1 Kings 8:44

1Ki 8:44 If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever thou shalt send them, and shall pray unto the LORD toward the city which thou hast chosen, and [toward] the house that I have built for thy name:

Ver. 44. If thy people go out to battle.] Upon a necessary justice, or a just necessity. For that soldier can never answer it to God that strikes not more as a justicer, than as any enemy.

And shall pray unto the Lord.] Soldiers must fight and pray, and pray and fight, as did the late king of Sweden.

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.

1Ki 8:44-45. If thy people go out to battle — In a just cause, and by thy warrant and commission. This is the next case recommended by Solomon to the divine favour. Whithersoever thou shalt send them — In this is implied, that it was unlawful for them to undertake any war merely for their own pleasure or profit, or the gratification of their own worldly or ambitious desires; or to enlarge their empire beyond its due bounds; and that they could not, with a good conscience, pray to God for his blessing on such a war. And shall pray unto the Lord — Whereby he instructs them that they should not trust either to the strength or justice of their arms, but only to God’s help and blessing, for which they were to pray. Toward the city which thou hast chosen — For thy dwelling-place, and the seat of thy temple. Toward the house which I have built — For to it they were to turn their faces in prayer; to profess themselves worshippers of the true God, in opposition to idols; and to strengthen their faith in God’s promises and covenant, the tables whereof were contained in that house. Soldiers in the field must not think it enough that others pray for them; they must pray for themselves; and they are here encouraged to expect a gracious answer. Praying should always go along with fighting. Maintain their cause — Declare the justice of their cause by giving them the victory.

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

8:44-45 On behalf of those without access to the Temple, particularly when far away fighting for God’s cause (Lev 26:7-8; Deut 20:1-4), Solomon asked that God hear their prayers directed toward the Lord and his Temple in Jerusalem (see Dan 6:10).

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

Verse 44. If thy people go out to battle] The SIXTH case refers to wars undertaken by Divine appointment: whithersoever thou shalt send them; for in no other wars could they expect the blessing and concurrence of the Lord; in none other could the God of truth and justice maintain their cause. There were such wars under the Mosaic dispensation, there are none such under the Christian dispensation: nor can there be any; for the Son of man is come, not to destroy men's lives, but to save them. Except mere defensive war, all others are diabolic; and, query, if there were no provocations, would there be any attacks, and consequently any need of defensive wars?

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

(44-50) If thy people go out.—The prayer here returns once more to invoke God’s aid against earthly enemies. It is characteristic of the foreboding tone of sadness, which runs through the whole prayer, that it touches but lightly on the first petition, for God’s blessing on the arms of Israel, so often granted in days gone by, and enlarges on the second petition, for mercy and deliverance in the event of defeat and captivity. The spirit, and in the confession of 1Ki_8:47 the very words, of this prayer of Solomon are strikingly reproduced in the solemn supplication of Daniel, when the close of the Babylonish captivity drew near (Dan_9:4-15).There we find a confession of sin, perverseness, and wickedness, literally the same; we find also a similar pleading with God, as “keeping covenant and mercy,” a similar reference to the deliverance from Egypt, and a similar emphasis on the consecration of the city and its people by God’s “great name.” There is a striking pathos of circumstance in the fact, that over “the sanctuary that was desolate” (Dan_9:17), with “his windows open towards Jerusalem,” Daniel utters the same prayer, which had marked the day of its consecration in all magnificence and prosperity.

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

44. If thy people go out to battle] The case here is of a war undertaken by God’s direction, and therefore in a righteous cause. Under such circumstances the people may trust in Him for support.

shall pray unto the Lord toward the city] Not only the Jews but other people were wont to turn their faces toward some sacred spot when praying in a distant land, as Daniel did in Babylon (Dan_6:10). Thus the Mohammedans turn towards Mecca, and the early Christians inherited from the Jews the custom of turning to the east when they prayed. Cf. Tert. Apol. 16.

