John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - 1 Kings 8:33
When thy people Israel shall be smitten down before the enemy ,.... Beaten and routed, many slain, and others carried captive; which had been their case, and might be again, and was, though now a time of peace: because they have sinned against thee ; which always was the reason of their being given up into the hands of their enemies: and shall turn again to thee ; to thy worship, as the Targum, having fallen into idolatry, which was generally the case when they fell before their... read more
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