1 Kings 8:37

_IF THERE BE IN THE LAND FAMINE, IF THERE BE PESTILENCE, BLASTING, MILDEW, LOCUST, OR IF THERE BE CATERPILLER; IF THEIR ENEMY BESIEGE THEM IN THE LAND OF THEIR CITIES; WHATSOEVER PLAGUE, WHATSOEVER SICKNESS THERE BE;_ If there be in the land famine, if there be pestilence, blasting, mildew ... The mildew which committed such terrible ravages in their fields, and destroyed their cereal crops, producing famine, was not then known to be of vegetable origin, and to be traceable, as modern science has taught us to trace it, to various parasitic fungi of the Uredo and Puccinia families (Balfour's 'Biblical Botany'), but was ascribed to meteorological influences, or rather regarded as a pestilence inflicted by the direct hand of God (see the notes at Leviticus 26:25; Deuteronomy 28:22

22-53 In this excellent prayer, Solomon does as we should do in every prayer; he gives glory to God. Fresh experiences of the truth of God's promises call for larger praises. He sues for grace and favour from God. The experiences we have of God's performing his promises, should encourage us to depend upon them, and to plead them with him; and those who expect further mercies, must be thankful for former mercies. God's promises must be the guide of our desires, and the ground of our hopes and expectations in prayer. The sacrifices, the incense, and the whole service of the temple, were all typical of the Redeemer's offices, oblation, and intercession. The temple, therefore, was continually to be remembered. Under one word, "forgive," Solomon expressed all that he could ask in behalf of his people. For, as all misery springs from sin, forgiveness of sin prepares the way for the removal of...

Verse 1 Kings 8:37. _IF THERE BE IN THE LAND FAMINE - PESTILENCE_] The FOURTH case includes several kinds of evils: 1. _Famine_; a scarcity or total want of bread, necessarily springing from the preceding cause, _drought_. 2. _Pestilence_; any general and contagious disease. 3. _Blasting_; any thing by which the crops are injured, so that the ear is never matured; but instead of wholesome grain, there is a _black offensive dust_. 4. _Mildew_; any thing that vitiates or corrodes the texture of the stalk, destroys the flowers and blossoms, or causes the young shaped fruits to fall off their stems. 5. _Locust_, a well known curse in the East, a species of _grasshopper_ that multiplies by _millions_, and covers the face of the earth for many miles square, destroying every green thing; leaving neither herb n

IN THE LAND OF THEIR CITIES - literally, “in the land of their gates.” Hence, the marginal translation “jurisdiction,” because judgments were pronounced in the town gates Deuteronomy 16:18. Another reading gives “in one of their cities.”...

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 ...

Ver. 37 IF THERE BE IN THE LAND FAMINE,.... Through want of rain, or any other cause, as there had been a three years' famine in the time of David, and it is supposed it might be again, though Canaan was a land flowing with milk and honey: IF THERE BE PESTILENCE; as there had been, for David's numbering the people: BLASTING; or blights, occasioned by the east wind: MILDEW; a kind of clammy dew, which falling on plants, corn, c. corrupts and destroys them, see Amos 4:9, LOCUST, or IF THERE BE CATERPILLAR creatures very pernicious to the fruits of the earth, and cause a scarcity of them, see Joel 1:4, IF THEIR ENEMY BESIEGE THEM IN THE LAND OF THEIR CITIES; so that they cannot go out to gather the increase of t

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,...

PESTILENCE. death. Compare Leviticus 26:26. BLASTING. blight. CITIES. Hebrew gates. Put by Figure of speech _Metonymy_ (of Adjunct) for cities....

_If there be in the land famine_ In this verse the king gathers together various judgements which God had threatened on His people if they sinned. For famine cf. Leviticus 26:20; Deuteronomy 11:17: for blasting and mildew, Deuteronomy 28:22; for locust, Deuteronomy 28:38. The particular insect rendered -caterpillar" in this verse is not mentioned in the Pentateuch, but we know from Joel 2:25, that some other kind, or stage of development, of locust is meant by it. In...