1 Kings 8:22

Contextual Overview

²²Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven²² Then Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven ²²Then Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh before all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven. ²² Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel and spread out his hands toward heaven.²² Solomon stoode before the aulter of the Lorde in the sight of all the congregation of Israel, and stretched out his handes toward heauen, and sayde: ²² And Solomon stood before the altar of Jehovah, across from the assembly of Israel, and spread his hands toward the heavens; ²² Then Solomon stood in front of whole assembly of Israel and faced the Lord 's altar. Solomon spread his hands and looked toward heaven ²² Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; ²² Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven; ²² And Solomon stood before the Altar of the Lord, in the presence of all the Congregation of Israel, and spread foorth his handes toward heauen:

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

2 Chronicles 6:12, Ezra 9:5, Job 11:13, Psalms 28:2, Psalms 63:4, Isaiah 1:15, 1 Timothy 2:8

stood before the altar: 1 Kings 8:54, 2 Kings 11:14, 2 Kings 23:3, 2 Chronicles 6:12, 13-42

spread forth: Exodus 9:29, Exodus 9:33

Reciprocal: Exodus 33:10 - worshipped 1 Kings 8:38 - spread forth 2 Chronicles 4:1 - an altar Nehemiah 9:5 - Stand up Psalms 44:20 - stretched Psalms 68:31 - stretch Lamentations 1:17 - spreadeth Ezekiel 46:2 - he shall worship

Cross-References

Genesis 8:8
Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground.

Genesis 8:8
Then he sent out a dove to see if the water had receded from the surface of the ground.

Genesis 8:8
Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land;

Genesis 8:8
Then he sent out a dove from him, to see if the water was abated from the face of the land;

Genesis 8:8
And agayne he sent foort a Doue from him, that he myght see yf the waters were abated from the vpper face of the grounde.

Genesis 8:8
Noah also sent out a dove. He wanted it to find dry ground. He wanted to know if water still covered the earth.

Genesis 8:8
Then he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground;

Genesis 8:8
Also Noe sente out a culuer aftir hym, to se if the watris hadden ceessid thanne on the face of erthe;

Genesis 8:8
Also hee sent foorth a doue from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground.

Genesis 8:8
Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground;

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And Solomon stood before the altar of the Lord,.... The altar of the burnt offering in the court of the priests, where he prayed the following prayer; and which altar was typical of Christ, who is always to be in sight in prayer, and through whom all sacrifices of prayer and praise become acceptable to God. In 2 Chronicles 6:13 he is said to stand upon a scaffold of brass, five cubits long, five broad, and three high, which stood in the midst of the court; it was a sort of a pulpit, round, as a laver, for which the word is sometimes used, and on which he kneeled:

in the presence of all the congregation of Israel; who stood in the great court before him, called the court of Israel:

and spread forth his hands toward heaven; and hence it appears, that though Solomon stood before the altar, he did not lay hold on it with his hands, as the Heathens did when they prayed; for they say y, that prayer alone does not appease the Deity, unless he that prays also lays hold on the altar with his hands; hence altars, at first, as we are told z, were called "ansae"; and lifting up or spreading the hands towards heaven was a proper gesture with the Greeks and Romans a.

y Macrob. Saturnal. l. 3. c. 2. Vid. Sperling. de Baptism. Ethiac, c. 6. p. 103. z Varro Rer. Divin. l. 5. apud ib. a Homer. Iliad. 3. ver. 275. & 6. ver. 301. Vid. Barth. Animadv. ad Claudian. in Rufin. l. 2. ver. 205.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The margin reference shows that the king was so placed as to be seen by all present, and that, before beginning his prayer, he knelt down upon his knees (compare 1 Kings 8:54).

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 1 Kings 8:22. Stood — He ascended the brazen scaffold, five cubits long, and five cubits broad, and three cubits high, and then kneeled down upon his knees, with his hands spread up to heaven, and offered up the following prayer: see 1 Kings 8:54, and 2 Chronicles 5:12-13.

And spread forth his hands toward heaven — This was a usual custom in all nations: in prayer the hands were stretched out to heaven, as if to invite and receive assistance from thence; while, humbly kneeling on their knees, they seemed acknowledge at once their dependence and unworthiness. On this subject I have spoken elsewhere. In the Scriptures we meet with several examples of the kind: Hear my voice-when I LIFT UP MY HANDS toward thy holy oracle; Psalms 28:2. LIFT UP YOUR HANDS in the sanctuary, and bless the Lord; Psalms 134:2. Let my prayer be set forth-and the LIFTING UP OF MY HANDS as the evening sacrifice; Psalms 141:2. And see 1 Timothy 2:8, c.

In heathen writers examples are not less frequent:

SUSTULIT exutas vinclis ad sidera PALMAS.

Vos aeterni ignes, et non violabile vestrum

Testor numen, ait.

VIRG. AEn. lib. ii., ver. 153.

Ye lamps of heaven, he said, and LIFTED HIGH

HIS HANDS, now free thou venerable sky,

Inviolable powers!

And that they kneeled down when supplicating I have also proved. Of this too the Scriptures afford abundant evidence, as do also the heathen writers. I need add but one word: -

Et GENBIUS PRONIS supplex, similisque roganti,

Circumfert tacitos, tanquam sun brachia, vultus.

OVID, Met. lib. iii., f. 3, ver. 240.

Indeed, so universal were these forms in praying, that one of the heathens has said, "All men, in praying, lift up their hands to heaven."