1 Kings 8:31

Brenton's Septuagint

Whatsoever trespasses any one shall commit against his neighbor,—and if he shall take upon him an oath so that he should swear, and he shall come and make confession before thine altar in this house,

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
When a man sins against his neighborand is forced to take an oath,and he comes to take an oathbefore your altar in this temple,

Hebrew Names Version
If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid on him to cause him to swear, and he come [and] swear before your altar in this house;

King James Version
If any man trespass against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thine altar in this house:

English Standard Version
"If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath and comes and swears his oath before your altar in this house,

New Century Version
"If someone wrongs another person, he will be brought to the altar in this Temple. If he swears an oath that he is not guilty,

New English Translation
"When someone is accused of sinning against his neighbor and the latter pronounces a curse on the alleged offender before your altar in this temple, be willing to forgive the accused if the accusation is false.

Amplified Bible
"If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath [of innocence] and he comes to take the oath before Your altar in this house (temple),

New American Standard Bible
"If a person sins against his neighbor and is compelled to take an oath of innocence, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,

Geneva Bible (1587)
When a man shall trespasse against his neighbour, & he lay vpon him an othe to cause him to sweare, and the swearer shall come before thine altar in this house,

Legacy Standard Bible
"If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,

Contemporary English Version
Suppose someone accuses a person of a crime, and the accused has to stand in front of the altar in your temple and say, "I swear I am innocent!"

Complete Jewish Bible
"If a person sins against a fellow member of the community, and he is made to swear under oath, and he comes and swears before your altar in this house;

Darby Translation
If a man have sinned against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to adjure him, and the oath come before thine altar in this house;

Easy-to-Read Version
"Those who wrong others will be brought to this altar. If they are not guilty, they will make an oath and promise that they are innocent.

George Lamsa Translation
If any man sins against his neighbor and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear and he comes and swears before thine altar in this house;

Good News Translation
"When a person is accused of wronging another and is brought to your altar in this Temple to take an oath that he is innocent,

Lexham English Bible
If a man sins against his neighbor and he pronounces an oath against him to curse him, and the curse comes before your altar in this house,

Literal Translation
If any man sins against his neighbor, and an oath be exacted of him to cause him to swear, and the oath has come before Your altar in this house,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Whan eny ma synneth agaynst his neghboure, and taketh vpon him an ooth wherwith he byndeth him selfe, and ye ooth commeth before thine altare in this house,

American Standard Version
If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he come and swear before thine altar in this house;

Bible in Basic English
If a man does wrong to his neighbour, and has to take an oath, and comes before your altar to take his oath in this house:

Bishop's Bible (1568)
If any man trespasse against his neyghbour, & there go an oth betweene them, and the one compel the other, and come, swearing before thyne aulter in this house:

JPS Old Testament (1917)
If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be exacted of him to cause him to swear, and he come and swear before Thine altar in this house;

King James Version (1611)
If any man trespasse against his neighbour, and an oath be laid vpon him to cause him to sweare, and the oath come before thine Altar in this house:

English Revised Version
If a man sin against his neighbour, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and he come [and] swear before thine altar in this house:

Berean Standard Bible
When a man sins against his neighbor and is required to take an oath, and he comes to take an oath before Your altar in this temple,

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
If a man synneth ayens a man, and hath ony ooth, bi which he is holdun boundun, and cometh for the ooth in to thin hows, bifor thin auter, thou schalt here in heuene,

Young's Literal Translation
that which a man sinneth against his neighbour, and he hath lifted up upon him an oath to cause him to swear, and the oath hath come in before Thine altar in this house,

Update Bible Version
If a man sins against his neighbor, and he is subjected to an oath to cause him to swear, and he comes [and] swears before your altar in this house;

Webster's Bible Translation
If any man shall trespass against his neighbor, and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come before thy altar in this house:

World English Bible
If a man sin against his neighbor, and an oath be laid on him to cause him to swear, and he come [and] swear before your altar in this house;

New King James Version
"When anyone sins against his neighbor, and is forced to take an oath, and comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this temple,

New Living Translation
"If someone wrongs another person and is required to take an oath of innocence in front of your altar in this Temple,

New Life Bible
"If a man sins against his neighbor and has to make a promise, and he comes and makes a promise at Your altar in this house,

New Revised Standard
"If someone sins against a neighbor and is given an oath to swear, and comes and swears before your altar in this house,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
When a man shall sin against his neighbour, and there shall be taken up against him an oath, to put him on oath, - and he shall come in and swear before thine altar, in this house,

