2map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

3tn Heb “Then Solomon convened the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, the chiefs of the fathers belonging to the sons of Israel to King Solomon [in] Jerusalem to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David (it is Zion).”

4sn The festival. This was the Feast of Tabernacles, see Lev 23:34.

5sn The month Ethanim. This would be September-October in modern reckoning.

6tn Heb “the tent of assembly.”

sn The tent of meeting. See Exod 33:7-11.

7tn Heb “and they carried the ark of the Lord…. The priests and the Levites carried them.”

8tn Heb “And King Solomon and all the assembly of Israel, those who had been gathered to him, [were] before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle which could not be counted or numbered because of the abundance.”

9tn The word “assigned” is supplied in the translation for clarification.

10sn And its poles. These poles were used to carry the ark. See Exod 25:13-15.

11tn Heb “they could not be seen outside.”

12sn Horeb is another name for Mount Sinai.

13tn Heb “in Horeb where.”

14tn Heb “were not able to stand to serve.”

15tn Heb “the house of the Lord.”

16tn The words “O Lord” do not appear in the original text, but they are supplied for clarification; Solomon addresses the Lord in prayer at this point.

17tn Heb “turned his face.”

18tn Heb “and he blessed all the assembly of Israel, and all the assembly of Israel was standing.”

19tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his hand.”

20tn The Hebrew text reads, “by his mouth.”

21tn Heb “saying.”

22tn Heb “to build a house for my name to be there.”

sn To build a temple in which to live (Heb “to build a house for my name to be there”). In the OT, the word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.

23tn Heb “and it was with the heart of David my father.”

24tn Heb “to build a house for the name of the Lord God of Israel.” The word “name” in the OT sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.

25tn Heb “Because it was with your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was with your heart.”

26tn Heb “your son, the one who came out of your body, he will build the temple for my name.”

27tn Heb “his word that he spoke.”

28tn Heb “name.”

29tn Heb “fathers” (also in vv. 34, 40, 48, 53, 57, 58).

30tn Or “heaven.”

31tn Heb “said.”

32tn Heb “one who keeps the covenant and the loyal love.” The expression is a hendiadys.

33tn Heb “who walk before you with all their heart.”

34tn Heb “[you] who kept to your servant David my father that which you spoke to him.”

35tn Heb “you spoke by your mouth and by your hand you fulfilled, as this day.”

36tn Heb “there will not be cut off from you a man from before me sitting on the throne of Israel.”

37tn Heb “guard their way by walking before me as you have walked before me.”

38tn Heb “the words that you spoke.”

39tn Or “prove to be reliable.”

40tn Heb “Indeed, can God really live on the earth?” The rhetorical question expects the answer, “Of course not,” the force of which the translation above seeks to reflect.

41tn Heb “turn to.”

42tn Heb “by listening to.”

43tn Heb “the loud cry and the prayer.”

44tn Heb “praying before you.”

45tn Heb “so your eyes might be open toward this house night and day, toward the place about which you said, ‘My name will be there.’”

46tn Heb “by listening to the prayer which your servant is praying concerning this place.”

47tn Heb “listen to the request of your servant and your people Israel which they are praying concerning this place.”

48tn Heb “and you, hear inside your dwelling place, inside heaven.” The precise nuance of the preposition אֶל (’el), used here with the verb “hear,” is unclear. One expects the preposition “from,” which appears in the parallel text in 2 Chr 6:21. The nuance “inside; among” is attested for אֶל (see Gen 23:19; 1 Sam 10:22; Jer 4:3), but in each case a verb of motion is employed with the preposition, unlike 1 Kgs 8:30. The translation above (“from inside”) is based on the demands of the immediate context rather than attested usage elsewhere.

49tn Heb “hear and forgive.”

50tn Heb “and forgive the man who sins against his neighbor when one takes up against him a curse to curse him and the curse comes before your altar in this house.” In the Hebrew text the words “and forgive” conclude v. 30, but the accusative sign at the beginning of v. 31 suggests the verb actually goes with what follows in v. 31. The parallel text in 2 Chr 6:22 begins with “and if,” rather than the accusative sign. In this case “forgive” must be taken with what precedes, and v. 31 must be taken as the protasis (“if” clause) of a conditional sentence, with v. 32 being the apodosis (“then” clause) that completes the sentence.

sn Be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false. At first it appears that Solomon is asking God to forgive the guilty party. But in v. 32 Solomon asks the Lord to discern who is guilty and innocent, so v. 31 must refer to a situation where an accusation has been made, but not yet proven. The very periphrastic translation reflects this interpretation.

51tn Heb “and you, hear [from] heaven and act and judge your servants by declaring the guilty to be guilty, to give his way on his head, and to declare the innocent to be innocent, to give to him according to his innocence.”

52tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 33-34 actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

53tn Or “are struck down before an enemy.”

54tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”

55tn Heb “and they pray and ask for help.”

56tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 35-36a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.

57tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

58tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”

59tn The Hebrew text has “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (’anah, “to answer”). However, this reference to a divine answer is premature, since the next verse asks for God to intervene in mercy. It is better to revocalize the consonantal text as תְעַנֵּם (t˙’annem, “you afflict them”), a Piel verb form from the homonym עָנָה (“to afflict”).

60tn The translation understands כִּי (ki) in an emphatic or asseverative sense.

61tn Heb “the good way in which they should walk.”

62tn Or “for an inheritance.”

63tn Actually two Hebrew terms appear here, both of which are usually taken as referring to locusts. Perhaps different stages of growth or different varieties are in view.

64tn Heb “in the land, his gates.”

65tn Heb “every prayer, every request for help which will be to all the people, to all your people Israel.”

66tn Heb “which they know, each the pain of his heart.”

67tn The words “their sin” are added for clarification.

68tn Heb “and act and give to each one according to all his ways because you know his heart.” In the Hebrew text vv. 37-39a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided up for stylistic reasons.

69tn Heb “Indeed you know, you alone, the heart of all the sons of mankind.”

70tn Heb “fear.”

71tn Heb “all the days [in] which.”

72tn Heb “your name.” In the OT the word “name” sometimes refers to one’s reputation or honor. The “name” of the Lord sometimes designates the Lord himself, being indistinguishable from the proper name.

73tn Heb “your great name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in the previous verse.

74tn Heb “and your strong hand and your outstretched arm.”

75tn Heb “and do all which the foreigner calls to [i.e., “requests of”] you.”

76tn Heb “your name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in v. 41.

77tn Heb “fear.”

78tn Heb “that your name is called over this house which I built.” The Hebrew idiom “to call the name over” indicates ownership. See 2 Sam 12:28.

79tn Heb “When your people go out for battle against their enemies in the way which you send them.”

80tn Or perhaps “to you, O Lord.” See 2 Chr 6:34.

81tn Heb “your name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in v. 41.

82tn Heb “their prayer and their request for help.”

83tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”

84tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

85tn Heb “the land of the enemy.”

86tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

87tn Or “stop and reflect”; Heb “bring back to their heart.”

88tn Or “done wrong.”

89tn Or “soul.”

90tn Heb “in the land of their enemies.”

91tn Heb “your name.” See the note on the word “reputation” in v. 41.

92tn Heb “their prayer and their request for help.”

93tn Heb “and accomplish their justice.”

94tn Heb “and forgive your people who have sinned against you, [forgive] all their rebellious acts by which they rebelled against you, and grant them mercy before their captors so they will show them mercy.”

95tn Or “for.”

96tn Heb “inheritance.”

97tn The Hebrew term כּוּר (kur, “furnace,” cf. Akkadian ku„ru) is a metaphor for the intense heat of purification. A כּוּר was not a source of heat but a crucible (“iron-smelting furnace”) in which precious metals were melted down and their impurities burned away (see I. Cornelius, NIDOTTE 2:618-19). Thus Egypt served not as a place of punishment for the Israelites, but as a place of refinement to bring Israel to a place of submission to divine sovereignty.

sn From the middle of the iron-smelting furnace. The metaphor of a furnace suggests fire and heat and is an apt image to remind the people of the suffering they endured while slaves in Egypt.

98tn Heb “May your eyes be open.”

99tn Heb “to listen to them in all their calling out to you.”

100tn Or “For.”

101tn Heb “your inheritance.”

102tn Or “toward heaven.”

103tn Heb “he has given a resting place to his people Israel.”

104tn Heb “not one word from his entire good word he spoke by Moses his servant has fallen.”

105tn Heb “to bend our hearts toward him.” The infinitive is subordinate to the initial prayer, “may the Lord our God be with us.” The Hebrew term לֵבָב (levav, “heart”) here refers to the people’s volition and will.

106tn Heb “to walk in all his ways.”

107tn Heb “keep.”

108tn Heb “May these words of mine, which I have requested before the Lord, be near the Lord our God day and night.”

109tn Heb “accomplish the justice of.”

110tn Heb “so that.”

111tn Heb “the Lord, he is the God, there is no other.”

112tn Heb “may your hearts be complete with the Lord our God.”

113tn Heb “walking in.”

114tn Heb “keeping.”

115tn Heb “as this day.”

116tn Or “tokens of peace”; NIV, TEV “fellowship offerings.”

117tn Heb “to hold the burnt sacrifices, grain offerings, and the fat of the peace offerings.”

118tn Or “the Wadi of Egypt” (NAB, NIV, NRSV); CEV “the Egyptian Gorge.”

119tn Heb “Solomon held at that time the festival, and all Israel was with him, a great assembly from Lebo Hamath to the Brook of Egypt, before the Lord our God for seven days and seven days, fourteen days.”

120tn Heb “on the eighth day” (that is, the day after the second seven-day sequence).

121tn Heb “they blessed the king.”

122tn Heb “good of heart.”