1 Kings 8:53 kjv
For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O LORD God.
1 Kings 8:53 nkjv
For You separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be Your inheritance, as You spoke by Your servant Moses, when You brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD."
1 Kings 8:53 niv
For you singled them out from all the nations of the world to be your own inheritance, just as you declared through your servant Moses when you, Sovereign LORD, brought our ancestors out of Egypt."
1 Kings 8:53 esv
For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth to be your heritage, as you declared through Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD."
1 Kings 8:53 nlt
For when you brought our ancestors out of Egypt, O Sovereign LORD, you told your servant Moses that you had set Israel apart from all the nations of the earth to be your own special possession."
1 Kings 8 53 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 19:5-6 | "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice... you shall be My treasured possession..." | Israel as God's special possession and kingdom of priests. |
| Dt 4:20 | "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of His inheritance, as you are this day." | Echoes the 'inheritance' and 'Exodus' themes directly. |
| Dt 7:6 | "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His special treasure..." | Reaffirms Israel's chosen and set-apart status. |
| Dt 10:15 | "Yet on your fathers did the LORD set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples..." | God's unique love and election of Israel. |
| Ps 33:12 | "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance." | God's people as His chosen inheritance. |
| Ps 135:4 | "For the LORD has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His own special treasure." | Reiteration of God's choice and special treasure. |
| Isa 43:21 | "the people whom I formed for Myself that they might declare My praise." | Purpose of Israel's separation: to declare God's praise. |
| Amos 3:2 | "You only have I known of all the families of the earth..." | God's unique knowledge/relationship with Israel. |
| Mal 4:4 | "Remember the Law of Moses My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel..." | Emphasizes God's declaration through Moses. |
| Ex 3:7-10 | God hears Israel's cries and sends Moses to deliver them. | Foundation of the Exodus and God's initiative. |
| Dt 6:21 | "Then you shall say to your son, ‘We were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD brought us out..." | Importance of remembering the Exodus. |
| Ps 77:15 | "You have redeemed Your people with a strong arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph." | God's strong arm in the Exodus deliverance. |
| Neh 9:14 | "...and made known to them Your holy sabbath, and commanded them commandments, statutes, and a law by the hand of Moses Your servant." | God's law given through Moses. |
| Num 23:19 | "God is not a man, that He should lie... Has He said, and will He not do it? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?" | God's faithfulness to His declarations/promises. |
| Josh 23:14 | "You know with all your heart... that not one word of all the good words which the LORD your God spoke concerning you has failed..." | Confirmation of God's reliable word. |
| Jn 1:17 | "For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." | Distinguishes God's work through Moses and through Christ. |
| 1 Pet 2:9 | "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession..." | New Testament echo applying Israel's chosen status to the church. |
| Eph 1:18 | "...what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints," | New Testament application of 'inheritance' to believers. |
| Tit 2:14 | "...who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession..." | Redemption creating a people for God's possession. |
| Heb 8:6 | "But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is also the mediator of a better covenant..." | New covenant builds on Old Covenant's principle of a distinct people. |
| Ex 24:7-8 | The blood of the covenant applied after Moses declares the Law. | The act of covenanting through Moses' mediation. |
| Heb 10:23 | "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful..." | Emphasizes God's unwavering faithfulness to His declarations. |
1 Kings 8 verses
1 Kings 8 53 Meaning
1 Kings 8:53 encapsulates Solomon's foundational understanding of Israel's unique relationship with God, presented as a core tenet in his prayer of dedication for the Temple. It states that God supernaturally set apart Israel from all other nations as His exclusive possession and heritage. This distinction was not based on Israel's merit but solely on God's divine will, faithfulness to His promise, and His mighty act of redemption in bringing their ancestors out of Egyptian bondage, as declared through Moses. The verse underscores God's electing love, His covenant fidelity, and Israel's chosen status as His special people, intended to reflect His glory among the nations.
1 Kings 8 53 Context
1 Kings chapter 8 details the momentous dedication of the First Temple in Jerusalem by King Solomon. This prayer is the culmination of years of preparation and construction. Verses 22-53 record Solomon's long, heartfelt prayer before the assembly, where he reaffirms God's covenant faithfulness, requests divine attention to prayers offered in the Temple, and makes petitions concerning various future scenarios—including war, famine, pestilence, sin, and even foreigners. Verse 53 falls within the concluding part of Solomon's prayer concerning Israel, reiterating the unique, divinely ordained relationship between God and His people, which originated at the Exodus and was foundational to their identity and existence in the land and their worship in the Temple. Historically, this event signifies the establishment of centralized worship in Jerusalem and serves as a powerful theological statement about Yahweh's identity as Israel's sole, sovereign God in contrast to the numerous local deities of surrounding cultures.
