Who hast kept with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him ..... Concerning a son, his successor, and the builder of the temple: thou, spakest also with thy mouth, and hast fulfilled it with thine hand , as it is this day; the temple being now finished by him, see 1 Kings 8:15 . read more
Therefore now, Lord God of Israel, keep with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst him ,.... That as he had fulfilled one part of his promise respecting himself, his immediate successor, so that he would fulfil the other respecting his more remote offspring: saying, there shall not fail thee a man in my sight, to sit on the throne of Israel ; one of David's posterity to inherit his throne and kingdom, but with this proviso: so that thy children takes heed to their way ; in... read more
Who has kept with thy servant David - This is in reference to 2 Samuel 7:13 , where God promises to David that Solomon shall build a house for the name of the Lord. The temple being now completed, this promise was literally fulfilled. read more
The Prayer of Dedication. In how many and varied ways is Solomon a type of the Divine Solomon, the true Son of David Even in this respect they are alike—that each has "taught us how to pray" ( Luke 11:1 sqq.) For we may be sure that the Prayer of Dedication is for our instruction and imitation, otherwise it would hardly have been recorded, and recorded at such length, in Scripture. "After this manner therefore pray ye" ( Matthew 6:9 ). I. LAYMEN MAY OFFER PUBLIC PRAYER ... read more
Who hast kept with thy servant David my father [Solomon sees in this a special pledge of God's faithfulness and truth] that thou promisedst [Heb. spakest, same word as below. The alteration in the A.V. obscures the connexion]: thou spakest also [Heb. and thou spakest, i.e; "yea," or "for thou spakest"] with thy mouth and hast fulfilled it with thine hand [verse 15, and Hebrews 3:6 . The completion of the house, following the establishment of Solomon upon the throne, was to him... read more
Therefore now [Heb. And now . The promise has been but partially fulfilled. The house is built; he now prays that the succession may be continued in David's line] keep [cf. verse 24, "thou hast kept"] with thy servant David my father that thou promisedst [Heb. spakest to, as above] him, saying [The reference is of course to the great promise of 2 Samuel 7:12-16 ], There shall not fall thee a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel [cf. 1 Kings 2:4 ], so that [marg;... read more
Solomon’s prayer is, perhaps, generally for the fulfillment of all the promises made to David in connection with the building of the temple. But there seems to be special allusion in this verse to the promise recorded in Psalms 132:14. read more
1 Kings 8:23-24. Lord God of Israel, there is none like thee He here acknowledges the transcendent excellences of Jehovah; and again particularly extols his faithfulness to those who serve him sincerely. Who hast kept with thy servant David that thou promisedst That branch of thy promise concerning the building of this house by his son. read more
1 Kings 8:25 . Therefore now keep, &c. Make good the other branch of thy promise. He considered God’s fulfilling the foregoing part of his promise, as an earnest that he would accomplish the other part also, made at the same time, concerning David’s posterity, 2 Samuel 7:12-13. So that thy children take heed to their way Solomon here acknowledges that the accomplishment of the promise respecting the continuance of the kingdom in David’s family, depended on their continuance in the... read more
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Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 8:22-53
Solomon having made a general surrender of this house to God, which God had signified his acceptance of by taking possession, next follows Solomon's prayer, in which he makes a more particular declaration of the uses of that surrender, with all humility and reverence, desiring that God would agree thereto. In short, it is his request that this temple may be deemed and taken, not only for a house of sacrifice (no mention is made of that in all this prayer, that was taken for granted), but a... read more