1 Kings 8:18
in 1 Kings 8But the LORD said to my father David, ‘Since it was in your heart to build a house for My Name, you have done well to have this in your heart.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
But Jehovah said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thy heart to build a house for my name, thou didst well that it was in thy heart:
KJV
And the Lord said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.
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This verse in 1 Kings 8
Commentary
5 notes on this verseThis 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.
This site's exposition
you have done well
Matthew Henry draws a general rule from the verse. God accepts what is in a man's heart to do for His Name, even when He keeps the man from building it. John Gill adds that David's purpose pleased the LORD, though the house fell to his son to build.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
): Thou didst well, that it was in thy heart. Note, Sincere intentions to do good shall be graciously approved and accepted of God, though Providence prevent our putting them in execution. The desire of a man is his kindness.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens
And the Lord said unto David my father,.... By Nathan the prophet: whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart; his design was good, and so far it was acceptable to the Lord, that he thought of such a thing, though it was not his pleasure that should do it, as follows.
In a long prayer he recommended to God's gracious acceptance all the prayers that should be made in or towards this place,
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֹּ֤אמֶר | vaiyomer | and he said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יְהוָה֙ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| דָּוִ֣ד | david | David | H1732 → | 999 times |
| אָבִ֔י | ʾavi | father my | H1 → | 1212 times |
| יַ֗עַן | yaan | because | H3282 → | 99 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | that | H834 → | 5497 times |
| הָיָה֙ | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| לְבָ֣בְךָ֔ | levavekha | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
| לִבְנ֥וֹת | livnot | to build | H1129 → | 376 times |
| בַּ֖יִת | bayit | a house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| לִשְׁמִ֑י | lishmi | for name my | H8034 → | 864 times |
| הֱטִיבֹ֔תָ | hetivota | you did well | H2895 → | |
| כִּ֥י | ki | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הָיָ֖ה | hayah | it was | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עִם־ | ʾim- | with | H5973 → | 1050 times |
| לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ | levavekha | heart your | H3824 → | 252 times |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶרand he said
vaiyomerH559 →5305 times
יְהוָה֙Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
דָּוִ֣דDavid
davidH1732 →999 times
אָבִ֔יfather my
ʾaviH1 →1212 times
יַ֗עַןbecause
yaanH3282 →99 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רthat
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
הָיָה֙it was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
לְבָ֣בְךָ֔heart your
levavekhaH3824 →252 times
לִבְנ֥וֹתto build
livnotH1129 →376 times
בַּ֖יִתa house
bayitH1004 →2046 times
לִשְׁמִ֑יfor name my
lishmiH8034 →864 times
הֱטִיבֹ֔תָyou did well
hetivotaH2895 →
כִּ֥יthat
kiH3588 →4482 times
הָיָ֖הit was
hayahH1961 →3559 times
עִם־with
ʾim-H5973 →1050 times
לְבָבֶֽךָ׃heart your
levavekhaH3824 →252 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
5 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
2 Corinthians 8:12For if the eagerness is there, the gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have.
it leads to
- Mark 12:42–44
Then one poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amounted to a small fraction of a denarius.
- 2 Corinthians 9:7
Each one should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not out of regret or compulsion. For God loves a cheerful giver.
- Exodus 35:29
So all the men and women of the Israelites whose hearts prompted them brought a freewill offering to the LORD for all the work that the LORD through Moses had commanded them to do.
- Luke 21:1–4
Then Jesus looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury,
- Exodus 35:21–22
And everyone whose heart stirred him and whose spirit prompted him came and brought an offering to the LORD for the work on the Tent of Meeting, for all its services, and for the…
- Mark 12:42–44
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings
Who and where
1 name in this verse with a page on the site.
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of 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.