1 Kings 8:8

Contextual Overview

¹Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD's covenant from Zion, the City of David. ¹ Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the Lord 's covenant from Zion, the City of David. ¹Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh from the city of David, which is Zion. ¹ Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' households of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the city of David, which is Zion. ¹ Then Solomon gathered the elders of Israel, & al the heads of the tribes, and them that were captaynes amog the fathers of the children of Israel, vnto him in Hierusalem, that they might bring vp the arke of the appoyntment of the Lorde out of the citie of Dauid, which is Sion. ¹ Then Solomon gathered the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chief of the fathers of the sons of Israel, to King Solomon in Jerusalem, that they might bring up the ark of the covenant of Jehovah out of the city of David, which is Zion. ¹ Then King Solomon told all the elders of Israel, the heads of the tribes, and the leaders of the families of Israel to come together in Jerusalem. Solomon wanted them to join in moving the Box of the Lord 's Agreement from the City of David up to the Temple. ¹ Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes, the leaders of the fathers' houses of the people of Israel, before King Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of the city of David, which is Zion. ¹ Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers' [houses] of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion. ¹ Then Solomon assembled the Elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the chiefe of the fathers of the children of Israel, vnto king Solomon in Ierusalem, that they might bring vp the Arke of the Couenant of the Lord, out of the citie of Dauid, which is Zion.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

drew out the staves: Exodus 25:14, Exodus 25:15, Exodus 37:4, Exodus 37:5, Exodus 40:20

ends: Heb. heads

holy place: or, ark, as, 2 Chronicles 5:9

unto this day: Joshua 4:9, Matthew 28:15

Reciprocal: Numbers 4:6 - the staves Numbers 4:20 - the holy things Deuteronomy 10:5 - there they 1 Chronicles 15:15 - bare the ark

Cross-References

Genesis 8:10
He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark.

Genesis 8:10
He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark.

Genesis 8:10
Then he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark.

Genesis 8:10
So he waited yet another seven days; and again he sent out the dove from the ark.

Genesis 8:10
And he abode yet other seuen dayes, and agayne he sent foorth the Doue out of the arke:

Genesis 8:10
After seven days Noah again sent out the dove.

Genesis 8:10
He waited another seven days, and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

Genesis 8:10
Sotheli whanne othere seuene daies weren abedun aftirward, eft he leet out a culuer fro the schip;

Genesis 8:10
And hee stayed yet other seuen dayes; and againe hee sent foorth the doue out of the Arke.

Genesis 8:10
And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And they drew out the staves,.... Not made them larger, as Ben Gersom, than those in the tabernacle of Moses, this place being larger than that; nor did they draw them wholly out, and lay them up in the sanctuary, there being no further use for them, the ark having now a fixed place, and not to be removed; which would have been contrary to

Exodus 25:15 but they drew them out some little way:

that the ends of the staves were seen out in the holy place before the oracle; not in that part of the temple commonly called the holy place, in distinction from the most holy, for that seems to be denied in the next clause; nor could they be seen there, since there was a wall and a vail between them; though some think they might be seen when the door was opened, and the vail turned aside; and these also pushing against the vail, might be seen prominent, like the breasts of a woman under a covering, as the Jews express it; but the sense is, that the ends of these were seen out of the ark from under the wings of the cherubim, being a little drawn, in that part of the most holy place which is before the oracle or mercy seat:

and they were not seen without; neither quite out of the ark, nor without the most holy place, nor in the holy place; but were only seen by the high priest when he went in on the day of atonement, and served as a direction to him to go between them before the ark, and there perform his work t; which, through the darkness of the place, and the ark being covered with the wings of the cherubim, he could not otherwise discern the exact place where it stood:

and there they are unto this day: when the writer of this book lived, even in the same situation.

t Vid. Misn. Yoma, c. 5. sect. 1.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It was forbidden to withdraw the staves wholly from the rings (margin reference); but they appear to have been now drawn forward in such a way that their ends or heads could be seen from the holy place, or great chamber of the temple, though without their being visible from the porch or vestibule. Either the doorway into the holy of holies was not exactly opposite the ark, but a little on one side; or, though that doorway was in the middle, opposite the ark, the doorway from the porch into the main chamber was not opposite to it. In Assyrian temples the arrangement of the outer door, the inner door, and the sanctuary, seems to have been designedly such that a mere passer-by on the outside should not obtain even a glimpse of the shrine. It is suggested that the withdrawal of the staves was intended as a sign that the ark had reached “the place of its rest,” and was not to be borne about anymore.

There they are unto this day - This is a quotation from an author who lived while the temple was still standing. See also 1 Kings 9:21.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 8:8. And there they are unto this day. — This proves that the book was written before the destruction of the first temple, but how long before we cannot tell.