1 Kings 8:55

8:54-61 Never was a congregation dismissed with what was more likely to affect them, and to abide with them. What Solomon asks for in this prayer, is still granted in the intercession of Christ, of which his supplication was a type. We shall receive grace sufficient, suitable, and seasonable, in every time of need. No human heart is of itself willing to obey the gospel call to repentance, faith, and newness of life, walking in all the commandments of the Lord, yet Solomon exhorts the people to be perfect. This is the scriptural method, it is our duty to obey the command of the law and the call of the gospel, seeing we have broken the law. When our hearts are inclined thereto, feeling our sinfulness and weakness, we pray for Divine assistance; thus are we made able to serve God through Jesus Christ.

And he stood and blessed all the congregation of Israel with a loud voice,.... Turning himself the altar, and his face to the people, giving them his benediction, not only as the father of his people, but as preacher in Jerusalem, closing it with a word of exhortation to them: saying: as follows.

1 Kings 8:55-56 . He stood and blessed all the congregation, &c. — He spoke what follows standing, that he might be the better heard, and because he blessed as one having authority. Never were words more pertinently spoken; never was a congregation dismissed with that which was more likely to affect them, and to abide with them. Blessed be the Lord that hath given rest, &c., according to all that he promised — Thus he, as it were, writes a receipt in full on the back of the bonds of the divine promises. There hath, not failed one word of all his good promises — This discharge he gives in the name of all Israel, to the everlasting honour of the divine faithfulness, and the everlasting encouragement of all those who build on the divine promises.

(55) Blessed all the children of Israel. —To bless the congregation was the special duty and privilege of the priests (see Numbers 6:23-27 ); but throughout the whole of this narrative the king, and the king alone, is conspicuous. It is, however, to be noted that Solomon’s words here are not strictly of blessing, but rather of praise and prayer to God, and exhortation to the people.

If the prayer of Solomon be, as it has all the appearance of being, a genuine document of the time, preserved in the archives to which the authors of both Kings and Chronicles had access, all theories of the late origin of Deuteronomy must be regarded as baseless. While references are not infrequent to other portions of the Pentateuch, the language of the prayer is mainly modelled upon Deuteronomy, the promises and threats contained in which are continually before the mind of the writer. (See the margin reference).

1Ki 8:22-61. His Prayer. 22. 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 high priest or any member of the Aaronic family, but by the king in person, who might minister about, though not in, holy things. This sublime prayer [1Ki 8:22-35], which breathes sentiments of the loftiest piety blended with the deepest humility, naturally bore a reference to the national blessing and curse contained in the law—and the burden of it—after an ascription of praise to the Lord for the bestowment of the former, was an earnest supplication for deliverance from the latter. He specifies seven cases in which the merciful interposition of God would be required; and he earnestly bespeaks it on the condition of people praying towards that holy place. The blessing addressed to the people at the close is substantially a brief recapitulation of the preceding prayer [1Ki 8:56-61].

Verse 55. - And he stood [this does not necessarily imply that he drew nearer to the congregation, as Keil] , and blessed [cf. 2 Samuel 6:18 , and see note on ver. 14. The words of blessing, which are presently given (vers. 56-61), prove that he did not assume priestly functions and put any blessing upon the people, Numbers 6:27 ] all the congregation of Israel with a loud [Heb. great ] voice, saying, 1 Kings 8:55

Concluding Act of the dedication of the temple. 1 Kings 8:54-61 . Blessing the congregation. - After the conclusion of the prayer, Solomon rose up from his knees and blessed all the assembled congregation. פּרוּשׂות וכפּיו is a circumstantial clause, which must be connected with the previous words and rendered thus: "from lying upon his knees with his hands spread out towards heaven." "And he stood," i.e., he came from the altar and stood nearer to the assembled congregation. The blessing begins with praise to the Lord for the fulfilment of His promises ( 1 Kings 8:16 ), and consists in the petition that the Lord will always fulfil his (Solomon's) prayers, and grant His people the promised salvation. (Note: This blessing is omitted from the Chronicles, because it is simply a recapitulation of the longer prayer; but instead of it we have a statement, in 2 Chronicles 7:1-4, to the effect that fire fell from heaven and consumed the burnt-offering upon the altar. This statement, which even Movers regards as a traditional, i.e., a legendary addition, according to his erroneous view of the sources of the Chronicles, is confirmed by the similar miracle which occurred at the dedication of the temple. It is omitted, like so many other things in the account before us, because all that was essential in this occurrence was contained implicite in the filling of the temple with the glory of the Lord.

Just as at the consecration of the Mosaic sanctuary the Lord did not merely manifest His gracious presence through the cloud which filled the tent, but also kindled the first sacrifice with fire from heaven (Leviticus 9:24), to sanctify the altar as the legitimate place of sacrifice; so also at the temple the miraculous kindling of the first sacrifice with fire from heaven was the immediate and even necessary consequence of the filling of the temple with the cloud, in which the presence of Jehovah was embodied.)

To this assembly P, which also uses ḳahal , applies his more favourite term ‘edah , congregation of the sons of Israel , Exodus 35:1 ; Exodus 35:4 ; Exodus 35:20 (a term never used in JE or D, but occurring over 100 times in P, which also sometimes combines the two, cp. Proverbs 5:14 ). Otherwise deuteronomic writers use ḳahal only of peaceful gatherings of the people; to hear the Song of Moses, Deuteronomy 31:30 ; to hear the Law read at Shechem, Joshua 8:35 ; and for the consecration of the Temple, 1 Kings 8:14 ; 1 Kings 8:22 ; 1 Kings 8:55 ( 1 Kings 12:3 is a doubtful instance; LXX omits it). For the post-exilic use of ḳahal and ‘edah see the present writer’s Jerusalem , i. 380 ff. fire … cloud … darkness … ] See on Deuteronomy 4:11 . Sam. and LXX add darkness before cloud . The comparison of E, Exodus 20:18-21 is very instructive: thunderings, lightnings, mountain smoking . with a great voice ] E, the voice of the trumpet . and he added no more ] On this contradiction of E see above, p. 83. two tables of stone ] So Deuteronomy 4:13 ; Deuteronomy 9:9-11 ; Deuteronomy 10:1 ; Deuteronomy 10:3 ; the tables of the covenant , Deuteronomy 9:9 ; Deuteronomy 9:11 ; Deuteronomy 9:15 ; J, two tables of stone , Exodus 34:1 ; Exodus 34:4 ; E, tables of stone , Exodus 24:12 ; Exodus 31:18 b , P, two tables of the testimony , Exodus 31:18 a , Exodus 32:15 a , Exodus 34:29 .