1 Kings 8:1

8:1-11 The bringing in the ark, is the end which must crown the work: this was done with great solemnity. The ark was fixed in the place appointed for its rest in the inner part of the house, whence they expected God to speak to them, even in the most holy place. The staves of the ark were drawn out, so as to direct the high priest to the mercy-seat over the ark, when he went in, once a year, to sprinkle the blood there; so that they continued of use, though there was no longer occasion to carry it by them. The glory of God appearing in a cloud may signify, 1. The darkness of that dispensation, in comparison with the light of the gospel, by which, with open face, we behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. 2. The darkness of our present state, in comparison with the sight of God, which will be the happiness of heaven, where the Divine glory is unveiled.

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel,.... The judges in the several cities, or senators of the great sanhedrim, as others; though it is a question whether as yet there was such a court: and all the heads of the tribes; the princes of the twelve tribes: the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel; the principal men of the ancient families in every tribe: unto King Solomon in Jerusalem; these he summoned together to himself there where the temple was built: that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord out of the city of David, which is Zion; whither David brought it, when he had taken that fort, so called, and dwelt in it; and from this mountain Solomon proposed to bring it up to the temple, on a higher mountain, Moriah, not far from one another.

1 Kings 8:1 . Solomon assembled the elders of Israel — The senators, and judges, and rulers. And all the heads of the tribes — For each tribe had a peculiar head or governor. The chief of the fathers — The principal person of every great Family in each tribe. Unto King Solomon, in Jerusalem — Where the temple was built, and now finished. That they might bring up the ark — With solemn pomp to the top of Moriah, (upon which mountain the temple stood,) in order that by this their attendance they might make a public profession of the respect, obedience, and service which they owed unto that God, who had been graciously and gloriously present with the ark. Out of the city of David, which is Zion — That is, called Zion. Thither David had brought the ark from the house of Obed-Edom, and had made a tabernacle for it, ( 2 Samuel 6:12 ; 2 Samuel 6:17 ,) until a fixed house should be prepared.

(1) The elders. —If in this description—found also in 2Chronicles 5:2 , and taken, no doubt, from the original document—“the elders of Israel,” are to be distinguished from the “heads of the tribes,” and not (as in the LXX.) identified with them, the former expression probably refers to the chiefs of official rank, such as the princes and the counsellors of the king, and the latter to the feudal chiefs of the great families of the various tribes. These alone were specially summoned; but as the Dedication festival (being deferred for nearly a year after the completion of the Temple) was blended with the Feast of Tabernacles, “all the men of Israel” naturally “assembled at Jerusalem” without special summons.

Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the children of Israel, unto king Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might {a} bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. (a) For David brought it from Obed-edom, and placed it in the tabernacle which he made for it in 2Sa 6:17.

Ch. 1 Kings 8:1-11 . Dedication of the Temple. Bringing up of the ark and the holy vessels. The glory of the Lord fills the house ( 2 Chronicles 5:2-14 ) 1 . Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel ] The LXX. ( Vat .) prefaces this chapter with the words ‘And it came to pass when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and his own house after twenty years,’ then &c. These words are from the commencement of chap. 9. where they also recur in the LXX., and the precise time ‘twenty years’ is found mentioned 1 Kings 9:10 ; 2 Chronicles 8:1 . But that the Temple remained undedicated through all the years that Solomon’s house was building is nowhere told us, and is very improbable. Josephus ( Ant . VIII. 4. I) says the king summoned the assembly by a formal document ( γράψας ). the chief of the fathers ] Better with margin of A.V. and text of R.V. the princes of the fathers’ houses. The persons meant are those who are called Exodus 6:14 ‘heads of their fathers’ houses. In that passage the word for ‘houses’ is expressed, as it is in many other places (cf. especially Numbers 1:16 ; Numbers 1:18 ; Numbers 1:20 , &c., Numbers 2:2 ). But the abbreviated form, as here, came into common use (see Numbers 36:1 ; Joshua 19:51 ; Joshua 21:1 , &c.).

