1 Kings 8:52 kjv
That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee.
1 Kings 8:52 nkjv
that Your eyes may be open to the supplication of Your servant and the supplication of Your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they call to You.
1 Kings 8:52 niv
"May your eyes be open to your servant's plea and to the plea of your people Israel, and may you listen to them whenever they cry out to you.
1 Kings 8:52 esv
Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you.
1 Kings 8:52 nlt
"May your eyes be open to my requests and to the requests of your people Israel. May you hear and answer them whenever they cry out to you.
1 Kings 8 52 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 4:20 | But the Lord has taken you... to be a people of his inheritance, as you are this day. | Israel as God's inherited people from the Exodus furnace. |
| Deut 7:6 | For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you... | God's choice and separation of Israel for His own possession. |
| Deut 14:2 | For you are a people holy to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. | Emphasizes Israel as God's special, treasured possession above all nations. |
| Ex 19:5-6 | Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice... you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples... a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. | Covenant promise at Sinai establishing Israel's unique status. |
| Num 12:7 | Not so with my servant Moses. He is faithful in all my house. | Confirms Moses' unique role as God's faithful servant. |
| Deut 9:26 | I prayed to the Lord... and said, 'O Lord GOD, do not destroy your people and your heritage... | Moses' intercession, reminding God of Israel as His inheritance. |
| 2 Sam 7:23 | And who is like your people Israel, a unique nation on earth whom God went to redeem to be his people... | Echoes Israel's uniqueness due to God's redemptive act. |
| Ps 33:12 | Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his own inheritance! | Affirms blessing on the nation chosen by God as His inheritance. |
| Ps 94:14 | For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage. | God's faithfulness to His inheritance, assuring He will not forsake them. |
| Isa 43:21 | the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise. | God's purpose in creating/forming Israel as His distinct people. |
| Jer 10:16 | Not like these is he who is the Portion of Jacob, for he is the one who formed all things... The Lord of hosts is his name. | God as Israel's inheritance/portion, emphasizing His distinctness from idols. |
| Zech 2:12 | And the Lord will inherit Judah as his portion in the holy land... | Prophetic reminder of God's continuing claim on Judah/Israel as His inheritance. |
| Deut 6:21 | Then you shall say to your son, 'We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand.' | Command to remember the Exodus as the defining act of deliverance. |
| Josh 24:17 | for it was the Lord our God who brought us and our fathers up from the land of Egypt... | Testimony reiterating God's historical act of bringing them out of Egypt. |
| Mic 6:4 | For I brought you up from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery... | Prophetic remembrance of God's redemptive work from Egypt. |
| Mal 4:4 | Remember the law of Moses, my servant, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. | Calls to remember God's commandments given through Moses, His servant. |
| Jn 1:17 | For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. | Contextualizes the Mosaic covenant within the broader redemptive history, pointing to Christ. |
| Gal 3:19 | Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made... | Highlights the temporary nature of the Law through Moses until Christ's coming. |
| Eph 1:11-14 | In him we have obtained an inheritance... Sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance... | Echoes the concept of "inheritance," now for believers in Christ (spiritual Israel). |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. | Applies "treasured possession," "holy nation" concepts to the Church, extending the theme of divine election to believers. |
| Heb 8:6 | But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better... | Distinguishes the New Covenant from the Old, highlighting the continuity of God's redemptive purpose but with a better mediator. |
| Rev 5:9 | for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. | Universal application of redemption through Christ, drawing people from all nations to be God's own. |
1 Kings 8 verses
1 Kings 8 52 Meaning
This verse is part of Solomon's dedicatory prayer for the newly built Temple in Jerusalem. It profoundly articulates the foundational understanding of Israel's unique relationship with Yahweh. It declares that God deliberately and sovereignly separated Israel from all other nations of the world to be His special possession and inheritance. This act of divine election was not arbitrary but was a fulfillment of His prior declarations made through Moses, His chosen servant, when He miraculously delivered their forefathers from slavery in Egypt. It serves as a fervent reminder of God's covenant faithfulness and the special, unparalleled bond between God and His chosen people, founded upon His historical redemption.
1 Kings 8 52 Context
1 Kings chapter 8 describes the magnificent dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem by King Solomon. This monumental event, fulfilling David's vision, signified a new era for Israel. After the Ark of the Covenant is placed in the Most Holy Place, Solomon kneels before the altar and offers an extensive prayer of dedication (vv. 22-53). His prayer covers various petitions concerning the Temple's role as a house of prayer and intercession for all future contingencies—sin, defeat, famine, plague, and even for foreigners. Verse 52 concludes a specific plea for God's eyes to be open to the Temple and for His willingness to hear prayers, reminding God of Israel's unique status. Historically and culturally, the Temple's completion marked the zenith of Israelite national and religious identity under the united monarchy, solidifying Jerusalem as the religious center and confirming Yahweh's special presence among His chosen people, in stark contrast to the localized deities of surrounding pagan nations. This concept of being "separated from among all peoples" served as an indirect polemic against contemporary polytheistic beliefs where gods were often bound to specific lands or ethnic groups, emphasizing Yahweh's universal sovereignty yet particular covenant with Israel.
