1 Kings 8:12

Contextual Overview

¹²Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;¹² Then Solomon said, "The Lord has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud; ¹²Then Solomon said,"Yahweh has said that He would dwell in the cloud of dense gloom. ¹² Then Solomon said, "The LORD has said that He would dwell in the thick cloud.¹² Then spake Solomon: The Lorde saide that he would dwell in the darke cloude. ¹² And Solomon said, Jehovah has said that He would dwell in the thick darkness. ¹² Then Solomon said, "The Lord caused the sun to shine in the sky, but he chose to live in a dark cloud. ¹² Then Solomon said, "The LORD has set the sun in the heavens, but has said that he would dwell in thick darkness. ¹² Then spoke Solomon, Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness. ¹² Then spake Solomon; The Lord said that hee would dwell in the thicke darkenesse.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

The Lord: Deuteronomy 4:11, 2 Chronicles 6:1, 2 Chronicles 6:2-11, Psalms 18:8-11, Psalms 97:2

the thick: Exodus 20:21, Leviticus 16:2, Deuteronomy 5:22, Isaiah 45:15, Hebrews 12:18

Reciprocal: Exodus 19:9 - Lo 2 Samuel 22:10 - darkness Job 26:9 - General Ecclesiastes 12:9 - he still

Cross-References

Genesis 8:2
Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky.

Genesis 8:2
Now the springs of the deep and the floodgates of the heavens had been closed, and the rain had stopped falling from the sky.

Genesis 8:2
Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained;

Genesis 8:2
Also the fountains of the deep and the floodgates of the sky were closed, and the rain from the sky was restrained;

Genesis 8:2
The fountaynes also of the deepe, and the windowes of heauen were stopped, and the rayne from heauen was restrayned.

Genesis 8:2
Rain stopped falling from the sky, and water stopped flowing from under the earth.

Genesis 8:2
the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained,

Genesis 8:2
And watris weren decreessid, and the wellis of the see weren closid, and the wyndowis of heuene weren closid, and reynes of heuene weren ceessid.

Genesis 8:2
The fountaines also of the deepe, and the windowes of heauen were stopped, and the raine from heauen was restrained.

Genesis 8:2
The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And then spake Solomon,.... Perceiving by this symbol that the Lord was come into his house, to take up his dwelling in it, and seeing the priests and people in consternation at it, spake the following words to their comfort:

the Lord said that he would dwell in the thick darkness; and now was fulfilling his promise, and therefore to be considered not as a token of his displeasure, but of his gracious presence; this was done for the greater awe of the divine Majesty, and to denote the darkness of the former dispensation; reference may be had to Leviticus 16:2 or rather this was now said by the Lord, that is, it appeared to be his resolution and determination to dwell in this manner; the Targum is,

"the Lord is pleased to cause his Shechinah or divine Majesty to dwell in Jerusalem,''

in the temple there. This was imitated by the Heathens; hence the Lacedemonians had a temple dedicated to Jupiter Scotitas, or the dark, as Pausanias u relates; and the Indian Pagans to this day affect darkness in their temples, and are very careful that no light enter into them but by the door, which is commonly strait and low, and by little crevices in the windows w.

u Laconica, sive, I. 3. p. 178. w Agreement of Customs between the East-Indians and Jews, art. 5. p. 35.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Rather, “The Lord spake of dwelling in the thick darkness” (margin reference). Solomon sees in the cloud the visible symbol of God’s presence, and accepts the token as a proof that He has taken possession of the house built for Him, and will thenceforth dwell there 1 Kings 8:13.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 8:12. The Lord said - he would dwell — It was under the appearance of a cloud that God showed himself present with Israel in the wilderness; see Exodus 14:19-20. And at the dedication of the tabernacle in the wilderness, God manifested himself in the same way that he did here at the dedication of the temple; see Exodus 40:34-35.