1 Kings 8:22
in 1 Kings 8Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven,
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;
KJV
And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the congregation of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven:
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This verse in 1 Kings 8
Commentary
7 notes on this verseNow notice that Solomon did not only pray for his people but also for the foreigners and the strangers who distrusted the nation of Israel and were often hostile to it, so that the son of David might show the God of David to everyone …
This site's exposition
spread forth his hands toward heaven
on 1 Kings 8:22-24
Solomon stands before the altar and spreads his hands toward heaven, a posture Clarke describes from the parallel in 2 Chr 6:13, mounted on a brazen scaffold and kneeling with hands lifted. Gill reads the altar itself as typical, a fixture always in view during prayer, since through it every sacrifice of prayer and praise becomes acceptable. The opening address, there is no God like thee, who keepest covenant and mercy, borrows Deuteronomy's own vocabulary for the Lord's faithfulness at Deut 7:9, turning the prayer's first sentence into a confession before it becomes a request.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The posture in which he prayed was very reverent, and expressive of humility, seriousness, and fervency in prayer. He stood before the altar of the Lord, intimating that he expected the success of his prayer in virtue of that sacrifice which should be offered up in the fulness of time, typified by the sacrifices offered at that altar.
And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord,.... The altar of the burnt offering in the court of the priests, where he prayed the following prayer; and which altar was typical of Christ, who is always to be in sight in prayer, and through whom all sacrifices of prayer and praise become acceptable to God.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
Stood - He ascended the brazen scaffold, five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and then kneeled down upon his knees, with his hands spread up to heaven, and offered up the following prayer: see 1Ki 8:54, and 2Ch 5:12, 2Ch 5:13. And spread forth his hands toward heaven - This was a usual custom in all nations: in prayer the hands were stretched out to heaven, as if to invite and receive assistance from thence; while, humbly kneeling on their knees, they seemed acknowledge at once their dependence and unworthiness.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
He specifies seven cases in which the merciful interposition of God would be required; and he earnestly bespeaks it on the condition of people praying towards that holy place. The blessing addressed to the people at the close is substantially a brief recapitulation of the preceding prayer [1Ki 8:56-61]. HIS SACRIFICE OF PEACE OFFERING.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The margin reference shows that the king was so placed as to be seen by all present, and that, before beginning his prayer, he knelt down upon his knees (compare 1Ki 8:54).
The words behind it
12 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד | vaiyaamod | and he stood | H5975 → | 521 times |
| שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה | shelomoh | Solomon | H8010 → | 291 times |
| לִפְנֵי֙ | lifnei | <to> before | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| מִזְבַּ֣ח | mizbach | [the] altar of | H4196 → | 401 times |
| יְהוָ֔ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| נֶ֖גֶד | neged | before | H5048 → | 151 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| קְהַ֣ל | kehal | [the] assembly of | H6951 → | 123 times |
| יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל | yisrael | Israel | H3478 → | 2507 times |
| וַיִּפְרֹ֥שׂ | vaiyifros | and he spread out | H6566 → | 67 times |
| כַּפָּ֖יו | kapav | palms his | H3709 → | 192 times |
| הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
וַיַּעֲמֹ֣דand he stood
vaiyaamodH5975 →521 times
שְׁלֹמֹ֗הSolomon
shelomohH8010 →291 times
לִפְנֵי֙<to> before
lifneiH6440 →2123 times
מִזְבַּ֣ח[the] altar of
mizbachH4196 →401 times
יְהוָ֔הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
נֶ֖גֶדbefore
negedH5048 →151 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
קְהַ֣ל[the] assembly of
kehalH6951 →123 times
יִשְׂרָאֵ֑לIsrael
yisraelH3478 →2507 times
וַיִּפְרֹ֥שׂand he spread out
vaiyifrosH6566 →67 times
כַּפָּ֖יוpalms his
kapavH3709 →192 times
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃the heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 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
Isaiah 1:15When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.
it leads to
- Micah 3:4
Then they will cry out to the LORD, but He will not answer them. At that time He will hide His face from them because of the evil they have done.
- Isaiah 59:2–3
But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He does not hear.
- Proverbs 1:28
Then they will call on me, but I will not answer; they will earnestly seek me, but will not find me.
- Zechariah 7:13
And just as I had called and they would not listen, so when they called I would not listen, says the LORD of Hosts.
- Jeremiah 7:8–10
But look, you keep trusting in deceptive words to no avail.
- Micah 3:4
Through
Ezra 9:5At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,
it leads to
- 1 Kings 8:38
then may whatever prayer or petition Your people Israel make—each knowing his own afflictions and spreading out his hands toward this temple—
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 9:29
Moses said to him, “When I have left the city, I will spread out my hands to the LORD. The thunder will cease, and there will be no more hail, so that you may…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Kings 8:54
Now when Solomon had finished praying this entire prayer and petition to the LORD, he got up before the altar of the LORD, where he had been kneeling with his hands spread out toward…
- 1 Kings 8:38
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 Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Ephrem the Syrian, ON THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS 8:21; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.