1 Kings 8:39
in 1 Kings 8be heard by You from heaven, Your dwelling place. And may You forgive and act, and repay each man according to all his ways, since You know his heart—for You alone know the hearts of all men—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling-place, and forgive, and do, and render unto every man according to all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
KJV
Then hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and give to every man according to his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou, even thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men;)
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This verse in 1 Kings 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
When famine or plague comes upon the land
on 1 Kings 8:37-40
The fourth petition gathers “famine or plague” and siege into one list, the curses Leviticus 26 and Deuteronomy 28 attach to unfaithfulness. Solomon turns to the single man, “each knowing his own afflictions”. The petition ends on God's own knowledge, “for You alone know the hearts of all men”.
This site's exposition
You alone know the hearts of all men
John Wesley reads the knowledge as reaching past a man's needs to the intent of his heart, whether sincere or false. God repays by what He sees there. The same knowledge belongs to Jesus at John 2:24 to 25, where John Chrysostom explains why He would not entrust Himself.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"But Jesus did not commit Himself unto them." For they were the more perfect among His disciples, who came to Him not only because of His miracles, but through His teaching also. The grosser sort the miracles attracted, but the better reasoners His prophecies and doctrines; and so they who were taken by His teaching were more steadfast than those attracted by His miracles. And Christ also called them "blessed," saying, "Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." But that these here mentioned were not real disciples, the following passage shows, for it saith, "Jesus did not commit Himself unto them." Wherefore? "Because He knew all things," "And needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man." The meaning is of this kind. "He who dwells in men's hearts, and enters into their thoughts, took no heed of outward words; and knowing well that their warmth was but for a season, He placed not confidence in them as in perfect disciples, nor committed all His doctrines to them as though they had already become firm believers." Now, to know what is in the heart of men belongs to God alone, "who hath fashioned hearts one by one," for, saith Solomon, "Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts"; He therefore needed not witnesses to learn the thoughts of His own creatures, and so He felt no confidence in them because of their mere, temporary belief. Men, who know neither the present nor the future, often tell and entrust all without any reserve to persons who approach them deceitfully and who shortly will fall off from them; but Christ did not so, for well He knew all their secret thoughts.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Thou knowest which prayer comes from the heart, and which from the lips only." The hearts of kings are not unsearchable to God. [ b. ] To his justice: Give to every man according to his ways; and he will not fail to do so, by the rules of grace, not the law, for then we should all be undone. [ c. ] To his mercy: Hear, and forgive, and do (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Thou knowest - Not only the plagues of their hearts, their several wants and burdens, (these he knows! but he will know them from us,) but the desire and intent of the heart, the sincerity or hypocrisy of it.
Then hear thou in heaven thy dwellingplace,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
(When the regular congregation unanimously left their seats to be occupied by strangers, who crowded the building to its utmost capacity). You all know that the Temple at Jerusalem was the one place of sacrifice throughout all the holy land, for thus had the Lord spoken, "Whatever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and brings it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord: even that man shall be cut off from among his people."
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
(When the regular congregation unanimously left their seats to be occupied by strangers, who crowded the building to its utmost capacity). You all know that the Temple at Jerusalem was the one place of sacrifice throughout all the holy land, for thus had the Lord spoken, "Whatever man there be of the house of Israel, or of the strangers which sojourn among you, that offers a burnt offering or sacrifice, and brings it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer it unto the Lord: even that man shall be cut off from among his people." According to God's Law there was one altar and it was counted a high crime when the tribes which dwelt beyond Jordan built another. And their brethren sought them, saying, "Rebel not against the Lord in building an altar besides the altar of the Lord our God" (Josh. 22:19). As there was only one high priest, so there was only one altar—and sacrifice might not be offered anywhere else but on that altar at Jerusalem. Therefore, when a man wished to present his offerings to God, he went up to the Temple which Solomon dedicated by the prayer in which our text occurs. The people afterwards built altars on high hills and in green groves, but these places and the sacrifices offered there were contrary to the mind of God. There was but one altar and one sacrifice—and that was at the Temple. That is why, when the godly Israelite prayed, he looked towards the one place of sacrifice, not in superstition, but in believing remembrance of the one sacrifice and the one altar and the one glorious token of the Divine Presence which shone over the Mercy Seat within the veil. He knew that God could only accept him through the one sacrifice and, therefore, he looked that way. The people especially looked toward the Temple in prayer in times of national calamity.
