1 Kings 3:2

1 Kings 3:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the Lord, until those days.
• New International Version (NIV)The people, however, were still sacrificing at the high places, because a temple had not yet been built for the Name of the Lord.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.

Context of 1 Kings 3:2

1And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of Yhwh, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of Yhwh, until those days. 3And Solomon loved Yhwh, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. 4And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar.

1 Kings 3:2 word by word

רַ֣ק הָעָ֔ם מְזַבְּחִ֖ים בַּבָּמ֑וֹת כִּ֠י לֹא־נִבְנָ֥ה בַ֙יִת֙ לְשֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֔ה עַ֖ד הַיָּמִ֥ים הָהֵֽם׃ פRead the interlinear

• Only the peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• sacrificedזָבַחzâbach · to sacrificeH2076
• in high placesבָּמָהbâmâh · high placeH1116
• because there was no houseבַּ֫יִתbayith · house: homeH1004
• builtבָּנָהbânâh · to buildH1129
• unto the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• of Yhwhיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• until those daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117

Cross-references for 1 Kings 3:2

• 1 Kings 1:3So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.
• 1 Kings 22:43And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of Yhwh: nevertheless the high places were not taken away; for the people offered and burnt incense yet in the high places.
• Leviticus 17:3What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,
• Leviticus 26:30And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you.
• Deuteronomy 12:2Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree:
• 2 Chronicles 33:17Nevertheless the people did sacrifice still in the high places, yet unto Yhwh their God only.
• 1 Kings 5:3Thou knowest how that David my father could not build an house unto the name of Yhwh his God for the wars which were about him on every side, Until Yhwh put them under the soles of his feet.
• 1 Chronicles 17:4Go and tell David my servant, Thus saith Yhwh, Thou shalt not build me an house to dwell in:
• 1 Chronicles 28:3But God said unto me, Thou shalt not build an house for my name, because thou hast been a man of war, and hast shed blood.
• Acts 7:47But Solomon built him an house.

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2The people sacrificed in high places - Could there be any sin in this, or was it unlawful till after the temple was built? for prophets, judges, the kings which preceded Solomon, and Solomon himself, sacrificed on high places, such as Gibeon, Gilgal, Shiloh, Hebron, Kirjath-jearim, etc. But after the temple was erected, it was sinful to offer sacrifices in any other place; yet here it is introduced as being morally wrong, and it is introduced, 1 Kings…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The word “only” introduces a contrast. The writer means to say that there was one exception to the flourishing condition of things which he has been describing, namely, that “the people sacrificed in high-places.” (Compare the next verse.) The Law did not forbid “high-places” directly, but only by implication. It required the utter destruction of all the high-places which had been polluted by idolatrous rites Deuteronomy 12:2; and the injunction to offer…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2-3The ark of the covenant was in David's tent in Jerusalem before the temple was built. During this time, people made sacrifices at local worship sites (see study note on 1 Kings 8:1). This practice reduced unified worship at a central place (1 Kings 12:1–24). It also increased the risk of adopting Canaanite religious practices. Worshiping at these local sites was forbidden for Israel (Deuteronomy 12:1–14).Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Kings 3:2

• High Places
• Prayer

In the dictionaries

• Affinity
• Divide
• Solomon
• Yearn
• Abishag
• City
• Criticism
• God
• High Place
• Israel, History of

Commentaries on 1 Kings 3

• 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