1 Kings 3 2

1 Kings 3:2 kjv

Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days.

1 Kings 3:2 nkjv

Meanwhile the people sacrificed at the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days.

1 Kings 3:2 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.

1 Kings 3:2 esv

The people were sacrificing at the high places, however, because no house had yet been built for the name of the LORD.

1 Kings 3:2 nlt

At that time the people of Israel sacrificed their offerings at local places of worship, for a temple honoring the name of the LORD had not yet been built.

1 Kings 3 verses

1 Kings 3 2 Meaning

This verse serves as a crucial explanatory note regarding the sacrificial practices during the early reign of King Solomon. It clarifies that, at this transitional period, the Israelite people offered sacrifices in various "high places" because a dedicated, permanent structure, the Temple in Jerusalem, had not yet been built for the worship and "name of the Lord." It contextualizes Solomon's worship activities, especially at Gibeon, as part of a pre-Temple era where dispersed worship sites were tolerated or the norm, before the strict centralization of worship mandated by the Law and exemplified by the completed Temple.

1 Kings 3 2 Context

First Kings chapter 3 opens by establishing King Solomon's strategic marriage alliance with Pharaoh and setting the scene for his early reign. Immediately following the mention of his marriage, verse 2 interjects a critical detail about the contemporary religious practice in Israel: the use of "high places" for sacrifice. This verse directly prefaces Solomon's renowned pilgrimage to Gibeon, described in verse 4, where he offers a thousand burnt offerings. Gibeon was identified as "the great high place." Thus, 1 Kings 3:2 provides the necessary historical and theological justification for Solomon's action at Gibeon, explaining that such practices were standard and provisionally accepted until the permanent central sanctuary—the Temple in Jerusalem—could be constructed. Historically, during the periods of the Judges and Samuel, and the early monarchy, various altars and sacrificial sites existed, as the nomadic Tabernacle lacked the permanence of a fixed sanctuary. The building of the Temple would centralize worship as mandated by later interpretations of Deuteronomic law.

1 Kings 3 2 Word analysis

• Only: This particle, raq (רַק) in Hebrew, acts as a restrictive or limiting particle. Here, it suggests that despite Solomon's wisdom and relationship with the Lord (as hinted in subsequent verses), this particular practice was the exception or the prevailing reality, perhaps hinting at a situation that was less than ideal but understandable given the circumstances. It qualifies the preceding narrative implicitly acknowledging the absence of the proper centralized worship location.
• the people: Refers collectively to the Israelite population, indicating a widespread and commonly accepted practice among them, rather than an isolated instance or specific group.
• sacrificed: The Hebrew word is zāḇaḥ (זָבַח), meaning "to slaughter" or "to sacrifice." It indicates the offering of cultic sacrifices to God, an act of worship involving the shedding of blood and often the burning of parts of the animal on an altar. This highlights the continuation of the prescribed worship acts, but their location was non-ideal.
• in the high places: The Hebrew term is bāmôṯ (בָּמוֹת). These were elevated outdoor shrines, often on natural hills or artificial mounds, which predated the Israelite settlement of Canaan. In earlier Israelite history (Judges, Samuel, early Kings), some high places were used legitimately for Yahwistic worship, as seen with Samuel and Saul. However, they were also common sites for Canaanite idol worship. As the Deuteronomic law emphasized a single, chosen place for worship (Deut 12), the bāmôṯ became increasingly associated with syncretism and idolatry and were later condemned by prophets and reformist kings as illegitimate. In 1 Kings 3:2, their use is presented as a functional necessity, not yet a point of theological condemnation, given the absence of the Temple.
• because: This conjunction (kī, כִּי) introduces the reason or justification for the widespread practice mentioned. It signals that what follows is an explanation.
• there was no house built: This emphasizes the absence of a central, permanent sanctuary. The Tabernacle had been the mobile dwelling place of God's presence, but a fixed "house" in the form of a Temple was a different kind of structure.
• for the name of the Lord: This phrase is highly significant. In biblical theology, God's "name" often represents His presence, character, authority, and identity. Building a "house for the name of the Lord" means constructing a place where God's unique identity is honored, where He reveals Himself, and where people can approach Him according to His divine protocol. It signifies a specific location dedicated exclusively to His worship, ensuring purity and distinction from pagan practices. This house was meant to centralize Israel's worship life under God's prescribed manner.
• until those days: This temporal phrase clearly defines the timeframe of this provisional religious practice. It implies that the situation described was temporary and would soon change, referring specifically to the era before Solomon's Temple construction was completed. It serves to historicize the situation, clarifying that it was a past (or currently ending) phase.

1 Kings 3 2 Bonus section

The concept of building a "house for the name of the Lord" echoes Deuteronomy's emphasis on a singular "place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there" (Deut 12:11). While 1 Kings 3:2 notes the current absence, it anticipates the fulfillment of this principle in Solomon's reign. The shift from a mobile Tabernacle to a fixed Temple represents a transition from a more fluid, scattered worship practice to a centralized, organized, and permanent system, reflecting God's established presence among His people. The "high places" at this time, like Gibeon, might have served as continuations of pre-Mosaic patriarchal altar traditions, representing the closest available sacred sites. Their continued use during Solomon's initial years signifies a unique theological and historical 'interregnum' between full obedience to the single-place mandate and its physical manifestation in the Temple.

1 Kings 3 2 Commentary

First Kings 3:2 provides an essential backdrop to understanding the religious landscape at the dawn of Solomon's reign. It explicitly explains why "the people sacrificed in the high places"—because the designated "house built for the name of the Lord," the Jerusalem Temple, was not yet a reality. This verse contextualizes Solomon's worship, particularly his monumental sacrifice at Gibeon's high place (1 Kgs 3:4), as an accepted, albeit provisional, practice within the era. While high places would later be denounced and targeted for destruction by reforming kings due to their syncretistic potential and violation of centralized worship principles, this verse highlights a period when they functioned as legitimate, if unideal, sites for Yahwistic worship in the absence of a fixed central sanctuary. It subtly points forward to the significant theological shift and architectural fulfillment that Solomon would soon initiate by building the Temple, a structure vital for establishing the centrality of the Jerusalem cult and solidifying true worship of the Lord in Israel.