1 Kings 9:25 kjv
And three times in a year did Solomon offer burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the altar which he built unto the LORD, and he burnt incense upon the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the house.
1 Kings 9:25 nkjv
Now three times a year Solomon offered burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar which he had built for the LORD, and he burned incense with them on the altar that was before the LORD. So he finished the temple.
1 Kings 9:25 niv
Three times a year Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings and fellowship offerings on the altar he had built for the LORD, burning incense before the LORD along with them, and so fulfilled the temple obligations.
1 Kings 9:25 esv
Three times a year Solomon used to offer up burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar that he built to the LORD, making offerings with it before the LORD. So he finished the house.
1 Kings 9:25 nlt
Three times each year Solomon presented burnt offerings and peace offerings on the altar he had built for the LORD. He also burned incense to the LORD. And so he finished the work of building the Temple.
1 Kings 9 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Annual Feasts | ||
| Exod 23:14 | "Three times in the year you shall keep a feast to Me." | Pilgrimage feasts commandment. |
| Exod 34:23 | "Three times in the year all your males shall appear before the Lord GOD..." | Annual pilgrimage duty for men. |
| Deut 16:16 | "Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place that He chooses..." | Specifies the location and frequency of feasts. |
| 2 Chr 8:13 | "He offered burnt offerings... according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual appointed feasts." | Solomon's consistent adherence to Mosaic Law. |
| Types of Offerings | ||
| Lev 1:3 | "If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd..." | Regulations for burnt offerings (atonement, dedication). |
| Lev 3:1 | "If his offering is a sacrifice of peace offering..." | Regulations for peace offerings (fellowship, thanksgiving). |
| Num 29 | Details on offerings for the feasts of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. | Specific offerings for the three major feasts. |
| Altar & Incense | ||
| Exod 27:1-2 | "You shall make the altar of acacia wood... with its horns..." | Blueprint for the bronze altar for sacrifices. |
| Exod 30:1-7 | "You shall make an altar to burn incense on... every morning..." | Command for the incense altar. |
| Exod 40:29 | "He set the altar of burnt offering at the entrance of the tabernacle... and offered on it..." | The purpose and placement of the altar. |
| Ps 141:2 | "Let my prayer be counted as incense before You..." | Prayer likened to incense. |
| Rev 8:3-4 | "And another angel came and stood at the altar... and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God." | Incense symbolic of prayers ascending to God. |
| Temple Context & Purpose | ||
| 1 Kgs 6:37-38 | "In the fourth year... the house of the LORD was founded... and in the eleventh year... it was finished..." | Temple construction period. |
| 1 Kgs 8:62-64 | "And the king and all Israel with him offered sacrifice before the LORD... sacrificed twenty-two thousand oxen..." | Temple dedication and vast sacrifices. |
| 2 Chr 7:7-8 | "Solomon dedicated the middle of the court... for he offered burnt offerings..." | Details of Temple dedication offerings. |
| Isa 56:7 | "My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples." | God's desire for the Temple to be a place of worship for all. |
| Mal 3:10 | "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse... that there may be food in my house..." | The Temple as a central place of worship and provision. |
| Acts 7:47-50 | "But Solomon built Him a house. Yet the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands..." | God's transcendence beyond physical temples. |
| Jn 2:19-21 | "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up... He was speaking about the temple of His body." | Christ as the ultimate Temple. |
| Heb 9:11-14 | "But when Christ appeared as a high priest... He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of His own blood..." | Christ's perfect sacrifice superseding animal offerings. |
| Heb 10:11-14 | "Every priest stands daily ministering and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices... But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever..." | Christ's finished work ends the need for repetitive sacrifices. |
| Eph 2:19-22 | "Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone... growing into a holy temple in the Lord." | Believers as the spiritual Temple of God. |
1 Kings 9 verses
1 Kings 9 25 Meaning
1 Kings 9:25 describes King Solomon's faithful and regular worship at the newly constructed Temple in Jerusalem. It specifies that three times each year, he consistently offered burnt offerings and peace offerings upon the main altar and also burned incense before the Lord. This verse acts as a concluding statement, emphasizing that Solomon not only built the Temple structure but also fully established its intended function as the central place of worship, thereby completing its purpose according to divine command and Mosaic Law.
1 Kings 9 25 Context
1 Kings chapter 9 begins with the Lord's second appearance to Solomon, confirming His covenant promises and warning about the consequences of disobedience, specifically regarding the Temple's fate if Israel should turn from God. Following this divine encounter, the chapter details Solomon's administrative and building achievements, including constructing fortresses, store cities, and housing for foreign laborers. This verse (1 Kgs 9:25) concludes a section on Solomon's ongoing governmental and construction efforts. It highlights that beyond the monumental task of building the physical structure, Solomon also ensured its fundamental spiritual function was consistently maintained. Historically, Solomon's reign was characterized by immense wealth, peace, and widespread construction, signaling the height of the united monarchy. The consistent performance of these sacrifices solidified Jerusalem's position as the religious center of Israel and emphasized Solomon's role as a faithful, if later flawed, king who upheld the core elements of the Mosaic covenant during the early days of the Temple. This regular, prescribed worship set a benchmark for future kings, implicitly contrasting with any future deviation to unauthorized forms of worship or multiple cultic sites, underscoring the purity and centrality of Yahwistic worship at the divinely chosen place.
