1 Kings 8:22

1 Kings 8:22 in other versions

• King James Version (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:
• New International Version (NIV)Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread out his hands toward heaven;

Context of 1 Kings 8:22

20Now the Lord has done what he promised to do. I now rule Israel as king on the throne of my father David, as the Lord promised. I have built this temple to give honour to the Lord, Israel's God. 21I have made a place there for the Covenant Box. It contains the covenant that the Lord made with our ancestors when he brought them out of Egypt.’ Then Solomon stood in front of the Lord's altar. All the Israelite people who had come together there could see him. He lifted up his hands towards the sky. 23He prayed, ‘Lord, Israel's God, there is no God like you, either in heaven above or down here on the earth. You continue to do what you have promised to do for your people. You faithfully love those who want to serve you. 24You have done what you promised to do for your servant, my father David. You have used your power to finish today everything that you said you would do.

1 Kings 8:22 word by word

וַיַּעֲמֹ֣ד שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה לִפְנֵי֙ מִזְבַּ֣ח יְהוָ֔ה נֶ֖גֶד כָּל־קְהַ֣ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיִּפְרֹ֥שׂ כַּפָּ֖יו הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Solomonשְׁלֹמֹהshelômôh · SolomonH8010
• stoodעָמַד‛âmad · to stand: standH5975
• beforeפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• the altarמִזְבֵּחַmizbêach · altarH4196
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• in the presence ofנֶ֫גֶדneged · beforeH5048
• all the congregationקָהָלqâhâl · assemblyH6951
• of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
• and spread forthפָּרַשׂpâraώ · to spreadH6566
• his handsכַּףkaph · palmH3709
• toward heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064

Cross-references for 1 Kings 8:22

• 1 Kings 8:54So Solomon finished all his prayers and everything that he wanted to ask the Lord for. He had been down on his knees with his hands lifted up towards the sky in front of the Lord's altar. Now he stood up.
• 2 Kings 11:14Then she saw the king! He was standing in the king's place beside the pillar in the temple. The army officers and the men with trumpets were standing beside the king. All the people of Judah were shouting with joy. Many of them made music with trumpets. When Athaliah saw this, she was very upset. She tore her clothes. She shouted, ‘Treason! Treason!’
• 2 Kings 23:3Then the king stood in his place beside the pillar in the temple. He promised the Lord that he would obey the covenant. He agreed to serve the Lord faithfully and to obey his commands, laws and rules. Josiah agreed to obey what was written in the Book of God's Covenant. All the people also promised to obey the covenant.
• 2 Chronicles 6:12Then Solomon stood in front of the Lord's altar. All the Israelite people who had come together there could see him. He lifted up his hands to pray.
• Exodus 9:29Then Moses said to Pharaoh, ‘As soon as I leave the city, I will lift my hands to the Lord and I will pray to him. The storm will stop and there will be no more hail. Then you will know that the whole world belongs to the Lord.
• Ezra 9:5When the time came for the evening sacrifice, I stood up. I still wore my shirt and coat that I had torn because I was so sad. Then I went down on my knees. I held out my hands and I prayed to the Lord, my God.
• Job 11:13As for you, Job, you should be faithful to God. Raise your hands and pray to God.
• Psalms 28:2Hear me when I call to you for help. Please be kind to me. I am lifting up my hands towards your Most Holy Place.
• Psalms 63:4Yes, I will thank you for as long as I live. I will lift up my hands and I will pray to you.
• Isaiah 1:15When you lift up your hands to pray to me, I have to look away. Even if you pray very many times to me, I do not listen to you, because your hands are full of blood.
• 1 Timothy 2:8So then, in every place where you meet together, I want the men to pray. The men who lift up their hands and pray must be those who live good lives. They must not be people who are angry or who quarrel with others.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 8:22

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 22Stood - 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 1 Kings 8:54, and 2 Chronicles 5:12, 2 Chronicles 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…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 22The 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 1 Kings 8:54).Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 22-53Verses 22-53 In this excellent prayer, Solomon does as we should do in every prayer; he gives glory to God. Fresh experiences of the truth of God's promises call for larger praises. He sues for grace and favour from God. The experiences we have of God's performing his promises, should encourage us to depend upon them, and to plead them with him; and those who expect further mercies, must be thankful for former mercies. God's promises must be the guide of…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22As Solomon prayed, he lifted his hands toward heaven and knelt before the Lord on a platform in clear view of the congregation (1 Kings 8:54; 2 Chronicles 6:13). Jesus criticized people who pretended to be religious without true belief (Matthew 6:5–8). But Solomon’s public devotion was sincere, leading his people in worship and encouraging them to rely fully on God. A nation that knows and obeys the Lord, and whose leaders rule justly, is especially…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2222. Solomon stood before the altar--This position was in the court of the people, on a brazen scaffold erected for the occasion (2Ch 6:13), fronting the altar of burnt offering, and surrounded by a mighty concourse of people. Assuming the attitude of a suppliant, kneeling (1Ki 8:54; compare 2Ch 6:24) and with uplifted hands, he performed the solemn act of consecration--an act remarkable, among other circumstances, for this, that it was done, not by the…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 8:22

• Prayer
• Sin

In the dictionaries

• Israel
• Solomon
• Israel, Israelites
• Jacob, Israel
• Altar
• Contain
• Glad
• Hallow
• Hearken
• Prayer

Commentaries on 1 Kings 8

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings