1 Kings 8:29 kjv
That thine eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which thou hast said, My name shall be there: that thou mayest hearken unto the prayer which thy servant shall make toward this place.
1 Kings 8:29 nkjv
that Your eyes may be open toward this temple night and day, toward the place of which You said, 'My name shall be there,' that You may hear the prayer which Your servant makes toward this place.
1 Kings 8:29 niv
May your eyes be open toward this temple night and day, this place of which you said, 'My Name shall be there,' so that you will hear the prayer your servant prays toward this place.
1 Kings 8:29 esv
that your eyes may be open night and day toward this house, the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there,' that you may listen to the prayer that your servant offers toward this place.
1 Kings 8:29 nlt
May you watch over this Temple night and day, this place where you have said, 'My name will be there.' May you always hear the prayers I make toward this place.
1 Kings 8 29 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 28:17 | "...This is none other than the house of God..." | God's presence in a specific place |
| Ex 20:24 | "...In every place where I record My name..." | God's Name made known in chosen places |
| Deut 12:11 | "...place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name dwell..." | Emphasis on God's chosen dwelling for His Name |
| 2 Sam 7:13 | "He shall build a house for My name..." | Davidic promise about the Temple |
| 1 Kgs 8:27 | "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You..." | God's transcendence despite His Name's presence |
| Ps 65:2 | "O You who hear prayer, To You all flesh will come." | God's attribute as a hearer of prayer |
| Ps 121:4 | "Behold, He who keeps Israel Will neither slumber nor sleep." | God's ceaseless watchfulness |
| Ps 132:13-14 | "For the Lord has chosen Zion... This is My resting place forever..." | God's choice of Zion/Temple as His dwelling for His Name |
| Isa 56:7 | "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." | Temple's purpose for prayer, inclusiveness |
| Isa 66:1 | "Thus says the Lord: 'Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build for Me?'" | Reinforces God's omnipresence over human structures |
| Jer 29:12-13 | "Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you..." | Promise of God listening to prayers |
| Dan 6:10 | "...his windows being open toward Jerusalem, he knelt on his knees three times that day..." | Directing prayer toward Jerusalem/Temple |
| Zec 8:3 | "...Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth, and the mountain of the Lord of hosts, the Holy Mountain." | God's return to Jerusalem and its holiness |
| Matt 7:7 | "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you." | Assurance of God hearing requests |
| Matt 21:13 | "My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'" | Jesus affirms the Temple's purpose for prayer |
| Jn 2:19-21 | "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.' ...He was speaking of the temple of His body." | Jesus redefines the "temple" as Himself |
| 1 Cor 3:16 | "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" | Believers become the dwelling of God's Spirit |
| 1 Cor 6:19-20 | "Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you...?" | Individual believers as God's temple |
| Eph 2:19-22 | "...built on the foundation... Christ Jesus Himself being the chief cornerstone... into a holy temple in the Lord..." | The church as a spiritual temple built on Christ |
| Heb 4:16 | "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." | Direct access to God's presence now possible |
| 1 Pet 2:5 | "...living stones are being built up as a spiritual house..." | Believers as the spiritual house of God |
| 1 Jn 5:14 | "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us." | God's commitment to hearing prayer |
| Rev 21:22 | "But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple." | Ultimate fulfillment beyond physical temple |
1 Kings 8 verses
1 Kings 8 29 Meaning
This verse expresses Solomon's plea to the Almighty for continuous, vigilant divine attentiveness towards the newly dedicated Temple. It emphasizes the concept that while the Creator of all cannot be contained by any physical structure, He has chosen to associate His revealed presence and character, His "Name," with this particular house in Jerusalem. Therefore, Solomon requests that the Eternal One constantly observe this holy place and, crucially, incline His ear to the prayers directed towards it by His servants, both day and night, wherever they may be.
1 Kings 8 29 Context
1 Kings chapter 8 describes the dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem built by King Solomon. This dedication marks a pivotal moment in Israelite history, signifying the establishment of a permanent central place of worship and the fulfillment of God's promise to David concerning a house for His Name. Solomon's dedicatory prayer, spanning verses 22-53, is a comprehensive and moving plea. In this prayer, Solomon acknowledges God's omnipresence (1 Kgs 8:27) and His unparalleled nature, emphasizing that even "heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain" Him. Despite this cosmic understanding, Solomon petitions the Eternal One to acknowledge the Temple as the designated place where His Name resides, and consequently, where prayers directed towards Him should be heard and answered. Verse 29 is part of Solomon's earnest appeal, requesting God's constant, active attention and responsiveness to the prayers emanating from or directed towards this consecrated sanctuary.
