God’s Word Translation
1 Kings 9:8
8Everyone passing by this temple, as impressive as it is, will be appalled. They will gasp and ask, ‘Why did the Lord do these things to this land and this temple?’
1 Kings 9:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the Lord done thus unto this land, and to this house?
- New International Version (NIV)This temple will become a heap of rubble. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff and say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this temple?’
- English Standard Version (ESV)And this house will become a heap of ruins. Everyone passing by it will be astonished and will hiss, and they will say, 'Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?'
- New King James Version (NKJV)And as for this house, which is exalted, everyone who passes by it will be astonished and will hiss, and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’
Context of 1 Kings 9:8
6But if you and your descendants dare to turn away from me and do not keep my commands and laws that I gave to you, and follow and serve other gods and worship them, 7then I will cut Israel out of the land I gave them. I will reject this temple that I declared holy for my name. Israel will be an example and an object of ridicule for all the people of the world. Everyone passing by this temple, as impressive as it is, will be appalled. They will gasp and ask, ‘Why did the Lord do these things to this land and this temple?’ 9They will answer ⌞themselves⌟, ‘They abandoned the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of Egypt. They adopted other gods, worshiped, and served them. That is why the Lord brought this disaster on them.’ ” 10It took Solomon 20 years to build the two houses (the Lord’s house and the royal palace).
Read all of 1 Kings 91 Kings 9:8 word by word
וְהַבַּ֤יִת הַזֶּה֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה עֶלְי֔וֹן כָּל־עֹבֵ֥ר עָלָ֖יו יִשֹּׁ֣ם וְשָׁרָ֑ק וְאָמְר֗וּ עַל־מֶ֨ה עָשָׂ֤ה יְהוָה֙ כָּ֔כָה לָאָ֥רֶץ הַזֹּ֖את וְלַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And at this houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
- is highעֶלְיוֹן‛elyôn · highH5945
- every one that passethעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
- by it shall be astonishedשָׁמֵםshâmêm · be desolate: appalledH8074
- and shall hissשָׁרַקshâraq · to whistleH8319
- and they shall sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- Why hath the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
- thus unto this landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
Cross-references for 1 Kings 9:8
- 2 Chronicles 7:21Everyone passing by this impressive temple will be appalled. They will ask, ‘Why did the Lord do these things to this land and this temple?’
- Isaiah 64:11Our holy and beautiful temple, where our ancestors praised you, has been burned to the ground. All that we valued has been ruined.
- Jeremiah 19:8I will devastate this city. It will become something to hiss at. Everyone who goes by it will be stunned and hiss with contempt at all the disasters that happen to it.
- Jeremiah 49:17“Then Edom will become something horrible. Everyone who passes by it will be horrified and hiss at all its wounds.
- Jeremiah 50:13No one will live in Babylon because of the Lord’s anger. It will be completely abandoned. Everyone who passes by Babylon will be horrified and hiss at all its wounds.
- Daniel 9:12So you did what you said you would do to us and our rulers by bringing a great disaster on us. Nowhere in the world has anything ever happened like what has happened to Jerusalem.
- Deuteronomy 29:24Then all the other nations in the world will ask, “Why has the Lord done this to their land? Why is he so angry?”
- Jeremiah 22:8“People from many nations will pass by this city and ask each other, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this important city?’
Commentaries on 1 Kings 9:8
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8The Hebrew text runs - “And this house shall be high: every one,” etc. The meaning appears to be, “This house shall be high” (i. e., conspicuous) “in its ruin as in its glory.” And shall hiss - In contempt. This expression first appears in the time of Hezekiah 2 Chronicles 29:8; Micah 6:16. It is especially familiar to Jeremiah (Jeremiah 18:16; Jeremiah 19:8, etc.).Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-9The Lord responded to Solomon's prayer by explaining the covenant's conditions. Obedience would lead to prosperity and blessings, while disobedience could cause disaster, including the city's and temple's destruction and the people's exile (see Deuteronomy 28:36–37, 63–68). Although God's covenant was unchangeable, enjoying its blessings required faithfulness to its terms (Psalm 89:24–37).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. this house, which is high--"high," either in point of situation, for it was built on a hill, and therefore conspicuous to every beholder; or "high" in respect to privilege, honor, and renown; or this "house of the Most High," notwithstanding all its beauty and magnificence, shall be destroyed, and remain in such a state of ruin and degradation as to be a striking monument of the just judgment of God. The record of this second vision, in which were…Read the comment
Topics related to 1 Kings 9:8
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on 1 Kings 9
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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