1 Kings 8:8
in 1 Kings 8The poles extended far enough that their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the staves were so long that the ends of the staves were seen from the holy place before the oracle; but they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.
KJV
And they drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.
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This verse in 1 Kings 8
Commentary
8 notes on this verseAnd there they are unto this day - This proves that the book was written before the destruction of the first temple, but how long before we cannot tell.
This site's exposition
into the oracle of the house
on 1 Kings 8:6-8
The ark comes to rest under the wings of the cherubim in the oracle, the most holy place, and the staves are drawn out only far enough to be seen from the holy place just outside, never protruding through the veil. Henry notes their purpose has already changed, guiding the high priest's hand to the mercy seat on the Day of Atonement rather than carrying the ark, since it will never be carried by them again. The closing note, there they are unto this day, places the writer before the first temple's fall, since nothing remained of the staves to describe once it was destroyed.
This site's exposition
their ends were visible from the Holy Place
The law at Exodus 25:15 kept the poles in the rings of the ark, so John Wesley reads them as drawn forward only in part. Albert Barnes explains how the ends were seen. The doorway of the inner sanctuary or of the temple itself stood off the line of the ark.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
"And when the poles protruded, and the ends of them appeared, etc." [1 Kings 8:8] As the ark was brought into the holy of holies, it is said: And when the poles protruded, and the ends of them appeared outside the sanctuary before the oracle, …
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Drew out - Not wholly, which was expressly forbidden, Exod. xxv, 15, Num. iv, 6, but in part. Seen out - In the most holy place, which is oft called by way of eminency, the holy place, and the Hebrew words rendered before the oracle, may be as well rendered, within the oracle.
And they drew out the staves,....
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
Nu 4:6); and they were left in that position. The object was, that these projecting staves might serve as a guide to the high priest, in conducting him to that place where, once a year, he went to officiate before the ark; otherwise he might miss his way in the dark, the ark being wholly overshadowed by the wings of the cherubim.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
It was forbidden to withdraw the staves wholly from the rings (margin reference); but they appear to have been now drawn forward in such a way that their ends or heads could be seen from the holy place, or great chamber of the temple, though without their being visible from the porch or vestibule. Either the doorway into the holy of holies was not exactly opposite the ark, but a little on one side; or, though that doorway was in the middle, opposite the ark, the doorway from the porch into the main chamber was not opposite to it. In Assyrian temples the arrangement of the outer door, the inner door, and the sanctuary, seems to have been designedly such that a mere passer-by on the outside should not obtain even a glimpse of the shrine. It is suggested that the withdrawal of the staves was intended as a sign that the ark had reached “the place of its rest,” and was not to be borne about anymore. There they are unto this day - This is a quotation from an author who lived while the temple was still standing. See also 1Ki 9:21.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַֽיַּאֲרִכוּ֮ | vaiyaarikhu | and they were long | H748 → | |
| הַבַּדִּים֒ | habadim | the poles | H905 → | 200 times |
| וַיֵּרָאוּ֩ | vaiyerau | and they were visible | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| רָאשֵׁ֨י | rashei | [the] heads of | H7218 → | 599 times |
| הַבַּדִּ֤ים | habadim | the poles | H905 → | 200 times |
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙ | hakodesh | the holy place | H6944 → | 469 times |
| עַל־ | ʾal- | on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| פְּנֵ֣י | penei | [the] face of | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| הַדְּבִ֔יר | hadevir | the innermost room | H1687 → | 16 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֵרָא֖וּ | yerau | they were visible | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| הַח֑וּצָה | hachutzah | the outside towards | H2351 → | 164 times |
| וַיִּ֣הְיוּ | vaiyihyu | and they have been | H1961 → | 3559 times |
| שָׁ֔ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| עַ֖ד | ʾad | until | H5704 → | 1261 times |
| הַיּ֥וֹם | haiyom | the day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| הַזֶּֽה׃ | hazeh | <the> this | H2088 → | 1180 times |
וַֽיַּאֲרִכוּ֮and they were long
vaiyaarikhuH748 →
הַבַּדִּים֒the poles
habadimH905 →200 times
וַיֵּרָאוּ֩and they were visible
vaiyerauH7200 →1300 times
רָאשֵׁ֨י[the] heads of
rasheiH7218 →599 times
הַבַּדִּ֤יםthe poles
habadimH905 →200 times
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַקֹּ֙דֶשׁ֙the holy place
hakodeshH6944 →469 times
עַל־on
ʾal-H5921 →5755 times
פְּנֵ֣י[the] face of
peneiH6440 →2123 times
הַדְּבִ֔ירthe innermost room
hadevirH1687 →16 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יֵרָא֖וּthey were visible
yerauH7200 →1300 times
הַח֑וּצָהthe outside towards
hachutzahH2351 →164 times
וַיִּ֣הְיוּand they have been
vaiyihyuH1961 →3559 times
שָׁ֔םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
עַ֖דuntil
ʾadH5704 →1261 times
הַיּ֥וֹםthe day
haiyomH3117 →2304 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
Matthew 28:15So the guards took the money and did as they were instructed. And this account has been circulated among the Jews to this very day.
it leads to
- 1 Timothy 6:10
For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.
- Matthew 27:8
That is why it has been called the Field of Blood to this day.
- Matthew 26:15
and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I hand Him over to you?” And they set out for him thirty pieces of silver.
- 1 Timothy 6:10
Through
2 Chronicles 5:9The poles of the ark extended far enough that their ends were visible from in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.
it leads to
- 1 Kings 8:8–9
The poles extended far enough that their ends were visible from the Holy Place in front of the inner sanctuary, but not from outside the Holy Place; and they are there to this day.
- 1 Kings 8:8–9
Through
Exodus 40:20Moses took the Testimony and placed it in the ark, attaching the poles to the ark; and he set the mercy seat atop the ark.
it leads to
- Exodus 16:34
And Aaron placed it in front of the Testimony, to be preserved just as the LORD had commanded Moses.
- 1 Kings 8:9
There was nothing in the ark except the two stone tablets that Moses had placed in it at Horeb, where the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites after they had come out…
- Romans 3:25
God presented Him as the atoning sacrifice through faith in His blood, in order to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance He had passed over the sins committed beforehand.
- Deuteronomy 10:5
and I went back down the mountain and placed the tablets in the ark I had made, as the LORD had commanded me; and there they have remained.
- Exodus 16:34
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); Bede, Questions on the Book of Kings #14; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.