1 Kings 8:1

_THEN SOLOMON ASSEMBLED THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL, AND ALL THE HEADS OF THE TRIBES, THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, UNTO KING SOLOMON IN JERUSALEM, THAT THEY MIGHT BRING UP THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD OUT OF THE CITY OF DAVID, WHICH IS ZION._ No JFB commentary on this verse....

1-11 The bringing in the ark, is the end which must crown the work: this was done with great solemnity. The ark was fixed in the place appointed for its rest in the inner part of the house, whence they expected God to speak to them, even in the most holy place. The staves of the ark were drawn out, so as to direct the high priest to the mercy-seat over the ark, when he went in, once a year, to sprinkle the blood there; so that they continued of use, though there was no longer occasion to carry it by them. The glory of God appearing in a cloud may signify, 1. The darkness of that dispensation, in comparison with the light of the gospel, by which, with open face, we behold, as in a glass, the glory of the Lord. 2. The darkness of our present state, in comparison with the sight of God, which will be the happiness of heaven, where the Divine glory is unveiled....

CHAPTER VIII _Solomon assembles the elders of Israel, and brings up the ark,_ _and the holy vessels, and the tabernacle, out of the city of_ _David, and places them in the temple; on which account a vast_ _number of sheep and oxen are sacrificed_, 1-8. _There was nothing in the ark save the two tables of stone, which_ _Moses put there at Horeb_, 9. _The cloud of God's glory fills the house_, 10, 11. _Solomon blesses the people_, 12-21. _His dedicatory prayer_, 22-53. _Afterwards he blesses and exhorts the people_, 54-61....

There seems to be a contrast here between the more popular proceedings of David 2 Samuel 6:1, and the statelier system of his son, who merely summons the chief men as representatives of the nation. The rest of the people “assembled themselves” 1 Kings 8:2, and were mere spectators of the solemnity....

EXPOSITION THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE.—The stately and impressive service with which the Temple, the character and contents of which have now been described, was dedicated, is related in this chapter, and divides itself into four sections. We have (1) the removal of the ark and Solomon's ascription of praise on the occasion (1 Kings 8:1). (2) The prayer of consecration (1 Kings 8:23-11). (3) The benediction of the congregation (1 Kings 8:55-11), and (4) the festal sacrifices which followed on and completed the dedication ...

THEN SOLOMON ASSEMBLED THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL,.... The judges in the several cities, or senators of the great sanhedrim, as others; though it is a question whether as yet there was such a court: AND ALL THE HEADS OF THE TRIBES; the princes of the twelve tribes: THE CHIEF OF THE FATHERS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; the principal men of the ancient families in every tribe: UNTO KING SOLOMON IN JERUSALEM; these he summoned together to himself there where the temple was built: THAT THEY MIGHT BRING UP THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD OUT OF THE CITY OF DAVID, WHICH IS ZION; whither David brought it, when he had taken that fort, so called, and dwelt in it; and from this mountain Solomon proposed to bring it up to the temple, on a higher mountain, Moriah, not far from one another....

THEN SOLOMON The consecration of the temple illustrates all consecration. The temple, like the believer (1 Thessalonians 5:23) was threefold: the court, that which was outward, visible, answered to the body; the holy place, where everything appealed to the sacred emotions, answered to the soul; the holy of holies, the place of communion with God (Exodus 25:22) answered to the spirit of man. The ark was the most all-inclusive type of Christ of any one of the vessels of the tabernacle. (_ See Scofield) - (Exodus 25:9). _ When, therefore, the priests brought the ark into the court, the holy place, and the holy of holies, they were, in type, enthroning Christ over the body, wit

CHAPTER 8THE DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE _ 1. The great assembly (1 Kings 8:1)_ 2. The transportation of the ark (1 Kings 8:3) 3. The glory of the LORD filling the house (1 Kings 8:10) 4. Solomon's opening words (1 Kings 8:12) 5. Solomon's great prayer (1 Kings 8:22) 6. Solomon's benediction (1 Kings 8:54) 7. The sacrifices and the feast ...

SOLOMON'S DEDICATION OF THE TEMPLE, PRAYER AND ADDRESS. This chapter is mainly Deuteronomic, being clearly written from the standpoint of one who has seen the Temple as the one national sanctuary of Israel, and has either witnessed its downfall or perceived that it was imminent. 1 Kings 8:1 is, however, probably from the early record of how the house of Yahweh was dedicated by Solomon, of which 1 Kings 8:62 is the continuation, the prayer of Solomon being Deuteronomic. In 1 Kings 8:12 f. we may have preserved an authentic poetic utterance of Solomon himself in the words of the dedication of the Temple. As they are given in the LXX they read as follows: Yahweh set the sun in heaven,...

THE ELDERS. Some codices, with Septuagint, Syriac, and Vulgate, read "all the elders". AND. Some codices, with three early printed editions, Aramaean, and Septuagint, omit "and". FATHERS. fathers' houses. families. CHILDREN. sons. OUT OF THE CITY OF DAVID: i.e. up out of Zion (the former Jebus, 2 Samuel 5:6) to Moriah, where the Temple had been built (1 Chronicles 21:28; 1 Chronicles 22:1). Compare 2 Samuel 6. App-68...