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 thy people go out to battle against their enemy,.... In a foreign country, threatening to invade them, or having trespassed on their borders, or some way or other infringed on their liberties and privileges, and so given them just occasion to go to war with them:

whithersoever thou shalt send them; this case supposes their asking counsel of God, or having a direction and commission from him by a prophet, or some other way, to engage in war with the enemy:

and shall pray unto the Lord toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house I have built for thy name: for, notwithstanding the justness of their cause, and having a warrant from God to go to war, yet they were to pray to him for success when at a distance, even in a foreign land, and about to engage the enemy; and this they were to do, turning their faces towards the city of Jerusalem, and the temple there; declaring thereby that their dependence was upon the Lord that dwelt there, and their expectation of victory was only from him.

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

Name. It was the practice of the religious Jews, to pray with their eyes turned towards the holy place, ver. 48. The primitive Christians looked towards the east, in prayer, to remind them of the ascension of our Saviour, (Calmet) from Mount Olivet, in that quarter. (Haydock) (Psalm lxvii. 34.) (St. Just.[Justin Martyr?] q. 118.; Tertullian, apol. xvi.; St. Epiphanius, hær. xix.) (Calmet)

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).

Withersoever thou shalt send them, i.e. in a just cause, and by thy warrant or commission; whereby he implies that it was unlawful for them to undertake any war merely for their own glory or lust, or to enlarge their empire beyond its due bounds; and that they could not with safe conscience pray to God for his blessing upon such a war.

And shall pray unto the Lord; whereby he instructs them that they should not trust either to the strength or justice of their arms, but only to God’s help and blessing, which they were to pray for.

The city which thou hast chosen, to wit, for thy dwelling-place, and the seat of thy temple.

Toward the house that I have built for thy name; for to it they were to turn their faces in prayer; partly thereby to profess themselves to be the worshippers of the true God, in opposition to idols; and that they sought help from him, and from no other; and partly to strengthen faith in God’s promises and covenant, the tables whereof were contained in that house.

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

44. Whithersoever thou shalt send them — This indicates that the battle referred to is one undertaken by Divine counsel or sanction, as was every righteous war for the defence or honour of the nation.

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

If thy people go out to battle against their enemy, whithersoever Heb. in the way which thou shalt send them These words clearly imply that the war, whether defensive or offensive (i.e., for the chastisement of other nations), is one which had God"s sanction, and indeed was waged by His appointment, and shall pray unto the Lord toward Heb. in the way of. Same expression as above. The repetition is significant. "They have gone in God"s way. They may therefore look the way of God"s house for help." Executing God"s commission, they might justly expect His blessing the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house that I have built for thy name.

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

To battle - In a just cause, and by thy warrant or commission. Shall pray - Whereby he instructs them, that they should not trust, either to the strength or justice of their arms, but only to God's help and blessing. Chosen - For thy dwelling-place, and the seat of thy temple. Towards the house - For to it they were to turn their faces in prayer; to profess themselves worshippers of the true God, in opposition to idols; and to strengthen their faith in God's promises and covenant, the tables whereof were contained in that house. Soldiers in the field must not think it enough that others pray for them: they must pray for themselves. And they are here encouraged to expect a gracious answer. Praying should always go along with fighting.

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

Suppose that your people go out ... suppose that they pray

When Solomon was speaking, these hypothetical situations had not happened, but Solomon knew that they might happen in the future. Use the form in your language for talking about events that have not happened but might happen in the future. (See: Hypothetical Situations)

for your name

The word "name" is a metonym for the person, and "for ... name" refers to worshiping the person. See how you translated similar words in 1 Kings 3:2. AT: "in which people will worship you" (See: Metonymy)

their prayer and their request

The words "prayer" and "request" mean basically the same thing and emphasize that the people are sincere as they make their request. See how you translated similar words in 1 Kings 8:28. AT: "their request" (See: Doublet)

translationWords

adversary

send

pray

Yahweh

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

By way of the city. Facing towards Yerusholayim.

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.