Poole on 1 Kings 8:41-53: Solomon's Dedicatory Prayer, Part 4

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Verse 41:[1]  Moreover concerning a stranger, that is not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name’s sake…

[A foreigner, etc., when he shall have come, etc., וגו״‎וּבָ֛א —‎וְגַם֙ אֶל־הַנָּכְרִ֔י]  And also to the stranger (Montanus) (moreover, concerning foreigners, or outsiders [Pagnine, Vatablus], that is, as far as it concerns foreign nations [Vatablus]), etc., and he shall have come, etc. (Montanus).  The stranger also, that is not, etc., when (or but [Junius and Tremellius]) he shall have come, etc., thou shalt hear (Arabic, Tigurinus, similarly Junius and Tremellius).  [That thou shalt hear they fetch out of verse 43, to which they extend the sentence.]  But also to the stranger shalt thou hearken, who is not of thy people, who shall have come, etc. (Munster).  Moreover, for the outsider I pray, who is not, etc., but shall have come, etc. (Syriac).  Of the Jews Solomon says, render to them according to their ways; but of foreigners he asks simply, that God would hear them in all the things that they ask in prayer.  Therefore, he asks more for the Heathen, than for the Jews.  The reason:  because the Israelites knew the way of God; but the Heathen, who were ignorant of it, would never have been worthy of a hearing, if God had had regard to their ways; he asks, therefore, that the Heathen, with the goodness of God experienced, would be perfectly converted to Him (Hebrews in Martyr).

[Because of thy name]  With the report heard of those things that thou art doing in this Temple (Vatablus).  He does not so much appear to labor over the advantages of the Gentiles, as over the magnification of the divine name.  Moreover, many Heathen were both fearing the God of the Jews, and revering the Temple:  see Psalm 68; 2 Maccabees 3 (Sanchez).  In these prayers of Solomon the calling of the Gentiles appears to be foretold; for this was not hidden from Solomon (Martyr).

For thy name’s sake:  This may note either, 1.  The end of his coming, that he may worship and glorify thy name; or rather, 2.  The motive or occasion of his coming, which was the fame of God’s greatness, and power, and kindness to his people; as the following words explain it.

Verse 42:[2]  (For they shall hear of thy great name, and of thy [Deut. 3:24] strong hand, and of thy stretched out arm;) when he shall come and pray toward this house…

[And he shall have prayed in this place]  In the place reserved for the pious uncircumcised, which was separated from the places of the Israelites by an interposed lattice.  Josephus[3] and the Rabbis[4] made mention of this (Grotius).  In the court of foreigners, which was behind the court of Israel (Menochius).

Verse 43:[5]  Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for:  (1 Sam. 17:46; 2 Kings 19:19; Ps. 67:2) that all people of the earth may know thy name, to (Ps. 102:15) fear thee, as do thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy name (Heb. thy name is called upon this house[6]).

Do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for, to wit, agreeable to thy will and word; for he would not have them heard, if they had prayed for any thing dishonourable to God, or destructive to his people.  It is observable, that his prayer for the strangers is more large and comprehensive than for the Israelites, that thereby he might both show his public spiritedness, and encourage strangers to the worship of the true God.  That all people may know thy name, to fear thee, as do thy people Israel; whereby we see how sincerely and heartily the ancient and godly Jews desired the conversion of the Gentiles; whereas the latter and degenerate Jews, in the days of Christ and of the apostles, did envy, oppose it, and fret at it.

[Because thy name is invoked upon this house (thus Junius and Tremellius, Vatablus)]  That is, because this house is under thy special protection, and from this place thou hearest prayers (Menochius).  A Hebraism:  That they may understand this house to be thine, that the Temple is the Lord’s (Vatablus).  In the place of to be invoked, I would prefer, to be named.  The sense is, that this house is called by thy name:  Thus Genesis 48:16[7] (Piscator).

Is called by thy name, that is, is owned, not only by us, but by thyself, as thy house; the only place in the world to which thou wilt vouchsafe thy presence and protection, and wherein thou wilt be publicly and solemnly served.

