1 Kings 8 30

1 Kings 8:30 kjv

And hearken thou to the supplication of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place: and hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place: and when thou hearest, forgive.

1 Kings 8:30 nkjv

And may You hear the supplication of Your servant and of Your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. Hear in heaven Your dwelling place; and when You hear, forgive.

1 Kings 8:30 niv

Hear the supplication of your servant and of your people Israel when they pray toward this place. Hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

1 Kings 8:30 esv

And listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place, and when you hear, forgive.

1 Kings 8:30 nlt

May you hear the humble and earnest requests from me and your people Israel when we pray toward this place. Yes, hear us from heaven where you live, and when you hear, forgive.

1 Kings 8 verses

1 Kings 8 30 Meaning

This verse is a heartfelt petition from King Solomon, delivered during his dedication prayer for the Temple in Jerusalem. It expresses the core request that when the people of Israel turn to the Temple in prayer and repentance, God, who truly dwells in the heavens, would attentively listen to their cries. Crucially, it asks for God not merely to hear but to extend His divine mercy by granting forgiveness for their sins, thereby restoring their relationship with Him and His blessings upon them. It establishes a conduit of prayer between a physical space on earth (the Temple, symbolic of God's presence among His people) and God's ultimate transcendent dwelling in heaven.

1 Kings 8 30 Context

1 Kings 8:30 is a pivotal verse within Solomon's magnificent dedication prayer for the newly built Temple in Jerusalem, recorded in 1 Kings 8:22-53. This grand prayer takes place after the ark of the covenant has been brought into the Holy of Holies. Solomon stands before the altar and stretches out his hands to heaven, delivering this lengthy and profound prayer. The overarching context is the covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel, established through Moses and affirmed with David, where Israel's well-being is tied to their obedience and God's gracious intervention.

Throughout the prayer, Solomon recognizes God's omnipresence—that "heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain" Him (v. 27)—yet also acknowledges that God has chosen this Temple as a "place where [His] name might dwell" (v. 29). The Temple is thus a focal point for prayer, a symbolic meeting place. Verse 30 encapsulates the primary and repeated petition of the prayer: that when the people pray towards this Temple, acknowledging their dependence on God and their need for His mercy, God would hear them from His actual, transcendent dwelling in heaven and forgive their sins, which are often the cause of their troubles (as seen in subsequent verses that detail various calamities like war, drought, famine, or disease due to sin). The prayer emphasizes God's faithfulness to His promises (v. 23-26) but also Israel's perpetual need for repentance and divine forgiveness.

1 Kings 8 30 Word analysis

• Hear thou: From the Hebrew verb שָׁמַע (shama‘). This isn't just passive auditory perception but implies active listening, attention, and a disposition to respond or obey. In this context, it is a plea for God to pay active heed to the prayers directed towards Him.
• in heaven: From the Hebrew שָׁמַיִם (shamayim), referring to the celestial sphere, the physical sky, but more profoundly here, the dwelling place of God, transcendent above the earth. It underscores God's omnipresence and sovereignty, distinguishing Him from the confined deities of pagan nations.
• thy dwelling place: Composed of two Hebrew words: מְכוֹן (m’khon), meaning "established place" or "foundation," and שִׁבְתְּךָ (shivtecha), meaning "your sitting" or "your dwelling." This phrase profoundly refers to God's eternal and true abode in the heavens. It stands in theological tension and harmony with the earthly Temple—God’s primary dwelling is not the Temple built by human hands, but He deigns to hear from it, reflecting His condescending grace towards His people. It distinguishes Yahweh from idols housed within specific structures, asserting His transcendence.
• and when thou hearest: A reiteration of "hear," using the same root שָׁמַע (shama‘). The repetition intensifies the plea and emphasizes that the act of hearing is prerequisite to the divine response requested. It's not a casual listening but one intended to lead to action.
• forgive: From the Hebrew verb סָלַח (salach), which specifically means to pardon or forgive sin. This is a divine prerogative, denoting a gracious act of canceling a debt or offense, thus restoring relationship. It implies a moral judgment and a compassionate release from guilt and its consequences. This word highlights the absolute necessity of God's intervention to address human transgression and restore communion with Him.

Word-groups Analysis:

• "Hear thou in heaven thy dwelling place": This phrase critically establishes God's location of ultimate authority and power for hearing prayers. It emphasizes that while the Temple serves as a focal point for Israel's prayers on earth, the true recipient and source of answers resides beyond earthly confines. It powerfully contrasts the physical Temple, which is the point of human appeal, with God's majestic and unbounded abode. This distinction serves as a theological safeguard against conceiving of God as limited or contained within the Temple, underscoring His transcendence.
• "and when thou hearest, forgive": This pairing explicitly links divine attentiveness with divine mercy. It signifies that hearing for God is not merely an awareness of the supplication but an active engagement that leads to restorative action, specifically the pardon of sin. The act of forgiveness is central to Solomon's plea, as he knows that sin is the primary barrier to God's favor and the cause of distress. This clause establishes the purpose of the preceding request: prayer is made so that sin may be dealt with by God's grace.

1 Kings 8 30 Bonus section

The emphasis on God's "dwelling place in heaven" subtly reinforces the notion of divine authority and ultimate judgment. Because God is above, He sees and judges all human affairs, but He also extends His hand in mercy. This verse, therefore, represents a balanced theological perspective: a transcendent God who is also intimately involved with His people. Furthermore, the act of "praying towards the Temple" becomes an outward demonstration of Israel's covenant allegiance and a physical reminder of God's covenant presence among them, even though He himself is not confined within its walls. This practice continued throughout Israel's history, even during exile, as exemplified by Daniel praying towards Jerusalem. In the New Covenant, access to God is no longer tied to a physical temple or location, but is made possible directly through Christ's mediatorial work and by the Holy Spirit's indwelling in believers, making each believer and the church a spiritual temple where God dwells and from which prayers are heard.

1 Kings 8 30 Commentary

1 Kings 8:30 lies at the theological core of Solomon's dedication prayer. It articulates a fundamental aspect of the Israelite faith: God is transcendent, residing "in heaven," His ultimate and true "dwelling place," yet He is also immanent and accessible. While the earthly Temple serves as a chosen location where His "Name" dwells and where He promises to meet His people, it does not contain Him. This sophisticated understanding avoids pagan polytheism where deities were localized within their temples. Solomon's prayer positions the Temple as the designated locus for human access, enabling Israel to direct their pleas towards Him. The crucial request is not just for God to hear, but for Him to forgive. This highlights that human sinfulness is the root problem disrupting the covenant relationship and is the primary obstacle to God's blessings. Thus, every request for intervention from calamity (as elaborated in subsequent verses) is ultimately predicated on the need for divine forgiveness. This petition establishes a model of prayer centered on repentance and God's gracious pardon, foreshadowing the continuous need for atonement and reconciliation in the relationship between God and humanity.

• Example 1: When a believer faces conviction for a wrongdoing, like hasty words, their prayer in the spirit of this verse would be to confess their fault to God in humble prayer, seeking His specific pardon for that transgression, knowing He hears and forgives.
• Example 2: In times of collective national struggle or moral decline, patterned after Israel's experience, believers pray for their nation, asking God to "hear from heaven" and "forgive" the sins of the land, believing His forgiveness can lead to healing and restoration.