The Geneva Bible Translation Notes, [1599], at sacred-texts.com
3 Kings (1 Kings) Chapter 8
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 (Sa2 6:17).
And all the men of Israel assembled themselves unto king Solomon at the feast in the month (b) Ethanim, which [is] the seventh month.
(b) Containing part of September and part of October, in which they held three solemn feasts, (Num 29:1).
And the (c) priests brought in the ark of the covenant of the LORD unto his place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy [place, even] under the wings of the cherubims.
(c) That is, the Kohathites, (Num 4:5).
And they (d) drew out the staves, that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy [place] before the oracle, and they were not seen without: and there they are unto this day.
(d) They drew them out only far enough to be seen, for they could not pull them out completely, (Exo 25:15).
[There was] nothing in the ark (e) save the two tables of stone, which Moses put there at Horeb, when the LORD made [a covenant] with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
(e) For it is likely that the enemy when they had the ark in their hands took away the rod of Aaron and the pot of manna.
I have surely built thee an house to dwell in, a settled place for thee to abide in for (f) ever.
(f) He spoke according to the tenor of God's promise which was on the condition that they served him correctly.
And I have set there a place for the ark, wherein [is] the (g) covenant of the LORD, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
(g) The two tables in which the articles of the covenant were written.
And he said, LORD God of Israel, [there is] no God like thee, in heaven above, or on earth beneath, who keepest covenant and mercy with thy servants that walk before thee with (h) all their heart:
(h) Truthfully and without hypocrisy.
(i) But will God indeed dwell on the earth? behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee; how much less this house that I have builded?
(i) He is ravished with the admiration of God's mercies, who being incomprehensible and Lord over all will become familiar with men.
If any man trespass against his neighbour, (k) and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:
(k) That is, the judge or neighbours.
Then hear thou in heaven, and (l) do, and judge thy servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way upon his head; and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
(l) That is, make it known.
When thy people Israel be smitten down before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall turn again to thee, and (m) confess thy name, and pray, and make supplication unto thee in this house:
(m) Acknowledge your just judgment and praise you.
When heaven is (n) shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against thee; if they pray toward this place, and confess thy name, and turn from their sin, when thou afflictest them:
(n) So that there is a drought to destroy the fruit of the land.
What prayer and supplication soever be [made] by any man, [or] by all thy people Israel, which shall know every man the plague of his own (o) heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
(o) For such are most suitable to receive God's mercies.
Moreover concerning a (p) stranger, that [is] not of thy people Israel, but cometh out of a far country for thy name's sake;
(p) He means such as should be turned from their idolatry to serve the true God.
Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calleth to thee for: that all people of the earth may know thy name, to fear thee, as [do] thy people Israel; and that they may know that this house, which I have builded, is called by thy (q) name.
(q) That this is the true religion with which you will be worshipped.
[Yet] if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee (r) in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;
(r) Though the temple was the chief place of prayer, yet he does not exclude them who being forced by necessity to call upon him in other places.
And [so] return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward (s) their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name:
(s) As Daniel did in (Dan 6:10).
And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may (t) have compassion on them:
(t) He understood by faith, that God of enemies would make friends with them who converted to him.
And it was [so], that when Solomon had made an (u) end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.
(u) Solomon is a figure of Christ, who continually is the mediator between God and his Church.
That he may (x) incline our hearts unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers.
(x) He concludes that man of himself is enemy to God, and that all obedience to his law proceeds from his mercy.
And Solomon offered a sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered unto the LORD, two and twenty thousand oxen, and an hundred and twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the (y) house of the LORD.
(y) Before the oracle where the ark was.
And at that time Solomon held a feast, and all Israel with him, a great congregation, from the entering in of (z) Hamath unto the river of Egypt, before the LORD our God, (a) seven days and seven days, [even] fourteen days.
(z) That is, from North to South: meaning all the country.
(a) Seven days for the dedication, and seven for the feast.