Verse 44:[8]  If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city (Heb. the way of the city[9]) which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name…

[Along the way, whithersoever thou shalt have sent them]  In a campaign just and commanded by thee (Junius):  Prayers were needful, even though the war was waged by the will of God:  For, although He Himself is sometimes the author of a war, and promises victory, yet He does this ever upon condition (Martyr).

Whithersoever thou shalt send them, that is, in a just cause, and by thy warrant or commission; whereby he implies that it was unlawful for them to undertake any war merely for their own glory or lust, or to enlarge their empire beyond its due bounds; and that they could not with safe conscience pray to God for his blessing upon such a war.

[And they shall pray to thee, toward the way of the city, which thou hast chosen, and toward the house, etc. (thus Pagnine, similarly Jonathan, Osiander)]  Or, toward the way that leads to the city of Jerusalem, etc., and toward, or in the direction of, the house, etc. (Osiander):  toward the way of the city (or, toward the city [Tigurinus, Vatablus], that is, with their faces turned toward the city [Vatablus]), and toward the house, etc. (Munster, Vatablus, Tigurinus).  The Jews, when praying, did rightly, in that they were turning their face to the Temple; for to that place God had fastened many promises (Martyr); recalling those promises into memory in this way, they were confirming their faith (Osiander). דֶּ֤רֶךְ הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֣רְתָּ בָּ֔הּ, the way of the city, which thou hast chosen, etc. (Montanus).  [Others otherwise:]  In the journey undertaken for the city, etc, and the house, etc. (Syriac); in the city acceptable to thee, and in the house, etc. (Arabic); in the way of this city, etc., and of this house, etc. (Junius and Tremellius).

And shall pray unto the Lord; whereby he instructs them that they should not trust either to the strength or justice of their arms, but only to God’s help and blessing, which they were to pray for.  The city which thou hast chosen, to wit, for thy dwelling-place, and the seat of thy temple.  Toward the house that I have built for thy name; for to it they were to turn their faces in prayer; partly thereby to profess themselves to be the worshippers of the true God, in opposition to idols; and that they sought help from him, and from no other; and partly to strengthen faith in God’s promises and covenant, the tables whereof were contained in that house.

Verse 45:[10]  Then hear thou in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause (or, right[11]).

[And thou shalt do their judgment]  Thou shalt maintain their cause, and exact vengeance from their enemies (Munster, similarly Lapide, Martyr):  that thou mightest procure justice for them (Piscator), thou shalt speak and do justice for them (Lapide).

Maintain their cause:  Declare the justice of their cause, by giving them the victory.

Verse 46:[12]  If they sin against thee, ([2 Chron. 6:36; Prov. 20:9; Eccles. 7:20; Jam. 3:2; 1 John 1:8, 10] for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives (Lev. 26:34, 44; Deut. 28:36, 64) unto the land of the enemy, far or near…

There is no man that sinneth not:  the universal corruption of man’s whole race and nature makes me presage that they will fall into sins; and withal, makes me to hope that thou wilt not be severe to deal with them as their sins deserve.

[They be led captive, ‎וְשָׁב֤וּם שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙]  And they take them captive, or they lead them captive, captivating them[13] (Montanus), or, who shall have seized them (Pagnine), their plunderers (Syriac).

Verse 47:[14]  (Lev. 26:40) Yet if they shall bethink themselves (Heb. bring back to their heart[15]) in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, (Neh. 1:6; Ps. 106:6; Dan. 9:5) saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness…

[And they repent in their heart, ‎וְהֵשִׁ֙יבוּ֙ אֶל־לִבָּ֔ם]  And they turn back (or recall, or bring themselves back [Vatablus, Tigurinus]) to their heart (or mind [Vatablus]) (Munster, Pagnine, Montanus, similarly Jonathan, Strigelius), that is, they recall their sins, and repent of them (Vatablus); if they shall bring back (namely, their sin, from verse 46 [Piscator]) into their mind (Junius and Tremellius, Piscator); if they judge in their souls (Arabic, similarly the Syriac), convert their heart (Septuagint); with their minds changed, etc. (Castalio).

