1 Kings 8:44

44 If thy people goeth out to battle against his enemies, by the way whither ever thou sendest them, they shall pray (to) thee against the way of the city which thou hast chosen, and over against the house that I have builded to thy name, (If thy people goeth out to battle against their enemies, by the way wherever thou sendest them, they shall pray to thee toward the way of the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the House that I have built in honour of thy name,)

1 Kings 8:44 Meaning and Commentary

1 Kings 8:44

If thy people go out to battle against their enemy
In a foreign country, threatening to invade them, or having trespassed on their borders, or some way or other infringed on their liberties and privileges, and so given them just occasion to go to war with them:

whithersoever thou shalt send them;
this case supposes their asking counsel of God, or having a direction and commission from him by a prophet, or some other way, to engage in war with the enemy:

and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen,
and toward the house I have built for thy name:
for, notwithstanding the justness of their cause, and having a warrant from God to go to war, yet they were to pray to him for success when at a distance, even in a foreign land, and about to engage the enemy; and this they were to do, turning their faces towards the city of Jerusalem, and the temple there; declaring thereby that their dependence was upon the Lord that dwelt there, and their expectation of victory was only from him.

1 Kings 8:44 In-Context

42 for thy great name, and thy strong hand, and thine arm stretched out (and thy outstretched arm), shall be heard (of) everywhere; therefore when he cometh, and prayeth in this place,

43 thou shalt hear in heaven, in the firmament of thy dwelling place, and thou shalt do all things, for which the alien calleth thee; that all peoples of lands learn to dread thy name, as thy people Israel doeth, and prove [they], that thy name is called on this house, which I [have] builded. (thou shalt hear in heaven, in the firmament of thy dwelling place, and thou shalt do all the things, for which the foreigner calleth thee; so that all the peoples of the lands learn to fear thy name/learn to revere thy name, as thy people Israel doeth, and they learn that this House, which I have built, is called by thy name.)

44 If thy people goeth out to battle against his enemies, by the way whither ever thou sendest them, they shall pray (to) thee against the way of the city which thou hast chosen, and over against the house that I have builded to thy name, (If thy people goeth out to battle against their enemies, by the way wherever thou sendest them, they shall pray to thee toward the way of the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the House that I have built in honour of thy name,)

45 and (then) thou shalt hear in heaven the prayers of them, and the beseechings of them, and thou shalt make the doom of them (and thou shalt grant them justice).

46 That if they sin to thee (But when they sin against thee), for no man is that sinneth not, and thou art wroth, and betakest them to their enemies, and they be led prisoners into the land of (their) enemies, far either nigh,