1 Kings 8 35

1 Kings 8:35 kjv

When heaven is 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:

1 Kings 8:35 nkjv

"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray toward this place and confess Your name, and turn from their sin because You afflict them,

1 Kings 8:35 niv

"When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and when they pray toward this place and give praise to your name and turn from their sin because you have afflicted them,

1 Kings 8:35 esv

"When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against you, if they pray toward this place and acknowledge your name and turn from their sin, when you afflict them,

1 Kings 8:35 nlt

"If the skies are shut up and there is no rain because your people have sinned against you, and if they pray toward this Temple and acknowledge your name and turn from their sins because you have punished them,

1 Kings 8 verses

1 Kings 8 35 Meaning

This verse outlines one of Solomon's prophetic prayers for Israel. It speaks to a scenario where the heavens are closed, resulting in drought, which is understood as a direct consequence of the nation's sin against God. The path to restoration involves the people turning towards the newly dedicated Temple, acknowledging God's name, repenting from their transgressions, and doing so in response to God's disciplinary affliction. It underscores God's justice in bringing judgment and His mercy in providing a means for repentance and forgiveness.

1 Kings 8 35 Context

1 Kings chapter 8 describes the dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem. King Solomon has assembled the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the ancestral houses for this momentous occasion. Following the ark of the covenant being brought into the Most Holy Place, Solomon stands before the altar and offers a magnificent prayer of dedication (verses 22-53). This prayer is a pivotal theological statement about the Temple's purpose and God's relationship with Israel. Verses 31-53 present a series of hypothetical scenarios where Israel faces various calamities (military defeat, drought, famine, plague, foreign invasion, or internal strife). In each instance, Solomon prays that if the people respond with repentance and prayer directed toward this Temple, God will hear from heaven and act on their behalf. Verse 35 specifically addresses drought caused by sin, which aligns with the conditional blessings and curses outlined in the Mosaic Covenant (Lev 26, Deut 28). The Temple serves as a designated place of communion and reconciliation between a holy God and His people, where their prayers for forgiveness and restoration are to be offered.

