of Israel.

21 I have made a place there for the Ark, in which is the Agreement the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt."

22 Then Solomon stood facing the Lord's altar, and all the Israelites were standing behind him. He spread out his hands toward the sky

23 and said: "Lord, God of Israel, there is no god like you in heaven above or on earth below. You keep your agreement of love with your servants who truly follow you.

1 Kings 8:13-23 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.