If they shall bethink themselves; Hebrew, bring back their hearts, to wit, their sin; expressed verse 46, and implied in the following word, repent.  Saying, sensibly, and with an honest heart, We have sinned, etc.

Verse 48:[16]  And so (Jer. 29:12-14) return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and (Dan. 6:10) pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name…

[With all their soul]  This is to be understood according to the condition of this life (Martyr).

With all their heart, and with all their soul, that is, sincerely, universally, and steadfastly.

[Toward the way of their land[17]]  Toward the way that leads to their land (Piscator):  See on verse 44[18] (Menochius).

Verse 49:[19]  Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause (or, right[20])…

[In the firmament of thy throne[21]]  From the place in which thou hast thy firm and established seat (Menochius).

Their cause:  Hebrew, their right, against their invaders and oppressors.  For they had forfeited all their rights to God only, but not to their enemies; whom though God used as scourges to chastise his people’s sins, yet they had no pretence of right to their land, nor any regard to it; but only minded the satisfaction of their own lusts and interests.  See Isaiah 10:5-7; 47:6; Zechariah 1:15.

Verse 50:[22]  And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and (Ezra 7:6; Ps. 106:46) give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them…

[And thou shalt have compassion, etc., ‎וּנְתַתָּ֧ם לְרַחֲמִ֛ים לִפְנֵ֥י שֹׁבֵיהֶ֖ם וְרִֽחֲמֽוּם׃]  And give thou (thou shalt give [Montanus], shalt deliver [Munster]) them unto mercies (or, unto compassions [Munster], to mercy [Piscator]), before those that shall have carried them away as captives, and they shall have compassion on them (Septuagint, Jonathan, Pagnine).  And procure thou for them grace, or mercy, etc. (Tigurinus, Junius and Tremellius, similarly the Syriac, Arabic).  Learn from this that human affections are in the power of God, whereby He turns them withersoever He will[23] (Martyr).

That they may have compassion on them:  that is, May gently use them whilst they are there, and proclaim liberty to their captives to go to their own land.

Verse 51:[24]  For (Deut. 9:29; Neh. 1:10) they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, (Deut. 4:20; Jer. 11:4) from the midst of the furnace of iron…

They be thy people; for howsoever they may sin against thee, or suffer from men, yet still remember that they are thy peculiar people, and therefore do thou pity, and pardon, and save them.

[From the midst of the furnace of iron (thus Munster, Pagnine, Tigurinus, etc.)]  That is, from the harshest servitude:  see Deuteronomy 4:20.  The iron furnace he calls, what by continual fire has so hardened that it displays the hardness of iron; that is, they were tried by various afflictions, just as gold by fire (Vatablus).  It is called iron, either from the material of which it was formed; in which sort fire burns most intensely:  or, because in that iron and other metals are melted (Sanchez).  ‎כּוּר is not just any sort of furnace; but a vessel in which metals are melted and refined (Mariana):  from the smelting pot of iron (Junius and Tremellius).

The furnace of iron; so called, either from the metal melted in it; or rather, from the matter of which it consisted, an iron furnace being more hot and terrible than one of brick or stone.  He understands hereby their cruel bondage and painful labours.  See on Deuteronomy 4:20.

Verse 52:[25]  That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.

[In all things for which they called upon thee, ‎בְּכֹ֖ל קָרְאָ֥ם]  In everything to pray them;[26] that is, in every prayer of them; thus in 2 Kings 19:27, and thy to sit, and to go out, etc.;[27] that is, thy sitting, going forth, etc., against me I know (Glassius’ “Grammar” 364).

Verse 53:[28]  For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, (Ex. 19:5; Deut. 9:26, 29; 14:2) as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.

[Thou didst separate them for an inheritance]  Men are wont to tend diligently to their inheritance, and to look to it before their other possessions (Martyr).

Thou didst separate them to be thine inheritance; thou hast begun to build a work of great and glorious mercy to them; do not give occasion to thine enemies to think thou wast unable to finish it; or that thou art unstable in thy ways and counsels, or unkind to thine own children.

