1 Kings 8:16
in 1 Kings 8‘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 there. But I have chosen David to be over My people Israel.’
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.
KJV
Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build an house, that my name might be therein; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.
⋯
This verse in 1 Kings 8
Commentary
7 notes on this verseSince the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt,.... Which was now about four hundred and eighty eight years ago; see 1Ki 6:
This site's exposition
I chose no city
on 1 Kings 8:16-18
Solomon recalls that the Lord chose no city for his name from the exodus until he chose David, answering Deuteronomy's repeated formula, the place which the Lord shall choose to put his name, with the plain claim that my name might be therein. The choice of a man precedes the choice of a place, and Jerusalem becomes the site because David is the king rather than the reverse. David's own desire to build, approved in intention though not granted in the act, sets up the promise the next verses record almost word for word from Nathan's oracle.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Since, &c. - Until David's time; for then he did chuse Jerusalem. That my name - That my presence, and grace, and worship, and glory, might be there. Chose David - And in and with him the tribe of Judah, of which he was, and Jerusalem where he dwelt.
): I chose no city to build a house in for my name; therefore there is occasion for the building of this. [2.] He recites David's purpose to build such a place.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
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
Since the day, etc. - Mention is here made, says Dr. Kennicott, of some one place and some one person preferred before all others; and the preference is that of Jerusalem to other places, and of David to other men. In consequence of this remark, we shall see the necessity of correcting this passage by its parallel in 2Ch 6:5, 2Ch 6:6, where the thirteen Hebrew words now lost in Kings are happily preserved.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The marginal reference completes the sense of this verse here. The passage is in accordance with archaic modes of speech, and is probably the more verbally accurate of the two.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
On the verses either side of this one
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
26 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִן־ | min- | since | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַיּ֗וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | when | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הוֹצֵ֜אתִי | hotzeti | I brought out | H3318 → | 1067 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| עַמִּ֣י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| מִמִּצְרַיִם֒ | mimitzrayim | from Egypt | H4714 → | 641 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| בָחַ֣רְתִּי | vacharti | I chose | H977 → | 171 times |
| בְעִ֗יר | veir | <in> a city | H5892 → | 1090 times |
| מִכֹּל֙ | mikol | from all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| שִׁבְטֵ֣י | shivtei | [the] tribes of | H7626 → | 190 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| לִבְנ֣וֹת | livnot | to build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| בַּ֔יִת | bayit | a house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לִהְי֥וֹת | lihyot | to be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שְׁמִ֖י | shemi | name my | H8034 → | 864 times |
| שָׁ֑ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| וָאֶבְחַ֣ר | vaevchar | and I have chosen | H977 → | 171 times |
| בְּדָוִ֔ד | bedavid | <in> David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| לִֽהְי֖וֹת | lihyot | to be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | over | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| עַמִּ֥י | ʾami | people my | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
מִן־since
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַיּ֗וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhen
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הוֹצֵ֜אתִיI brought out
hotzetiH3318 →1067 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
עַמִּ֣יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
יִשְׂרָאֵל֮Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
מִמִּצְרַיִם֒from Egypt
mimitzrayimH4714 →641 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
בָחַ֣רְתִּיI chose
vachartiH977 →171 times
בְעִ֗יר<in> a city
veirH5892 →1090 times
מִכֹּל֙from all
mikolH3605 →5413 times
שִׁבְטֵ֣י[the] tribes of
shivteiH7626 →190 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֔לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
לִבְנ֣וֹתto build
livnotH1129 →376 times
בַּ֔יִתa house
bayitH1004 →2046 times
לִהְי֥וֹתto be
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
שְׁמִ֖יname my
shemiH8034 →864 times
שָׁ֑םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
וָאֶבְחַ֣רand I have chosen
vaevcharH977 →171 times
בְּדָוִ֔ד<in> David
bedavidH1732 →999 times
לִֽהְי֖וֹתto be
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
עַל־over
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
עַמִּ֥יpeople my
ʾamiH5971 →1873 times
יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃Israel
yisraelH3478 →2507 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 Samuel 16:1Now 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…
it leads to
- 2 Kings 9:1
Now Elisha the prophet summoned one of the sons of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak under your belt, take this flask of oil, and go to Ramoth-gilead.
- 1 Samuel 15:23
For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”
- 1 Samuel 15:35
And to the day of his death, Samuel never again visited Saul. Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.
- Psalms 78:68–71
But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved.
- 1 Samuel 16:15
Saul’s servants said to him, “Surely a spirit of distress from God is tormenting you.
- 2 Kings 9:1
Through
1 Kings 8:29May 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…
it leads to
- 2 Chronicles 6:20
May Your eyes be open toward this temple day and night, toward the place where You said You would put Your Name, so that You may hear the prayer that Your servant prays toward…
- 2 Chronicles 7:15–16
Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
- 2 Chronicles 6:20
Through
1 Chronicles 28:4Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me out of all my father’s house to be king over Israel forever. For He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah He…
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…
- 1 Samuel 16:1
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
Who and where
2 names in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.