1 Kings 9 25 Word analysis
- Three times a year (שָׁלֹשׁ פְּעָמִים בַּשָּׁנָה, shalosh pe'amim bashana): This phrase explicitly refers to the three annual pilgrimage festivals commanded in the Law of Moses: Passover/Unleavened Bread (Pesach/Matzot), Weeks (Shavuot), and Tabernacles (Sukkot). These were mandatory times for all Israelite males to "appear before the Lord" at the central sanctuary. This indicates Solomon's adherence to a fundamental requirement of Israelite worship, emphasizing national communal devotion.
- Solomon used to offer: Implies a habitual, established practice, not a one-time event. This highlights his role in overseeing and leading the religious life of the nation, consistent with his position as king. It denotes his continued dedication to divine protocol after the Temple's initial dedication.
- burnt offerings (עֹלוֹת, ʿōlōt, from ʿōlāh): A sacrifice completely consumed by fire on the altar, symbolizing complete dedication to God and making atonement. It represented absolute surrender and was a staple of worship, expressing adoration and propitiation.
- and peace offerings (וּשְׁלָמִים, u shlamim, from shlamim): Sacrifices where a portion was given to God, a portion to the priests, and the remainder eaten by the worshipper and his household in a communal meal. These offerings signified fellowship, thanksgiving, and reconciliation with God. Their inclusion shows a full spectrum of worship, combining expiation with joyous communion.
- on the altar he built: Refers to the great bronze altar (the "altar of burnt offering") that stood in the court of the Temple. This specifies the divinely ordained and solitary location for such major sacrifices, affirming the singular locus of legitimate worship established in Jerusalem, distinguishing it from pagan or unauthorized altars.
- sacrificing with it on the altar he built: A repetitive phrase for emphasis. It underscores the active, continuous nature of Solomon's religious service. The repetition solidifies the visual of perpetual worship.
- and he burned incense with it before the Lord: Incense was burned daily on the golden incense altar within the Holy Place, before the veil to the Most Holy Place. This act was deeply symbolic, representing the prayers of the people ascending to God (Ps 141:2; Rev 8:3-4). Its inclusion shows adherence to a vital priestly ritual, extending beyond animal sacrifices to a distinct act of worship and communication.
- So he finished the temple: This is not just a statement of architectural completion, but a theological declaration that the Temple's purpose was realized. The structure was now fully operational as the center of Israel's worship, completing the vision God gave to David for a dwelling place for His Name, where His people could properly worship Him according to His commandments.
1 Kings 9 25 Bonus section
- Solomon's meticulous adherence to the law in this verse is in stark contrast to his later spiritual decline described in 1 Kings 11, where he turned to foreign gods due to his many wives. This verse showcases the initial fidelity that contributed to the peak of his reign.
- The frequency of "three times a year" for major pilgrimages ensured a cyclical rhythm of national worship and community gathering, reinforcing shared identity and spiritual unity.
- The vast wealth and resources Solomon commanded (as noted in preceding verses about his revenues) made these elaborate and frequent sacrificial offerings feasible, underscoring the grandeur of the worship appropriate for the God of Israel and a king blessed by Him.
- This verse can be seen as an ultimate fulfillment of David's longing to build a house for the Lord (2 Sam 7), not just in terms of bricks and mortar, but as a living center of worship.
1 Kings 9 25 Commentary
1 Kings 9:25 presents a succinct but profound picture of Solomon's fidelity in establishing the Temple's operational worship after its construction and dedication. By detailing the thrice-yearly performance of burnt and peace offerings, alongside the burning of incense, the text underscores Solomon's commitment to the precise requirements of the Mosaic Law. These acts were central to Israel's covenant relationship with God—burnt offerings signifying complete surrender and atonement, while peace offerings symbolized thanksgiving and joyful communion. The mention of the altar "he built" reasserts his key role in creating the dedicated space for legitimate worship. The phrase "he finished the temple" thus implies more than mere architectural completion; it signals the successful implementation of the Temple as a functioning sanctuary where God's presence could be rightly honored and approached through the prescribed rituals. This established a critical precedent for royal piety and nationwide devotion, setting a standard for future generations and distinguishing Yahwistic worship from syncretistic or pagan practices that would later tempt Israel. This passage captures Solomon at the pinnacle of his righteous devotion, adhering to the foundational tenets of Israelite faith and fulfilling the spiritual mandate of the Temple, symbolizing a period of great divine favor upon Israel.