[As thou spakest by Moses]  That is to say, For this matter I have the most weighty authority and testimony (Vatablus).  He recalls good things previously bestowed by God; that is to say, be not dissimilar to thyself (Martyr).

[O Lord God, ‎אֲדֹנָ֥י יֱהוִֺֽה׃]  Lord Jehovah.  The name ‎יְהוָֺה/Jehovah has the points of אֱלֹהִים/Elohim; for thus the Jews do both point and read, when אֲדֹנָי/ Adonai/Lord precedes, lest they be compelled to repeat the same name:  For in the place of יְהוָֺה/Jehovah they read אֲדֹנָי/Adonai/Lord (Piscator).

[1] Hebrew:  ‎וְגַם֙ אֶל־הַנָּכְרִ֔י אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־מֵעַמְּךָ֥ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל ה֑וּא וּבָ֛א מֵאֶ֥רֶץ רְחוֹקָ֖ה לְמַ֥עַן שְׁמֶֽךָ׃

[2] Hebrew:  ‎כִּ֤י יִשְׁמְעוּן֙ אֶת־שִׁמְךָ֣ הַגָּד֔וֹל וְאֶת־יָֽדְךָ֙ הַֽחֲזָקָ֔ה וּֽזְרֹעֲךָ֖ הַנְּטוּיָ֑ה וּבָ֥א וְהִתְפַּלֵּ֖ל אֶל־הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּֽה׃

[3] Jewish War 5:193, 194; Antiquities 15:417; Against Apion 2:104.

[4] Mishnah Middot 2:3.

[5] Hebrew: ‎אַתָּ֞ה תִּשְׁמַ֤ע הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ מְכ֣וֹן שִׁבְתֶּ֔ךָ וְעָשִׂ֕יתָ כְּכֹ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֵלֶ֖יךָ הַנָּכְרִ֑י לְמַ֣עַן יֵדְעוּן֩ כָּל־עַמֵּ֙י הָאָ֜רֶץ אֶת־שְׁמֶ֗ךָ לְיִרְאָ֤ה אֹֽתְךָ֙ כְּעַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְלָדַ֕עַת כִּי־שִׁמְךָ֣ נִקְרָ֔א עַל־הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר בָּנִֽיתִי׃

[6] Hebrew:  ‎שִׁמְךָ֣ נִקְרָ֔א עַל־הַבַּ֥יִת הַזֶּ֖ה.

[7] Genesis 48:16:  “The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them (‎וְיִקָּרֵ֤א בָהֶם֙ שְׁמִ֔י), and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

[8] Hebrew: ‎כִּי־יֵצֵ֙א עַמְּךָ֤ לַמִּלְחָמָה֙ עַל־אֹ֣יְב֔וֹ בַּדֶּ֖רֶךְ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תִּשְׁלָחֵ֑ם וְהִתְפַּֽלְל֣וּ אֶל־יְהוָ֗ה דֶּ֤רֶךְ הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֣רְתָּ בָּ֔הּ וְהַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־בָּנִ֥תִי לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃

[9] Hebrew:  ‎דֶּ֤רֶךְ הָעִיר֙.

[10] Hebrew:  ‎וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֙ הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם אֶת־תְּפִלָּתָ֖ם וְאֶת־תְּחִנָּתָ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ מִשְׁפָּטָֽם׃

[11] Hebrew:  ‎מִשְׁפָּטָם.

[12] Hebrew: כִּ֣י יֶֽחֶטְאוּ־לָ֗ךְ כִּ֣י אֵ֤ין אָדָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר לֹא־יֶחֱטָ֔א וְאָנַפְתָּ֣ בָ֔ם וּנְתַתָּ֖ם לִפְנֵ֣י אוֹיֵ֑ב וְשָׁב֤וּם שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙ אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ הָאוֹיֵ֔ב רְחוֹקָ֖ה א֥וֹ קְרוֹבָֽה׃

[13] A literal rendering.

