I Kings 8:41
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And as for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your name—
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
The building and furniture of the temple were very glorious, but the dedication of it exceeds in glory as much as prayer and praise, the work of saints, exceed the casting of metal and the graving of stones, the work of the craftsman. The temple was designed for the keeping up of the correspondence between God and his people; and here we have an account of the solemnity of their first meeting there. I. The representatives of all Israel were called together (Kg1 8:1, Kg1 8:2), to keep a feast to the honour of God, for fourteen days (Kg1 8:65). II. The priests brought the ark into the most holy place, and fixed it there (Kg1 8:3-9). III. God took possession of it by a cloud (Kg1 8:10, Kg1 8:11). IV. Solomon, with thankful acknowledgments to God, informed the people touching the occasion of their meeting (Kg1 8:12-21). V. In a long prayer he recommended to God's gracious acceptance all the prayers that should be made in or towards this place (v. 22-53). VI. He dismissed the assembly with a blessing and an exhortation (Kg1 8:54-61). VII. He offered abundance of sacrifices, on which he and his people feasted, and so parted, with great satisfaction (Kg1 8:62-66). These were Israel's golden days, days of the Son of man in type.
Open source ↗8:41-43 Solomon asked that non-Israelites would learn to fear the Lord and live in relationship with him. Solomon realized that Israel must properly represent the Lord to those outside the covenant (see Gen 12:7; Ps 102:15; Hab 2:14; Matt 28:19).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the feast.
And as for the foreigner who is not of Your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of Your great name and Your mighty hand and outstretched arm—when he comes and prays toward this temple,
The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with this generation and condemn it; for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and now One greater than Solomon is here.
But Ruth replied: “Do not urge me to leave you or to turn from following you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.
When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came and pleaded with Him,
Was no one found except this foreigner to return and give glory to God?”
Boaz replied, “I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you did not know before.
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem,