1 Kings 8:53

53. As thou spakest by the hand of Moses] The reference is to Exo_19:5-6, where God promises that Israel shall be to Him ‘a peculiar treasure.’ ‘By the hand of’ is a not uncommon Hebrew phrase for ‘by’ (see below 1Ki_8:56), and it is so represented in A. V. Thus Isa_20:2, ‘the Lord spake by Isaiah,’ the original has ‘by the hand of.’ So in Mal_1:1 ‘by Malachi’ is ‘by the hand of Malachi.’ At this point there occurs in 2 Chron. (2Ch_6:40-42) a large addition thus: ‘Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place. Now therefore arise, O Lord God, into thy resting place, thou and the ark of thy strength: let thy priests, O Lord God, be clothed with salvation, and let thy saints rejoice in goodness. O Lord God, turn not away the face of thine anointed: remember the mercies of David thy servant.’ These words may have belonged to the original document and be the groundwork of Psalms 132, or the Chronicler may have given a free variation and borrowed from the Psalm.

In the LXX. there is also an addition of a different kind after 1Ki_8:53. It purports to be something which was written ἐν βιβλίῳ τῆς ᾠδῆς, ‘in the book of song’ and is made up of allusions to 1Ki_8:12-13 of this chapter, and, as it stands, is not very intelligible. The translation would be ‘The sun he made known in heaven, the Lord hath said that he will dwell in darkness. Build my house, a comely house for thyself to dwell in. Behold, is it not written in the book of song?’ Prof. Robertson Smith has discussed this passage in the notes (pp. 403, 404) to his ‘Old Testament in the Jewish Church,’ and by certain, not very startling corrections, he gives a restored version thus:

Jehovah created the sun in the heavens,

But he hath determined to dwell in darkness.

Build my house, an house of habitation for me,

A place to dwell in eternally.

Behold is it not written in the book of Jashar?

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.

1Ki 8:53 For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, [to be] thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.

Ver. 53. As thou spakest by the hand of Moses,] q.d., Huius rei habeo authorem gravissimum et testimonium, I have very good authority for what I say.

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_8:53

For Thou didst separate them.

Solomons plea

I. The fact. Thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth.

1. That separation commenced in the eternal purpose of God. Or ever the earth was He had set apart unto Himself a people whom He looked upon in the glass of His foreknowledge, and viewed with infinite affection.

2. This first act of separation was followed up by a distinct act of grace, in which the chosen were given over to the Lord Jesus Christ. Thine they were, says Jesus, and Thou gavest them Me.

3. So far the separation is hidden from us, but what is hidden in the purpose in due time develops itself in the event, for all the people of God are at the proper moment called out by effectual caning, and in this way they are separated from among the people of the world.

4. Believers become separate from the hour of their conversion by possessing a new nature.

5. The separateness of the believer tomes out in his life.

6. There shall be a final separation by and by when the wheat shall be gathered into the garner, and the tares cast into the oven, when the great Shepherd shall come and set His sheep on the right hand and the goats on the left. Oh, in that day of final separation, may we be found among those of whom He has said, They shall be Mine in the day when I make up My jewels.

II. The design. What has the Lord aimed at by separating His people from among men?

1. The text tens us: to be Thine inheritance. God has made choice of a people who are to be called the Lords portion, the lot of His inheritance, by which is meant that He would have a peculiar interest in them.

2. A man when he takes anything to be his inheritance expects to have it used for his own purposes.

3. A man will generally take up his abode in the spot which he has selected to be specially his own. For the Lord hath chosen Zion; He hath desired it for His habitation. This is My rest for ever; here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

4. In a mans inheritance He takes His delight. The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; He will rest in His love, He will joy over thee with singing.

5. When a man takes a portion to be his inheritance he means never to give it up.

III. A Plea. If you have realised that you are separated to belong to the Lord, this is a plea; and the plea applies in prayer to all your trials. (C. H. Spurgeon.)

Detachment from the world through attachment to Christ

The first duty is to attach ourselves, detachment comes afterwards. The chrysalis covering in which the butterfly was imprisoned only breaks and falls away when the insects wings have grown--it is by opening that these burst their melancholy integuments. We only begin to detach ourselves from the world when we have learned to know something of a better. Till then we are capable of disappointment and weariness which are not detachment. (The Twofold Life.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

1Ki 8:53. For thou didst separate them to be thine inheritance — Thou hast begun a work of great and glorious mercy to them; do not give occasion to thine enemies to think thou wast unable to finish it; or that thou art inconstant in thy ways and purposes, or unkind to thy own children.

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

And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the Lord,.... In which he was a type of Christ, praying and interceding for his people before the golden attar, Rev 8:3,

he arose from before the altar of the Lord; the altar of burnt offering, over against which he was:

from kneeling on his knees; upon the brasen scaffold; see Ch2 6:13, in which posture he was during this long prayer:

with his hands spread up to heaven; which gesture he had used in his prayer, and now continued in blessing the people.

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

Thou didst separate them to be thine inheritance; thou hast begun to build a work of great and glorious mercy to them; do not give occasion to thine enemies to think thou wast unable to finish it; or that thou art unstable in thy ways and counsels, or unkind to thine own children.

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

For thou didst separate them from (Lev_20:24, 26 Exo_19:5, Exo_19:6) among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance same expression, Deu_4:20 Deu_9:26, Deu_9:29. This is no idle repetition of ver. 51. The idea of that verse is deliverance, of this election. (Cf. Num_16:9 Num_8:14) , as thou spakest by the hand see note on ch. 2:25 of Moses thy servant, (Exo_19:5, 6 Deu_9:26, 29 14:2) when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord God.

In Chronicles (ch. 6:41, 42) the prayer ends somewhat differently. "Now therefore arise, O Lord God," etc. words which are found in substance Psa_132:8-10. These two verses look like an addition, and were probably inserted by the chronicler to form a connecting link with 1Ki_7:1-3 (Bahr). The LXX has an extremely curious addition, said to be taken from the "Book of the Song." Stanley sees in its very abruptness and obscurity an evidence of its genuineness ("Jewish Ch." 2:218).

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