1 Kings 8:57 kjv
The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers: let him not leave us, nor forsake us:
1 Kings 8:57 nkjv
May the LORD our God be with us, as He was with our fathers. May He not leave us nor forsake us,
1 Kings 8:57 niv
May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us nor forsake us.
1 Kings 8:57 esv
The LORD our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. May he not leave us or forsake us,
1 Kings 8:57 nlt
May the LORD our God be with us as he was with our ancestors; may he never leave us or abandon us.
1 Kings 8 57 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 33:14 | And He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” | God's promise of presence with Moses and Israel. |
| Deut 31:6 | Be strong and courageous... for the Lord your God goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you. | Echoes the exact assurance given to Israel and Joshua. |
| Deut 31:8 | The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. | Reiterates God's unwavering commitment. |
| Josh 1:5 | ...As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. | God assures Joshua of His continuous presence and fidelity. |
| Isa 41:10 | So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. | Divine comfort and presence during distress. |
| Jer 1:8 | Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you, declares the Lord. | God's assuring presence to a prophet (Jeremiah). |
| Hag 2:4 | Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the Lord, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the Lord of hosts. | God's presence as motivation for rebuilding after exile. |
| Zech 8:3 | Thus says the Lord: ‘I will return to Zion and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.’ | Prophecy of God's future permanent presence in Jerusalem. |
| Mt 1:23 | “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”). | Jesus' coming is the ultimate fulfillment of God with us. |
| Mt 28:20 | And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. | Christ's perpetual presence with His disciples. |
| Heb 13:5 | Keep your lives free from the love of money... for He has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” | Applies the promise of Deut 31:6 to New Covenant believers. |
| Gen 28:15 | I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. | God's promise of presence to Jacob. |
| Ps 23:4 | Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. | Confidence in God's presence even in dire circumstances. |
| Ps 94:14 | For the Lord will not reject His people; He will never forsake His inheritance. | Assurance of God's enduring commitment to His chosen people. |
| 2 Ki 1:1 | ...and He said, "I have surely seen the affliction of My people..." | God sees His people's suffering, implying His attentiveness and presence. |
| Is 42:16 | ...These things I will do for them, and I will not forsake them. | God's faithfulness to His covenant and promises. |
| Judg 6:12 | When the angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, he said, “The Lord is with you, mighty warrior.” | Affirmation of God's presence and enabling. |
| Ps 89:33 | But I will not take My love from him, nor will I ever be unfaithful. | God's covenant faithfulness declared through the Psalmist. |
| Jer 32:40 | I will make an everlasting covenant with them... I will not turn away from doing them good... | Promise of an enduring covenant and ongoing blessings. |
| Joel 2:27 | Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other. | Reaffirmation of God's unique presence in Israel. |
| Jn 14:18 | I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. | Jesus' promise of the Comforter, assuring presence. |
| Rom 8:38-39 | ...nothing... will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. | God's unbreakable bond of love with believers in Christ. |
1 Kings 8 verses
1 Kings 8 57 Meaning
1 Kings 8:57 is a fervent petition by King Solomon during the dedication of the Temple, imploring God's continual, active presence with His people, Israel. It expresses a deep longing for the same unwavering divine support and covenant faithfulness that the Lord demonstrated to their ancestors. Specifically, it prays that God will never abandon or withdraw His benevolent relationship and protection from them.
1 Kings 8 57 Context
1 Kings chapter 8 recounts the momentous occasion of the dedication of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, approximately 960 BC. This grand event fulfilled God's promise to David that his son would build a house for God's name. After the ark of the covenant is brought into the Most Holy Place and the glory of the Lord fills the Temple, Solomon leads the people in a profound prayer of dedication. This prayer, spanning verses 23-53, is a comprehensive supplication covering God's faithfulness to His covenant promises, pleas for divine forgiveness, and a petition for God's favorable response to Israel's prayers in various future calamities or exiles. Verse 57 is part of Solomon's final blessings and charges to the people (verses 55-61) that follow the main dedicatory prayer. It expresses Israel's deep dependency on God's abiding presence, drawing on their historical experience and future hopes, crucial for their national existence and covenant relationship.
1 Kings 8 57 Word analysis
- May the Lord our God: This phrase opens Solomon’s petition.
- May be (יְהִי - yə·hî): A volitional or jussive verb, expressing a strong desire or prayerful request. It's not a statement of fact but a deep hope.
- The Lord (יְהוָה - YHWH): The unutterable, personal, covenant name of God (Yahweh), revealing His eternal, self-existent nature and His faithfulness to His promises. Using YHWH emphasizes God's personal relationship with Israel.
