1 Kings 8:31

1Ki 8:31 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:

Ver. 31. And an oath be laid upon him, to cause him to swear.] An oath may lawfully be taken for the help of truth in necessity, and not else. Hence the Hebrew word Nishbang is a passive, and signifieth rather to be sworn, than to swear.

And the oath come before thine altar.] That sign of God’s presence there. Amongst us, he that sweareth, layeth his hand on a Bible, for like cause.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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 1Ki 8:31-38 were distinctly named in the Law. See the margin reference.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

1Ki 8:31. If any man, &c. — He now puts divers cases in which he supposed application would be made to God in prayer, in or toward this house of prayer; and first that of God’s being appealed to by an oath for the determining of any controverted right between man and man. If any man trespass against his neighbour — If a man be accused of a trespass. And an oath be laid upon him — Either by the judge, or by the party accusing him, or by the accused person himself, claiming the privilege of perjuring himself by an oath from the trespass laid to his charge, which was usual when there were no witnesses. Solomon seems here to refer chiefly to the case of those who were accused of denying that which was said to be deposited with them by their neighbour. And the oath come before thine altar — Where God, who was appealed to as a witness, was supposed to be especially present. Hence the heathen were wont to swear at their altars; calling on their gods to witness to the truth of what they said, and to punish them if they uttered any falsehood therein.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

8:31-32 Solomon asked that God render the proper decision and carry out justice in court cases when the litigant’s innocence could not be determined due to a lack of witnesses (cp. Exod 22:7-12). Perhaps Solomon realized that later officials would not have the special wisdom God had given him (1 Kgs 3:12; e.g., 3:16-27).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

To wit, the judge or neighbor.

Hebrew, the oath.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

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.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

(31, 32) If any man trespass.—These verses deal with the simplest exemplification of the sacredness of the Temple in the case of the oath of expurgation of one accused of crime (see Exo_22:7). Of these oaths, and the sophistical distinctions between the various forms of them, we have Our Lord’s notice in Mat_23:16-22. Such an oath has a twofold force—a force purely spiritual, inasmuch as it solemnly recognises the Presence of God, and by such recognition shames all falsehood as a kind of sacrilege; and a force which is “of the Law,” inasmuch as the invocation of God’s punishment in case of falsehood appeals to godly fear. Solomon prays that God will accept the oath under both aspects, and by His judgment distinguish between the innocent and the guilty.

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

31. If any man trespass] Here Solomon enters on a series of specific petitions, the first of which is concerning any case of trespass, in which he implores that God would uphold the sanctity of an oath. The sense of ‘trespass’ in this verse must be = ‘be supposed to have trespassed.’ The person presumed to have offended is to be challenged to take an oath, and to God is left the punishment of the guilty and the acquittal of the innocent. Cf. Exo_22:7-11.

and the oath come] It is better to take both words as verbs and supply a copulative. Render “and he come and swear.”

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

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, Mat 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.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Oath. In certain cases, an oath would clear a person, Exodus xxii. 11. Solomon prays that perjury may be disclosed. --- Altar. It was customary to touch the altar, when a person took an oath, as Hannibal did. K. Latinus says; Tango aras mediosque ignes et Numina testor---

Nulla dies pacem hanc Italis nec fœdera rumpet. (Virgil, Æneid xii. 201.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

If any man trespass, i.e. if he be accused of a trespass.

An oath be laid upon him; either by the judge, or by the party accusing him, or by the accused person himself; which was usual, when there were no witnesses. See Exo 22:8,11; Num 5:12,15, &c.

And the oath come before thine altar in this house; for here God, who was appealed to as witness, was especially present. Hence the heathens used to swear at their altars.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

31. An oath be laid upon him — According to the requirement of the law in Exo_22:7-11, which provided that if a man suspect his neighbour of any kind of trespass, and has no evidence to convict him, he can require him to make oath of his integrity. This clear reference to the laws of the Pentateuch, as well as many other expressions in this prayer, serve also to confute rationalism in the assertion of a late origin of the books of Moses.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

If any man trespass The force of the Hebrew (which begins somewhat abruptly) rva tae (LXX osa a aJmarth) is probably, As for that which, or in all cases in which, i.e., when (as Ewald, 333 a). The chronicler, as usual, simplifies by reading against his neighbour, and an oath be laid Heb. and he (the neighbour) lay an oath, i.e., prescribe a form of adjuration, such as that in Deu_21:7 upon him to cause him to swear, and the oath come This translation cannot be maintained. For in the Heb. there is no def. art., as there would be if hl; a; were noun and nominative; and, moreover in that case the verb, to agree with the feminine noun, would be ha; B; And as no other meaning can be extracted from the words as they stand, we are driven to suspect a slight corruption of the text, either

(1) the omission of w between the words, which in that case would have stood hlaw abw, and would mean, "and he (the accused) come and swear a conjecture which is supported by the LXX, kai elqh kai ejxagoreush, or

(2) the omission of the preposition b, which would yield hlab abw = and he (the accused) enters into the oath, an expression found in Neh_10:29 and Eze_17:13 before thine altar in this house. Despite the last words, the altar of sacrifice before the house is probably meant. This was the altar of the Jewish layman, and, moreover it was one visible sign of the covenant. Psa_1:5 Exo_24:6-8; cf. Exo_20:24. The altar which afforded shelter to the manslayer, in the same way lent sanctity to the oath. The practice of swearing by the altar (Mat_23:18) is of later date.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Trespass - If he be accused of a trespass. Laid on him - Either by the judge, or by the party accusing him, or by the accused person himself: which was usual, when there were no witnesses. Thine altar - For here God, who was appealed to as witness, was especially present. Hence the Heathens used to swear at their altars.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

is required to swear

This can be stated in active form. AT: "someone requires him to swear" (See: Active or Passive)

upon his own head

Here "head" refers to the whole person. AT: "on him" (See: Synecdoche)

give to him according to his righteousness

"to give him what he deserves because he is righteous"

translationWords

sin

neighbor

oath

altar

judge

condemn

head

righteous

innocent

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Should a person sin against his fellow man. One who has intimate relations with a married woman.

And is liable that a curse. Just as the water examines her, so does the water examine him.

And is liable. An expression of a creditor.

And the curse comes before your altar. “And the Kohein shall stand the woman before Adonoy.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.