The rendering of the full phrase should in these cases be supplied, ‘houses’ being printed in italics. that they might bring up the ark ] Whatever may have been the relative heights of the Temple mount and of Zion, in a religious sense the former would be esteemed the more exalted, and so ‘to bring up’ and ‘to go up’ thither would be the natural modes of expression. Cf. Isaiah 38:22 . Besides they would have to descend first from Zion and then to ascend Moriah. On the religious importance and exaltation of Zion cf. Ps. 48:15 seqq . the city of David which is Zion ] See above on 1 Kings 3:1 .

There seems to be a contrast here between the more popular proceedings of David 2 Samuel 6:1 , and the statelier system of his son, who merely summons the chief men as representatives of the nation. The rest of the people "assembled themselves" 1 Kings 8:2 , and were mere spectators of the solemnity.

CHAPTER 8 1Ki 8:1-12. The Dedication of the Temple.The feast of the dedication of the temple; the ark of the covenant with the holy instruments are brought into it; the Lord giveth a token of his presence, 1 Kings 8:1-11. Solomon’s blessing and thanksgiving, 1 Kings 8:12-21. His prayer, 1 Kings 8:22-61. His sacrifice of peace-offerings, 1 Kings 8:62-66. The elders of Israel; the senators, and judges, and rulers. The heads of the tribes; for each tribe had a peculiar head or governor. The chief of the fathers; the chief persons of every great family in each tribe. Unto king Solomon; unto himself; the antecedent noun being put for the relative and reciprocal pronoun, as is frequent with the Hebrews. In Jerusalem, where the temple was built, and now finished. That they might bring up the ark to the top of this hill of Moriah, upon which it was built; whither they were now to carry the ark in a solemn pomp, that by this their attendance they might make a public profession of that service, and respect, and obedience which they owed unto that God who was graciously and gloriously present in the ark. Out of the city of David, where David had placed the ark, 2 Samuel 6:12,17. See Poole "1 Kings 2:10 3:1". Which is Zion; which is called Zion, because it was built upon that hill.

Verse 1. - Then [ i.e. , when the work of the house of the Lord was practically ended, as stated in 1 Kings 7:51 . But the precise date of the dedication is a matter of dispute and uncertainty. We know that it took place in the seventh month of the year, but of what year we cannot be so sure. Was it the same year in the eighth month of which ( 1 Kings 6:38 ) the house was finished (Ewald)? Was the dedication, that is to say, one month anterior to the completion of the house and its appointments? Or are we to understand "the seventh month" to mean the Ethanim of the following year (Bahr)? are we to assign the dedication, that is, to a date eleven months after completion? Or, finally, are we to believe with the Vat. LXX. μετὰ ἔικοσι ἔτη (the LXX. text is here, however, in great confusion), that the temple was not dedicated until the palaces were also built (see 1 Kings 9:1-9 ); are we to hold, i.e. , that though finished and ready for use, it remained unused for a period of thirteen years (Thenius, Keil)? These are questions which we cannot perhaps answer with absolute certainty, but, to my mind, every consideration is in favour of the date first mentioned, i.e. , the seventh month of the eleventh year of Solomon's reign. It is true Bahr says that this opinion "needs no refutation," while Keil pronounces it directly at variance with 1 Kings 7:51 ." But it is worth while to inquire whether this is so?

And, first, as to the bearing of the passage just cited, "So was ended all the work which," etc., taken in connexion with 1 Kings 8:1 , "Then Solomon assembled," etc. To the cursory reader it appears no doubt as it this "then" must refer to the completion of the work of which we have just heard, and which was not effected until the eighth month of the year ( 1 Kings 6:38 ). But (1) אָז though probably a mark of time ( = tune), is clearly a word of great latitude of meaning, and may apply as well to one month before completion (the time specified in 1 Kings 7:51 ) as to eleven months after; and (2) it would be quite consistent with the usus loquendi of the sacred writers to describe the temple as finished, when in reality it was incomplete in a few minor particulars ( De minimis non curat scriptura ). Further more, if the temple was finished in every detail, and in all its furniture and appointments, in the eighth month, as we learn from 1 Kings 6:38 , we may be perfectly sure it would or could be practically finished - finished so as to be ready for consecration - by the seventh month. Indeed, it is not an unreasonable presumption, that it hardly would be perfect and complete on the day of dedication. Those who have built or restored churches, not to speak of cathedrals, which would perhaps afford a closer analogy to the temple, know how extremely difficult, if not impossible, it is to have every detail finished and arranged for the day of consecration.