1 Kings 8:58
in 1 Kings 8May He incline our hearts to Himself, to walk in all His ways and to keep the commandments and statutes and ordinances He commanded our fathers.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
that he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers.
KJV
That he may incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
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This verse in 1 Kings 8
Commentary
4 notes on this verseFor Holy Scripture supports the freedom of the will where it says: "Keep thy heart with all diligence," but the Apostle indicates its weakness by saying "The Lord keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus."
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Spiritual blessings are the best blessings, with which we should covet earnestly to be blessed. Our hearts are naturally averse to our duty, and apt to decline from God; it is his grace that inclines them, grace that must be obtained by prayer. An answer to the prayer he had now made: " Let these my words be nigh unto the Lord our God day and night,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
That he may incline our hearts unto him,.... By his Spirit, to love, fear, and serve him; to attend to his worship, word, and ordinances: to walk in all his ways; he has prescribed and directed to: and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers; all his laws, moral, ceremonial, and judicial.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Incline our hearts - This is a doctrine which first appears in Scripture in the Davidical Psalms (see the margin reference and Psa 141:4). Solomon in this prayer seems to be thoroughly penetrated with his father’s spirit.
The words behind it
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לְהַטּ֥וֹת | lehatot | to incline | H5186 → | 214 times |
| לְבָבֵ֖נוּ | levavenu | heart our | H3824 → | 252 times |
| אֵלָ֑יו | ʾelav | to him | H413 → | 5510 times |
| לָלֶ֣כֶת | lalekhet | to walk | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| בְּכָל־ | bekhol | in all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| דְּרָכָ֗יו | derakhav | ways his | H1870 → | 707 times |
| וְלִשְׁמֹ֨ר | velishmor | and to keep | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מִצְוֹתָ֤יו | mitzvotav | commandments his | H4687 → | 181 times |
| וְחֻקָּיו֙ | vechukav | and statutes his | H2706 → | 127 times |
| וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֔יו | umishpatav | and judgments his | H4941 → | 422 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| צִוָּ֖ה | tzivah | he commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃ | ʾavoteinu | ancestors our | H1 → | 1212 times |
לְהַטּ֥וֹתto incline
lehatotH5186 →214 times
לְבָבֵ֖נוּheart our
levavenuH3824 →252 times
אֵלָ֑יוto him
ʾelavH413 →5510 times
לָלֶ֣כֶתto walk
lalekhetH1980 →1546 times
בְּכָל־in all
bekholH3605 →5413 times
דְּרָכָ֗יוways his
derakhavH1870 →707 times
וְלִשְׁמֹ֨רand to keep
velishmorH8104 →468 times
מִצְוֹתָ֤יוcommandments his
mitzvotavH4687 →181 times
וְחֻקָּיו֙and statutes his
vechukavH2706 →127 times
וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֔יוand judgments his
umishpatavH4941 →422 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
צִוָּ֖הhe commanded
tzivahH6680 →494 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃ancestors our
ʾavoteinuH1 →1212 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
Philippians 2:13For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose.
it leads to
- Hebrews 13:21
equip you with every good thing to do His will. And may He accomplish in us what is pleasing in His sight through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
- 2 Corinthians 3:5
Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim that anything comes from us, but our competence comes from God.
- 2 Timothy 1:9
He has saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works, but by His own purpose and by the grace He granted us in Christ Jesus before time began.
- Romans 9:16
So then, it does not depend on man’s desire or effort, but on God’s mercy.
- Hebrews 13:21
Through
Jeremiah 31:33“But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And…
it leads to
- 2 Corinthians 3:3
It is clear that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on…
- Hebrews 10:16
“This is the covenant I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their hearts and inscribe them on their minds.”
- Hebrews 8:10
For this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord. I will put My laws in their minds and inscribe them on their hearts. And…
- Ezekiel 11:19–20
And I will give them singleness of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh,
- 2 Corinthians 3:3
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About 1 Kings

This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); John Cassian, CONFERENCE 13.10; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.
