1 Kings 8:66

62-66 Solomon offered a great sacrifice. He kept the feast of tabernacles, as it seems, after the feast of dedication. Thus should we go home, rejoicing, from holy ordinances, thankful for God's Goodness...

Verse 1 Kings 8:66. _THEY BLESSED THE KING_] Wished him all spiritual and temporal happiness. They were contented with their king, at peace among themselves, and happy in their God; so that they returned to their houses magnifying their God for all his bounty to them, their country, and their king. How happy must these people have been, and how prosperous, had their king continued to walk uprightly before God! But alas! the king fell, and the nation followed his example....

THEIR TENTS - i. e. “their homes.” The word “tents” was used for “houses” from an old habit of speech, which had come down from the time when the Israelites were a nomadic nation....

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 ...

ON THE EIGHTH DAY HE SENT THE PEOPLE AWAY,.... That is, of the feast of tabernacles, the eighth from the first of that, which was a solemn day, and fell on the twenty second of the month; at the close of which the dismission was made, or they had leave to go, but they did not until the twenty third, according to 2 Chronicles 7:10 AND THEY BLESSED THE KING; returned him thanks for his care, and charge, and pains, in building the temple; for prayers for them, and the feast he had now made, and wished all health and happiness to him: AND WENT UNTO THEIR TENTS JOYFUL AND GLAD OF HEART; or to their cities, as the Targum, to their several habitations; being greatly delighted with what they had seen and heard, and partook of especially: FOR ALL THE GOODNESS THE LORD HAD DONE FOR DAVID HIS SERVANT, AND FOR ISRAEL HIS PEOPLE; in...

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,...

FOR DAVID: i.e. in the person of Solomon his son. Figure of speech _Synecdoche_ (of Part). Compare 1 Kings 10:9 and 2 Chronicles 7:10....

_On the eighth day_ i.e. Of the feast of Tabernacles, which had been preceded on this occasion by the feast of Dedication. Therefore this was the fifteenth day of the whole ceremony. It is defined in 2 Chronicles 7:10 as -the three and twentieth day of the seventh month." _and they blessed the king_ Josephus explains thus: -they went away thanking the king for his forethought about them, and for the conduct which he had exhibited towards them, and praying God to give them Solomon as their king for a long time to come." _and went unto their tents_ The expression is a survival from those times when the home was a tent. Cf. 2 Samuel 18:17; 2 Samuel 19:8....

ON THE EIGHTH DAY HE SENT THE PEOPLE AWAY— In 2 Chronicles 7:10 it is _on the twenty-third day._ Houbigant thinks, that what seems to have been omitted in this place, should be supplied from the parallel place in the Chronicles. _Note;_ (1.) When we return from God's ordinances, it becomes us to rejoice in the God of our salvation. (2.) A good king is the joy of his subjects. (3.) When we shall return to our eternal home, then shall our joy never end; and Jesus, our king, be the subject of our everlasting praises....