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1 Kings 8:29

in 1 Kings 8

May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, ‘My Name shall be there,’ so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward this place.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou hast said, My name shall be there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place.

KJV

That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.

This verse in 1 Kings 8

Commentary

7 notes on this verse
The choice of Jerusalem as the place seems to have been made by special revelation to David. See Psa 78:68; Psa 132:13; and compare 1Ch 22:1. Toward this place - Better (here and in 1Ki 8:30) than the marginal “in.” Wherever they were, the Jews always worshipped toward the temple. (See margin reference.)

This site's exposition

regard the prayer and plea of Your servant

on 1 Kings 8:28-30

Solomon asks, “May Your eyes be open toward this temple night and day”. The plea “May You hear from heaven, Your dwelling place” becomes the refrain of the seven petitions. Albert Barnes notes the Jews prayed toward the temple wherever they were, so the house gave prayer its direction.

This site's exposition

May Your eyes be open toward this temple

John Wesley reads open eyes as God looking on with favor, and the Name as His presence, glory and grace in the place. Albert Barnes holds that Jerusalem was chosen by a revelation given to David. Psalm 78:68 and Psalm 132:13 record that choice.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), his own prayers ( Hearken to the prayers which thy servant shall make ), and the prayers of all Israel, and of every particular Israelite (

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation

A commentator

John Wesley

1703–1791

Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament (1765)

proposed

Open - To behold with an eye of favour. My name - My presence, and glory and grace. This place - This temple, to which Solomon did now look, and towards which, the godly Israelites directed their looks in their prayers.
That thine eyes may be open towards this house night and day,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Adam Clarke

1762–1832

Commentary on the Bible · Written before 1832.

proposed

My name shall be there - I will there show forth my power and my glory by enlightening, quickening, pardoning, sanctifying, and saving all my sincere worshippers.

The words behind it

24 Hebrew words

Every Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.

  • לִהְיוֹת֩to be

    lihyotH1961 →3559 times

  • עֵינֶ֨ךָeyes your

    ʾeinekhaH5869 →887 times

  • פְתֻח֜וֹתopen

    fetuchotH6605 →144 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַבַּ֤יִתthe house

    habayitH1004 →2046 times

  • הַזֶּה֙<the> this

    hazehH2088 →1180 times

  • לַ֣יְלָהnight

    laylahH3915 →233 times

  • וָי֔וֹםand day

    vayomH3117 →2304 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַ֨מָּק֔וֹםthe place

    hamakomH4725 →401 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwhere

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • אָמַ֔רְתָּyou have said

    ʾamartaH559 →5305 times

  • יִהְיֶ֥הit will be

    yihyehH1961 →3559 times

  • שְׁמִ֖יname my

    shemiH8034 →864 times

  • שָׁ֑םthere

    shamH8033 →834 times

  • לִשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙to listen

    lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַתְּפִלָּ֔הthe prayer

    hatefilahH8605 →72 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • יִתְפַּלֵּ֣לhe will pray

    yitpalelH6419 →84 times

  • עַבְדְּךָ֔servant your

    ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times

  • אֶל־to

    ʾel-H413 →5510 times

  • הַמָּק֖וֹםthe place

    hamakomH4725 →401 times

  • הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this

    hazehH2088 →1180 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.

  • Through

    Nehemiah 1:6

    let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that…

    it leads to

    • Psalms 34:15

      The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Daniel 9:20

      While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—

    • Daniel 9:4

      And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,

    • Psalms 106:6

      We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.

    • Daniel 9:17–18

      So now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, O Lord, cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate sanctuary.

  • Through

    1 Kings 8:16

    ‘Since the day I brought My people Israel out of Egypt, I have not chosen a city from any tribe of Israel in which to build a house so that My Name would be…

    it leads to

    • 1 Samuel 16:1

      Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go. I am sending…

  • Through

    Deuteronomy 12:11

    then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all…

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 12:5

      Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.

    • Deuteronomy 15:20

      Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.

Where this verse is studied

About 1 Kings

The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, Sir Edward John Poynter, 1890. Public domain.
The visit of the Queen of Sheba to King Solomon, Sir Edward John Poynter, 1890. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.