1 Kings 8 35 Word analysis

• When heaven is shut up:
  • Hebrew: כִּי יֵעָצְרוּ שָׁמַיִם (ki ye‘atzru shamayim)
  • יֵעָצְרוּ (ye‘atzru) from עצר ('atsar), meaning to restrain, withhold, shut up, or shut in. This active participle indicates that the heavens are being restrained by divine action, not merely a natural phenomenon.
  • שָׁמַיִם (shamayim), meaning heaven(s).
  • Significance: Emphasizes God's sovereign control over the weather and nature. Drought is not accidental but a divine judgment or disciplinary act. It highlights the direct cause-and-effect relationship between spiritual condition and physical consequence, as taught in the Mosaic covenant.
• and there is no rain:
  • Hebrew: וְאֵין מָטָר (v'ein matar)
  • מָטָר (matar) means rain.
  • Significance: The tangible, direct result of the "shut heavens," directly impacting an agrarian society reliant on rainfall. It's a stark manifestation of God's displeasure and a severe affliction.
• because they have sinned against You:
  • Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר יֶחֶטְאוּ לָךְ (asher yehche'u lakh)
  • יֶחֶטְאוּ (yehche'u) from חָטָא (khata), meaning to sin, miss the mark, err.
  • Significance: Explicitly states the root cause of the drought: human transgression against God. This reinforces the theological principle that divine judgment, even natural calamities, often results from moral and spiritual deviation. It leaves no doubt that Israel is accountable for its actions before God.
• and they pray toward this place:
  • Hebrew: וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ אֶל הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה (v'hitpalelu el hamakom hazzeh)
  • וְהִתְפַּלְלוּ (v'hitpalelu) from פלל (palal), meaning to intercede, pray. The hitpael form suggests self-reflection and earnestly entreating.
  • הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה (hamakom hazzeh) means "this place," referring to the newly dedicated Temple.
  • Significance: Establishes the Temple as the specific focal point for their repentance and prayer. While God is omnipresent, the Temple was consecrated as a unique meeting place where He promised to make His name dwell and hear the prayers of His people, a physical anchor for spiritual reconciliation. This concept would be echoed by exiles like Daniel praying towards Jerusalem.
• and confess Your name:
  • Hebrew: וְהוֹדוּ אֶת שְׁמֶךָ (v'hodu et shmekha)
  • וְהוֹדוּ (v'hodu) from ידה (yadah), which in the hiphil can mean to confess, give thanks, or praise. In this context, it implies acknowledging guilt, confessing wrongdoing, and recognizing God's authority and righteousness.
  • שְׁמֶךָ (shmekha) means "Your name." God's name represents His character, attributes, and revealed nature.
  • Significance: More than mere utterance, it implies a recognition of God's holy character and their offense against it. It suggests acknowledging His sovereignty and righteous judgment, combined with an act of humility and repentance before Him. Confession is integral to repentance.
• and turn from their sin:
  • Hebrew: וְשָׁבוּ מֵחַטָּאתָם (v'shavu mechatatam)
  • וְשָׁבוּ (v'shavu) from שׁוּב (shuv), meaning to return, turn back, repent. This is a foundational concept in the Hebrew Bible, meaning a change of direction, not just sorrow for consequences.
  • מֵחַטָּאתָם (mechatatam) means "from their sin."
  • Significance: This is the critical element of true repentance—not just verbal acknowledgment or emotional regret, but a deliberate change in behavior and direction. It underscores that God requires genuine turning from evil. This is the condition for God to "hear and forgive" (as stated in the next verse).
• when You afflict them:
  • Hebrew: כִּי תְעַנֵּם (ki t'annem)
  • תְעַנֵּם (t'annem) from ענה ('anah), meaning to afflict, humble, deal with, oppress.
  • Significance: Reveals the didactic purpose of God's judgment. The affliction (drought) is not merely punitive but remedial, designed to humble the people and lead them to self-reflection and repentance. God uses difficult circumstances as a catalyst to draw His people back to Himself. His discipline is ultimately an act of love to guide them back to righteousness.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "When heaven is shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You": This phrase clearly establishes a direct, cause-and-effect relationship between Israel's disobedience and divine judgment in the form of environmental calamity. It grounds natural occurrences within the theological framework of God's moral governance, countering any idea of random misfortune. God uses the natural world as an instrument of His covenant faithfulness, whether for blessing or discipline.
• "and they pray toward this place and confess Your name and turn from their sin": This describes the specific conditions and required actions for Israel's restoration. It’s a sequence of active steps: seeking God through prayer (often communal), acknowledging His rightful authority and their transgression (confession), and a genuine change of life (turning from sin). The "this place" (the Temple) provides a visible and symbolic focal point for their collective repentance.
• "when You afflict them": This phrase contextualizes the timing and purpose of Israel's turning. It signifies that the hardship (affliction) is God's initiative, a form of fatherly discipline intended to wake His people from spiritual slumber and guide them back to covenant fidelity. The affliction serves as the impetus for genuine repentance.

1 Kings 8 35 Bonus section

The structure of Solomon's prayer, specifically in this series of hypothetical scenarios, anticipates Israel's future struggles and backslidings, demonstrating a profound understanding of the human tendency toward sin and God's consistent covenant character. It prefigures 2 Chronicles 7:14, where God reiterates His willingness to hear and heal His land if His people meet these very conditions. This highlights a principle enduring through all dispensations: while external circumstances like affliction might initiate a seeking, genuine repentance (teshuvah in Hebrew, meaning 'return' or 'turning around') involves an internal transformation that results in a change of conduct. The Temple's significance here is as a mediating center, a tangible reminder of an intangible God's presence, preparing the way for the ultimate Mediator, Jesus Christ, through whom all prayers are answered and all sins forgiven. It speaks to God's method of discipline for restoration rather than abandonment.

1 Kings 8 35 Commentary

1 Kings 8:35 is a pivotal segment of Solomon's Temple dedication prayer, deeply rooted in the Deuteronomic theology of blessings and curses based on obedience or disobedience. It presents a hypothetical yet often historically realized scenario where Israel's sin provokes divine judgment in the form of drought, a devastating curse in an agrarian society. Crucially, it highlights God's justice in delivering consequences for sin, but equally emphasizes His profound mercy and patience. The prescribed path to reconciliation is a sequence of spiritual actions: praying towards the consecrated Temple as a symbolic place of meeting with God, confessing or acknowledging His name (implying recognition of His authority and their own guilt), and most importantly, genuinely turning away from their sin. The verse underscores that God's afflictions are not arbitrary but purposeful, designed to bring His people to a place of repentance and humble reliance on Him. This model for reconciliation echoes throughout biblical history and forms the foundation for God's redemptive work, emphasizing the active role of humanity in responding to God's disciplinary love.