The Meaning of 1 Kings 8:47 Explained

1 Kings 8:47

KJV: Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness;

YLT: and they have turned it back unto their heart in the land whither they have been taken captive, and have turned back, and made supplication unto Thee, in the land of their captors, saying, We have sinned and done perversely -- we have done wickedly;

Darby: and if they shall take it to heart in the land whither they were carried captive, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done iniquity, we have dealt perversely;

ASV: yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have dealt wickedly;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[Yet] if they shall bethink  themselves in the land  whither they were carried captives,  and repent,  and make supplication  unto thee in the land  of them that carried them captives,  saying,  We have sinned,  and have done perversely,  we have committed wickedness; 

What does 1 Kings 8:47 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 8:44-53 - A Plea For National Righteousness
How true it is that there is no man that sinneth not, 1 Kings 8:46! Only one that ever walked this earth was holy, guileless, and undefiled, Hebrews 7:26. When we fail to watch and abide in Christ, we are easily carried into captivity. How many of God's children are thus taken captive! They are in bondage to some besetting sin, to some evil habit, to some degrading business, or to some unseemly alliance. Like blind Samson, they grind in the prison-house.
Let any such, who long for freedom, take home to their souls the infinite comfort which God's Word affords. Let them bethink-themselves of the holy and blessed days of the past. Let them repent, that is, in their heart and in practice put away the evil thing which is the outward badge of their sad condition. Let them turn again to the Savior, who has passed into the Holiest, that He may intercede in the presence of God for us all. There will be an immediate response. God will hearken in all that they call unto Him for, will forgive transgression and sin, and will restore His people to become again His own inheritance for His glory and praise.
1 Kings 8:1-66 - Breaking Three Commandments
From a worldly point of view Naboth might have done a good stroke of business by selling his estate to. Ahab. A royal price and assured favor might have been his-but he had a conscience! Above the persuasive tones of the monarch's offer sounded the voice of God: "The land shall not be sold for ever, for the land is mine." See Leviticus 25:23; Numbers 36:7; Ezekiel 46:18.
Ahab knew perfectly well that Jezebel could not give him the property of another except by foul means, but he took pains not to inquire. Though the direct orders for Naboth's death did not come from him, yet, by his silence, he was an accomplice and an accessory; and divine justice penetrates all such specious excuses. God holds us responsible for wrongs which we do not arrest, though we have the power. The crime was blacker because of the pretext of religion, as suggested by a fast. See also 2 Kings 9:26. The blood of murdered innocence cries to God, and his requital, though delayed, is inevitable. See Revelation 6:9-10. [source]

Chapter Summary: 1 Kings 8

1  The feast of the temple
12  Solomon's blessing
22  Solomon's prayer
54  Solomon's blessing
62  His sacrifice of peace offerings

What do the individual words in 1 Kings 8:47 mean?

and [yet] when they come to themselves in the land where they were carried captive there and repent and make supplication to You in the land of those who took them captive saying we have sinned and done wrong we have committed wickedness
וְהֵשִׁ֙יבוּ֙ אֶל־ לִבָּ֔ם בָּאָ֖רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִשְׁבּוּ־ שָׁ֑ם וְשָׁ֣בוּ ׀ וְהִֽתְחַנְּנ֣וּ אֵלֶ֗יךָ בְּאֶ֤רֶץ שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר חָטָ֥אנוּ וְהֶעֱוִ֖ינוּ רָשָֽׁעְנוּ

וְהֵשִׁ֙יבוּ֙  and  [yet]  when  they  come 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
לִבָּ֔ם  themselves 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine plural
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
בָּאָ֖רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲשֶׁ֣ר  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
נִשְׁבּוּ־  they  were  carried  captive 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person common plural
Root: שָׁבָה  
Sense: to take captive.
וְשָׁ֣בוּ ׀  and  repent 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: שׁוּב  
Sense: to return, turn back.
וְהִֽתְחַנְּנ֣וּ  and  make  supplication 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: חָנַן 
Sense: to be gracious, show favour, pity.
אֵלֶ֗יךָ  to  You 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
Root: אֶל  
Sense: to, toward, unto (of motion).
בְּאֶ֤רֶץ  in  the  land 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
שֹֽׁבֵיהֶם֙  of  those  who  took  them  captive 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: שָׁבָה  
Sense: to take captive.
לֵאמֹ֔ר  saying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
חָטָ֥אנוּ  we  have  sinned 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: חָטָא 
Sense: to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness.
וְהֶעֱוִ֖ינוּ  and  done  wrong 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hifil, Conjunctive perfect, first person common plural
Root: עָוָה 
Sense: to bend, twist, distort.
רָשָֽׁעְנוּ  we  have  committed  wickedness 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: רָשַׁע  
Sense: to be wicked, act wickedly.