1 Kings 8 53 Word analysis
For: Introduces the theological basis or reason for Solomon's preceding requests and affirmations about Israel's distinct status.
You have separated them: Hebrew: hividaltām (הִבְדַּלְתָּם), from the root badal (בָּדַל), meaning "to divide," "to separate," "to distinguish." This verb emphasizes God's active, decisive, and deliberate act of setting Israel apart. It signifies divine election, marking Israel as unique and distinct from all other nations by divine purpose.
them: Refers to "your people Israel," implicitly from the preceding verses in Solomon's prayer, identifying the direct object of God's separating action.
from all the peoples of the earth: Hebrew: mi-kol-ammei ha'aretz (מִכָּל-עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ). "Peoples of the earth" explicitly differentiates Israel from the surrounding pagan nations. This phrase highlights the universality of God's sovereignty over all peoples, even as He specifically chose Israel. It underscores the exclusivity of Israel's covenant relationship with Yahweh, a clear distinction from the polytheism and diverse national gods worshipped by others.
as Your inheritance: Hebrew: naḥălāh (נַחֲלָה), meaning "inheritance," "possession," "heritage." This term profoundly signifies God's special claim over Israel. They are not merely His creation, but His exclusive possession, akin to an inheritance passed down or acquired. This emphasizes a deep, personal, and exclusive bond, indicating God's cherishing of them and His investment in their well-being.
just as You declared: Highlights God's pre-existence and foreknowledge of this special relationship, indicating that Israel's election was part of God's pre-ordained plan and a verbal promise, rather than an impulsive decision. It speaks to God's veracity and faithfulness in keeping His word.
through Your servant Moses: Affirms Moses' indispensable role as the primary mediator of the Old Covenant. He was God's chosen messenger, through whom divine decrees and covenant stipulations were communicated. It points back to foundational narratives of the Torah.
when You brought their fathers out of Egypt: Specifically points to the Exodus as the defining redemptive event that concretized Israel's separated status and established them as God's unique inheritance. The "fathers" refers to the Israelite ancestors liberated from Egyptian slavery, emphasizing the historical roots of their identity. The Exodus serves as the paradigm for God's power, faithfulness, and salvific intervention for His chosen people.
O Lord GOD: Hebrew: Adonai Yahweh (אֲדֹנָי יְהוָה). Adonai signifies "My Lord" or "Sovereign Lord," conveying respect and authority. Yahweh (rendered as GOD in all caps) is God's personal covenant name, revealing His unchanging, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises. The combination expresses Solomon's profound reverence and trust in the sovereign, covenant-keeping God of Israel, highlighting both His absolute authority and His intimate relationship with His people.
You have separated them...as Your inheritance: This phrase combines God's elective action (badal) with His chosen designation (naḥălāh). It is theologically rich, emphasizing Israel's consecrated status and divine ownership, distinct from their own merit or might. Their identity and destiny are entirely bound up in being God's personal heritage, chosen by His sovereign will and set apart for His purposes.
1 Kings 8 53 Bonus section
- Polemics Against Contemporary Beliefs: This verse subtly yet powerfully opposes the prevailing polytheistic and nationalistic religious concepts of the ancient Near East. Unlike other nations whose gods were often linked to specific territories or ethnic groups through naturalistic means, Israel's God is presented as the transcendent Lord of all the earth (implied in "peoples of the earth") who chose and separated one people, demonstrating universal sovereignty yet particular election. The Exodus itself was a mighty act against the gods of Egypt, proving Yahweh's supremacy.
- A Precedent for Future Redemption: The language of God "bringing out" (Exodus) establishes a divine pattern of liberation and separation. This act foreshadows and provides the theological groundwork for later divine acts of salvation, including the spiritual redemption of a "people for His own possession" in the New Testament through Christ, extending this concept beyond a single ethnicity to a spiritual lineage.
- Responsibility of Chosenness: While the verse emphasizes God's sovereign act, the implicit context of the entire Mosaic covenant (the declaration through Moses) is that chosenness comes with responsibility to obey God's laws and be a light to the nations, embodying His character to the world. Their status as inheritance was tied to the terms declared through Moses.
1 Kings 8 53 Commentary
1 Kings 8:53 serves as a pivotal theological statement within Solomon's Temple dedication, affirming Israel's chosenness as God's special inheritance. This verse underscores that Israel's identity is not self-derived but solely a result of God's deliberate, sovereign act of separation at the Exodus. This divine election established a unique covenant relationship, contrasting sharply with the worldview of surrounding nations and their deities. It confirms God's unfailing commitment to His word, first declared through Moses, and reinforces the idea that the Temple stands as a monument to this foundational covenant, serving as a constant reminder of their divinely set-apart status. The essence of their faith and worship rested upon this singular truth: they were Yahweh's own, acquired and maintained by His mighty hand and faithful declarations.