1 Kings 8 52 Word analysis
- For you separated them: The Hebrew is כִּֽי־הִבְדַּלְתָּ (ki-hivdalta), using the Hiphil stem of the verb בָדַל (badal), which means "to divide, separate, set apart." This active verb emphasizes God's deliberate, intentional, and sovereign action in choosing Israel. It is the same verb used in Gen 1:4 when God "separated" light from darkness, highlighting divine power and authority in this act of distinction. Israel's distinctiveness is solely a result of God's initiative, not their inherent worthiness.
- from among all the peoples of the earth: The phrase מִכֹּל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ (mikkol ammei ha'aretz) underscores the scope of God's selection. Israel was singled out from a global context, not just from nearby tribes, reinforcing the idea of divine particularism amidst universal humanity.
- to be your inheritance: The Hebrew is לְנַחֲלָה (l'nachalah). The noun נַחֲלָה (nachalah) refers to an "inheritance, possession, or property." When applied to God, it means His special treasure or chosen portion. This concept signifies a deeply intimate and proprietary relationship. As God allotted land as an inheritance to His people, so too Israel is seen as God's personal inheritance, His treasured possession (Ex 19:5, Deut 14:2). This counters the idea that other nations were just left to other 'gods' by chance; Israel was specifically claimed by Yahweh.
- as you declared through Moses, your servant: The Hebrew for "declared" is דִּבַּרְתָּ (dibbarta), from the root דָּבַר (dabar), meaning "to speak" or "to declare." "Through Moses" is literally "by the hand of Moses" (בְּיַד מֹשֶׁה, b'yad Moshe), signifying his role as an agent or instrument. "Your servant" (עַבְדֶּךָ, avdekha) highlights Moses' unique obedience and submission to God's will. This phrase roots the divine election and covenant firmly in God's historical revelation and the established Mosaic Law. It confirms the long-standing nature of God's promise and relationship with Israel.
- when you brought their fathers out of Egypt: The verb "brought out" is הוֹצִיא (hotzi'), the Hiphil of יָצָא (yatsa), again emphasizing God's active, powerful agency. The Exodus is the pivotal redemptive act that marks the beginning of Israel's nationhood and covenant identity with Yahweh (Deut 6:21). It is the definitive demonstration of God's commitment to His promise.
- O Lord God: The address אֲדֹנָי יְהוָה (Adonai YHWH) combines "My Lord" with the covenant name of God, emphasizing His sovereign authority and His faithful, covenant-keeping character. This invocation acknowledges God's absolute power and His relational intimacy.
- "For you separated them... to be your inheritance": This phrase encapsulates the core theological concept of divine election. It is not Israel choosing God, but God actively choosing, setting apart, and claiming Israel as His very own. This idea challenges any humanistic pride, attributing Israel's unique status solely to divine grace. It also speaks to a special, exclusive bond that demanded a corresponding fidelity from Israel.
- "as you declared through Moses... when you brought their fathers out of Egypt": This highlights the faithfulness of God's promises and His actions throughout history. The "declaration" through Moses at the time of the Exodus, and subsequently in the Law, predated and grounded Israel's very existence as a nation under God's direct sovereignty. The Exodus serves as the irrefutable historical proof of God's unique relationship with Israel, a constant reminder of His saving power and covenant bond.
1 Kings 8 52 Bonus section
This verse profoundly touches on the theme of "election" – God's sovereign choice. It presents a strong "particularism" within the Old Testament, where God singles out one nation, Israel, for a special covenant and purpose. However, this particularism often serves a broader universal purpose (e.g., Isa 49:6 for Israel to be a light to the nations, Gen 12:3 that through Abraham's seed all families of the earth would be blessed). While this verse focuses on ethnic Israel, the New Testament interprets and extends the concept of God's "treasured possession" (Ex 19:5) and "holy nation" (1 Pet 2:9) to believers in Jesus Christ, forming a spiritual Israel, demonstrating God's consistent plan to have a people uniquely His own, drawn from all nations, as His inheritance. This redefines "inheritance" from a physical lineage to a spiritual adoption through faith in Christ (Eph 1:11-14). The Exodus is presented as the archetypal redemption story, setting the stage for all future salvation history, including the greater spiritual deliverance achieved through Jesus Christ.
1 Kings 8 52 Commentary
1 Kings 8:52 is a pivotal theological statement within Solomon's prayer, anchoring Israel's existence and purpose in God's sovereign will and redemptive history. It emphasizes that Israel's identity as God's chosen people ("His inheritance") stems entirely from God's deliberate act of separation ("you separated them") from all other nations. This election was not an arbitrary whim but was declared through Moses and decisively confirmed by the miraculous Exodus, which brought Israel out of bondage into a covenant relationship with God. Solomon, in his prayer, appeals to God's past faithfulness, reminding Him of His unique commitment to Israel. This sets the precedent that their present and future hopes depend on God's unwavering character, urging Him to continue to hear their prayers from His heavenly dwelling as He once heard and saved them from Egypt. This foundational truth underscores the profound and distinct nature of Israel's relationship with Yahweh, emphasizing that their identity is rooted in divine election and a demonstrated historical act of redemption, not in their own merit or accomplishments. This concept also calls Israel to a life reflecting their distinct, set-apart status.