- our God (אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ - ’ĕ·lō·hê·nū): Elohim (God), a general title for God, combined with the first-person plural suffix "our," signifying the intimate, exclusive, and communal relationship Israel had with their God, setting Him apart from the gods of other nations. This combination of YHWH and Eloheinu underscores both God's unique identity and His particular covenant bond with Israel.
- be with us (עִמָּ֔נוּ - ‘im·mā·nū): Literally "with us." This is a profound desire for God's active presence, protection, guidance, and favor. It speaks of divine companionship and empowering assistance. The historical narrative of Israel often ties God's active presence to their success and well-being.
- as He was with our fathers (כַּאֲשֶׁר֙ הָיָ֣ה עִם־אֲבֹתֵ֔ינוּ - ka·’ă·šer hā·yāh ‘im-’ă·ḇō·ṯê·nū): This clause grounds the present prayer in historical precedent. Solomon invokes the well-documented faithfulness of God to their ancestors (patriarchs like Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and through Moses and Joshua during the Exodus and conquest). It expresses a desire for continuity in God's demonstrated power, guidance, and lovingkindness. This reliance on God’s past faithfulness provides assurance and serves as a powerful argument in prayer.
- may He not leave us nor forsake us: This is a strong double negative expressing an absolute plea for permanent divine fidelity.
- leave us (יַעַזְבֵ֖נוּ - ya‘·az·ḇê·nū): From the root ‘azav (עָזַב), meaning to abandon, desert, relinquish, or neglect. It implies a departure of support, care, or relationship.
- nor forsake us (וְאַל־יִטְּשֵֽׁנוּ - wə·’al-yiṭ·ṭə·šê·nū): From the root natash (נָטַשׁ), meaning to loosen, leave behind, neglect, or utterly cast off. Often used synonymously or in parallel with ‘azav, emphasizing an even stronger sense of complete and permanent desertion. The combination of these two verbs ("leave and forsake") is a common biblical idiom emphasizing the utter impossibility of God deserting His people once He has committed to them by covenant. It asks for His enduring, unchanging presence.
Word-groups analysis:
- "May the Lord our God be with us": This collective petition highlights Israel's communal identity as the people of YHWH Eloheinu, who depend entirely on His active involvement in their national life and destiny. It underscores that the Temple's glory is secondary to the presence of God Himself.
- "as He was with our fathers": This phrase connects generations, establishing a theological link that God's covenant fidelity is not episodic but extends through history. It forms a powerful rhetorical appeal, leveraging God's past demonstrated character as a basis for present and future expectation. It implies that if God was faithful to previous generations, He would continue to be faithful to the current one.
- "may He not leave us nor forsake us": This chiastic (A-B-B-A) structure in Hebrew ("leave-us and-not-forsake-us") powerfully conveys an absolute and permanent commitment from God's side. This is a crucial element of biblical theology: God's steadfast love and faithfulness (חֶסֶד - chesed) towards His covenant people. It reflects an understanding that while Israel might waver, God’s commitment is unwavering.
1 Kings 8 57 Bonus section
The desire for God to "be with us" finds its ultimate fulfillment in the Person of Jesus Christ, Immanuel, which means "God with us." The Old Testament plea foreshadows the New Testament reality where God indeed takes on flesh and dwells among humanity (Jn 1:14). Furthermore, this prayer also subtly highlights Israel’s consciousness of their propensity to wander from God. The petition for God not to leave them implied an understanding that His departure was a real, potential consequence of their unfaithfulness, as seen historically in judges and exilic periods. This verse thus stands as a foundational prayer, appealing to God’s nature more than to their own merit, for the perpetual continuance of His grace.
1 Kings 8 57 Commentary
Solomon’s petition in 1 Kings 8:57 captures the very heart of Israel’s relationship with God: the necessity and profound desire for His continuous, active, and personal presence. It is a humble acknowledgment that despite the magnificent Temple, Israel’s true security and blessedness lay not in architectural marvels or political power, but in God Himself. Solomon invokes God's consistent historical faithfulness to their forefathers as the precedent for His present and future dealings with His people, appealing to God's covenant loyalty. The phrase "not leave us nor forsake us" becomes an iconic expression of divine steadfastness, later reaffirmed numerous times throughout the Old and New Testaments as a bedrock assurance for God's people in all circumstances. It moves beyond simply existing with them, promising unwavering support and protection, affirming that despite any failures or challenges, God’s fundamental commitment to His people would endure. This foundational truth instills hope and demands a corresponding commitment of obedience and trust from the people.