The words behind it
24 Hebrew wordsEvery 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.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְ֠אַתָּה | veatah | and you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| תִּשְׁמַ֨ע | tishma' | you will hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| מְכ֤וֹן | mekhon | [the] place of | H4349 → | 17 times |
| שִׁבְתֶּ֙ךָ֙ | shivtekha | dwelling your | H3427 → | 1079 times |
| וְסָלַחְתָּ֣ | vesalachta | and you will forgive | H5545 → | 46 times |
| וְעָשִׂ֔יתָ | veasita | and you will act | H6213 → | 2628 times |
| וְנָתַתָּ֤ | venatata | and you will give | H5414 → | 2011 times |
| לָאִישׁ֙ | laish | to the person | H376 → | 1663 times |
| כְּכָל־ | kekhol- | according to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דְּרָכָ֔יו | derakhav | ways his | H1870 → | 707 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | whom | H834 → | 5497 times |
| תֵּדַ֖ע | teda' | you will know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְבָב֑וֹ | levavo | heart his | H3824 → | 252 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אַתָּ֤ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙ | yada'ta | you know | H3045 → | 945 times |
| לְבַדְּךָ֔ | levadekha | to alone you | H905 → | 200 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְבַ֖ב | levav | [the] heart of | H3824 → | 252 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| בְּנֵ֥י | benei | [the] children of | H1121 → | 4930 times |
| הָאָדָֽם׃ | haadam | <the> humankind | H120 → | 551 times |
וְ֠אַתָּהand you
veatahH859 →1094 times
תִּשְׁמַ֨עyou will hear
tishma'H8085 →1159 times
הַשָּׁמַ֜יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
מְכ֤וֹן[the] place of
mekhonH4349 →17 times
שִׁבְתֶּ֙ךָ֙dwelling your
shivtekhaH3427 →1079 times
וְסָלַחְתָּ֣and you will forgive
vesalachtaH5545 →46 times
וְעָשִׂ֔יתָand you will act
veasitaH6213 →2628 times
וְנָתַתָּ֤and you will give
venatataH5414 →2011 times
לָאִישׁ֙to the person
laishH376 →1663 times
כְּכָל־according to all
kekhol-H3605 →5413 times
דְּרָכָ֔יוways his
derakhavH1870 →707 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhom
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
תֵּדַ֖עyou will know
teda'H3045 →945 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לְבָב֑וֹheart his
levavoH3824 →252 times
כִּֽי־for
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אַתָּ֤הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
יָדַ֙עְתָּ֙you know
yada'taH3045 →945 times
לְבַדְּךָ֔to alone you
levadekhaH905 →200 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
לְבַ֖ב[the] heart of
levavH3824 →252 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
בְּנֵ֥י[the] children of
beneiH1121 →4930 times
הָאָדָֽם׃<the> humankind
haadamH120 →551 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach 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
1 Chronicles 28:9As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father and serve Him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intent of every thought.…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 29:13
You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.
- James 4:8–11
Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
- Matthew 7:7–8
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.
- Isaiah 55:6–7
Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near.
- Jeremiah 24:7
I will give them a heart to know Me, that I am the LORD. They will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with all their…
- Jeremiah 29:13
Through
1 Samuel 16:7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the…
it leads to
- John 7:24
Stop judging by outward appearances, and start judging justly.”
- Jeremiah 17:10
I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
- Luke 16:15
So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
- John 7:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies17
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 1489: “The Plague of the Heart” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 24.1; 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.