1 Kings 8:29
in 1 Kings 8May 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 toward this place.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place whereof thou hast said, My name shall be there; to hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall pray toward this place.
KJV
That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.
⋯
This verse in 1 Kings 8
Commentary
7 notes on this verseA commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
The choice of Jerusalem as the place seems to have been made by special revelation to David. See Psa 78:68; Psa 132:13; and compare 1Ch 22:1. Toward this place - Better (here and in 1Ki 8:30) than the marginal “in.” Wherever they were, the Jews always worshipped toward the temple. (See margin reference.)
This site's exposition
hearken unto the cry and to the prayer
on 1 Kings 8:28-30
The prayer's hinge is set here, hear thou in heaven becoming the refrain that answers seven petitions still to come, each naming a different trouble and each ending on the same three words. Solomon asks first that the Lord's eyes stay open toward the house night and day, toward the place of which thou hast said, my name shall be there, the promise of verse 16 turned into a standing request. Barnes notes that the Jews always prayed toward the temple wherever they stood, so the house functions as a fixed direction for prayer rather than a boundary on where God can be reached.
This site's exposition
May Your eyes be open toward this temple
John Wesley reads open eyes as God looking on with favor, and the Name as His presence, glory and grace in the place. Albert Barnes holds that Jerusalem was chosen by a revelation given to David. Psalm 78:68 and Psalm 132:13 record that choice.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
), his own prayers ( Hearken to the prayers which thy servant shall make ), and the prayers of all Israel, and of every particular Israelite (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation
Open - To behold with an eye of favour. My name - My presence, and glory and grace. This place - This temple, to which Solomon did now look, and towards which, the godly Israelites directed their looks in their prayers.
That thine eyes may be open towards this house night and day,....
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
My name shall be there - I will there show forth my power and my glory by enlightening, quickening, pardoning, sanctifying, and saving all my sincere worshippers.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לִהְיוֹת֩ | lihyot | to be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| עֵינֶ֨ךָ | ʾeinekha | eyes your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| פְתֻח֜וֹת | fetuchot | open | H6605 → | 144 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַבַּ֤יִת | habayit | the house | H1004 → | 2046 times |
| הַזֶּה֙ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
| לַ֣יְלָה | laylah | night | H3915 → | 233 times |
| וָי֔וֹם | vayom | and day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַ֨מָּק֔וֹם | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אָמַ֔רְתָּ | ʾamarta | you have said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| יִהְיֶ֥ה | yihyeh | it will be | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שְׁמִ֖י | shemi | name my | H8034 → | 864 times |
| שָׁ֑ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| לִשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙ | lishmoa' | to listen | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַתְּפִלָּ֔ה | hatefilah | the prayer | H8605 → | 72 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| יִתְפַּלֵּ֣ל | yitpalel | he will pray | H6419 → | 84 times |
| עַבְדְּךָ֔ | ʾavdekha | servant your | H5650 → | 799 times |
| אֶל־ | ʾel- | to | H413 → | 5510 times |
| הַמָּק֖וֹם | hamakom | the place | H4725 → | 401 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
לִהְיוֹת֩to be
lihyotH1961 →3559 times
עֵינֶ֨ךָeyes your
ʾeinekhaH5869 →887 times
פְתֻח֜וֹתopen
fetuchotH6605 →144 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַבַּ֤יִתthe house
habayitH1004 →2046 times
הַזֶּה֙<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 times
לַ֣יְלָהnight
laylahH3915 →233 times
וָי֔וֹםand day
vayomH3117 →2304 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַ֨מָּק֔וֹםthe place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אָמַ֔רְתָּyou have said
ʾamartaH559 →5305 times
יִהְיֶ֥הit will be
yihyehH1961 →3559 times
שְׁמִ֖יname my
shemiH8034 →864 times
שָׁ֑םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
לִשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙to listen
lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַתְּפִלָּ֔הthe prayer
hatefilahH8605 →72 times
אֲשֶׁ֣רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
יִתְפַּלֵּ֣לhe will pray
yitpalelH6419 →84 times
עַבְדְּךָ֔servant your
ʾavdekhaH5650 →799 times
אֶל־to
ʾel-H413 →5510 times
הַמָּק֖וֹםthe place
hamakomH4725 →401 times
הַזֶּֽה׃<the> this
hazehH2088 →1180 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
Nehemiah 1:6let Your eyes be open and Your ears attentive to hear the prayer that I, Your servant, now pray before You day and night for Your servants, the Israelites. I confess the sins that…
it leads to
- Psalms 34:15
The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Daniel 9:20
While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and that of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the LORD my God concerning His holy mountain—
- Daniel 9:4
And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments,
- Psalms 106:6
We have sinned like our fathers; we have done wrong and acted wickedly.
- Daniel 9:17–18
So now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, O Lord, cause Your face to shine upon Your desolate sanctuary.
- Psalms 34:15
Through
1 Kings 8:16‘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…
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
Through
Deuteronomy 12:11then the LORD your God will choose a dwelling for His Name. And there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 12:5
Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.
- Deuteronomy 15:20
Each year you and your household are to eat it before the LORD your God in the place the LORD will choose.
- Deuteronomy 12:5
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); Albert Barnes, Notes on 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.