1 Kings 8:14
in 1 Kings 8And as the whole assembly of Israel stood there, the king turned around and blessed them all
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood.
KJV
And the king turned his face about, and blessed all the congregation of Israel: (and all the congregation of Israel stood;)
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This verse in 1 Kings 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseWhile the king prayed and blessed the people, he stood on a pillar of bronze whose height was five cubits and whose width was two cubits. He climbed it by means of a flight of steps. All the kings stood on it when they needed …
This site's exposition
blessed all the congregation of Israel
on 1 Kings 8:14-15
Solomon turns from the altar to bless the standing congregation, acting in a priestly office Clarke compares to Aaron's blessing at Num 6:24-26, the king functioning here as more than a builder of houses. His opening words, spake with his mouth and hath with his hand fulfilled it, set the pattern for the whole prayer, every petition that follows measuring a spoken promise against its accomplished fact. Henry calls this the best use of God's mercies, running the stream back to its fountain in the covenant rather than admiring the gift alone.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
And the king turned his face about,....
Solomon therefore set in with their prayers, and blessed them all, as one having authority (for the less is blessed of the better ); in God's name, he spoke peace to them, and a blessing, like that with which the angel blessed Gideon when he was in a fright, upon a similar occasion.
In a long prayer he recommended to God's gracious acceptance all the prayers that should be made in or towards this place,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
Blessed all the congregation - Though this blessing is not particularly stated, yet we may suppose that it was such as the high priest pronounced upon the people: “The Lord bless thee, and keep thee! The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee! The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace!” (see Num 6:24-26), for Solomon seems now to be acting the part of the high priest.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
the king turned his face about--From the temple, where he had been watching the movement of the mystic cloud, and while the people were standing, partly as the attitude of devotion, partly out of respect to royalty, the king gave a fervent expression of praise to God for the fulfilment of His promise (2Sa 7:6-16).
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1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
Solomon had spoken the preceding words, addressed to God, with his face directed to the holy of holies. He now turned around and looked outward toward the people. The people “stood” to hear him the attitude of respect and attention. This first blessing seems to have been without speech - an inward prayer accompanied by the ordinary gesture of blessing.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
A dwelling place for You forever. From when it was chosen it would no longer be permissible [to offer sacrifices] on improvised altars, and the Divine Presence no longer dwelled in any other place.
1 more on this passage, in their own words ▾
Who spoke with His mouth. That He would grant him a son who would build the Beis [Hamikdosh]. 13 “With His mouth,” refers to the “voice” of prophecy which was given through Noson, the prophet, and repeated directly to Dovid. See II Shmuel:12-17.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּסֵּ֤ב | vaiyasev | and he turned | H5437 → | 161 times |
| הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ | hamelekh | the king | H4428 → | 2525 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| פָּנָ֔יו | panav | face his | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וַיְבָ֕רֶךְ | vayvarekh | and he blessed | H1288 → | 330 times |
| אֵ֖ת | ʾet | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| קְהַ֣ל | kehal | [the] assembly of | H6951 → | 123 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וְכָל־ | vekhol | and all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| קְהַ֥ל | kehal | [the] assembly of | H6951 → | 123 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| עֹמֵֽד׃ | ʾomed | [was] standing | H5975 → | 521 times |
וַיַּסֵּ֤בand he turned
vaiyasevH5437 →161 times
הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙the king
hamelekhH4428 →2525 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
פָּנָ֔יוface his
panavH6440 →2123 times
וַיְבָ֕רֶךְand he blessed
vayvarekhH1288 →330 times
אֵ֖ת<obj.>
ʾetH853 →10935 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
קְהַ֣ל[the] assembly of
kehalH6951 →123 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וְכָל־and all
vekholH3605 →5413 times
קְהַ֥ל[the] assembly of
kehalH6951 →123 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֖לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
עֹמֵֽד׃[was] standing
ʾomedH5975 →521 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 16:2When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.
it leads to
- Joshua 22:6
So Joshua blessed them and sent them on their way, and they went to their homes.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Genesis 47:10
Then Jacob blessed Pharaoh and departed from his presence.
- 2 Chronicles 30:18–20
A large number of the people—many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun—had not purified themselves, yet they ate the Passover, contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah interceded for them, saying, “May the LORD,…
- 2 Chronicles 30:27
Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.
- Joshua 22:6
Through
2 Chronicles 7:6The priests stood at their posts, as did the Levites with the musical instruments of the LORD, which King David had made for giving thanks to the LORD and with which David had offered…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 5:12
all the Levitical singers—Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, and their sons and relatives—stood on the east side of the altar, dressed in fine linen and playing cymbals, harps, and lyres, accompanied by 120 priests sounding trumpets.
- 1 Chronicles 15:16–21
David also told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their relatives as singers to lift up their voices with joy, accompanied by musical instruments—harps, lyres, and cymbals.
- 2 Chronicles 5:12
Through
2 Samuel 6:18When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD of Hosts.
it leads to
- 1 Chronicles 16:2
When David had finished sacrificing the burnt offerings and peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of the LORD.
- 1 Kings 8:55
And he stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:
- 1 Chronicles 16:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ishodad of Merv, BOOKS OF SESSIONS 1 KINGS 8:14; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.