1 Reyes 8:22

22 Púsose luego Salomón delante del altar de Jehová, en presencia de toda la congregación de Israel, y extendiendo sus manos al cielo,

1 Reyes 8:22 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:22

And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord
The altar of the burnt offering in the court of the priests, where he prayed the following prayer; and which altar was typical of Christ, who is always to be in sight in prayer, and through whom all sacrifices of prayer and praise become acceptable to God. In ( 2 Chronicles 6:13 ) he is said to stand upon a scaffold of brass, five cubits long, five broad, and three high, which stood in the midst of the court; it was a sort of a pulpit, round, as a laver, for which the word is sometimes used, and on which he kneeled:

in the presence of all the congregation of Israel;
who stood in the great court before him, called the court of Israel:

and spread forth his hands toward heaven;
and hence it appears, that though Solomon stood before the altar, he did not lay hold on it with his hands, as the Heathens did when they prayed; for they say ^F25, that prayer alone does not appease the Deity, unless he that prays also lays hold on the altar with his hands; hence altars, at first, as we are told ^F26, were called "ansae"; and lifting up or spreading the hands towards heaven was a proper gesture with the Greeks and Romans ^F1.

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FOOTNOTES:

F25 Macrob. Saturnal. l. 3. c. 2. Vid. Sperling. de Baptism. Ethiac, c. 6. p. 103.
F26 Varro Rer. Divin. l. 5. apud ib.
F1 Homer. Iliad. 3. ver. 275. & 6. ver. 301. Vid. Barth. Animadv. ad Claudian. in Rufin. l. 2. ver. 205.

1 Reyes 8:22 In-Context

20 Y Jehová ha verificado su palabra que había dicho; que me he levantado yo en lugar de David mi padre, y heme sentado en el trono de Israel, como Jehová había dicho, y he edificado la casa al nombre de Jehová Dios de Israel.

21 Y he puesto en ella lugar para el arca, en la cual está el pacto de Jehová, que él hizo con nuestros padres cuando los sacó de la tierra de Egipto.

22 Púsose luego Salomón delante del altar de Jehová, en presencia de toda la congregación de Israel, y extendiendo sus manos al cielo,

23 Dijo: Jehová Dios de Israel, no hay Dios como tú, ni arriba en los cielos ni abajo en la tierra, que guardas el pacto y la misericordia á tus siervos, los que andan delante de ti de todo su corazón;

24 Que has guardado á tu siervo David mi padre lo que le dijiste: dijístelo con tu boca, y con tu mano lo has cumplido, como aparece este día.