The Meaning of 1 Kings 8:54 Explained

1 Kings 8:54

KJV: And it was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto the LORD, he arose from before the altar of the LORD, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread up to heaven.

YLT: And it cometh to pass, at Solomon's finishing to pray unto Jehovah all this prayer and supplication, he hath risen from before the altar of Jehovah, from bending on his knees, and his hands spread out to the heavens,

Darby: And it was so, that when Solomon had ended praying all this prayer and supplication to Jehovah, he arose from before the altar of Jehovah, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth to the heavens,

ASV: And it was so, that, when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication unto Jehovah, he arose from before the altar of Jehovah, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And it was [so], that when Solomon  had made an end  of praying  all this prayer  and supplication  unto the LORD,  he arose  from before  the altar  of the LORD,  from kneeling  on his knees  with his hands  spread up  to heaven. 

What does 1 Kings 8:54 Mean?

Context Summary

1 Kings 8:54-66 - Petition And Sacrifice
The man, as we have seen, who kneels most humbly before God is empowered to bless the people in God's name. What an august and noble testimony the king bore: "There hath not failed one word of all His good promise," 1 Kings 8:56. Joshua had said that before Solomon, Joshua 23:14. Myriads have borne similar witness, and, as we are passing hence, we shall say the same. We have failed, but not God; we have left Him, but He has never cast us away. The mountains may depart and the hills remove, but He will not alter nor falter in His everlasting kindness. Let us ask Him to incline our hearts unto Him, 1 Kings 8:58.
Notice the r.v. marginal reading in 1 Kings 8:59 of the phrase, "as every day shall require"-"the thing of a day in its day." Whatever may be the requirement for any day, the abundance of grace needed is provided, but you must look up for it and use it. It is they who receive the abundance of grace that reign in life. But you cannot receive unless your heart is perfect with God, and you walk in His statutes and keep His commandments.
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 8:54 mean?

And so it was when had finished Solomon praying to Yahweh - all prayer and supplication this that he arose from before the altar of Yahweh from kneeling on his knees and with his hands spread up to heaven
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כְּכַלּ֣וֹת שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל֙ אֶל־ יְהוָ֔ה אֵ֛ת כָּל־ הַתְּפִלָּ֥ה וְהַתְּחִנָּ֖ה הַזֹּ֑את קָ֞ם מִלִּפְנֵ֨י מִזְבַּ֤ח יְהוָה֙ מִכְּרֹ֣עַ עַל־ בִּרְכָּ֔יו וְכַפָּ֖יו פְּרֻשׂ֥וֹת הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

וַיְהִ֣י ׀  And  so  it  was 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כְּכַלּ֣וֹת  when  had  finished 
Parse: Preposition-k, Verb, Piel, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּלָה  
Sense: to accomplish, cease, consume, determine, end, fail, finish, be complete, be accomplished, be ended, be at an end, be finished, be spent.
שְׁלֹמֹ֗ה  Solomon 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: שְׁלֹמֹה  
Sense: son of David by Bathsheba and 3rd king of Israel; author of Proverbs and Song of Songs.
לְהִתְפַּלֵּל֙  praying 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hitpael, Infinitive construct
Root: פָּלַל 
Sense: to intervene, interpose, pray.
יְהוָ֔ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֵ֛ת  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַתְּפִלָּ֥ה  prayer 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּפִלָּה  
Sense: prayer.
וְהַתְּחִנָּ֖ה  and  supplication 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: תְּחִנָּה  
Sense: favour, supplication, supplication for favour.
הַזֹּ֑את  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, feminine singular
Root: זׄאת  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, such.
קָ֞ם  that  he  arose 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קוּם 
Sense: to rise, arise, stand, rise up, stand up.
מִלִּפְנֵ֨י  from  before 
Parse: Preposition-m, Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
מִזְבַּ֤ח  the  altar 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
מִכְּרֹ֣עַ  from  kneeling 
Parse: Preposition-m, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: כָּרַע  
Sense: to bend, kneel, bow, bow down, sink down to one’s knees, kneel down to rest (of animals), kneel in reverence.
בִּרְכָּ֔יו  his  knees 
Parse: Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: בֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: knee.
וְכַפָּ֖יו  and  with  his  hands 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, fdc, third person masculine singular
Root: כַּף  
Sense: palm, hand, sole, palm of the hand, hollow or flat of the hand.
פְּרֻשׂ֥וֹת  spread  up 
Parse: Verb, Qal, QalPassParticiple, feminine plural
Root: פָּרַשׂ  
Sense: to spread, spread out, stretch, break in pieces.
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם  to  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.