1 Kings 8

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 8

The building and furniture of the temple were very glorious, but the dedication of it exceeds in glory as much as prayer and praise, the work of saints, exceed the casting of metal and the graving of stones, the work of the craftsman. The temple was designed for the keeping up of the correspondence between God and his people; and here we have an account of the solemnity of their first meeting there. I. The representatives of all Israel were called together (1 Kgs. 8:1, 2), to keep a feast to... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 8:1-11

The temple, though richly beautified, yet while it was without the ark was like a body without a soul, or a candlestick without a candle, or (to speak more properly) a house without an inhabitant. All the cost and pains bestowed on this stately structure are lost if God do not accept them; and, unless he please to own it as the place where he will record his name, it is after all but a ruinous heap. When therefore all the work is ended (1 Kgs. 7:51), the one thing needful is yet behind, and... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 8:12-21

Here, I. Solomon encourages the priests, who came out of the temple from their ministration, much astonished at the dark cloud that overshadowed them. The disciples of Christ feared when they entered into the cloud, though it was a bright cloud (Luke 9:34), so did the priests when they found themselves wrapped in a thick cloud. To silence their fears, 1. He reminds them of that which they could not but know, that this was a token of God's presence (1 Kgs. 8:12): The Lord said he would dwell in... read more

Matthew Henry

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

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 8:54-61

Solomon, after his sermon in Ecclesiastes, gives us the conclusion of the whole matter; so he does here, after this long prayer; it is called his blessing the people, 1 Kgs. 8:55. He pronounced it standing, that he might be the better heard, and because he blessed as one having authority. Never were words more fitly spoken, nor more pertinently. Never was congregation dismissed with that which was more likely to affect them and abide with them. I. He gives God the glory of the great and kind... read more

Matthew Henry

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - 1 Kings 8:62-66

We read before that Judah and Israel were eating and drinking, and very cheerful under their own vines and fig-trees; here we have them so in God's courts. Now they found Solomon's words true concerning Wisdom's ways, that they are ways of pleasantness. I. They had abundant joy and satisfaction while they attended at God's house, for there, 1. Solomon offered a great sacrifice, 22,000 oxen and 120,000 sheep, enough to have drained the country of cattle if it had not been a very fruitful land.... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 8

INTRODUCTION TO 1 KINGS 8 This chapter gives an account of the introduction of the ark into the temple, 1 Kings 8:1 of the glory of the Lord filling it, 1 Kings 8:10 of a speech Solomon made to the people concerning the building of the temple, and how he came to be engaged in it, 1 Kings 8:12 , 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, ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 8:1

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel ,.... The judges in the several cities, or senators of the great sanhedrim, as others; though it is a question whether as yet there was such a court: and all the heads of the tribes ; the princes of the twelve tribes: the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel ; the principal men of the ancient families in every tribe: unto King Solomon in Jerusalem ; these he summoned together to himself there where the temple was built: ... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 8:2

And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto King Solomon at the feast ,.... Not of tabernacles, as the Targum on 2 Chronicles 5:3 and so Jarchi; though that was in the same month next mentioned, and began on the fifteenth of it, and held seven days; wherefore this must be the feast of the dedication of the temple, and which was kept before that; since both lasted fourteen days, and the people were dismissed on the twenty third of the month; now not only the above principal persons... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 8:3

And all the elders of Israel came ,.... To Zion, the city of David: and the priests took up the ark ; from thence; in 2 Chronicles 5:4 it is said the Levites did it, whose business it was, Deuteronomy 31:25 , and so the priests might be called; for every priest was a Levite, though every Levite was not a priest, and the priests did at all times bear the ark; see Joshua 3:15 . read more

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