[14] Hebrew: ‎וְהֵשִׁ֙יבוּ֙ אֶל־לִבָּ֔ם בָּאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁבּוּ־שָׁ֑ם וְשָׁ֣בוּ׀ וְהִֽתְחַנְּנ֣וּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ בְּאֶ֤רֶץ שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר חָטָ֥אנוּ וְהֶעֱוִ֖ינוּ רָשָֽׁעְנוּ׃

[15] Hebrew:  ‎וְהֵשִׁ֙יבוּ֙ אֶל־לִבָּ֔ם.

[16] Hebrew: ‎וְשָׁ֣בוּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ בְּכָל־לְבָבָם֙ וּבְכָל־נַפְשָׁ֔ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁב֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם וְהִֽתְפַּֽלְל֣וּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ דֶּ֤רֶךְ אַרְצָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נָתַ֣תָּה לַאֲבוֹתָ֔ם הָעִיר֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בָּחַ֔רְתָּ וְהַבַּ֖יִת אֲשֶׁר־בָּנִ֥יתָ לִשְׁמֶֽךָ׃

[17] Hebrew:  ‎דֶּ֤רֶךְ אַרְצָם֙.

[18] 1 Kings 8:44:  “If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city (‎דֶּ֤רֶךְ הָעִיר֙) which thou hast chosen, and the house that I have built for thy name…”

[19] Hebrew:  ‎וְשָׁמַעְתָּ֤ הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ מְכ֣וֹן שִׁבְתְּךָ֔ אֶת־תְּפִלָּתָ֖ם וְאֶת־תְּחִנָּתָ֑ם וְעָשִׂ֖יתָ מִשְׁפָּטָֽם׃

[20] Hebrew:  ‎מִשְׁפָּטָם.

[21] Hebrew:  ‎מְכ֣וֹן שִׁבְתְּךָ֔, the fixed place of thy dwelling.  כּוּן signifies to be firm.

[22] Hebrew: ‎וְסָלַחְתָּ֤ לְעַמְּךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָֽטְאוּ־לָ֔ךְ וּלְכָל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּשְׁעוּ־בָ֑ךְ וּנְתַתָּ֧ם לְרַחֲמִ֛ים לִפְנֵ֥י שֹׁבֵיהֶ֖ם וְרִֽחֲמֽוּם׃

[23] Proverbs 21:1.

[24] Hebrew:  ‎כִּֽי־עַמְּךָ֥ וְנַחֲלָתְךָ֖ הֵ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֤ר הוֹצֵ֙אתָ֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם מִתּ֖וֹךְ כּ֥וּר הַבַּרְזֶֽל׃

[25] Hebrew:  ‎לִהְי֙וֹת עֵינֶ֤יךָ פְתֻחוֹת֙ אֶל־תְּחִנַּ֣ת עַבְדְּךָ֔ וְאֶל־תְּחִנַּ֖ת עַמְּךָ֣ יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לִשְׁמֹ֣עַ אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם בְּכֹ֖ל קָרְאָ֥ם אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

[26] A woodenly literal rendering.

[27] 2 Kings 19:27:  “But I know thy abode, and thy going out, and thy coming in (וְשִׁבְתְּךָ֛ וְצֵאתְךָ֥ וּבֹאֲךָ֖), and thy rage against me (‎וְאֵ֖ת הִֽתְרַגֶּזְךָ֥ אֵלָֽי׃).”

[28] Hebrew:  ‎כִּֽי־אַתָּ֞ה הִבְדַּלְתָּ֤ם לְךָ֙ לְֽנַחֲלָ֔ה מִכֹּ֖ל עַמֵּ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ כַּאֲשֶׁ֙ר דִּבַּ֜רְתָּ בְּיַ֣ד׀ מֹשֶׁ֣ה עַבְדֶּ֗ךָ בְּהוֹצִיאֲךָ֧ אֶת־אֲבֹתֵ֛ינוּ מִמִּצְרַ֖יִם אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִֽה׃ פ