1 Kings 8 29 Word analysis
- that Your eyes:
eyneykha(עֵינֶיךָ). This refers to God's vigilant, watchful care and attentive gaze, not merely a physical sight. It implies divine awareness and protective oversight. - may be open:
pequchot(פְקֻחוֹת). From the rootpaqach, meaning to open (eyes). Here, it conveys a state of being continuously watchful and alert. It’s an active posture, symbolizing God's unceasing observation. - toward this house:
el ha-bayit ha-zeh(אֶל־הַבַּ֣יִת הַזֶּ֗ה). This designates the newly built Temple, the physical structure consecrated to the Almighty, functioning as the focal point for divine-human interaction within the covenant. - night and day:
layla va-yom(לַ֤יְלָה וָיוֹם֙). This idiom signifies continuity, perpetually, without interruption. It underscores Solomon's desire for God's unceasing watchfulness over His dwelling place. - toward the place:
el ha-maqom(אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם֙). Reinforces the specific, chosen geographical location of the Temple, indicating that this spot holds a special covenantal significance by divine decree. - of which You have said: Emphasizes divine initiative and promise. This is not Solomon’s idea alone, but a fulfillment of God's own declared intention, rooting the plea in divine faithfulness.
- 'My name shall be there':
sh’mi sham(שְׁמִ֣י שָׁ֑ם). This is profoundly significant. It means God’s active, revealed presence, His character, and His authority are associated with that place. It does not imply God is physically confined to the building, but rather chooses it as the specific locus for manifesting His glory and meeting with His people, a stark contrast to pagan deities confined to idols or temples. - to listen:
lishmoa(לִשְׁמֹ֙עַ֙). The infinitive construct form, emphasizing the purpose and ongoing action of hearing. It highlights God’s responsiveness and willingness to incline His ear. - to the prayer:
el ha-tefillah(אֶל־הַתְּפִלָּ֜ה). Refers to the supplication, intercession, and petitions of the people. It defines the specific action God is being asked to respond to. - which Your servant prays: Identifies the suppliant (Solomon and by extension, all who pray sincerely). It frames the prayer within a master-servant covenant relationship.
- toward this place: Reiterates the directional aspect of prayer, signifying the Temple's role as a symbol and designated channel for communication with the Divine, even when the supplicant is far away.
1 Kings 8 29 Bonus section
The theological distinction between God dwelling in a place and His Name being there is critical. God, in His essence, transcends creation and cannot be limited spatially. However, out of covenant grace, He chooses to make His presence accessible and revealed in specific ways at designated locations. The Temple was that primary chosen locus in the Old Covenant for Israel. This concept prefigures the New Covenant understanding where God’s Spirit indwells believers, making them individual and collective temples of God (1 Cor 3:16, 6:19; Eph 2:19-22). The "night and day" aspect emphasizes not only God's ceaseless watchfulness but also invites believers to ceaseless prayer (1 Thes 5:17).
1 Kings 8 29 Commentary
1 Kings 8:29 captures the core of Solomon’s dedicatory prayer, revealing a profound theological understanding despite its concise wording. It articulates the paradox of God’s omnipresence with His localized "Name-dwelling" in the Temple. Solomon wisely acknowledged that the "heaven of heavens cannot contain" the Most High (1 Kgs 8:27), rejecting any notion of confining the Infinite within a finite structure, a polemic against pagan beliefs where deities were strictly tied to their temples or idols.
However, the Almighty chose this specific "house" not as a container for His being, but as the place where He would "put His Name" – signifying His revealed presence, authority, character, and covenantal fidelity. This made the Temple a unique nexus for communication with Him. Solomon's fervent request for God's "eyes to be open night and day" toward this house signifies a continuous, unceasing divine vigilance and attentiveness. This continuous care is essential for His people to know their prayers are always received. The ultimate purpose of this vigilance is "to listen to the prayer which Your servant prays toward this place." The Temple thus became a symbol of access to God, a focal point for the prayers of Israel, even when they were far away. This access, while symbolized by a physical structure, always pointed to the true access through divine grace, later fulfilled supremely in Christ and the Spirit-filled believer as God's spiritual temple. The essence of the plea remains timeless: a desire for constant, receptive divine attention to sincere human supplication.