Douay-Rheims Bible
If any man trespass against his neighbour, and have an oath upon him, wherewith he is bound, and come, because of the oath, before thy altar, to thy house,

Revised Standard Version
"If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and comes and swears his oath before thine altar in this house,

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"If a man sins against his neighbor and is made to take an oath, and he comes and takes an oath before Your altar in this house,

Contextual Overview

²² And Solomon stood up in front of the altar before all the congregation of Israel; and he spread out his hands toward heaven: ²³ and he said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee in heaven above and on the earth beneath, keeping covenant and mercy with thy servant who walks before thee with all his heart; ²⁴ which thou hast kept toward thy servant David my father: for thou hast spoken by thy mouth and thou hast fulfilled it with thine hands, as at this day. ²⁵ And now, O Lord God of Israel, keep for thy servant David my father, the promises which thou hast spoken to him, saying, There shall not be taken from thee a man sitting before me on the throne of Israel, provided only thy children shall take heed to their ways, to walk before me as thou hast walked before me. ²⁶ And now, O Lord God of Israel, let, I pray thee, thy word to David my father be confirmed. ²⁷ But will God indeed dwell with men upon the earth? if the heaven and heaven of heavens will not suffice thee, how much less even this house which I have built to thy name? ²⁸ Yet, O Lord God of Israel, thou shalt look upon my petition, to hear the prayer which thy servant prays to thee in thy presence this day, ²⁹ that thine eyes may be open toward this house day and night, even toward the place which thou saidst, My name shall be there, to hear the prayer which thy servant prays at this place day and night. ³⁰ And thou shalt hearken to the prayer of thy servant, and of thy people Israel, which they shall pray toward this place; and thou shalt hear in thy dwelling-place in heaven, and thou shalt do and be gracious. ³¹ Whatsoever trespasses any one shall commit against his neighbor,—and if he shall take upon him an oath so that he should swear, and he shall come and make confession before thine altar in this house,

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

If any man: Solomon here puts seven cases, in all of which the mercy and intervention of God would be indispensably requisite; and he earnestly bespeaks that mercy and intervention, on condition that the people pray towards that holy place, and with a feeling heart make earnest supplication to the throne of mercy.

trespass: 2 Chronicles 6:22, 2 Chronicles 6:23

an oath be laid upon him: Heb. he require an oath of him, Exodus 22:8-11, Leviticus 5:1, Proverbs 30:9

the oath: Numbers 5:16-22

Reciprocal: Exodus 22:9 - for all manner of trespass Psalms 88:2 - General

Gill's Notes on the Bible

If any man trespass against his neighbour,.... By being unfaithful in a trust committed to him, or the like:

and an oath be laid upon him to cause him to swear; he denying that ever anything was committed to his trust, and there being no witnesses of it, the judge obliges him to take an oath he never had any:

and the oath come before thine altar in this house; where it was taken, as in the presence of God, and as appealing to him: hence in corrupt times they came to swear by the altar, Matthew 23:20 and so the Heathens used to take their oaths in the temples of their gods, and at their altars, as the instances of Callicrates c and Hannibal d show, and others Grotius refers to; yea, they also laid hold on the altar, at least touched it when they swore e to give the greater sanction to the oath.

c Cornel. Nep. Vit. Dion. l. 10. c. 8. d Ib. Hannibal. l. 23. c. 2. e Vid. Lydii Dissert de Jurament. c. 4. sect. 7.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The oath come before ... - “The oath” is equivalent to “the man who swears the oath.” A slight alteration in the present Hebrew text gives the sense “and he (the accused) go and swear before thine altar,” etc. The threats and the promises, the punishments and calamities of 1 Kings 8:31-38 were distinctly named in the Law. See the margin reference.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 31. If any man trespass against his neighbour — Solomon puts here seven cases, in all of which the mercy and intervention of God would be indispensably requisite; and he earnestly bespeaks that mercy and intervention on condition that the people pray towards that holy place, and with a feeling heart make earnest supplication.

The FIRST case is one of doubtfulness; where a man has sustained an injury, and charges it on a suspected person, though not able to bring direct evidence of the fact, the accused is permitted to come before the altar of God, and purge himself by his personal oath. Solomon prays that God may not permit a false oath to be taken, but that he will discover the truth, so that the wicked shall be condemned, and the righteous justified.